Well, here goes. The start to our trek North to Maine, our new home-state. (Brunswick: rent, mortgage broker)

[BaltimoreBruiser]

Congratulations on closing, though it's sad to hear your frustrations surrounding Covid-19 and the terrible impacts it's having in the process. I can feel the frustration in your text! But just a little more time and things should settle, even where I am things are slowly returning somewhere closer to normal.

I can almost see your long struggle mirroring what I might find in twenty five years. My wife and I are currently looking to move northward to raise a family in some place ... different from where we both grew up (Baltimore). We have visited Maine and researched it to hell, and it's been a dream of ours for the last two years. However, we are finding it more and more likely that we will end up in CT, RI, or MA instead of Maine due to my work. She's finally gone full-remote (a benefit of Covid, it's prompted her company to accelerate their plans to phasing in work-from-home, and have announced it will be full-time even after the virus abates). I am not so lucky (government). Unless I can somehow find something in Kittery and live within driving distance of there, I find my chances better for somewhere else in New England.

Nonetheless, we will continue to visit and love Maine as the years go on. We will embed that love into our children, and swear not to be touristy a-holes. And then, God willing, we will be able to retire (at least half the year!) to our dream to enjoy the twilight of our lives. And your journey has been educational to say the least, so I wanted to thank you so very much for chronicling it for everyone to read here!

[Cuffler]

Hi all

We've made initial arrangements to meet a realtor up Friendship, ME and look at three houses up there for sale. We've been able to make some sleeping arrangments, too! We won't disclose that information but rest assured we'll be practicing social distancing and masking and gloving so we don't drag any virus up North with us. I know this is nothing to joke about. My daughter is the Adminstrative VP of three hospitals here in CT and she has explained this all in detail. But life has to go on and we do need to find a place to live or we'll be living in our van. We'll certainly post up here with how things go.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Cuffler

Hi all

We've made initial arrangements to meet a realtor up Friendship, ME and look at three houses up there for sale. We've been able to make some sleeping arrangments, too! We won't disclose that information but rest assured we'll be practicing social distancing and masking and gloving so we don't drag any virus up North with us. I know this is nothing to joke about. My daughter is the Adminstrative VP of three hospitals here in CT and she has explained this all in detail. But life has to go on and we do need to find a place to live or we'll be living in our van. We'll certainly post up here with how things go.

Good luck

[Bamaman1]

We once flew to Manchester, and drove as far as the roads would take us in Nova Scotia--Cape Breton Island. It was about the same distance as driving from North Alabama to Boston.

On our way back, we found in Maine all the lobster shacks and beautiful inlets along the coast that we didn't find in Eastern Canada. And we just loved Camden with all their tall masted sailing ships in the harbor on a beautiful summer day.

Good for you finding the place you want to live.

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by Cuffler

Hi all

We've made initial arrangements to meet a realtor up Friendship, ME and look at three houses up there for sale. We've been able to make some sleeping arrangments, too! We won't disclose that information but rest assured we'll be practicing social distancing and masking and gloving so we don't drag any virus up North with us. I know this is nothing to joke about. My daughter is the Adminstrative VP of three hospitals here in CT and she has explained this all in detail. But life has to go on and we do need to find a place to live or we'll be living in our van. We'll certainly post up here with how things go.

We've gotten some clarification from our management on this.

I received a response late yesterday from the Dept. of Economic & Community Development and have reviewed it with our Coldwell Banker Realty Legal Department.
The short answer is : “No, out of state buyers do NOT need to self-quarantine in order to view a property. Seeing real estate is considered “Engaging in Essential Services”

“To preserve the public health and safety, to ensure the public health and health delivery system are capable of serving all, and to help protect those at the highest risk and vulnerability, any person, resident or non-resident, traveling into Maine must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days or for the balance of 14 days dating from the day of arrival, except when engaging in essential services as defined in Executive Order 19FY 19/20.”

Here are the guidelines from the Maine Real Estate Commission that have been in place for several weeks:

https://www.maine.gov/decd/sites/mai...Guidelines.pdf

Best of luck to you, we are dealing with a severe shortage of available homes in Cumberland and York Counties, your agent should be able to give you the statistics in that area.

[Cuffler]

My son and daughter in law took my granddaughter up to Maine from Boston yesterday. They decided they needed to get out of the house for a few hours. The first went to Portland to buy some of those famous donuts that we've all raved about. No problem doing that. Then they went to Kennebunkport and were greeted with concrete barriers blocking parking near the beach. Same at Wells. Too bad. They were able to walk on the beach from what I understand but they said the place was closed down tight.

Hopefully Maine along with some of the other states including my state of Connecticut will see the light and place the responsibility of behavoir squarely on the shoulders of the citizens instead of treating us like inmates in our own homes. But, I don't want this to become a political discussion. We are trying to be excited to actually be heading North for the purpose of finding a new spot on the planet Earth that we can call home once again. At age 68 this should not be so damned hard. We have enough money but it seems like every possible obsticle has been thrown up at us: delays in closing, death in the family, another estate to close, pandemic, etc., etc. What's next? Volcano? Asteroid landing in Lubec? LOL

We are anticipating heading up there a week from today. We'll keep you all posted and maybe have some photos just for context.

[Cuffler]

We needed a hotel to stay on Monday night in Brunswick.......

We found a room at "The Brunswick Inn" for Monday Night. Crisis averted! Thanks!

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by Cuffler

We needed a hotel to stay on Monday night in Brunswick.......

We found a room at "The Brunswick Inn" for Monday Night. Crisis averted! Thanks!

I have a buyer from New York who wants to see homes tomorrow in York County and he said he's staying in an AirBnB in Westbrook. Have you checked that site?

I'm having a very difficult time finding houses in his price range, you definitely want the agent to confirm all three house (especially your favorite) are still available before making the trip.

[WhoFanMe]

Originally Posted by WhoFanMe

I have a buyer from New York who wants to see homes tomorrow in York County and he said he's staying in an AirBnB in Westbrook. Have you checked that site?

I'm having a very difficult time finding houses in his price range, you definitely want the agent to confirm all three house (especially your favorite) are still available before making the trip.

I think my post crossed with your edited post!

[phoebesmom]

Thank you for this information about real estate as essential services. We are supposed to close on a house in Maine next week and need to get out there and open it, get water running, put in a toilet so that we can stay there and paint etc before moving out there later this summer.

Any and all info about your trip and travel is much appreciated, as we are kind of stumped as to how to do some of these things, but if real estate is considered an essential service, that helps.