Weighing risks of giving up current situation and moving to Maine (Caribou: real estate, apartments)

[Last1Standing]

I'm posting this in hopes of benefiting from the knowledge and wisdom of people who have moved to Maine and/or who know it well, including real estate.

I would like to know whether others have struggled with their decision to move to Maine because they're afraid that they would end up worse off than they are now. I think this is due in part to (1) fear of the unknown and (2) attachment to one's current residence or circumstances. Obviously there are also practical factors: real estate (value of property in another state versus Maine), taxes, etc.

I am in my late 60s. I've wanted to move from New Hampshire to Maine for over 10 years but I'm not making much headway. I own a modest home (less than $200K), 1600 sq ft, on two acres with complicated landscaping that is very laborious to maintain, and the house is in need of some repairs and updating (last done in 2002). It's surrounded by tall pines that make me quite nervous (e.g., yesterday's hurricane). Entrance to the house is via a series of steps from the driveway up around to the back of the house that are getting more difficult for me as I age, especially when I'm carrying groceries. I'm not fond of my town, don't feel connected here. On the positive side, my property is attractively sited and I have easy access to lakes and the mountains (30-45 minutes) and shopping (15 minutes).

New Hampshire is a very small state and after living here for 35 years there are no more new places for me to discover, no new adventures. I feel like I'm stagnating here. I spend 11 months of the year going to the same places over and over again for recreation, waiting for October so I can spend time in Maine (not a fan of summer heat so I travel in the fall).

I'm self-employed and can take my work wherever there's reliable high-speed internet. Realistically I'm a low-income person, but I manage to be self-supporting and I am debt free (mortgage paid off, no car loan). I'm an outdoors person---I bike, hike, kayak, and camp. That's what draws me to Maine. I've been traveling to Maine for more than 40 years, everywhere except maybe the far northern part.

My dream is to own a small (800-1000 sq fit), NEWISH house in a place like Belfast, on an attractive low-maintenance lot. I've looked at houses online for the past year and found nothing at all in this category, so I began to think about a modular house, as was suggested to me in this forum. I know this is impossible for what I can afford, but the ideal would be a small house on a tree-lined residential street where the houses are well spaced out. I don't want to be isolated out in the countryside, too far from town, as I get older and need help with things like mowing the lawn and shoveling snow.

The complexity of fixing up my house, selling it, finding a home in Maine (even worse: finding land and having a house built), and moving feels overwhelming to me. Hence my paralysis for the last 10 years! Yes, at one time I moved to a new country and back again, changed apartments often, bought a house, etc. I was much younger then and more adaptable, and had a spouse to share the physical and financial burden. Doing all this on my own feels very daunting at this age.

The question that's on my mind right now is this: I have stability in my current situation when a great many people in this country don't (loss of jobs etc.). I am moderately discontent where I am, maybe more than moderately. But in this day and age, stability seems important. Would it be risky to give up what I have now and move to Maine, given all the unknowns? Or (thinking more philosophically), is it a greater risk to die unhappy in a place you don't like?



What can I do to reduce the risk of giving up what I have now?


Any suggestions for where to start, given the enormity of the task of moving?


Glad to read your reply here or by private message if you prefer. THANK YOU!!! Much appreciated.

[PAhippo]

only thing I can suggest is to rent a place and keep the one you currently own. Rent it out if possible. I'd recommend a rental company to help find tenants, collect rent and keep an eye on the place/tenants. yes, it costs but worth your peace of mind.




Meanwhile keep looking. You'll have a better idea if the area fits you and may build up contacts who can put you in touch with someone selling who doesn't want to use a realtor.

[phoebesmom]

I like that idea--or do an air b n b short term rental for a couple of months in Belfast, see how you like it when you are there all the time.

[atlantatomaine]

Jesus...people, you only have one life!..I’m 70, just bought 4 acres in Aroostook county...have ordered a 200 square ft modular cabin that I will move to
the property...will be living off grid..with outhouse...will be up there from Atlanta next spring...”life’s a bold adventure or it’s nothing “...”fortune favors the bold “...people as they age get so frightened ..they build their own cages:

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by atlantatomaine

Jesus...people, you only have one life!..I’m 70, just bought 4 acres in Aroostook county...have ordered a 200 square ft modular cabin that I will move t the property...will be living off grid..with outhouse...will be up there from Atlanta next spring...”life’s a bold adventure or it’s nothing “...”fortune favors the bold “...people as they age get so frightened ..they hold their own cages:

Well said! We do hold onto things that become like a cage and then find the cage is too big to get rid of.

[svband76]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing

Well said! We do hold onto things that become like a cage and then find the cage is too big to get rid of.

So true. I'm in that wishy-washy boat as well I must admit

[PAhippo]

Originally Posted by atlantatomaine

Jesus...people, you only have one life!..I’m 70, just bought 4 acres in Aroostook county...have ordered a 200 square ft modular cabin that I will move to
the property...will be living off grid..with outhouse...will be up there from Atlanta next spring...”life’s a bold adventure or it’s nothing “...”fortune favors the bold “...people as they age get so frightened ..they build their own cages:

.good for you if that's what you want. Not everyone is you.


Trite quotes aside, choices are not always based on fear.

[bstway]

Originally Posted by sheeplewillhavetheirsay

Great post and attitude!

Pretty much everything in life boils down to attitude. I personally think this is the right one whether old or young. I'm getting older (61) and want to move to Maine for the remainder. Part of me (mainly my spouse) would only consider coastal but the real me says Caribou and/or the like.

[grouse789]

Originally Posted by atlantatomaine

Jesus...people, you only have one life!..I’m 70, just bought 4 acres in Aroostook county...have ordered a 200 square ft modular cabin that I will move to
the property...will be living off grid..with outhouse...will be up there from Atlanta next spring...”life’s a bold adventure or it’s nothing “...”fortune favors the bold “...people as they age get so frightened ..they build their own cages:

"Stop throwing stones, the night is a thousand saxaphones, roll the bones"!!!

Sometimes we stay in a cage for so long we don't leave even when the door is open...

Bro, GO for it!!! an air of joie de vie!!!

[phoebesmom]

I think to counteract the fears, you want to build on positive steps, and also you want to investigate living in Maine more fully.

Even a month or two in a rental, since you can work from home, will help with becoming more familiar with your chosen area. It will also help you to become more familiar with the housing stock in that area and surrounding areas.

Belfast is really hot right now, so being local would gain you an advantage to a. see if you wanted to move there, and b. get first pick of houses as they come on the market.