Move to Maine--YES! Because every passing day you will find this to be true.... (employment, income)

[dano04631]

I love the snow (and the fact that I have a son to shovel it)

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

Mod Note:

Okay, who the hell are you and what have you done with the real Maineah?

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking!!

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by chet the jet

Its funny you should like snow! Should have been here this witah! I know tuns of people all over FL one of them to my surprise said he would rather be in Maine all winter and be in FL all summer! If he only owned a house down there i would swap seasons with him!

He was here all wintah. Made it through just fine too.

That house swap sounds like a great idea. Talk him into buying in Fla.

[taiinuk12]

i want the real Maineah back.

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

Mod Note:

Okay, who the hell are you and what have you done with the real Maineah?

[mollysmiles]

We had sunshine this winter and warm enough temps to be outside to enjoy it... no blackflies, no endless rain leading to flooded Little League fields and postponed ball games~ I'd go back in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't want to have a "do over" for this spring, that's for sure!

On the upside, the leaves are all almost completely out, the grass is "wicked" green and getting really tall too, the weeds are growing like a... well, weed, and the apple blossoms will be out probably by this weekend despite the cool temps and rain. And, I own a raincoat and wellies.

[mensaguy]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

He was here all wintah. Made it through just fine too.

That house swap sounds like a great idea. Talk him into buying in Fla.

I experience summer weather (and winter weather) in West Virginia. A couple of summers ago, it was over 90 degrees for 50 straight days with humidity typically at 80%. I can't comprehend spending a summer in Florida.

Downeast is only a little cooler in Winter than WV and gets a little more snow, so Winter is east to cope with, but the summers (and Fall) are the payoff!

[maine4.us]

Of course I am a bit off topic, but let me inform you guys about Florida. A comment was made about north and central Florida still being habitable. Well I just moved from that area last year, and you are correct, but a little off with your date. That was 20 years ago, maybe 30 in the coastal areas. I lived in a small north Florida coastal town for 10 years, we had 23 boats in our port. They were all working, shrimp boats. Then we became discovered, and that ended that. Beach access, once, unlimited, became virtually non-existent. My son couldn't go fishing anywhere, it was all private property, with no access to the river, or to the ocean in most places.

Fast forward 20 years, the small coastal town has no working boats in the port. Lots of cabin cruisers, and even a couple of yachts, but it's not a working town anymore. The same thing that is happening to Maine now, happened to Florida 25 years ago. It's called gentrification. Basically its a ton of empty-nested, retired, people with money. They drove the property values up so much that the locals were forced out because they couldn't afford the taxes anymore. Sound familiar guys? School enrollment dropped, and people were trying to close and consolidate the school systems. We do have a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and a 5 Star Resort though. Most of the jobs are low-paying service jobs. The locals have moved inland 10-15 miles from the coast where property values are reasonable.

With all the people, came the criminals. Just last weekend a graduating teen was killed by her girlfriends father because the teen was helping the girl to move out from her home. This really unfortunate story has happened at least 3 times in the last 5 years. Not the same reason, but the outcome, a deadly shooting, then a suicide.

Summer vs. Winter: Mainers heat the majority of the year, and people in FL use their A/C year round. Try 90+ days in a row with high temperatures in the mid to hi 90's, with a humidity of about 70%. You run and hide going from A/C to A/C.

Traffic: I lived less than 2 miles from a Super Walmart, and no matter how I tried, I could not get to Walmart, a pick up a single item, and get back home in less than an hour. On my wife's last job, she went through 30 traffic signals just to get to work. Mind you we were almost 30 miles out of town, but still traffic like downtown.

I didn't have a problem with the winter, except I need to additional gravel for the driveway. I made it to work on roads that had been plowed except one day when our town plow must have been down. I did have a bit of an issue with cabine fever, and the early sundown times, but I got used to it. Moving to Maine is what you make of it. I understand the negative attitude some Mainers have against their own state, but usually where you move is a compromise. Heat for cold, traffic for open roads, crime for no-crime (serious), etc.

People move/retire to Florida for several reasons: 1) no state income tax 2) relatively low property taxes 3) golf 4) decent year round weath (if you like a sauna).

It's a trade off, after living in Florida for 38 years, I had enough. Gee, almost forgot in about 14 days the hurricane season begins, and you get to hold your breath until December. In 2004 we rode out 4 storms in a little over a month. We lost power for 3-5 days two or three times.

Like I say, it's a tradeoff, and I prefer Maine.

[chaosX5]

Originally Posted by maine4.us

Of course I am a bit off topic, but let me inform you guys about Florida. A comment was made about north and central Florida still being habitable. Well I just moved from that area last year, and you are correct, but a little off with your date. That was 20 years ago, maybe 30 in the coastal areas. I lived in a small north Florida coastal town for 10 years, we had 23 boats in our port. They were all working, shrimp boats. Then we became discovered, and that ended that. Beach access, once, unlimited, became virtually non-existent. My son couldn't go fishing anywhere, it was all private property, with no access to the river, or to the ocean in most places.

Fast forward 20 years, the small coastal town has no working boats in the port. Lots of cabin cruisers, and even a couple of yachts, but it's not a working town anymore. The same thing that is happening to Maine now, happened to Florida 25 years ago. It's called gentrification. Basically its a ton of empty-nested, retired, people with money. They drove the property values up so much that the locals were forced out because they couldn't afford the taxes anymore. Sound familiar guys? School enrollment dropped, and people were trying to close and consolidate the school systems. We do have a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and a 5 Star Resort though. Most of the jobs are low-paying service jobs. The locals have moved inland 10-15 miles from the coast where property values are reasonable.

With all the people, came the criminals. Just last weekend a graduating teen was killed by her girlfriends father because the teen was helping the girl to move out from her home. This really unfortunate story has happened at least 3 times in the last 5 years. Not the same reason, but the outcome, a deadly shooting, then a suicide.

Summer vs. Winter: Mainers heat the majority of the year, and people in FL use their A/C year round. Try 90+ days in a row with high temperatures in the mid to hi 90's, with a humidity of about 70%. You run and hide going from A/C to A/C.

Traffic: I lived less than 2 miles from a Super Walmart, and no matter how I tried, I could not get to Walmart, a pick up a single item, and get back home in less than an hour. On my wife's last job, she went through 30 traffic signals just to get to work. Mind you we were almost 30 miles out of town, but still traffic like downtown.

I didn't have a problem with the winter, except I need to additional gravel for the driveway. I made it to work on roads that had been plowed except one day when our town plow must have been down. I did have a bit of an issue with cabine fever, and the early sundown times, but I got used to it. Moving to Maine is what you make of it. I understand the negative attitude some Mainers have against their own state, but usually where you move is a compromise. Heat for cold, traffic for open roads, crime for no-crime (serious), etc.

People move/retire to Florida for several reasons: 1) no state income tax 2) relatively low property taxes 3) golf 4) decent year round weath (if you like a sauna).

It's a trade off, after living in Florida for 38 years, I had enough. Gee, almost forgot in about 14 days the hurricane season begins, and you get to hold your breath until December. In 2004 we rode out 4 storms in a little over a month. We lost power for 3-5 days two or three times.

Like I say, it's a tradeoff, and I prefer Maine.

Yes, this is Florida............so why do so many from "Up North" go sooooo far "Down South"? I've heard many Mainers on this forum over the last 3 years talk about Florida as if it was paradise. It's just going from one extreme to another. The heat, the bugs year 'round (really big ones!) the snakes, the gaters, the heat (it deserved a second mention)and way, way too many people. Maybe after 40+ years in Maine I'll understand.... but I don't think so.



Thank you Dano for sharing your "Maine Experience" with us. I love to hear from people who've moved to Maine and lived it a while. I love the snow too, what little we get here is really celebrated! ( and I too have sons that can shovel )

[Submariner]

My Dw lived in Florida for a couple years. I have made a number of trips to Florida [work related] though I have never lived there.

I have surfaced in Georgia many times. I have lived in Charleston SC, and lived in Virgina a couple times. Together my DW and I had a home in Virginia once. Of course we lived up and down on the West Coast as well.

There are many great places to live overseas. But if you want to confine yourself stateside [and we were actively searching for a region to settle to for over 15 years]; then Maine does present itself as a choice pick.

Look at how many military retirees flock to Maine. These are folks who have moved around a lot, lived in many different places. Granted most military retirees retire with a lot of debt load, so they are forced to focus on strong economies and not on lifestyle, or how far their money will go.

Among world travelers who have no debt; who can focus on lifestyle and how far their money will go; Maine is a favorite.

[chet the jet]

Originally Posted by chaosX5

Your right.........there are many other places in Florida besides Miami. Some are probably even nice, by Florida standards........but why Florida? Why on earth do so many people want Florida? Why is it such a popular place to move to year around. I can understand a few months in the winter, but the WHOLE year??? Yikes! I can understand that some may not want the cold but there's other places in the country to go to for some relief that don't have all the.....ummmm....issues...that Florida has.

Good Luck!

I ask the same to you about Maine location,location,location! I think probable FL is a more seiner friendly state with all the communities and things to do. Also you can get handy man jobs down there and don't have any self employment tax! They love Mainers down there that are handy and honest!
Its also cheap to fly to there. And a lot of our friends and relatives are all there!