Mulling applying for a promotion to Augusta from Sacramento (Portland: sales, apartment)

[bluevelo]

A few details, because I suspect the answers are going to be pretty much I expect.

I'm 48, 2x divorced, got 10 and 8 year olds living down in Cheshire, CT, so I would be considerably closer to them. Job in Augusta is secure and I'd make a little over 100K. I currently rent here, but I'm closing out my mother's estate in Iowa and should have at least 100K to put down on a house later this year.

I know winter is going to suck (but, OTOH, you have real winter so you can do real winter sports), utilities are high, taxes are high (state doesn't look so bad but I'm willing to bet property taxes are something else), looks like you get more house for your buck than in Northern California (although prices are somewhat comparable to Sacramento).

I'm originally from Iowa, have a MA, and I've lived all over the Midwest, the East Coast (Virginia), Mississippi and California over the past 20+ years of my career (transportation/community planning).

My primary concerns are:

> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.
> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.
> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.
> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.

I'm from Des Moines, and I know what I'm getting into if I were to move to a rural state. The winters aren't as long in Iowa as they appear to be in Maine, but it seems like your temps aren't quite as brutal near the coast. I do like the idea of less crime and more personal safety than here...

I appreciate the answers and I'm trying to not bring any preconceived notions into this. Thanks!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

My primary concerns are:

> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.

Actually, Augusta could be more productive than Portland which has a younger party scene.

> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.

Most people here pay a fixed amount per month for 10 months and take the summer off from heating bills.

> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.

You got that right.

> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.

Maine has good schools and they are safe schools. The FBI says Maine is the safest state and we have no earthquakes. If you have a secure 100K job in Maine come on ahead. You'll be making at least 50% more than the average here.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by bluevelo

A few details, because I suspect the answers are going to be pretty much I expect.

I'm 48, 2x divorced, got 10 and 8 year olds living down in Cheshire, CT, so I would be considerably closer to them. Job in Augusta is secure and I'd make a little over 100K.

Congratulations!

... I currently rent here, but I'm closing out my mother's estate in Iowa and should have at least 100K to put down on a house later this year.

Sorry to hear about your mother.

... I know winter is going to suck (but, OTOH, you have real winter so you can do real winter sports)

Dont let the reputation overwhelm you, it is not that bad.

... utilities are high, taxes are high (state doesn't look so bad but I'm willing to bet property taxes are something else),

I think that everyone likes to whine about their taxes.

The truth is that not everyone's taxes are high here.

Certainly much better here in Maine then when I lived in California.

... looks like you get more house for your buck than in Northern California (although prices are somewhat comparable to Sacramento).

Yes, you do tend to get a lot more for you buck in Maine.

... I'm originally from Iowa, have a MA, and I've lived all over the Midwest, the East Coast (Virginia), Mississippi and California over the past 20+ years of my career (transportation/community planning).

My primary concerns are:

> Dating. I suspect the pool ain't large.

Maine has a low population.

...
> Heating my house in winter is going to cost more than the mortgage.

I do not know why?

We went through 3.5 cords last winter, at roughly $150/cord.

I guess it depends on how low your mortgage is. But hey, if your mortgage is $200/month, then yes your heat may be more than your mortgage.

...
> I'm a fusion guitarist. I doubt that there's much of a music scene outside Portland and the college towns, and Portland looks like a good hour's drive from Augusta proper.

Portland or Orono.

...
> Schools. Should my children come to live with me in a few years, am I going to find a decent school district.

I'm from Des Moines, and I know what I'm getting into if I were to move to a rural state. The winters aren't as long in Iowa as they appear to be in Maine, but it seems like your temps aren't quite as brutal near the coast. I do like the idea of less crime and more personal safety than here...

I appreciate the answers and I'm trying to not bring any preconceived notions into this. Thanks!

Schools here are very good.

This winter is much milder than last winter was.

[mainebrokerman]

my son went up thru the augusta school district, and i have no complaints!! plenty of sports and other activities, and i have liked his teachers
good luck, augusta isnt so bad, you may be surprised! many towns outside of augusta are very nice- manchester, hallowell, are nice

good luck!!

[bluevelo]

Thanks for all the kind replies (and warm welcomes) so far

[dramamama6685]

Good luck and welcome to the boards!

[lovemaine]

Regarding the heating costs, it really depends so much on the house. We were concerned about that too when we moved to Maine last year, and ended up buying a smaller house which had been recently remodeled, with new roof, windows, etc. It's about 1200 sq. ft. and we're averaging about $100 per month with oil heat. We keep the thermostat at 65 during the day and 60 at night. (The furnace is 35 years old, so our heating costs will be even lower once we upgrade to a more energy efficient model.)

As for schools, I don't know anything about the Augusta area, but I can tell you that after our kids attended 4 school districts in different states, the schools here in Maine are by far the best. All the teachers seem to genuinely enjoy teaching and the curriculum is excellent.

Good luck with your move!

[RetiringInMaine]

If you live in an apartment in the city, obviously you are stuck with whatever heating you have.

If you buy a detached house in the "suburbs", you may be able to put in a wood stove. Our big house in Bar Harbor actually is two houses. We can close off one side of the house the dead of winter and only heat 1200 sq feet. We bought the house directly with heating in mind. The downstairs living room, dining room, kitchen is all open with a big woodstove in the center radiating out into the room. Heat rises to the bedroom above it, and its always toasty(75 degrees or more) for about $600 a year for the heat. Currently it has a big propane heater in it for the renters and its the same at a bit higher price.

You just have to plan ahead.

[Beullah]

I'm a native Californian (SF Bay Area) and we're finishing our home to sell with the intent to move to Maine. If you stayed in CA-Sac area and wanted good schools, you'd have to stay in the Placer/Eldorado Counties area. Rocklin, Penryn, Eldorado Hills, Cameron Park, Rescue and other areas that feed into Ponderosa High. Placerville is good. Not great, but good. In Rocklin, you'll live on a 6500 sf lot. In Maine, you can get acreage if you choose.

I live in Concord, CA, which has a similar climate as Sac. Our PG&E bills run about $250-$300 except for spring and fall for a 2,000 sf house. If you bought a sizable house in Sac, you'd pay plenty in electricity. We cooled our home virtually every day in the summer 2009. Much of the summer was 90 degrees +, and many days were 100+. I figure if winter costs in Maine are slightly higher, it will be offset by not cooling during the summer.

Maine sales tax is nearly 1/2 of California's (and CA taxes everything but food from a grocery store).

Maine's gas is cheaper.

If you think property taxes are cheaper in CA, you need to look around. Because of Prop. 13, local and state government does not have steady revenue through property taxes, BUT some communities (like El Dorado Hills) have passed Mello Roos taxes (which pays for the construction of facilities such as schools) to to the of $3,000/year on top of your regular property taxes. Many communities in the Sac area have HOA fees of $50-$150/month. Wealthier, more liberal communities pass parcel taxes for their schools. I think Piedmont's parcel taxes are nearly $2500/year. Prop. 13 and parcel taxes have contributed to a stratified public school system. Schools from wealthy communities don't suffer, while poor communities must close schools.

Because the state takes property tax $$ and distributes those $$ to the schools, California public schools get a relatively small portion of that pie. Right now it's really bad. Districts are closing schools, cutting athletic and music programs, AP and Honors programs, and much more. Even when the economy is good, you're expected to pay for quite a bit. You'll need to pay hundreds of dollars for your child to play a sport, be in band, chorus, and the like. When my 21-year-old was in high school, I paid nearly $1K/year for one kid. The only property tax benefit is that your base property tax rate will be low because Sac suburb property is cheap right now and is expected to decline another 15% this year. But, it's the low property tax revenues that has California in such a bind right now.

I haven't looked all over, but there are plenty of maine schools that are rated highly, and Maine schools rate very good overall.

Your income taxes might be lower due to CA's progressive tax structure.

IMHO, the lower cost of living in Maine more than offsets any increased heating costs.

There are worse areas as far as winters go. My mom was a native Coloradan. Her hometown gets an average of 83" of snow annually, and it's average winter low is -2 degrees. Later, when my grandparents lived in 'town,' the average low was -7. I never noticed the cold as a kid

I believe, that overall Maine is a less expensive place to live, and it seems to be a less intense, fast-paced place to live.

Here are some links for school information. Great schools only compares schools to state standards. Neighborhood Scout gives a comparison at the federal level. You can look up public school information without paying for a subscription. Keep in mind that Great Schools only gives ratings based on each state's standards. Some states such as CO, OK, and many southern states keep their standards low so they don't have too many NCLB failing schools, which means a school rated 10 might only be in the 80th+ nationally. School Matters doesn't report on a national level either. The Northeast has the best reputation for public schools.

GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
SchoolMatters
The Nation's Report Card - National Assessment of Educational Progress - NAEP

Good luck!

[RetiringInMaine]

I know that Mainers(long term born and raised) are unhappy with increased taxes, and the "high cost" of everything. The problem is that wages are generally lower. But if you move to Maine and come in with either a comparable job to what you had where youleft or a pension and SS that is equal, Maine's taxes are pretty much the same as many places, and in some aspects lower.

It is considered that property for example on MDI, is outrageous. However, compared to south central PA, its actually quite a bargain. I have friends who have all purchased 300K houses, and they are just middle class here. Even beginning teachers here buy $230K houses. My daughter lives in Oakland, CA. You can't even buy a dirt floor shack there for $300K.

Its pretty relative. Move to a place with lots of amenities and prices will be higher because it has all those things. Move to a place without much, and it will be cheaper because a large number of people don't want to live there.

You decide.