Relocating to Bangor, starting a business (Portland, Orono: for sale, houses, to buy)

[willyg101]

My family and I are thinking of moving to the Bangor area and would be interested to hear some info on the area such as: schools, surrounding towns (which are good or bad), fishing (fresh and saltwater), winter activities, summer activities, pros and cons, etc. Any help and opinions would be greatly appreciated. We are living in Ft. Lauderdale Florida now but are from the Boston area. Thanks

[Mark S.]

We're looking into Bangor as well. I sent an e-mail to the Chamber of Commerce requesting information. They have a free packet they'll send you, or a fuller packet for $8.00. It's very useful.

Just type in "Bangor" and "Chamber of Commerce" in your preferred search engine. It should come right up.

[vdonaldson]

There are great towns and beautiful homes outside the Bangor area. Hampden is known to be a bit pricey, but Dixmont is very nice as well and houses aren't quite as expensive. You can get to the coast in 30 minutes and to Bangor in 25. Etna and Dixmont share a K-8 Elementary School and students are tuitioned to Newport for High School. Etna and Dixmont both have around 1000 residents each. Small town politics with Selectman form of government. Taxes are low and there are some very nice homes for sale and land. Glenburn and Hudson seem to be growing areas as well, but a bit more out of the way if you are headed south. I-95 runs through Etna and Boston is about 3.5 hours away, Portland is 1.5 to 2 hours away.

[stevenlear]

There is so much to say... I will try to be short and sweet.

Home prices run the full spectrum.. You can spend from $89,000 to $1 million plus, however, the vast majority of homes can be had for much less than you can imagine. It all depends on what you are looking for. All represent a heck of a value.

Prices can also vary from town to town. Orono and Hamden command a higher price than Bangor... not sure why as I prefer Bangor. Just a matter of taste.

Schools here in Bangor are fantastic, what a great school system. Many of the smaller towns that do not have their own High School offer their students a choice of attending Bangor High or John Bapst Memorial (private). Tuition at Bapst is currently about $8,000 a year, so if this is the school you want your child to attend... it is often a wise economic decision to buy a home in one of Bangor's surrounding communities.

All in all, it is a beautiful place with a huge variety of things to see and do in all seasons. The area offers much from a cultural standpoint with theater, symphony, outdoor markets, artisans markets, Folk Festival, etc...

I am "from away" and have never felt more at home. I love all the historic properties in town so much that I decided to become a Realtor. Two of the finest homes in town are currently on the market and they are so well priced... I just can't believe it.

If you want to know more, please ask me.. I can't say enough and didn't want to go on and on for too long.