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My name is Renae De Liz. My husband and son ( and soon to be 2nd son!) have recently been informed we have to leave our current house in Salina, KS.... FAST ( as in end of October fast!). The house is being sold out from under us.
It sounds horrible, but we see it as a fortunate opportunity. We want out of Kansas. I grew up in Oregon and miss the scenery and weather. My husband grew up in Kansas and cannot wait to get out. We have no ties here. We are ready for somewhere exciting and new, and we both settled on Portland, ME.
I was hoping to get some input on some things Neither of us have ever been to Maine ( or much of the east coast for that matter) so it will be a totally blind move. And before anyone tells me we should visit first, we cannot afford the time or money to do so in the time we have left.
We are totally fine moving blindly to Portland. Our jobs are portable (self employed) and we LOVE winters. The winters here in Kansas are very bitter, but we wish constantly for more snow. So winter = no problem. We are aware the cost of living will go up a tad, but really what I pay here in Kansas looks to be almost comparable to Maine ( aside from the real estate prices, but not astronomically so, and I think it's more worth your money out there!).
Anyway, we are excited, but were hoping to get at much info as we can before we finalize everything in a couple days! Here are my main questions ( no pun intended, I swear!)
1. How much is heating and utilities a month. I know the answer varies depending on the house, but any estimates would help. I don't know a thing about oil heating. Right now we have central heating and A/C. Heating uses gas, so here is the rundown for what we currently pay
Winter - Electric -$100
Gas - $200 - $300
Water/Sewer/Garbage - $50
Summer Electric - $250
Gas - $25
Water/Sewer/Garbage - $50
So you can see we generally pay around $350 a month year round for utilites. Kansas weather is extreme, so it's either very hot or very cold. There's a few weeks, or if we're lucky, a month or two where the weather is mild, but that's is. Is this comparable to Maine? How much is electric generally?
We found the PERFECT house near portland. A dream house! But of course it's about $400 more than we're willing to pay. BUT they pay for Heating and Water. Is this a good deal? In the summer months when you don't need heat, how far down does the oil bill go?
2. Which schools are the best schools to aim for? I saw an amazing one in Cape Elizabeth (I'm aware it's in a pricey neighborhood, but one can dream!)
3. What areas should I avoid?
4. Are there any other expenses in Maine that I am not thinking of that I would not have in Kansas?
5. Can anyone help us find a nice 3 bedroom house near Portland to rent FAST? We are ready to up and move, but with a baby coming we are trying to make sure we find somewhere we'll be happy with for at least a year or two. We do not like apartments or living in busy parts of town. I do not mind living a small way out of town, but not too far that getting my son to and from school everyday is a voyage. I LOVE outdoors and greenery and QUIET!
6. How common are white Christmas'??
7. Are all of these questions annoying?
Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for your help. We need all the input on Portland, ME living we can get! We are SO excited and cannot wait!!!
I wish u all the luck with the move and ur new baby i just hope u dont get up there and figure out its not for u and be stuck but here it the forum that i posted a while back maybe it will help u out we are from Oklahoma and its not much diffrent then Kansas hope it helps!!!
How do you pay for snow removal in Kansas? You might find yourself in need of a "plow guy" depending upon where you chose to live. You may want to consider that as an added expense to your monthly budget. As well as lawn care, do you pay for that now in Kansas?
You may find a house that has a heating option or is supplemented with wood heat. The cost of fire wood should be considered.
Do you know how to use a woodstove?
You may also like to consider adding a few extra bucks to your grocery bill weekly/ monthly. The cost of "fresh" produce (at the grocery store) is more expensive in the north.
You didn't mention either your phone, cable tv and internet costs, depending upon where you go, service and costs can vary.
Self employed and portable jobs are nice, best of luck.
Location: Hidin' out on the Mexican border;about to move to the Canadian border
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I've been to Kansas. If I lived there, I'd be looking for a way out, too. The winters are extremely bitter cold because of the wind coming across wide open land. And I mean wide open, no trees, no hills, just flat as far as the eye can see. Don't know about the people. I didn't stay long enough to meet anybody.
I hate to be negative, but moving all the way from Kansas with a young child, and a baby on the way?Do you have health insurance for the family? Do you have definate income? Seems very silly and unwise to me...Portland area is not cheap.. I hope things go well with you...I think you are making ONE HUGE MISTAKE!
I've been to Kansas. If I lived there, I'd be looking for a way out, too. The winters are extremely bitter cold because of the wind coming across wide open land. And I mean wide open, no trees, no hills, just flat as far as the eye can see.Don't know about the people. I didn't stay long enough to meet anybody.
I lived in Kansas for just shy of 18 months at Ft. Riley. I've been to Salina. More than once. There is nothing before Salina and nothing after it... for about 45 minutes of driving at about 80 mph. lol
And they don't need many plows. The wind blows the snow (they don't get all that much), right across the state! lol If it's a bad blizzard out in the western part of the state, they just close the highway. Put the gates across and no one gets on it til it's cleared.
You get to the top of a mesa and you can see for 40 miles or better. Just open fields and oil rigs in your view area. As you drive past these areas, for miles and miles and miles, you see either sunflowers, soy bean, or wheat crops.
Beautiful scenery, but not where I'd want to be living. Much better to be from Kansas than going to Kansas imo. It puts a completely different definition to the word remote.
White Christmas - are there any other kind? You should not have to be "dreaming of a white Christmas"
Your questions are not annoying...I just wish I knew something about the Portland area that I could assist you. (There is a Portland sub section, you might get more information there)
My name is Renae De Liz. My husband and son ( and soon to be 2nd son!) have recently been informed we have to leave our current house in Salina, KS....
Wow!
Our eldest son works in Salina KS. He lives in El Dorado KS.
What a small world
Quote:
... FAST ( as in end of October fast!). The house is being sold out from under us.
It sounds horrible, but we see it as a fortunate opportunity. We want out of Kansas. I grew up in Oregon and miss the scenery and weather. My husband grew up in Kansas and cannot wait to get out. We have no ties here. We are ready for somewhere exciting and new, and we both settled on Portland, ME.
It is wonderful that you are both taking this with a positive mindset.
Quote:
... I was hoping to get some input on some things Neither of us have ever been to Maine ( or much of the east coast for that matter) so it will be a totally blind move. And before anyone tells me we should visit first, we cannot afford the time or money to do so in the time we have left.
We are totally fine moving blindly to Portland. Our jobs are portable (self employed) and we LOVE winters. The winters here in Kansas are very bitter, but we wish constantly for more snow. So winter = no problem.
Then you will be fine
Quote:
... We are aware the cost of living will go up a tad, but really what I pay here in Kansas looks to be almost comparable to Maine ( aside from the real estate prices, but not astronomically so, and I think it's more worth your money out there!).
Our son had to move to KS for employment.
Though he found the cost-of-living to be very close to equal.
Quote:
... Anyway, we are excited, but were hoping to get at much info as we can before we finalize everything in a couple days! Here are my main questions ( no pun intended, I swear!)
1. How much is heating and utilities a month. I know the answer varies depending on the house, but any estimates would help. I don't know a thing about oil heating. Right now we have central heating and A/C. Heating uses gas, so here is the rundown for what we currently pay
Winter - Electric -$100
Gas - $200 - $300
Water/Sewer/Garbage - $50
Summer Electric - $250
Gas - $25
Water/Sewer/Garbage - $50
So you can see we generally pay around $350 a month year round for utilites. Kansas weather is extreme, so it's either very hot or very cold. There's a few weeks, or if we're lucky, a month or two where the weather is mild, but that's is. Is this comparable to Maine? How much is electric generally?
We found the PERFECT house near portland. A dream house! But of course it's about $400 more than we're willing to pay. BUT they pay for Heating and Water. Is this a good deal? In the summer months when you don't need heat, how far down does the oil bill go?
Up here near Bangor we see 2 bdrm apartments that go for $450 - $600 including heat / hot-water.
Nobody burns oil in the summer, the furnaces are shut-off completely.
Quote:
... 2. Which schools are the best schools to aim for? I saw an amazing one in Cape Elizabeth (I'm aware it's in a pricey neighborhood, but one can dream!)
3. What areas should I avoid?
4. Are there any other expenses in Maine that I am not thinking of that I would not have in Kansas?
5. Can anyone help us find a nice 3 bedroom house near Portland to rent FAST? We are ready to up and move, but with a baby coming we are trying to make sure we find somewhere we'll be happy with for at least a year or two. We do not like apartments or living in busy parts of town. I do not mind living a small way out of town, but not too far that getting my son to and from school everyday is a voyage. I LOVE outdoors and greenery and QUIET!
6. How common are white Christmas'??
7. Are all of these questions annoying?
Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for your help. We need all the input on Portland, ME living we can get! We are SO excited and cannot wait!!!
Thank you!
I do have one bit of advice.
Be willing to go into an apartment, just so that, when you get here, you can tour around, see the area, and then decide where it is that you truly want to be.
If you get into a house, then you will be more 'stuck' in it.
If you went into a trailer or apartment for the winter; then by next summer, you could say: "Well, gee, I really think that I would like it even more 100 miles over that way". And you would be easier to re-move.
Since you know nothing about Maine, and Maine is 6-hours from top to bottom, there are many regions of Maine to choose from.
Thanks for all the positive remarks and input! We are totally excited! And I must say, we spent this entire week calling about rentals, and we have NEVER spoken with nicer people. And not just a few nice people, every single one of them! Mainers seem amazing and I cannot wait to get to know them.
Forest Beekeeper - WOW small world indeed!! How does he like it here? Where does he work? That is so neat! Great news about the cost of living to be about equal. We compared all we could and I actually think we would SAVE money on utilities, as the weather isn't as extreme in Portland. It doesn't get to 110 in Maine often, does it?
Thank you for all of your input It's super appreciated! I do not think we are apartment people, but of course it's always an option if we find the right one. We are hoping to find a place to live in for a year or two, since the baby is coming. We had to move last October as well, and we'd like to not have to do it again after this anytime soon.
RHB - YAY for White Christmas'!!! I don't know if I had mentioned it but neither my husband, son or I have EVER had a White Christmas and every year we cross our fingers for one ( I think it's a %20 chance here in Kansas) but so far, nothing. We really cannot wait! And thanks for saying my questions aren't annoying
CoastalMaine - Haha, you described Kansas PERFECTLY!! You are correct, it is beautiful, just oh so FLAT! lol! I am sure for many, Kansas would be perfect, but we are looking forward to the trees, ocean and mountains again! Thank you very much for your words!
Casper1212 - Yep We totally agree about Kansas! The flat and openess gets to me quite often. People are pretty nice, but VERY traditional and seem less tolerant to new things.... though that's just my personal opinion.
Island Mermaid - ALL great input! I do not know how to use a wood stove, but I am totally open to it! Sounds awesome! I will look into snow removal as well. As for our cable/phone, etc. we checked it all and it's the same price.
dramamama - Thanks! I will check them out!
t_t1393- thanks! I am sure we'll be just fine. Every single thing we've seen about Portland Maine sounds perfect for us, and a HUGE step up from Kansas and all we're unhappy about here. And hey, if worse comes to worse and we do hate it, we can always move. We are totally ready for this.
Quote:
I hate to be negative, but moving all the way from Kansas with a young child, and a baby on the way?Do you have health insurance for the family? Do you have definate income? Seems very silly and unwise to me...Portland area is not cheap.. I hope things go well with you...I think you are making ONE HUGE MISTAKE!
I made a similar sudden decision to move halfway across the country ( Oregon to Kansas) 4 years ago. I was in a MUCH worse situation than I was now. Very poor, single mother of a 3 year old, working 2 jobs, never seeing my son. When the opportunity came to get out of my situation and move somewhere to better our lives, I heard exactly the same opinions from everyone around me. They all thought I was stupid for even considering it and making a huge mistake.
Luckily despite everything, I moved anyway. It was the best thing I have ever done in my entire life. I married the man of my dreams, and I'm working from home doing my dream job. I see my son all day long. I cannot imagine what would have happened if I had stayed. Now here we are again with a similar opportunity to better our lives, and we now know to not be scared of taking chances.
My family has spent 4 happy years here, but we're aware we no longer belong in Kansas. We are poised as well as we ever will be to make the move. We are absolutely positive this is the right thing to do. We do not take this decision lightly, we've carefully weighed our options. We are giving up nothing by leaving. We are gaining so much by moving. A better life for our children is only one of them. If that's considered silly, then I am proud to be .
Thanks for everyone's input! It was all so helpful!
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Neither of us have ever been to Maine ( or much of the east coast for that matter) so it will be a totally blind move. And before anyone tells me we should visit first, we cannot afford the time or money to do so in the time we have left. 
