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My husband and I are looking to move to this general area within the next year or two but I have to say as excited as I am some of these forums have me a little nerve wracked as far as employment. We are currently in Massachusetts and would like to do anything to get out of here. We do have a home in a downtown part of a city north of Boston that is paid for outright... we were hoping that rental income generated from the house would help us float for a bit when we got up there. I have a bachelor's degree in English (I know... I know..) and work as a nanny and my husband works in shipping.
Any advice? Any residents of these counties have great things to share?? We've been looking at Lincolnville, Rockland, Rockport, and Thomaston.
Work can be hard to come by if you're looking for something more than a job at a restaurant.
The communities you're looking at are great communities for the most part.
There is some crime but most of it is drug/domestic stuff.
Personally, I wouldn't rely on the rental income to keep you afloat up here...only because if something happens and your renters don't pay or you can't find work, you may be in a rough spot. I know its a hard thing to do, but my suggestion is try to find a job before you get here. Unfortunately most of the communities up here don't have a huge abundance of jobs that are available in the big metros. I know someone that lives in New Haven Connecticut for instance that had a job as a dog walker almost full time...good luck finding that up here haha!
Depending on the type of work you our your husband are open to, there is a large call center for Bank of America in Belfast as well as AthenaHealth, neither of which would be a terribly long drive...lots of stores in Rockland/Thomaston, I believe there is a cement factory in Rockland/Thomaston still (Dragon), I believe Fisher plows has a place in the area as well....just some different options to think about if you are dead set on moving up.
You're well advised to get jobs before you move. That area of Maine has been hard hit by the Second Great Depression and doesn't have a lot of job opportunities, especially in the job fields you mention. You might find nanny openings in the Portland area.
You're well advised to get jobs before you move. That area of Maine has been hard hit by the Second Great Depression and doesn't have a lot of job opportunities, especially in the job fields you mention. You might find nanny openings in the Portland area.
Second great depression? As a Waldo County native, I didn't realize we'd ever come out of the first one. Especially when I drive along the North Searsport road through Frankfort.
Seriously though, Waldo County has been in a fairly steady state of economic decline over the past 10-15 years or so. It's an area that for some reason thinks tourism should be the one and only industry around. Anything more productive than providing leisure activities for vacationers seems to be met with a lot of opposition.
At any rate, one question I have: Why is it you will do anything to leave Massachusetts? What about Mass don't you like?
Massachusetts is fine if you are a doctor, a hedge fund manager, a big law firm lawyer, a biotech guru, a major CEO/CFO or one of the other hyper-"professional", beautiful people, but if you are anything ordinary, you will be outspent, out run, and otherwise pushed aside in Massachusetts. I for one got tired of just about being run over by a young, "professional" people in their BMWs or other overpriced cars, tearing up Rt. 128 in Burlington at 75 mph in heavy traffic while balancing their phone on their ear.
Then too there are the multitude of nanny state laws and regulations in MA, the fact that the police chief in my town doesn't think citizens should have guns (MA gun laws grant "may issue" hand gun permits, totally at the whim of the local police chief), the outrageous house prices, rents, and property taxes, driven up by all the "professionals" flooding the state, etc., etc., etc.
MA is also a much younger population where the youth culture is still a driving force and to a point that's good, but one also gets tired of hearing songs in public such as the current renaissance of "Face down *** up! That's the way we like to ****!"
Yes, Maine is poorer, but it's still populated by real people.
Just curious, what's wrong with Waldoboro? I drive through there when I go to Portland....
It is dying.
When I moved there, we had many little stores. Now... We have nothing, aside from the smallest Hannaford I've ever seen.. They all closed and left.
The town bought the old A.D Gray middle school. Aside from costing $20,000 a year to keep shuttered, it struggles to even give the old pile of junk away at this point.
They talk a lot about changing that, and attracting business back. But that's been going on for years. Only thing they've attracted, is increasing the number of trailer parks.
Then there is their voting record...
You only come here to die. If you have any life in you, it'll suck it right out. Go to the rockland/thomaston/camden area or go just a little more south to damariscotta. Whatever you do, stay away from Waldoboro.
Last August I bought a home in South Portland and moved down here. Whenever I have to go up to visit my parents, I cannot wait to get out of that town.
Forgot to mention, there is absolutely nothing to do there either. You have to travel to rockland or damariscotta, so you might as well live there.
Beltrams hit the nail on the head. I grew up with a working class family and married the same type of man and love my life I just feel like Massachusetts is not for us. When I was little I dreamed of moving to a farm and raising a family in a town where neighbors actually waved and people were friendly. My parents live on Cape Cod and it's beautiful there but the Cape's mentality leaves much to be desired. I grew up in western Mass in springfield and that's a mess and now I live on the north shore and I love it here aesthetically but as far as the people and mentality it, too, leaves a lot to be desired. My husband and I are low maintenance and just want a peaceful place to start a family.
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