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Curious what small towns (less than 15,000) in Maine might offer the following combination of attributes:
1. Sunny
2. On or near water good for small boat sailing
3. Reasonable home prices (Less than $250k)
4. Slightly progressive community (health food, art, etc.)
5. Good historic downtown with restaurants, theater, etc.
We live in an awesome spot now on Puget Sound in Washington and love the people, the scenery, etc., but the grey days are really getting to us. My wife and I both think we could handle cold and snow better than grey. According to one site we get about 154 days with sun, and I see where a lot of Maine gets more like 200 days. Home prices are also high enough here that we can't afford our dream scenario which would be a small home on a decent lot near some water. We can tele-commute so we're OK with being out of the way.
Any ideas? And for anyone familiar with the Pacific Northwest and Coastal Maine, maybe you can fill us in on any other pros and cons
You'll never find a place on the coast in the $250,000 range in Southern Maine. You won't find an unimproved lot for that much. Perhaps you could find a fixer upper seasonal cottage in Jonesboro or Steuben. You'd be very lucky to find a cottage on a lake for that price. Any town with artists and culture will be a bit of a drive from where you can afford to buy a home. If you can add about $200,000 more to your maximum you would be closer to what you're describing ,even then it would be a stretch. Coastal property in Maine is VERY expensive. Theater and cultural downtown areas combined, you're looking at Ogunquit or Boothbay Harbor and houses there are even higher than the average. For instance the house across the street from us in a nice colonial with 4 acres and no garage about 3 miles from the ocean and it is listed for $600,000. As for the weather?? We have sunny and cloudy weather but you may not appreciate the fact that everything is frozen from November through April. If you're not used to cold winters it can be quite a shock .
Thanks for the response. Do you know anything about Vinalhaven? I saw it online and it piqued my interest. Looked like great waterways and I saw old homes in town and looking at water for $200k and up. Not sure about the culture, weather, etc. but it sure looks neat.
Vinalhaven is a culture all to itself. Nothing wrong with it but even a life long Mainer will not be a quick fit out there. They are all lobstermen out there for the most part and fish the off season from late October until May or so for the off shore hardshell lobsters. I have not been there though from common stories I've heard it's not the most welcoming place in the state for folks from away. Island life is very different around here. People are friendly but expect you to conform to island standards. Fort Lauderdale mermaid summers on an island off the coast and perhaps she will see this thread and enlighten us on the way things are off shore.
Thanks for the response. Do you know anything about Vinalhaven? I saw it online and it piqued my interest. Looked like great waterways and I saw old homes in town and looking at water for $200k and up. Not sure about the culture, weather, etc. but it sure looks neat.
When I'm at home...on a clear day I can see the houses on Vinalhaven & North Haven. Fox Island thoroughfare is a very nice waterway, with very beautiful homes along the shoreline. I haven't been over there in a few years but I would assume it's still a small fishing village with a large summer community. There's a daily car ferry from Rockland. I would certainly question a home at that price...
Don't let my "rumors' or stories keep you from trying island life. Many people, including many artistic folks find island life to be exactly what they have been looking for. For those seeking solitude the Maine islands are a paradise. The access to the islands tends to keep property values down a bit as well. You'll need to be handy with home repairs and such and boat handling and car repair is good to know too (if you bother having one). It costs extra for food and supplies to be shipped over to the islands so basic necessities will cost more than on the mainland. On many islands folks run cars and trucks that would not pass inspection on the mainland. They also don't pay to register them either. Access to hospitals will be a concern if you have any health issues. For some individualists the pros more than out weigh the cons and they can't imagine living anywhere else. For others the isolation and dependence on the ferry makes it feel more like captivity than freedom. Rent a cottage for a week in the fall when the air starts to get nippy and the tourists and summer residents have gone home. It will give you the feel of what the place will be like through the rest of the winter and early spring.
washington is sorta like maine i have been there 75 or 80 times over the years.
you have alot more raine than we do but the culture's are sim.
loging, fishing ,papermills,. the winters hear are harsher than there.
a good compareson to maine winter if you have been across rt 90 form seattle to richland in the winter.on top of stampead pass is allmost like maine weather in the winter.
I think you'll have to concede on at least one thing- ie- you're not likely to find all of things together (and if you do, you'd better grab it quick!). If you want the lower home prices, you're going to have to drive to the water, or if you can find that price of home near/on the water, you'll likely have to drive to a larger town to find that historic/cultural center.. However.. you might want to look at the Blue Hill Peninsula- Blue Hill itself is a nice little town, and Ellsworth, just a few miles away, offers entertainment and shopping. The sailing waters around the Peninsula and down through the Eggemoggin Reach off Deer Isle are quite popular for a reason- "some of the finest sailing in the region". You may find a house in Sedgwick for a reasonable price, close to the water, but there is no town to speak of. Also keep in mind that most, if not all, restaurants and theaters in coastal Maine communities close around Labor Day and don't open again until Memorial Day- You may find a town with multiple restaurants, galleries, and attractions during the warmer months, but in mid-January, the majority of your trips out of the house will be limited to the hardware store, the grocery store, and maybe a local home-style diner if you're lucky.
AustinB would know more about good sailing centers/areas.. Austin?
And island living... takes a special kind. I live on an island, but since I have a bridge, am not a "real" islander- I can drive off any time (bridge repair cooperating). And I agree that you have to be independent to live on an island, but then again, you can't be too independent- you will have to rely on your neighbors (even the ones you don't like) for much more than you ever imagined, and you will also have to learn to be depended on... that's a huge adjustment for most people, and it often proves to be a little too much for some.
I think Eastport would meet your requirements except "progressive".....Corgis and everyone else can add to that...what would get you is the "health food"....there is a health food store in Calais and I think there's something over near Machias as well. The arts center in Eastport is open year round, and performs year round....although I'm not sure what happened to the spring play, this is the first season they've missed in my memory.
Any ideas? And for anyone familiar with the Pacific Northwest and Coastal Maine, maybe you can fill us in on any other pros and cons
Thanks for your suggestions.
I live on one of the smaller San Juan Islands in Puget Sound. Spent part of my youth in Maine along the coast and lived inland northern Maine (not too far from Calais) for a time back then. I am also considering moving back to Maine and have been back to visit. Much of what has been written above is very accurate and good advice. Most. However, I find a few of the characterizations of the prices of coastal living to be a little misleading. There Are solutions for coastal Maine that are FAR less expensive than ANY solution in Puget Sound. No contest. Coastal Maine, from the picture postcard standard IS very expensive, but not as bad as here in Puget Sound. Believe it. And there Are deals, especially if you are willing to build or remodel.
Also, don't let the stories of the harsh Maine winters scare you off too much. Maine winters Are colder, and certainly snowier than the "wet-side" winters in the NW. Coastal Maine, in particular is not very different temperature-wise however. Temps on average are nearly equal by some time in April. From there, Maine is MUCH nicer weather-wise all the way through October. In November the temps are similar again. December is only a little colder. Jan. and Feb. Are colder by about 12*- 14* daytime average (nights colder). March somewhat colder there than here. April competes. You can look up the averages on City-Data for Portland ME and Seattle WA. The kicker is, IMHO, that there is about triple the sunshine in Maine from October through May, compared to Puget Sound. Again, look at the City-Data charts. Look at the shaded charts that show 'partly cloudy' days. That is the secret, not the full sun days. Maine is Much more cheerful all year, except for July and August in P.S. where we get usually zero precip. while Maine does have rain.
The snow is a difference. In those mid-winter months, Maine can, and often does, get LOTS of snow. But the sun shines! I find it refreshing and fun compared to our 6-weeks at a stretch without one second of blue sky or sun. It also does not feel particularly cold to me in Maine in winter because when the temps are below freezing, you are not enduring dripping wet cold. Here in the NW, nothing Ever dries out, as you know. The feeling of that damp on you at 35* - 40* is brutally cold to me.
You will also find Mainers easily as much fun and characterful as the old NW personality — which is rapidly disappearing to development and Californication. Our growth here in the NW exceeds 10x the rate of development in Maine (statistically correct) ... and no slowing in sight. It is increasing in rate. If you like vibrant growth, stay here. If you are a life in the slow-lane type, move.
A final comment on island living in one word: BEWARE. Yes, it is a perfect fit for some of us. For most, it becomes a near-nightmare. You won't save a dime. You won't have nearly Any privacy or freedom. Watch it there
good luck. Stay in touch by DM if you wish.
Oh and we are natural food nuts, too ... you'll find Everything you could want in Maine ... mostly in smaller stores, but there are lots of them. No Whole Foods (thankfully) yet, I don't think. Lots of locally grown. That's the best!
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