Possibly relocating from FL, have some questions. (Portland, Auburn: for sale by owner, real estate)

[Koosh316]

Ok. I was born in mass, moved to Southern NH when I was 5 and lived in that area till I was 25 (2005) then came to FL.
I hate it here, I mean the weather is nice from December till March but other than that it’s horrible.
I don’t go to beaches here cause way too hot and overcrowded by tourist, I like rivers more but down here you have snakes and gators and I won’t allow my daughter to swim in the rivers.
Anyways... I wanted to move back to NH but that’s out of the question cause it’s outrageous what it cost to live there.

My father who lives with me has MS and rheumatoid arthritis (his arthritis is worse in the summer here, same with his MS), My daughter also has neurological disorders so wherever we move we need to be within 15 min of a good hospital, about 20 min at most away from drs for primary care and neurologist and rheumatologist.
Want to be within 10 min to at least a supermarket, gas station,15 min away of good diners, restaurants etc.
I don’t want to be in the boonies( 30 min away to closest store =no thanks!) but also don’t want to be in a neighborhood that has no privacy.
I would like at least an acre.

Oh... need to be within 90 minutes of Northern Boston area like Lynn, Salem etc

Can I find the above with around $140k for a single family house?

If not might have to look in western mass or elsewhere.

My daughter is special needs so need a decent school for her as well (obviously not top rated but decent education for her.)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Koosh316

Ok. I was born in mass, moved to Southern NH when I was 5 and lived in that area till I was 25 (2005) then came to FL. I hate it here, I mean the weather is nice from December till March but other than that it’s horrible.

I am from California, I love Maine.

... I don’t go to beaches here cause way too hot and overcrowded by tourist, I like rivers more but down here you have snakes and gators and I won’t allow my daughter to swim in the rivers.

Maine has a great many freshwater rivers, lakes and ponds. It is not difficult to locate secluded water frontage where you can enjoy the water in peace.

I have a quarter-mile of river frontage here on my land. We keep a couple of kayaks right behind our house. So it is quick and easy for us to drag them into the water.

... I wanted to move back to NH but that’s out of the question cause it’s outrageous what it cost to live there.

There are parts of Maine that seem to have a high Cost-of-Living, and there are other regions that have a very low COL. You may need to explore a bit.

.... wherever we move we need to be within 15 min of a good hospital, about 20 min at most away from drs for primary care and neurologist and rheumatologist.

Want to be within 10 min to at least a supermarket, gas station,15 min away of good diners, restaurants etc.

I don’t want to be in the boonies( 30 min away to closest store =no thanks!) but also don’t want to be in a neighborhood that has no privacy.
I would like at least an acre.

Find the amenities that you want, and draw 10-minute, 15-minute and 30-minute circles around then on a map.

... need to be within 90 minutes of Northern Boston area like Lynn, Salem etc

Can I find the above with around $140k for a single family house?

If you hug the state border, you will be nestled in communities of people who commute into Boston.

My understanding is that area is the most densely populated and highest COL region of Maine.

I wish you luck in your search.

[maineguy8888]

Far southern Maine is the only part close enough to Boston for you. You will find it very hard to find a livable house in that area for 140 k.....its prices have gone through the roof.
A trailer.....yes. Any house will be tiny or in bad shape.

[mainegrl2011]

Maineguy8888 makes some good points. Far southern or southwestern Maine are the only areas close enough to Mass to suit you. Get a map, choose a few towns in that area of Maine look on zillow.com or realtor.com as well as for sale by owner listings in local newspapers to get an idea of home prices. I once knew of someone who commuted from the Auburn ME area to Boston, considerably more than 90 miles. Perhaps you are not interested in commuting to Mass but visiting(?)

I had some time to kill so i did a little research.... maybe Sanford would work for you--has grocery stores and Walmart... a couple of houses in or near your price request. In many of the towns/cities in southern/southwestern Maine the low end for homes is double your desired amount, more like $290,000.

[mainegrl2011]

You seem to want everything at your fingertips (10 to 15 minutes at most) including a house for $145,000. I think you are in for a reality check as far as Maine is concerned. People typically drive distances for certain services. I was at EMMC cardiac care with a relative recently. Some patients there had traveled 1 to 3 hours for the cardiac care at EMMC. This is typical.

There is a Southern Maine Healthcare Family Practice in Sanford. There is a rheumatologist in Dover, NH which is about 21 miles from Sanford, ME. Maine Medical Center in Portland is about 35 miles, a 45 minute drive from Sanford. By Maine standards, these are short drives especially for services at a major hospital. Patients needing particular treatments/care drive from all over the state to go to Maine Medical. Boston is an 88 mile drive from Sanford. The closest neurologist for adults is probably Dover, NH or Portland, ME.

[WhoFanMe]

I'll echo what others have said, in order to be within 90 minutes of Boston's Northern Suburbs, you'll need to buy in York County, historically Maine's second highest-priced county (behind Cumberland). The median sales price of a single family home in York County was $295,000 in 2019, up 5.4% from $279,900 in 2018. There are homes priced $140,000 in York County, but they are usually fought for by cash buyers (usually flippers) who have the $30,000 and up to renovate and either retain as investment property or re-sell at a profit.

[yaeger07]

You can go to a real estate website and set parameters 3 bedroom <$150,000 and see what's available. It's not a lot.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

OP should look in western Virginia like Wytheville or the states of West Virginia or Kentucky. Those could meet her needs. Maine needs people, butmeeting those needs regarding Boston cannot be done.

[Hollytree]

[quote=Koosh316;57231021
Can I find the above with around $140k for a single family house?

[/QUOTE]

The reality is that 140k won't get you much of anything anywhere in New England much less near specialized medical services.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

The reality is that 140k won't get you much of anything anywhere in New England ...

This is a Maine sub-forum.

I understand that down in R.I. what you say may be true.

But in Maine that would only apply within Congressional District #1, or on the coast in the tourist towns.