Moving To Maine and Need Help (Bangor: 2015, rentals, house)

[MarshBird]

Originally Posted by LarsMac

You need to take a trip to Maine and spend a little time there. I suggest Late Fall, Early Winter, to get a feel for how winter feels there.

We are planning to try and go visit sometime around September or October. I want to make a narrowed down list of towns or areas that we could hopefully visit.

I apologize for my somewhat vague description of wants and needs. I want to go into the writing profession, which is what I want to go to college for. Until that can happen I know I'll have to settle with just a part time job or something to pay the bills. My mom can't really work anymore, unless it's an easy job. But I don't even want her to have to do that.

She's super into crafts and art; and of course nature and hiking. As for me, I also like hiking as well as reading and drawing.

We had not thought about the time change and difference in light hours so thank you for pointing that out.

As for the cost of renting a house or apartment; how much do rent places cost a month? What kind of average difference is there between a rental place on the coast and one further inland? I understand it will be cheaper inland overall for everything but I'm not sure exactly how much more. Thank you all for your help.

[jeremywolf81]

Don't move to Maine unless you visit in like January or February. I can tell already you're picturing picturesque snow and cool weather; the reality is things like four or five straight months of black ice or slush on the roads every day praying you don't get into an accident and being snowed in at times. Also people tend to look at the storm totals and forget this fact about Maine: for most of the winter the snow DOESN'T GO AWAY. Sure you have 4 or 5 inches here; an 8 inch storm there, you could handle that except the snow from all the last storms never went anywhere now you're surrounded by house high (not exaggerating) snow drifts, can't find anywhere to park and the slush on the roads never seems to go away.

Maine roads are bad in the summer and terrible in the winter. Be ready to spend a small fortune on things like front end alignments and tires. If you live out in the country be ready for places that literally do not get plowed sometimes for days. If you live in an urban area prepare to face the wrath that is Maine's woefully underfunded plowing budgets where you can be on the busiest streets in Portland, hours after the storm has stopped and the city still hasn't plowed because they're just hoping the flow of traffic will take care of most of it.

Yes people look at Maine winters and say "oh I grew up where there's snow I can handle that!" then they get here and face the reality...

[LoLo4444]

Originally Posted by jeremywolf81

Don't move to Maine unless you visit in like January or February. I can tell already you're picturing picturesque snow and cool weather; the reality is things like four or five straight months of black ice or slush on the roads every day praying you don't get into an accident and being snowed in at times. Also people tend to look at the storm totals and forget this fact about Maine: for most of the winter the snow DOESN'T GO AWAY. Sure you have 4 or 5 inches here; an 8 inch storm there, you could handle that except the snow from all the last storms never went anywhere now you're surrounded by house high (not exaggerating) snow drifts, can't find anywhere to park and the slush on the roads never seems to go away.

Maine roads are bad in the summer and terrible in the winter. Be ready to spend a small fortune on things like front end alignments and tires. If you live out in the country be ready for places that literally do not get plowed sometimes for days. If you live in an urban area prepare to face the wrath that is Maine's woefully underfunded plowing budgets where you can be on the busiest streets in Portland, hours after the storm has stopped and the city still hasn't plowed because they're just hoping the flow of traffic will take care of most of it.

Yes people look at Maine winters and say "oh I grew up where there's snow I can handle that!" then they get here and face the reality...

I sincerely appreciate this reality check post. My husband wants to move back to New England (He's from CT, but lived in Maine, NH, and Boston) and his biggest worry is MY adjustment to the snow. We currently live in FL and before living here, I lived in Hawaii! My cousin lives in Pennsylvania and she told me she took a job that paid a little less than another job offer, because it was 5 minutes from her house and she hates driving in snow.

[LarsMac]

I love being in Maine in the Summer. In the Winter, not so much.
The coastal area is very tourism oriented, and while winters can be a bit milder, compared to the northern inland areas, the economy suffers drastically. Cost of living can be very high, as well.

And COLD. The humidity in Maine is not all that much lower than Louisiana, but the temps can be sub-freezing for days at a time. If you're not prepared for Winter, you will at best hate it.
Maine is kind of opposite Florida. I always tell people who what to move to Florida to go spend a month there in August or early September, before deciding.

In Maine, I suggest spending some time there in January or February. September-October are actually a great time to be in Maine and the rest of New England.

If you can handle February in Maine, you probably can make it as a Mainer.

[MarshBird]

Originally Posted by jeremywolf81

Don't move to Maine unless you visit in like January or February. I can tell already you're picturing picturesque snow and cool weather; the reality is things like four or five straight months of black ice or slush on the roads every day praying you don't get into an accident and being snowed in at times. Also people tend to look at the storm totals and forget this fact about Maine: for most of the winter the snow DOESN'T GO AWAY. Sure you have 4 or 5 inches here; an 8 inch storm there, you could handle that except the snow from all the last storms never went anywhere now you're surrounded by house high (not exaggerating) snow drifts, can't find anywhere to park and the slush on the roads never seems to go away.

Maine roads are bad in the summer and terrible in the winter. Be ready to spend a small fortune on things like front end alignments and tires. If you live out in the country be ready for places that literally do not get plowed sometimes for days. If you live in an urban area prepare to face the wrath that is Maine's woefully underfunded plowing budgets where you can be on the busiest streets in Portland, hours after the storm has stopped and the city still hasn't plowed because they're just hoping the flow of traffic will take care of most of it.

Yes people look at Maine winters and say "oh I grew up where there's snow I can handle that!" then they get here and face the reality...

Yes, I second that, thank you for the reality check. I admit I hadn't given all that extensive thought to just HOW MUCH snow there would be. I have to say, though, I am super excited to try it. I've never dealt with snow before so as of right now I'm open to living with it. Who knows after we've actually lived through a winter there? But it's time for a change of scenery so bring on the snow!

[Submariner]

Some roads are worn and do not get a lot of repairs. I must say that in summer the potholes can be jarring, but in winter the plowtrucks scrape the ice flat level and the roads become a very smooth ride. I like that about winter driving, the roads are smooth.

My town uses no salt on the roads. It does mean that we see a bit more build-up on the pavement, but that means our cars rot a little less. So nobody here complains. In the cities they make a loud noise demanding for their cars to rust faster, so they pay higher taxes for the salt to rot their cars. Everyone is happy.

It is a shame to see people posting about how much they hate Maine. I certainly hope these people can find peace somewhere. I have found it in Maine

Regardless of what kind of car you drive, you may need to have two sets of tires. A summer set of tires and a winter set. That is what we do. It removes all doubt and it gives us very solid gripping tires when the roads are covered in ice.

Do not let cowards frighten you with the horrible boogeyman of winter. Winter is just a season, it is a natural part of the beauty that is Maine.

[LarsMac]

Originally Posted by MarshBird

Yes, I second that, thank you for the reality check. I admit I hadn't given all that extensive thought to just HOW MUCH snow there would be. I have to say, though, I am super excited to try it. I've never dealt with snow before so as of right now I'm open to living with it. Who knows after we've actually lived through a winter there? But it's time for a change of scenery so bring on the snow!

Our daughter moved there from Colorado several years back.
She was prepared for snow, as in, knows how to drive in it, and such. But she was shocked her first year by just how much they got. By the time Spring arrived, she was ready to go home.
But, Spring settled in, and then summer, and by the time the next fall came, she was ready to face another Maine Winter.
She's been there ever since, and loves it.

So, no one here is trying to discourage you, at all. Just letting you know what you're setting yourself up for so you can be prepared. I hope you find your place there.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by LarsMac

Our daughter moved there from Colorado several years back.
She was prepared for snow, as in, knows how to drive in it, and such. ...

Each year, after the first snow we locate an empty parking lot and we play. Lock the brakes to see how far you slide. Gun it to see how long it takes to get the car moving. Sharp turns, etc. It is good to remind yourself how your vehicle handles on a layer of snow. It is also good to have studded tires.

[Hockeygirl063]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Each year, after the first snow we locate an empty parking lot and we play. Lock the brakes to see how far you slide. Gun it to see how long it takes to get the car moving. Sharp turns, etc. It is good to remind yourself how your vehicle handles on a layer of snow. It is also good to have studded tires.

That's actually a very good idea, so when you are on the road you know exactly how your car will handle.

We use to do donuts and slide around when I was in college my boyfriend had this old Toyota Celica, We would get stuck in snow banks a lot but it was pretty easy to push it out. :-)

[beautifulskies]

They don't put the stuff on the road before a storm to prevent ice from forming? Most places don't use salt any more because the runoff is bad for the environment.