Portland Neighborhoods, Real Estate Companies, and More (South Portland, Biddeford: rentals, live)

[kanne323]

I am considering a move to the area for a job in Scarborough. I understand that rentals are hard to come by. I've been using the resources at my fingertips- Craigslist, Zillow, Rent.com, etc. As I go through this process, I have a few questions.



Are there any local real estate companies that deal with rentals? I'm also looking at seasonal rentals that would be through May or June, with the intent to explore the area until then and have more time to search and find the right place long-term.



Are there neighborhoods or areas of Portland that are less safe than others? I am finding some rentals in Portland, but know virtually nothing about the city.


Some background- I am moving from northern New Jersey, but I'm from New England and spend time in northern Maine every year... I'm just not too familiar with this particular area (I have family in other areas of the state.)


I'm finding that Scarborough itself does not have much, if anything, available. I'm currently looking in Biddeford, Saco, Westbrook, Gorham, and Portland. I'm hoping to be within a half-hour of Scarborough; am I missing an obvious area? Also looking in Old Orchard Beach with the seasonal idea.



Thank you!

[OutdoorLover]

Kennebunk is a pleasant town about a half-hr south of Scarborough and you could also look in South Portland. We have a realtor on the Maine forum who lives near Portland as I recall.

[kanne323]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Kennebunk is a pleasant town about a half-hr south of Scarborough and you could also look in South Portland. We have a realtor on the Maine forum who lives near Portland as I recall.

Thank you! I wasn't sure if Kennebunk was just a little too far- my experience with southern Maine traffic has mostly been around holidays and summer weekends, so I don't know how it compares to the traffic I encounter daily in NJ (I suspect it's less.) Are estimated driving times fairly accurate? Are there many people commuting on 95?


And thank you for the South Portland recommendation. I've see several rentals listed there and will look more closely at them.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by kanne323

Thank you! I wasn't sure if Kennebunk was just a little too far- my experience with southern Maine traffic has mostly been around holidays and summer weekends, so I don't know how it compares to the traffic I encounter daily in NJ (I suspect it's less.) Are estimated driving times fairly accurate? Are there many people commuting on 95?

And thank you for the South Portland recommendation. I've see several rentals listed there and will look more closely at them.

Yes, you can get some traffic on I-95 in Maine on summer weekends, but in my experience, with the exception of around the toll booths (like around York), you rarely get any significant slowdowns where you're creeping along in dense traffic for miles. There aren't any tolls on I-95 between Kennebunk and Scarborough.

NJ I-95 is definitely worse - I take that all the time when I visit my Dad down in South Jersey. Even 6 lanes each way isn't enough at times.