The Maine Move - Possibility Eastport (Bangor, Washington: houses, water heater, schools)

[Mainer61]

You may want to check other areas of the state as well. As one realtor from Eastport told me...she has sold the same houses 5-7 times in 20 years because people move there and can't find jobs, etc.

[willb]

We moved here with 4 kids; 15 yrs to 3yrs, 5 years ago, in hopes of radically altering the course of our lives. It's worked like a charm. I suppose people come and go, but not like where we came from, one of the so-called "most desirable places to live", where whole blocks would turn over in a 5 year period. Since we moved here 5 years ago I think the only people who have left high st, other than rental houses, have actually died. There is a certain turnover among people who buy summer homes as an investment or because they think they can get away for more than a few weeks, then after a few years of taxes, water bills, leaky roofs, etc, they think of something better to do, but they usually always improve their houses; new roof, paint, planting shrubberies, etc. People who move here to be part of a community and, even more, to help shape the community they live in, are pretty seriously in love with the place. We have never had a problem getting around in the snow. For one thing, the guys are out very quickly and they plow everywhere. If anybody gets stuck, people push or pull them out with a certain relish. A mazda should be fine 95% of the time anyway, but I guarantee you will make friends with someone with a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and they will be all to willing to help you if ever you need it.

[moughie]

Originally Posted by Mainer61

. As one realtor from Eastport told me...she has sold the same houses 5-7 times in 20 years because people move there and can't find jobs, etc.

Wow- that is DEPRESSING.

[mollysmiles]

depressing?? I read that and immediately got on the phone.... I'd say UNBELIEVABLE would be the better word. The turnover in property has primarily been done by investors and "flippers".... I'd be happy to provide the person's name with whom I spoke both at the City building and the realtor with whom I spoke. Unreal....

Furthermore, as an example... the house we bought in Eastport was bought 3 times before us. The original owner passed away, after living there for 60 years. ALL of the people who sold the house before us live within 10 miles of that house. One person built their own house, one person downsized, and the other got married.

[willb]

The house we bought was sold to us by the family who built it, in the 1890s. There may be a single house in Eastport that was sold 5-7 times in 20 years, so that may not be a misstatement, but there are not two houses, and the turnover rate on houses for permanent residents is way below the national average. There are people who just don't like places like Eastport, and hopefully they move away and find a place that they like.

[moughie]

To clarify: I meant depressing in that I ( perhaps mistakenly) made the assumption that the majority of homes were bought by out-of-staters and dumped after being unable to maintain or afford a second home.

If the homes were sold my locals who moved up or out to a 10 miles radius, well nothing wrong with that, as long as they stayed in the community.

[maureengld]

Living in Eastport year round presents challenges as the homes are "old", large and most need a tremendous amount of repair. There are not jobs available for the working age...with the exception of the medical field. Retail jobs when availble are far and few in between. The cost of heating one of these "old" homes...approximately 1124.00 per month during the "cold" months (8mos +per yr). (one tank of oil per month)...you may still need to supplement this heat with a wood, coal or electric heater which is going to run from $225 per cord cut/split here. Bangor hydro charges high amounts for electricity....ours was over $500 per month in Eastport (no...we did not heat w/ electric..). Then there's the taxes, water, sewer, repairs and upkeep on the homes. The town is a ghost town for most of the winter and you are lucky to even be acknowledged by your neighbors or locals once they've sized up how much money they can get from you providing sloppy, shoddy repair jobs for your home. It may be best to look elsewhere unless you're very handy at your own home repairs...don't mind driving 2+ hrs each way for a "home depot" shop, like living in solitude and have a spare 20K+ per yr to dump into a beautiful old home. It's a beautiful summer community but the reality of the place is that the winter is long, grim + depressing. There are much more pleasant places to live in Maine. Do your homework and call the utility Co's before making a purchase in this area.

[maureengld]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

depressing?? I read that and immediately got on the phone.... I'd say UNBELIEVABLE would be the better word. The turnover in property has primarily been done by investors and "flippers".... I'd be happy to provide the person's name with whom I spoke both at the City building and the realtor with whom I spoke. Unreal....

Furthermore, as an example... the house we bought in Eastport was bought 3 times before us. The original owner passed away, after living there for 60 years. ALL of the people who sold the house before us live within 10 miles of that house. One person built their own house, one person downsized, and the other got married.

A majority of homes each year are forclosed on by locals due to unaffordability also. Tax, water, sewer, mortgage liens etc. The newpaper publishes quite a large listing each year. It's an extraordinary large list for a small population. Very hard area for working age people to make ends meet.
To some this area could very well be described as depressed. Perhaps some may not see this area that way....I've had visitors leave that couldn't stand it here saying how depressed the area is and others that viewed it as the most beautiful place they've ever seen.

[willb]

There were 7 foreclosures in Eastport last year. 3 of them were from 1 investor who bought them 4 years ago and never paid taxes on them. There were 5 homes on the list this year. The 3 above, 1 that has been up for sale for the last 4 years. Only 2 houses had been occupied within the last five years and all had been vacant for over a year. You have to make your own money here, that is the truth, but there are lots of creative ways to do that. We heat our house; 5bd, 2 bath with fuel oil from October to mid April. It is an old house and we have lots of people living in it. Most of the windows have old storms that we've reworked, and questionable insulation, but we spent less than 2000.00 on oil last year, and that was mostly 3.50 and up oil.

[corgis]

I live in Eastport and my electric bill from Bangor Hydro was $41. this month, even in the deepest of winter the highest bill has been $84. - I don't have a clue what you were doing to run up a $500. month electric bill.

Oil last winter was used up at a rate of about 100 gallons a month, we didn't keep the heat at 85, 75 or even 65. This house is also over 100 years old and we have done the intelligent thing and put in new windows, insulated, patched up any places that cold air can come in.

I'm thinking that maybe you're just a generally negative person and no matter how good something is, you'll be against it.