Moving our Family to Maine - looking for advice, wisdom, experiences and anything else to consider! (Bangor: fit in, real estate)

[Evan Alpha]

Hello All! My wife and i are coming to Maine in the next few weeks to look at some properties... Can anyone help us with some general questions about the area? Were looking at real estate on the outside of Bangor, along 95 up to Houlton and Presque Isle, and some other places going west of Bangor.... as well as some property in the little town of Hollis Center.... our ideal would be a small community in a rural setting - but close enough to a a major hub for services, goods, medical, etc... (like 90 minutes or so outside of Bangor, Bath, whatever)...our Realtor has a few things lined up for us and were open to location changes as new properties come to light... we are looking to move into and become part of a close knit community (we don't have such things down here...lol) and a place where the fellows and gals that go off to war come back as heroes, not heckled and scorned (too much of that crap Ive seen already) and a place where we can raise our growing family and continue to home school our children...but we have some questions that we are hoping to get answers from the folks that actually live in that area... things like, "What are the (Baptist) churches like up there?", "Are the smaller communities more close knit than other parts of the country?" (heard that they are from a family friend that used to have a hunting cabin up there years ago) "What are the 10 best things and 10 worst things about moving to Maine?" "What parts of Maine have broadband cable modem access" (need that for work and what not... we are new to this forum, so any help you can all send my way - whatever suggestions or points you may have, please feel free to send them my way!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Welcome. Maine needs people and you have the proper attitude to fit in very well. I'll send you a direct message. In the meantime, take a look at the Lincoln area. It has everything you mentioned.

Welcome to Lincoln, Maine!.

[Bydand]

Agree with the Lincoln Area as well. I am more familiar with the Presque Isle area, but if you are not used to the distances to get to a bigger area it can seem quite remote. Plus it is way outside of your 90 minute drive requirement. It is in actuality about 2 1/2 hours drive time from Bangor, yes you can (And I have) made the trip in less than 90 minutes, but you better not meet any Police along the way or you will find out about the "Criminal speeding" portion of the traffic laws. (No I didn't, I made the trip both ways (a couple of times) and was very lucky)

If a 2 1/2 hour drive to a city of 35,000 people doesn't sound too bad then I would look at Fort Fairfield up there. It has that small town flavor and feel you are describing. Plus it has a rather good Bluegrass festival each Summer as well as a gospel festival if you are into that those styles of music. If I were to return to that area of the state, that is the town I would move into without a question. The school is of course small and the teachers are very caring despite not having much of a budget to work with. They just put in a new community pool, both a small wading pool for the younger crowd and a regular pool for the older kids of all ages.

It is rather easy to think that long drive times are an easy thing, but they are one of the harder issues to overcome for people moving into that area from what I have seen over the last 20 years there. Driving 90 minutes close to a city and covering 50 or 60 miles is WAY different that 90 minutes that covers 90-100 miles and there is nothing but trees for 95% of that distance. Time wise it is the same, but mentally they are worlds apart. I personally liked being away from the "population centers" of the state, but that is how I have always lived no matter what state. Maine can be a very good place if you do your homework and do NOT let your emotions over-rule your common sense. Same as anyplace, if you do your research and gloss over items because "It is XXXXXXXXX, and it will be like vacation all the time." When the difficult times come and the honeymoon period is over, and they do everyplace, you still have to deal with reality. Maine is not an easy state to live in really. The winters can be long and cold compared to many areas of the Country, the cost-of-living can be high compared to many other areas, the wages are lower than most places. For some that adds up to a blessing, others a curse. Only you and your family can make that call for yourselves, but do so with open eyes and don't discount the negative aspects you uncover in your research because you will have to deal with them. There are MANY more positives that I can think of than negatives.

Good luck in your search! Maine needs people with positive attitudes and growing families.

[msina]

Great post Bydand! I have to spread it around but I'll get back to you! After reading your post I have to say NMLM and Bydand are right, and they're both quite knowledgable about the area. Bangor International Airport is well known for having a wonderful group that greets all returning service members.

[Evan Alpha]

Thanks for the great posts - Bydand, yours is sooo right for so many reasons... when the honeymoon ends, your left with just the facts, and for many folks, it includes things that that "failed" to notice in the beginning... we had a friend of ours years ago who was "smitten" with living in Jersey City, NJ - it was close to all the theaters, playhouses, art, museums, and all the other yadda, yadda, yadda... 4 weeks after the closing, they "woke up" to the hard reality - car was broken into 4 times, 2 muggings on thier street (and they bragged how low crime was becuase they were right across from the internal affairs police HQ), numerous petty crimes, noise all hours of the night, and virtually NO police presence despite thier ownership of nearly half a block of real estate... In the end, they couldnt wait to sell and get out of dodge... it became a costly and expensive lesson for them (and a tad of an illumination to us as well) that you have to look thrice, leap once...

We have worked in Maine in the past (it was years ago for a short time at that) and we have traveled for pleasure there as well. We love fall and winter, and despite having traveled to almost every state in the nation, neither of us feel the same about any other place.... We are blessed enough to work from home, so commuting is not our top priority... one of my main(e) - i know, really bad humor...) considerations is actually being somewhat within driving distance of an airport so we can get my mom when she comes to visit...

Toward that end, we have spent an immense amount of time researching the area. We have looked at what we need as a family to get by, and what we need as a family to "feel" as though were not light years from everything. That would include a Sams Club, (and or a BJ's) an Aldi (or other store like it) a good hospital, some decent shopping, and some things for the kids to do...

Sure, in the end, you never seem to see the area again as you do when you first move in... even now, the places that i thought i would find interesting and important are places that Ive never been too in years... and being with 90 minutes now of NYC has me avoiding the city like the plague... Shops and stores that we thought would be great, weve never been in, and "local" attractions seem to be more of a headache than not to get to... (thinking of the Camden Aquarium - great place, but your lucky to come back with your hub caps after a day down there....lol) Argh... its funny, i think if i lived in Wyoming, i would have seen the Statue of Liberty more often... lol...

Untilwe move, and get cozy with the area, we are trying (really, really trying) to get a bead on what we KNOW are the most important things to us - a strong sense of community, a church that fosters christian fellowship, has an active witnessing program and teaches that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, an area that has high natural beauty and low population density, an area where the mindset is far more conservative than not (not looking to anger anyone here, but ive had it with pinkos and clowns that try to force what a very few think is a good idea down everyone elses throat...) and a village where trick or treating is still done with kids and parents, where pumpkins decorate the fronts of houses, leaves swirl in the street when you walk the dog, where folks decorate their houses for the holiday and sing Christmas carols, and where there's a fine meal to be had down at the local grange hall.

Sounds like its a tad unrealistic? Maybe. Sure it does. But we will keep looking all the same and look at everything we can in Maine till we find it, or pieces of it in one way or another.

Anyone that thinks they live in that "fictional" town above, please feel free to let me know... lol.... my wife says that im looking for a scene out of a Thomas Kinkade or Norman Rockwell painting... maybe I am, but with the Lord at our back, and the good help of you all here, im certain we'll find something close.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Check my Direct Message to you. It's up there at the top of the page.

Check "Quick Links"
Drop down to Miscellaneous.
Click on Direct Messages.
Click the link inside the message.

It's awkward, but worth the effort. What you seek is there.

[thegourmetdogbiscuit]

Hi Evan, you had asked "What are the 10 best things and 10 worst things about moving to Maine?", I can answer that in a nutshell.

The 10 best things about moving to ME:

The Ocean
Clean Air
Great People
Low Crime
The Mountains
Peacefull Surroundings
A Better Way of Life
Community
Clear, free flowing Lakes
Farmstands - local produce
The Best Fresh Fish you could ever image
Fall Festivilles
Folliage
A Christmas Morning with snow !!!
Spring a NEW time of year
Oppps, that went over 10, but you get the point !!!

and who would ever forget the TRUE ME slogan - The Way Life Should Be

as far as the negatives, every city/town/county has them, some worse and some better than others......There are Harsh Winters, however, there is nothing in life better (in my opinion) than to throw a log on the fire, woodstove or whatever and to simmer chicken all day long then make some homemade chicken soup ~~ Love the smell of the house !!

Don't like chicken soup....how about, a combo of cinnamon and orange simmering on the woodstove, while enjoying a hot apple cider (with or/without capt morgans ) !!!

At 50 years old, I moved away from all the cold and snow last year and moved to Raleigh NC, although Raleigh has its atttibutes, it doesn't hold a candle to Maine. I can't wait to move back to Maine next spring, and can't wait to be Home !!!!

Hope that answers/helps with some of your questions, if and when you move to Maine, Have Fun, Enjoy Life and Welcome !

[Evan Alpha]

Gourmet -

Thanks for your support and your points... if nothing else, were now in a swell mindset for both the Holidays, and the food... after reading your post here, my wife is cooking a chicken, as I write, in her cast iron chicken shaped cooker... lol...

Were still looking, and may have found a few other places... what does anyone know about the "Houlton" area?

I understand that they only get a few flurries in the winter, so i figure to sell all my sweaters now and just stock up on Bermuda shorts and lounge wear...

[Maine Writer]

lol The flurries are so pretty when they fall, almost mesmerizing sometimes. It's the nor'easters and blizzards you have to watch out for. If you go out then in Bermudas you're likely to end up in the Maine Photos section!

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

lol The flurries are so pretty when they fall, almost mesmerizing sometimes. It's the nor'easters and blizzards you have to watch out for. If you go out then in Bermudas you're likely to end up in the Maine Photos section!

And it probably won't be pretty!!!