Moving to Maine - Advice/Good-to-know Please (for sale, insurance)

[Jenny9504]

Aery,

Your post was wonderful! I'll reply to this this weekend but I just wanted to thank you - you addressed things I didn't even know I was missing! Thanks again!

[DeanGuitarist]

Really enjoy this thread, post...whatever it's called lol... I'm fairly new here on city data. I too have been looking into Maine. My wife kinda thinks I'm crazy. But, I'm just ready for us to start living a life for ourselves. We live in Louisiana and can't wait to get away. Politics, weather, unbearable heat, flooding just recently, and hurricanes. Well, we both are ready. Something has been calling me to Maine for a long time. We're both outdoorsy and love to travel. Especially to learn another culture. And snow. We both want to be where it snows. I know it can be a huge pain in the you know what, but it's something we hardly experienced. Few times, actually. We will be having our oldest son and fiance move with us as well, so we're not too worried on the cost of living. I do plan on returning back to school for a degree. My wife is looking to open up a small restaurant as well. But there's gonna be a problem. No Louisiana seasoning. I'm sure we could make do... Now, I've read something about baking. She can bake some mean pies and cakes! We are looking into a rural area, we raise chickens, goats and turkey. We're starting to be self reliant, canning our foods, making jerky, and cheese, once our goats start producing milk. I also catch bees as a side hobby with a friend. Don't know about if there's bees in Maine. We're a working family, work for what we have and do not rely on government programs. I've read in a few forums that Maine has many people on welfare. I don't want to rub any Mainers the wrong way by saying this. We love interaction with locals in farmers markets, both buying and hoping soon to be selling goods. We pretty much keep to ourselves as well, and do not press into other people's business. We respect peoples privacy. I'm a firefighter here in our city and surrounding areas. Medically trained as a first medical responder CPR and AED. I will offer my services to volunteer departments wherever we may decide to relocate to. Also, buying out a house with land for a small farm as mentioned above. Oh, forgot to mention that I love the cold hahaha... And, looking forward to learning how to hunt and fish around there. I hear there's mean lobster rolls that are to be reckoned with. I'll bring my appetite. Again, this thread or post has been very helpful to me. Thank you all!!!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Ddhanks

Really enjoy this thread,

Good

... I'm fairly new here on city data.

Welcome

... My wife kinda thinks I'm crazy.

Don't they all?

... We both want to be where it snows. I know it can be a huge pain in the you know what, but it's something we hardly experienced.

If you are ready for it than it is no big deal.

We have a carport for our vehicles, so they never get snow on them. We have a tractor with a snow-blower [also parked in the carport] so even the deepest snow can easily be cleared from our driveway, without actually touching a snow shovel.

... Few times, actually. We will be having our oldest son and fiance move with us as well, so we're not too worried on the cost of living

A few regions of Maine do have high COL, while most regions of Maine maintain lower COL It gets confusing when 'Maine' is used because it implies both.

... Don't know about if there's bees in Maine.

I am a beekeeper.

... I love the cold ... looking forward to learning how to hunt and fish around there. I hear there's mean lobster rolls that are to be reckoned with. I'll bring my appetite. Again, this thread or post has been very helpful to me. Thank you all!!!

[DeanGuitarist]

Thank you Submariner!!!

[dogsandart]

Ddhanks, we have some things in common. We're leaving the south, too, for pretty much the same reasons. Except we're in North Carolina. Also, we're probably going to be closer to Portland than you sound like you're thinking. We're looking in Brunswick/Topsham. Not having a lot of luck with househunting right now, inventory is low. We're a bit picky as I need a north facing studio space and we want to be in a dog-walking/jogging friendly neighborhood. I hope you get to Maine soon. We're hoping before winter sets in, but we may not find a house in time. If that happens I hope to find a rental for over the winter, but I have 2 dogs, and one is a doberman, so that makes finding a rental difficult. Do you have all your Southern friends thinking you're crazy for wanting to move north? I'm so sick of people telling me it gets cold in Maine, like I've never thought of that! LOL. Google the Danish word "hygge". That will be my philosophy!

[westeasterly]

@dogsandart, I love the hygge reference and it's a superb philosophy. You are right on the mark with the reaction of incredulous friends. I get it all the time on the west coast, too, and I stopped trying to explain it. Now I just say that the place has been calling me and, yes, I love cold weather. My next informational trip is two months out and I'm moving in late spring.

I'll be in the midcoast area, solo but with dog and cat and I have the same concern about finding a rental while I house-hunt. I am seeing some Airbnb places that are shifting to less expensive winter-long rentals starting in October. Might be worth looking into since you are trying to get there sooner. Quite a few allow dogs.

For me, it's been a lot of practical decisions lately, like whether to sell my place here or rent it out. Which insurance to get. Should I take a scenic cross-country drive with my pets or should I fly? Which car should I buy there? How close to town should I be? These decisions are not easy and not as satisfying as the idle information gathering I was doing before. And I have to acquire some new skills and some new stuff but first I have to let go of a lot of stuff here. #soready

[dogsandart]

@westeasterly, Good luck with your plans! We'll have to look into Airbnb, thanks! I hadn't thought of that source, just thought it was for very brief stays. As for cars, our "research" has shown that unless you live out in the country, there's not a pressing need for 4 wheel drive because they clear the roads pretty quickly in town. But, my husband is pretty interested in a Suburu since he drove a rental on a business trip! Are you planning to buy right away or rent first? We visited about a month ago to househunt and met the real estate agent we'd been receiving the MLS listings from. We saw a lot of houses, didn't find THE one, but she now has a clear idea of what we're looking for. So, I think we're going to be getting some skype tours now until we can get back up. Late spring should be a good to time to move, but this year the good listings started showing up in early spring and some moved pretty fast. Low inventory now, but I hope my agent is right about more activity in the fall!!

[DeanGuitarist]

Dogsandart..sorry for a delay reply. My wife and I loves the Western side of North Carolina. We were looking to go there or eastern Tenn in the mountain region. Haven't looked into much regions of Maine, just tinkering with idea for right now. Seen a few places of interest, like Millinocket. Just seeing what towns have reasonable cost of living and employment opportunities. Just about all friends I work with think I'm crazy, but one. He thinks that I have a strong constitution to make it work. Don't have many friends outside of work due to this hell hole town. Lot of people here stabs you in the back. Pretty much keep to ourselves. Had a bitter time with kids family and they know loads of people. They can get nuns to sell their body for drugs, if you catch my drift. So...We try to avoid all the drama. Other people I work with are against me leaving due to the fact that they are oblivious to other people making their own choices. They think if you live and work here, you should die here. They think that you don't belong anywhere BUT here. Oh, and money talks. If you have money, you have more friends. If you are poor, then you are like a disease and are shunned. Most are LSU fans and in that mentality, to hell with the other teams. And LSU has the most nastiest fans. Gets me sick on how rude they can be. And religion. Urgh. I have no problem with people and religion but I do have a problem when they judge others for their own beliefs and yet the go to church on Sunday as if they are the most perfect people. But enough ranting, I can go on and on about "southern hospitality" in South Louisiana. Oh yes, they talk about snow up there like it's a curse. I tell them usually that they don't know what I like and don't try to dictate my life based on your agendas. We're just a family that is sick of our state, it's people an Just wanting to live our lives the way we want to, not for others. I looked into Hygge and I like that. It's something that I'm going to start looking into. Seems a great way of life! I wish you guys the best!!!

[deerislesmile]

Originally Posted by Jenny9504

I find it interesting that you say “we despise arrogance and fast talkers” when I found it part of the culture in New York (no offense to any New Yorkers) so close to you. Another reason it seems Maine is its own cultural haven, I guess (??).

New York (City) is almost 500 miles away from where I live, and I'm not even in Northern Maine or true Downeast Maine (for people in far Northern Maine, NYC would be closer to 650 miles away). I don't feel any connection (cultural, historical, social, or otherwise) to New York (state or city) and I can't recall ever knowing anyone that did, unless that person was FROM New York or desperately wanted to move there. If anything, we associate with Boston, but not really New York.

**Detroit, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; Charlotte, NC and even Quebec City are all closer to NYC than Fort Kent, Maine is.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

New York (City) is almost 500 miles away from where I live, and I'm not even in Northern Maine or Downeast Maine (for people in far Northern Maine, NYC would be closer to 650 miles away). I don't feel any connection (cultural, historical, social, or otherwise) to New York (state or city) and I can't recall ever knowing anyone that did, unless that person was FROM New York or desperately wanted to move there. If anything, we associate with Boston, but not really New York.

**Detroit, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; and Charlotte, SC and even Quebec City would all be closer to NYC than Fort Kent, Maine is.

I live in the Southern half of Maine, I am over 250 miles from Boston. I think I have driven through it on the interstate twice in my life [once in the 1980s and once in the '00s] and I was stuck there at a Greyhound bus terminal for a few hours waiting for a bus transfer on two occasions. That is the total 'connection' I have with Boston.

I fail to see why or how anyone can feel a 'connection' to any city.