Relocation (Portland, Monmouth, Eastport: income, income tax, living)

[CoastalMaine]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

Yeah, give me the mountains and small towns any day.
Now employment is another story!

That's the only point that's being pointed out! lol They just don't go hand in hand, unfortunately!

I know a lifelong Mainer on this forum who is living apart from the spouse because there's no career viable work where they've moved to. It's a weekend commute home after living in an apartment during the week.

A very, very dear friend of mine was born and raised in Maine and lived there 44 years before succombing to the fact the career path wasn't going to happen in Maine due to constant budgets cuts at UMaine Orono and others. He's now on the Cape making almost triple in salary what he did back home. His kids enjoyed a much better quality of life here on the Cape, with exposure to culture, and other enjoyments found with a larger population.

If seclusion and segregation is your ideal, then north of the Volvo line is utopia. Otherwise, not so much!

I've known a handful of people who have moved up there chasing their dream only to find, they hadn't listened to reason from anyone. Sad. Some people just have to experience it firsthand. It takes a special fortitude type individual/s to live within those choices or situations. And it's much easier if you've been born and raised in it and never experienced anything better. There's a reason why the population of young folks are found to only be declining in many areas of Maine as well as Cape Cod.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

I don't have a dog in this fight since I don't own property in Maine yet. I just keep a camper there, south of the Volvo line. However, in 25 years of researching towns and properties in Maine, it's pretty clear to me, there is definitely a higher tax burden south of the Volvo line, which makes sense because they actually get services for their taxes paid.

Now some could argue over the value of the services received, but the fact remains, there is a difference in property values, town services, and taxes. It would therefore seem to me, one should inquire of NP's what it is they are seeking in Maine. Relative obscurity in the hinterlands with little by way of a town structure with low taxes, or the opposite. Maybe then, everyone would be considered honest in their replies on this forum?

Okay.
So when talking about Maine we should preface our posts with:

"South of the Volvo line"

or

"God's Country"


But wait, uh, someone recently was getting all ticked off about folks mentioning the Volvo line.

mm, who was it?

Nevermind, so you say that you have seen factual differences to life on either side of this line?

And your not Forest Beekeeper saying this?

Yet another independent confirmation of what has been stated many times previously, cool

Do you have 'class' issues too?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Casper1212

As a future Mainer, I've been looking into, well, everything. What I've read here, been told by people here who are from Maine, etc., the taxes are a lot easier to live with in Maine than they are here in West Texas. We don't pay state tax, but we do pay more three times as much in taxes on comparable real estate. And the county just hiked it another 18%.

Ouch!

[Fern435]

My father-in-law owns 40+ acres in the Cascades in Washington State. When the Microsoft millionaires moved east from Seattle and started new or second families and wanted services, his property taxes increased dramatically.

We found property taxes to be pretty high in Texas, Michigan, Illinois, New Hampshire and New York, too. Is it Connecticut or New Jersey that has the highest in the nation?

Property taxes are low in Alabama ($125/year for a simple 3 bedroom home), but there's red ants. And it's Alabama.

The taxes on our Maine home east of Monmouth ($2445) are lower than other areas.

We would not move up to Maine if we felt we'd be a burden or a terrible addition to the state. We like and respect you all too much to do that.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I made up no lies. Mill rates are set by the town in most cases assuming one lives in a town to begin with. The milrate is low on undesireable land as there is little sense in taxing the destitute.

The mil rate in Old Town, is the same for all of Old Town.

The mil rate in Portland, is the same for all of Portland.

The mil rate in Eastport, is the same for all of Eastport.

No town that I am aware of uses different mil rates for different qualities of land.

That is crazy, and not truthful.

... You try being honest for a change and stop leading people astray by telling them taxes are low here in Maine and land is cheap. That is total Bravo Sierra.

Okay fine.

I live here, and I enjoy these amazing low taxes.

I have lived elsewhere in the nation and paid far higher taxes.

How many people need to offer you coffee before you begin to smell it?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

I own a few properties in an Unorganized Township and one 28 acre piece in tree growth is $28.00/year. Now that there is a bargain.
Seriously, I hate to see valued members quibble-just thought I'd throw my .02 in.

Wait, listen, can you hear it?

The sound of pot stirring!

heh heh heh

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Wait, listen, can you hear it?

The sound of pot stirring!

heh heh heh

And calling out a MOD isn't pot stirring?

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Okay.
So when talking about Maine we should preface our posts with:

"South of the Volvo line"

or

"God's Country"

But wait, uh, someone recently was getting all ticked off about folks mentioning the Volvo line.

mm, who was it?

Nevermind, so you say that you have seen factual differences to life on either side of this line?

And your not Forest Beekeeper saying this?

Yet another independent confirmation of what has been stated many times previously, cool

Do you have 'class' issues too?

How about civilization and the boondocks??

[CoastalMaine]

Yes Forest, I do have class, thank-you. Issues? Not so much.

These are pics of my home on the Cape. In your area, my taxes would be pretty cheap I imagine. Now, if I built this house on the coast of Maine, then the taxes on it would be about 8-10k, rather than the $2400 I pay now. I am two miles from the beach here, but have ownership of a pond lot with 17 other homeowners and I abut 1,000 acres of woods. Not much by Maine standards, but that's a BIG deal down here on this sandspit.

For my $2400 of taxes, I live within 3 miles of the FD, PD, town library, and 8 restaurants. I am within 2 miles of a package store and mini-market. 5 miles to the grocery store as we are a bedroom community - ergo, NO big stores here.

Now... the further away from the coast I get, the taxes on this home would be close to $2400 or so, but the further I got from it, the more the taxes would drop.

Capice?

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

The mil rate in Old Town, is the same for all of Old Town.

The mil rate in Portland, is the same for all of Portland.

The mil rate in Eastport, is the same for all of Eastport.

No town that I am aware of uses different mil rates for different qualities of land.

That is crazy, and not truthful.





Okay fine.

I live here, and I enjoy these amazing low taxes.

I have lived elsewhere in the nation and paid far higher taxes.

How many people need to offer you coffee before you begin to smell it?

You just made my point for me. Different areas charge different mil rates for the type of property they have in their respective towns...
How long are you going to sling bulls**t and call it candy?