life in Raymond (Portland, Lewiston, Auburn: real estate, 2014, Home Depot)

[senecathestoic]

We are going up to look for land in Raymond. What is the land like? What about activities? Is it country or suburbia?

[lrfox]

Raymond is a lakeside town in Cumberland County. The land is rugged, heavily forested and dotted with lake shoreline, streams and small ponds which is why I would have a hard time calling it "country" (I think of country as sprawling farmland as far as the eye can see). Still, it's very rural. No, it's not as rural as Northern Maine (and many from that region would consider it "suburban") which is among the most rural places in the nation, but Raymond is very rural and even a quick virtual tour (google maps) would reveal that. It's not too far from Portland (so some people do commute), and the next town over (Windham) has a small retail strip along Route 302, but the entire area is quite rural and pleasant. I think once you visit you would get a chuckle out of any notion that Raymond is "suburbia."

As far as activity goes, Raymond is close to the mountains, but it's in the heart of the lakes region. A lot of the activity revolves around those lakes (tourism, typical lake recreation in the summer and ice fishing, snowmobiling, etc in the winter).

[MRVphotog]

Most of my friends who live in Raymond do not live near the lake, very rural, farms and something I call rural suburbia as it's a bedroom community for Portland to Freeport area workers. As a result real estate is pretty pricey. From the elementary school which also is not lakeside but not too far has a beautiful view of Mt Washington.

Also, there is an awesome ice cream stand just as your entering the commercial area on Rt 302. The kids would scream if I didn't stop, Maine has way above average ice cream places IMHO. It seems everywhere you go there is a great ice cream place.

In the summer you really don't need to use Rt 302 as there are good backroads to Portland, Freeport and Naples to the north. Even in the winter we used the backroads to get to Shawnee Pk in the late afternoon and when we drove past the Raymond Elementary School sometimes the view of Mt Washington was absolutely gorgeous.

It's actually similar to living on Highland Lake but further from Portland but closer the Naples/Bridgton, both close to Rt 302 but have good backroads to avoid the traffic to a certain extent.

[PatEriEmm]

We relocated (after Army retirement) to Raymond in Sep 2014. So far we love it! It is quiet and it was a long winter. For the most part people are friendly, but it seems to take a while for the local population to warm/open up. Its within commuting distance to Portland, Freeport (a little difficult 95-S/295-N versus a direct route), Brunswick, Auburn, Lewiston, etc. Naples completely closes down by mid October. During Summer months Naples restaurants thrive, great lake location! Long Lake, Brandy Pond and Segago Lake are all connected by the Songo River and Locks. I used to come here as a kid every summer-I think that is what initially drew us back to this area-childhood summer memories-wanting our child to experience the same.

Windham has everything you need, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Hannaford, Marshalls, Smitty's Theater and several restaurants that stay open year round. Bridgton and Shawnee Peak are about 25-30 minutes away. We have a child in middle school and so far the school has been great, sports programs, art, drama and even a ski program. Windham and Raymond are a combined school district.

Taxes are relatively low for New England-3/2 with a garage on just over 3 acres-$2500 in property taxes. It is rural, but we love the space. Someone mentioned "rural suburbia" I think that is accurate a there are neighborhoods but not like cookie cutter developments-they are more like spurs of main roads with several smaller streets and plenty of space between you and the neighbor. Just what we were looking for. It takes a bit to get used to planning trips for groceries-not making the 20 minute ride for milk-try to do a one stop shop once or twice a week.

The negatives, would be that there is not that quintesential New England town feel; 302 seems somewhat industrial between Windham and Raymond in the sense that the "strip" is a car wash, several automotive shops, 2 marinas and a few gas stations. There are several restaurants that close in mid October. The local community is tight knit, but slow to accept newcommers (understandably). Another draw back is the trades industry-Maine does not require certain trades to be licensed (electricians, plumbers and gas/pipe fitters-need licensing) but carpenters, painters, etc do not require licensing-Be selective, knowledgable, informed, involved and concerned when seeking these services.

Overall, it feels like the right move, I think before the winter people were thinking these folks won't make it until spring. We did and we are still enjoying it. Reasonable local plow services and bought a snow blower and went skiing. Summer was great; bought some kayaks, did some camping and met some new friends.

I realize your thread was a few years ago, but I thought I'd throw it out there. Get used to the phrase; "Why wouldn't I?"

Good Luck