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This BDN article touches upon the conflicts surrounding what is going on in much of Maine. It describes Downeast, but just as well could be talking about the Millinocket area or much of the County. The "boom" in real estate sales is not correlating to a boom in jobs. The folks looking for that vacation spot, whether it's a place on the coast, or somewhere to stay for a couple weeks and snowsled, don't have the same interest in town services that the "locals" do. Seasonal residents aren't too interested in schools for instance. The comments after this article really are getting to the heart of the issue from what I see. One the surface it might seem all these places are booming, but that change is not without consequences, much of which is changing these spots from what they have been to something quite different.
If Lubec is booming, why did the high school close?...article touches on it, but you have to be reading between the lines...there are different desires between full time residents and summer residents.
I have to say the County is very different: it is not a "separated" community like the coast is (i.e. really rich folks--many from away-- buying and living in expensive places on the water, and then all the other folks who are struggling to just survive...............each group with very different perspectives and goals.)
I have to say the County is very different: it is not a "separated" community like the coast is (i.e. really rich folks--many from away-- buying and living in expensive places on the water, and then all the other folks who are struggling to just survive...............each group with very different perspectives and goals.)
Up here, it's just one community.
Maybe so in the northern half of the County, but the southern part has had many farm homesteads bought up by folks who use them for vacation homes. I also don't remember the last place on a lake that was bought by a local. Dumps on a lake are going for over a hundred thousand, and I mean dumps! It is what it is, but it does hurt the local community.
Many locals own lakefront in the County. Granted, prices have gone up considerably over the last ten or twenty years. But lakefront up here is still far cheaper than anywhere else in Maine.
And there just is not the "rich/poor", "from away/local" divide up here that you see on the coast. It's not even close. (Sure, there are a few rich people from away who have bought property in the County; but it's a small number. Along the coast, most waterfront property--or even just with a view-- is now owned by rich people from away).
OOOOOOOhhhhhh, against my better judgement, I'll venture into this conversation
As some Maine Forum regulars may recall, I'd be one of those people from away that have bought a farm in the southern half of The County.
Have I hurt the local community? Could be.
I have yet to settle there full time, because I so far, I've only been there off and on. I do wish I was there, in my house, full time, attending church full time, going to the community suppers down the street, regularly, tending to town matters as a good citizen, and so on. Yeah, my house is empty far more than I'd like, and no, that is not good for the community.
On the other hand, the previous owner was a single guy, who was a long-haul truck driver, and was out of state half of his life too over the past two decades, though the house had been in his family for 3 generations anyhow, and now the condition of the house was beginning to attest to his long absences too, despite his best efforts to stay with the house and land. - and this is a house I'm trying to put a new roof on as well as repair/salvage the garage/barn.
I DO wish I was around for more things such as town meeting and other events, but with the economy what it is, my work continues to be down south.
I've sat down with several of my new neighbors and (in my opinion), we've had nice talks on all kinds of things from the previous owner of my house, to the beavers in the pond (along with how to encourage them to move on) to the weather, and so on. I'm making plans and contacts to fix up the garage/barn that my farmer/neighbor has said he'd love to see saved. He's been renting some of the land I just bought and I'm continuing the previous arrangements into the future and told him so.
The house and land I bought was marked *way* down because it was dying of neglect and the previous owner's financial inability to make things different, again despite his best efforts. The economy just wasn't helping him either. Heck, that might be this house's fate under my ownership too, but I'm trying like heck not to let one more Southern Aroostook house fall into abandonment and collapse. Time will tell.
Down south, I do farming, forestry, and child care with residential treatment kids on somebody elses 166 acres. I do 40 to 55 hours a week including some nights and weekends with some of the unhappiest, sometimes meanest teenaged boys I've ever met (I was assaulted - shoved and threatened - just last night), and make about $32K a year, (after 10 years!) doing it. If that qualifies me as "rich" folk, then I'm guilty as charged.
Seriously, as a long time, but small time farmer myself, I want nothing more than to get onto this farm full time, probably leasing part of it to my neighbor as long as possible because, frankly, he knows more about farming in that part of the world than I ever will. I don't want to change the community. Rather, I want to be part of it. I get the local paper every week and wring my hands over the events I want to get to but just can't.
Please, not everybody from Away is a rich SOB. Some of us are refugees of the same rich-controlled, urban/suburban world that rural folk are so tired of dealing with. We have saved our pennies to buy a little space out in a place like The County where we no longer have to feel like 2nd class citizens because we cannot afford a 4000 sq ft house and a Lexus (or ANY house for that matter in Southern New England.)
I *DO* hear what Mainers and many rural folk say and think about people like me, but do know that some of us are limping away from exactly the same stuff you all don't want us to bring, and believe me, we're leaving that snotty, well-to-do lifestyle behind because for some of us, it was never our lifestyle to begin with, despite the state affiliation you see on my pickup's registration plate.
Beltrams, awesome post. I and many others are glad to have you and those like you in the County......even if only on a "part time" basis.
Hope you have good luck getting things taken care of.
When "locals" decide to sell waterfront property that may have been in their families for 50 or more years, it's often about no longer being able to afford the property taxes and/or possibly seizing an opportunity to get a large sum of money from the sale to help them during their retirement years. I could offer several examples, but will offer one. One of my relatives sold his oceanfront property, bought a place outside of Bangor closer to his children, and had money left over for a financially stress-free retirement. Often it's people from away who can afford to pay large sums for oceanfront property. Many locals can not afford to pay high prices typically associated with purchasing oceanfront property. While we might get angry at people from away buying Maine properties, we must remember that there has to be a seller in order to have a buyer. I do understand why some of the "locals" feel economically forced to sell.
Hi there.. New to the Maine forums but interested in life in Lubec. So, question at this point: considering that this is now the case with the housing market and possible property tax issue, WHY is the cost of living index for Lubec so low? I mean, 88.. that's practically as low as it'll ever get for the U.S.!!
Location: 3.5 sq mile island ant nest next to Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beltrams
OOOOOOOhhhhhh, against my better judgement, I'll venture into this conversation
As some Maine Forum regulars may recall, I'd be one of those people from away that have bought a farm in the southern half of The County.
Have I hurt the local community? Could be.
I have yet to settle there full time, because I so far, I've only been there off and on. I do wish I was there, in my house, full time, attending church full time, going to the community suppers down the street, regularly, tending to town matters as a good citizen, and so on. Yeah, my house is empty far more than I'd like, and no, that is not good for the community.
On the other hand, the previous owner was a single guy, who was a long-haul truck driver, and was out of state half of his life too over the past two decades, though the house had been in his family for 3 generations anyhow, and now the condition of the house was beginning to attest to his long absences too, despite his best efforts to stay with the house and land. - and this is a house I'm trying to put a new roof on as well as repair/salvage the garage/barn.
I DO wish I was around for more things such as town meeting and other events, but with the economy what it is, my work continues to be down south.
I've sat down with several of my new neighbors and (in my opinion), we've had nice talks on all kinds of things from the previous owner of my house, to the beavers in the pond (along with how to encourage them to move on) to the weather, and so on. I'm making plans and contacts to fix up the garage/barn that my farmer/neighbor has said he'd love to see saved. He's been renting some of the land I just bought and I'm continuing the previous arrangements into the future and told him so.
The house and land I bought was marked *way* down because it was dying of neglect and the previous owner's financial inability to make things different, again despite his best efforts. The economy just wasn't helping him either. Heck, that might be this house's fate under my ownership too, but I'm trying like heck not to let one more Southern Aroostook house fall into abandonment and collapse. Time will tell.
Down south, I do farming, forestry, and child care with residential treatment kids on somebody elses 166 acres. I do 40 to 55 hours a week including some nights and weekends with some of the unhappiest, sometimes meanest teenaged boys I've ever met (I was assaulted - shoved and threatened - just last night), and make about $32K a year, (after 10 years!) doing it. If that qualifies me as "rich" folk, then I'm guilty as charged.
Seriously, as a long time, but small time farmer myself, I want nothing more than to get onto this farm full time, probably leasing part of it to my neighbor as long as possible because, frankly, he knows more about farming in that part of the world than I ever will. I don't want to change the community. Rather, I want to be part of it. I get the local paper every week and wring my hands over the events I want to get to but just can't.
Please, not everybody from Away is a rich SOB. Some of us are refugees of the same rich-controlled, urban/suburban world that rural folk are so tired of dealing with. We have saved our pennies to buy a little space out in a place like The County where we no longer have to feel like 2nd class citizens because we cannot afford a 4000 sq ft house and a Lexus (or ANY house for that matter in Southern New England.)
I *DO* hear what Mainers and many rural folk say and think about people like me, but do know that some of us are limping away from exactly the same stuff you all don't want us to bring, and believe me, we're leaving that snotty, well-to-do lifestyle behind because for some of us, it was never our lifestyle to begin with, despite the state affiliation you see on my pickup's registration plate.
Nice post, beltrams. Well stated. But not all of us think the CFA's are all rich and a pain just like not everyone from away is rich. You seem to be the good kind of neighbor (from here or away) who talks to them next door and gets along.
Hi there.. New to the Maine forums but interested in life in Lubec. So, question at this point: considering that this is now the case with the housing market and possible property tax issue, WHY is the cost of living index for Lubec so low? I mean, 88.. that's practically as low as it'll ever get for the U.S.!!
Jobs.
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