Moving to Maine on a budget

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

We moved to Maine after retirement, getting only a small pension and SS.

We chose Washington County because we wanted to be by the water and still be able to afford a house. The only thing that really costs us is heat. There are TONS of jobs around - every place is constantly hiring - both full-time and part-time, with bonuses. We moved here in 2018 in April - the following Winter was cold and snowy, the next ones were'nt that bad, and now this one is the worst since we've lived here. But we like cold, snow, dark, ice, and wet (The other seasons make it worth it.)

Good luck!

Did you have the funds to pay cash for the house in Washington County or is some of your social security and small pension going to a mortgage payment?

In Hancock County there are lots of jobs like fast food jobs, for example. Pay is $12.75 per hour or more for many of these jobs. However, more and more people who own property opt for it to be vacation rentals (such as Airbnb) rather than rent to individuals or families on a year-round basis. This has created a shortage of housing for residents and increased the number of tourists and summer vehicle traffic. Bumper to bumper vehicles and often bumper to bumper people on hiking trails etc. Acadia NP visitation has increased to a very unmanageable 4+ million annually. Please tell us about available rental housing in Washington County compared to homes for sale. Thanks.

[mainegrl2011]

Thank you, Submariner for taking the time to compose a thoughtful, detailed response to my questions. I think it takes a special person to live on a sub. I don't think I could do it. Thank you for your service. I may take you up on your offer at a later date to come for a tour. Thanks for the invite.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

Thank you, Submariner for taking the time to compose a thoughtful, detailed response to my questions. I think it takes a special person to live on a sub. I don't think I could do it. Thank you for your service. I may take you up on your offer at a later date to come for a tour. Thanks for the invite.

Thank you.

I have been called 'special' before. Never really sure if they meant 'short bus' special, or something else.

[Jellybean50]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

Did you have the funds to pay cash for the house in Washington County or is some of your social security and small pension going to a mortgage payment?

In Hancock County there are lots of jobs like fast food jobs, for example. Pay is $12.75 per hour or more for many of these jobs. However, more and more people who own property opt for it to be vacation rentals (such as Airbnb) rather than rent to individuals or families on a year-round basis. This has created a shortage of housing for residents and increased the number of tourists and summer vehicle traffic. Bumper to bumper vehicles and often bumper to bumper people on hiking trails etc. Acadia NP visitation has increased to a very unmanageable 4+ million annually. Please tell us about available rental housing in Washington County compared to homes for sale. Thanks.

I bought a house after selling one in NJ, so i had money to pay cash.

I believe there is a housing crisis in this county as in most of Maine. Both renting AND buying. I'm trying to downsize and i know it's a sellers' market... in that i can't find any other houses to go to if i sell mine - which everyone keeps trying to convince me to do!

Rentals are tough also... I see people putting up "ads" looking for affordable places to rent - but i see that everywhere including Jersey where i left. Nothing affordable there either. I don't know the answer. I would say there are still more rentals than there are houses to buy. Everything i see is "Pending."

(The OP did say she was receiving SSDI - there are many housing/apartment complexes for the disabled up here; i don't know the waiting time or how long you have to be a resident. But many towns in this county have one.)

[mainegrl2011]

Jellybean50: Thank you for your response that I decided not to quote. A friend of a friend was receiving SSDI. At age 62, it changed to Social Security and became less per month. This person has been living in deplorable conditions waiting for help from the state. It has finally arrived in the form of being allowed to live in a motel for several months (there is a time limit) with a state organization paying for it while waiting for one of those apartments to come available. If one comes available, one-third of monthly social security will go to the apartment. If the OP tried to pursue this route, there could be complications since her mother plans to live with her. We don't know how her mother's income could or would be factored in or if her mother living with her would affect her eligibility for one of those apartments.

There is a waiting period where someone has to die or move out for there to be availability.

I had a friend who sold her house in NJ more than 15 years ago. She moved to NC, was able to buy a bigger house with a mother-in-law apartment and had money left over.

With the skyrocketing price of building materials, it costs alot more to build houses, apartments, etc. than a few years ago. That is just one factor that can lead to a higher per month rental cost on new construction apartments. There are some relatively new apartments in Hancock County with a waiting list. Monthly rent about $1,700. Could be necessary to get a roommate or two to afford to live there. These particular apartments are not federally subsidized for low income people.

While awaiting your response, I looked at realtor.com and craigslist. I saw 4 rentals in Washington County (checked several towns) and zero homes for sale. I saw several homes for sale in Washington County on zillow. There could be more, but being advertised another way.

Some would be ok with finding a room to rent in someone's big house or smaller house, preferably a house with more than one bathroom.

Like yourself, I don't have the answers. I encourage young people to pursue vocational training, apprenticeship, college degree etc. to become marketable to earn more than minimum wage.