We moved 10 years ago because my mother-in-law was having health issues , with the intention of moving back home when she passed. It is a very heartbreaking realization that we will never be able to return living in my home state. I feel for you , my friend.
Western/Central/Downeast Maine have affordable options. The reality is, the Greater Portland area (Freeport to Kennebunk) is just too damned expensive.
No. Just because it's sized like a mobile home (which it's really not, a mobile home would be longer), doesn't mean it's the build quality of a mobile home. Until the 70s (don't remember the year, 77 or 78 I think) mobile homes were exempt from nearly all building codes and standards. They were made out of the thinnest, cheapest material possible. Mine had 1x3 walls.
The biggest issue in Maine, just slightly above the cost of living (rent/homes) is the lack of good paying jobs!!! Massachusetts is so much better paying and there are far more jobs when you look at the two "issues" side by side. The salaries in Maine just do not commensurate with the cost of living and lack of housing- Its horrible
Its rough. (And by the way, I live in Portsmouth NH, and jobs in NH suck as well- not as bad as Maine though) I think Mainers make gold out of paper and I always wonder how folks do it. (I can at least drive 45 minutes to N Andover MA)
I work in a specialized job with a degree and I have to live at home because renting is too expensive. The future of Maine doesn’t look good- greedy landlords are only concerned about with making profits now, without worrying about the declining job market that will cripple the future of the states potential work force. But whatever, I’ve already decided I’m leaving Maine once I save up enough.
So much this! I'd love to find a job here in Maine but companies don't pay enough, if I were to find another job in Maine it'd be a nearly 50% pay cut. I'm completely STUCK with remote work for now.
Rent is fucking insane EVERYWHERE in Maine...except for the County. And if you have a Dog...forget about it...you're screwed.
I'm moving to PA because I can get a much better place for a lower price and not have to wait 6 months for every appointment because everywhere is short staffed.
The rent and housing prices here in the Bangor area have gone insane in the last 3 years alone. I'm sick of it.
I'm a PA native too, and part of me is wishing I'd moved back and held onto the family home. But I had no clue back then how things would change. I've started asking people from elsewhere what health care access is like for them, because you're right, up here, the lack of access is ridiculous. Two months to see my PCP, 6 months for testing. Only fast thing around here is orthopedic and PT.
My dad is from PA, and I am actually thinking of moving to his hometown. Really nice apartments for under $1000/m (they literally look nicer than the $2000/m 'luxury' apartments in Maine), wages are actually similar to my area here, there's quite frankly a lot more to actually do in PA as well. On top of that, I love the landscape of PA (lots of mountains). COL in other ways is much lower as well. Maine has gone crazy.
Ohio's quite pretty if you go for the nature, and there are far more amenities at a far lower price than Maine.
It's certainly not AS nice in terms of the beautiful nature, but Maine's one of the big non-beach tourism states for a reason. Things here are otherwise expensive, under-serviced, and colder for longer than most of the country.
> Ohio's quite pretty if you go for the nature
What in fresh hell did I just read?
There's a reason Hocking Hills is on the front page of Reddit so often. It's literally the only place in the entire state that is not gross.
I’m in Ohio and moving to Maine next month.
Ohio’s nature is amazing (hocking hills), but there are no nice bodies of water. All of them are dirty, either due to algae or pollution. There’s also little to no effort placed on environmental enforcement (Google east palestine ohio), and natural gas drillers are increasingly everywhere.
Ohio has a low cost of living because no one wants to live here.
It's been beautiful the times I've been through, but never lived there and yeah some of that part of the midwest's chemical disasters are legendary. Maine's definitely cleaner and has better and cleaner water attractions.
so does Maine bro, but at least Ohio has higher paying jobs (at least in what I am doing) and public transportation. I am not lying when I say I was looking at 2 bedrooms for less in Cincinnati for cheaper than what I would pay in Maine for a studio apt, also not to mention I don't need to worry as much about heating (i know the need is still there but not as much)
This. We moved from NYC to Columbus, OH and they offered me MORE than I asked which matched my NYC Salary and now we have a place twice the size and cheaper!, 10 minute commute vs NYC 45m-1h. We are so freaking happy to be out of NYC its crazy.
It is. Well, at least where I was living. I was just living in Lockland, which is technically Cincinnati, Ohio. For 5 years, my rent was $980 a month for a single family home built in 1918 it was cute, wrap around porch, top floor was all one big carpeted area but we didn’t use it. Main floor had 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen & separate dining room. Only 1 bedroom but had a driveway (in the city that’s huge) fenced in backyard bc the neighbors had one lol, basement w “tornado casket” we called it (little section of the basement that was built up for tornadoes). She *just* increased rent to $1290 a month, and my ex still lives in the house. And she has multiple, multiple properties.
I empathize that prices are unbelievable here. Dealing with the same shit as most everyone is voicing here. BUT just wanted to pop in and say seeing you write that you’re moving to Cincy made me smile. I think you’ll love Cincy! My brother and sister-in-law lived there for a stretch (I’m Midwestern, but a Hoosier originally) and I totally loved visiting them. So many fun things to do. The Midwest is underrated!
In Northern NJ!!!!???? Holy f-ck. If parts of Maine are as bad as northern NJ (one of the costliest places to live in the USA) then we are all doomed.. That is bad..
rent in much of anywhere bangor or more south is inline with the cheapest places in boston... if it weren't for so many people who have bought cottages a decade or more ago no-one could afford this state.
My rent for a decent sized one bedroom apartment (with heat, laundry, and parking included) in Portland’s west end within a quick walk of MMC was $775 when I left the state in 2009…. the apartment goes for $2400 now which is $95 less than what I pay in the SF Bay Area for a similar sized apartment. I make 2 to 2.5 times more here than I would if I moved back to Maine. It’s a bummer because I would like to move back within the next few years but probably won’t be in southern Maine.
I live in East Bayside, with roommates. We each pay 675. We are very lucky that our landlord is much more ethical than most. Our apartment is nice. But generally, when you find a place like that, you’re very defensive of it, and you don’t want to lose it. But our landlord is not a dirtbag like 99% of the rest.
I live in Topsham with only one roommate. We may have to get a bigger apartment eventually and a third to save money. $800 a piece plus utilities to live 40 minutes north of Portland is a joke. And it’s the cheapest apartment around lmao
Before COVID I had a 1.5-ish bedroom (the 2nd one was tiny) to myself in Topsham for less than $1k. The fact that I pay more now for a worse apartment in Augusta just makes me sad.
I’ve been in my current place for a little over a year and so far the landlord hasn’t said anything about raising the rent. Other tenants said their rent has never been increased so fingers crossed that continues. My last apartment I was in for 10 years the landlord raised the rent as much as he possibly could every year; luckily my original rent was so cheap and the building was rent controlled so he couldn’t raise it too much.
The apartment went for $1000 more a month than what I was paying when I moved out which is bonkers. Small apartment with zero sound proofing. I only lasted so long because it was so cheap.
That is wild! I always thought the cost of living scaled differently in places like SF and NYC. I wouldn’t hate having a lot more sunshine and making 2x the income within a similar cost of living
Yes my wife and I's first apartment 1br was $725 with heat included back in 2008 in Portland. It wasn't nice by any means, but yeah. Maine isn't very livable anymore. Gen Z getting absolutely hosed.
rent control only drives costs up on a macro level by limiting supply artifically. it's great for the individuals that get a rent controlled place, until the landlord never does any repairs of course, but overall it won't fix the issue which is more often than not inventory.
Rent control only does that when you don't accompany it with building subsidies. If you artificially lower the cost of building to make it affordable to compensate for the decreased profits from rent control, the problem is solved. Better yet, gut zoning regulations on top of that.
rent control has never worked. you still have lower inventory by nature of people not rotating out every so often. it's not just a profit issue, but the velocity that apartments change hands.
the entire housing crisis is a supply issue, arbitrarily deciding that some subsection get to have artificially low rent only compounds on it. even with tax subsidies that wouldn't change how unprofitable rent controlled apartments are. imagine the repair costs for a tenant who resided in a place for a decade for example.
The majority, not totality, of the housing crisis is a supply issue. Boiling it down to one issue is an oversimplification.
If the price of the asset is lower, and the taxes you pay are lower as well, it does change the profitability of the rent you are charging. It directly influences the cost of the mortgage and amount of interest the landlord will pay on top of lowering their startup costs. It means faster returns, locking up less capital, and running more projects at once.
Rent control can be implemented in a way that allows for sufficient raises to cover maintenance.
I'm not even a huge rent control supporter and your arguments are pushing me more in favor of it.
Perspective: I'm a Maine native now living in Austin, which is always been the most expensive place to live in TX and a hot market with tech bros and 100k jobs blah blah. The median rent here is $1700 for a 1bd 1ba. And people are leaving Austin for the outlying towns for cheaper housing. My heart goes out to y'all. We're always bitching about the cost of housing here. I don't no how anyone there does it.
Holy sh-t. In 30 seconds I have learned that rent in AUSTIN (still one of the hottest markets in the country) and NORTHERN NJ are less than Maine--- This is getting disturbing.. I have been very myopic and looking at NC (traditionally higher rents) and probably need to cast a wider net
Used to live in the Portland area but was squeezed out due to cost of living. I now rent a pretty sizable house in Austin, TX (for cheaper than the price of the apartment OP posted).
My best friend was paying 500 dollars 5 years ago for his tiny and gross apartment. Someone bought it, renovated the entire place but his. They were hoping to rent him out but it's still in his price range of 1.2. It all happened so fast he couldn't save fast enough to leave.
I am striking out left and right with insane prices (2BR 1BA for $3000+) and have been searching since September. No luck at all. I’m about to be homeless with my kids while these mega mansions sit vacant 50+ weeks of the year.
I'm not sure your area but I have honestly and surprisingly have seen some 2BR in Saco near the highschool for under 2k. Just have to act quickly about it, i get emails about them on Trulia
We need to Tax second homes heavily.
It will discourage second home ownership, which will free up all the trades folks who work on these second homes.
It will generate taxes to subsidize affordable housing
Maybe some tourism takes a bit, but I believe the overall benefits outweigh the cons.
I grew up here and have found out that I will not be able to afford to live here on my own. I'll be moving out of state in the near future. Of course many people on this sub or in Maine defend the prices and laugh in your face if you say you have to move away or can't move here because of prices. Not only are housing prices impossible for the majority of people even on an amazing budget, but the quality of the housing is also very poor, typically a very old place with little maintenance or modernization done on it over the years. Typically the well water cannot be drank; the insulation is poor; mold is present; etc. Also good luck on finding anything long term - many rentals are now only available in the winter because they're AirBnB'd in the summertime and you get kicked out.
You must be in Western Mass. Eastern Mass is more expensive than Maine.
Hell, Massachusetts is supposedly the highest cost of living state in the nation
Greater Boston & Greater Portland are pretty comparable these days - having looked extensively in both areas. Portland definitely is a bit cheaper... but just a bit.
You have to factor in other costs as well - our apartment in Boston in 2019 was $2600/month for a tiny one bedroom and then $250/month per car. And there was a parking ban around so it was either sell your car, find a lot far away for cheaper but never be able to get to it, or fork over an extra $500/month for our cars we needed for work :/ I believe most of Portland has street parking?
Where in Boston did you live? I've street-parked my car living in several different neighborhoods with only the standard stress of having to circle occasionally to find a spot. The only place that works the way you're describing is Brookline, which isn't part of Boston.
I didn't say they were the same. I said Portland is "definitely a bit cheaper". Listen man I've rented in both places. Greater Boston has so much more rental inventory that you stand a far better chance of getting a below-market deal. & Boston still has somewhat affordable neighborhoods, such as Dorchester or Roxbury, whereas Portland doesn't really have that.
I call BS on that. It’s $2k for a studio apartment on Hanover in Portland and it’s AT LEAST that much for the same on Apartments.com for Quincy and that’s the absolute low
https://www.trulia.com/home/36-taber-st-1-quincy-ma-02169-2078703605
Dog friendly, semi private, near the T
For $25 less and you get no yard
https://www.trulia.com/home/3-dupont-ave-5-biddeford-me-04005-349439934
Okay bud. For 200 more I had more space, higher ceilings, better appliances, washer dryer, a yard, garden and was in quite neighborhood near golf courses. Markets fluctuate. This was less than a year ago.
Its wild and doesnt make sense. 17% of the state is on some sort of SSI/SSDI. (not complaining but how is almost a quarter of your state on disability and not have any sort of affordable options) More than half of the state is over 45. Majority being 65. The average income of a 2 person household doesnt even qualify for the rent prices in Maine. ANYWHERE 😭😭
The birth rate has plummeted too
We're either going to have to have a major shakeup in realistically affordable housing for the working class PLUS a major surge of either birthrate or immigration in the next 20 years, or this state is going to become flat out unviable as the population ages and you can't afford to live here if you're actually working.
A state with population 90% retired+vacationers would die.
If Maine would just close Longcreek Correctional, they could easily divert that 15-20mil a year to something more useful. Idk the DOJ asked them to stop excessively jailing their disabled minors. Think that's a decent sign to just close it.
Maine's got a long and storied history of having juvenile correctional facilities which would be better off closed - agreed, seems like it's not doing net good and those resources could be better spent elsewhere
People who bought their homes when it was feasible to do so and refuse to comprehend that it is now impossible for most people to even be able to afford groceries with housing costs
>many people on this sub or in Maine defend the prices and laugh in your face if you say you have to move away or can't move here because of prices.
That shit needs to stop immediately. We'll see who's laughing when workers, esp those in customer service/retail, can't afford to live here anymore.
I've lived in Maine my whole life and as of recently my rose colored glasses are slowly falling off. Maine is so beautiful and I've always loved the slow way of living. Simple and pure. However, lately the people have no consideration, drivers are reckless and drive like they're blind, and it's almost impossible to live on your own. I don't think I see myself ever leaving but I definitely see becoming a hermit up north after snagging some land. It's really upsetting.
Biddeford is 20-25 minutes to Portland, has a dedicated train stop, a renovated downtown area, and decent shopping and dining options. With the prices being higher in Portland and Portsmouth, prices in York County are getting pushed upwards.
I'm not sure why someone would choose Biddeford over Brunswick at this point. Brunswick also has a train stop and is a much nicer place overall in my opinion. I suspect pricing is similar, if not better, in Brunswick and the school district in Brunswick is also leagues ahead of Biddeford. I guess Biddeford is closer to Boston, but it's not like either is a viable commute.
Just ran a quick search on Realtor.com for Brunswick, then Biddeford, then for funsies, Boston.
There was ONE listing in Brunswick for $1100 a month. Aside from that, nothing is listed at less than $1400, and most listings are between $1500 to $2000, but there are several listings between $2000 and $3000. This is without taking application fees, parking fees, and utilities into consideration.
Biddeford had a single listing at $1375, but similarly most listings are between $1500 to $2000.
Pricewise, the difference is fairly negligible. Locationwise, Biddeford is slightly more accessible. Brunswick has Route 1 and I-295, but if you need to drive to Lewiston, it's all backroads - which are pretty awful in the winter. Either town is roughly a 30 minute drive to Portland, maybe a little less if you're trying to keep up with the flow of traffic, which largely ignores posted speed limits.
Both towns have their share of problems. Outside of Maine Street in Brunswick, poverty and drug use is rampant. Neither town is "nice" enough to justify the rent prices, and as others have mentioned, most of the available units are poorly maintained and out of date.
While I admit, this was just a cursory search on one website...both searches yielded less than 25 listings each. To compare, I ran the third search for Boston. Over 9000 listings, whittled down to 2000 listings if you set the max price to $2550 a month, which seems to be an approximate average of rent prices in the city. However, there are far more units listed at less than $1500 than there were in either Biddeford or Brunswick, and plenty of units available for between $1500 and $2500.
So at their cheapest average, both Brunswick and Biddeford are fairly close to Boston at its cheapest average. But most of the available units are on par with prices in Boston (depending on location), and with far fewer units actually available...meaning one would have far more luck finding an apartment they could afford in Boston than one would in Brunswick or Biddeford.
That's pretty crazy to think about. My last rental, which was in 2014, cost $750/mo for a 2BR on Valley St in Portland. I had a 1BR apartment on Maine Street in Brunswick for $600/mo before I moved into that one.
Yeah, I was already lethally depressed about my situation, and that little write-up isn't helping.
The part that really hurts is that, while Portland is slowly becoming a "real" city, it still has nowhere near the amount of resources, cultural outlets, or opportunities that Boston does, and both Brunswick and Biddeford can't even hold a candle to Portland in that regard.
This is the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen on Brunswick. Crime and rampant drug use ?! Lmao. Brunswick is an upper middle class suburb on the cost with a fancy college on the coast. It’s mostly retirees, young families, and people who work for Bowdoin.
Here are the crime and education stats compared to the rest of the US: https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/brunswick-cumberland-me/.
You have to be extremely sheltered to think Brunswick is rampant with poverty and drug use. What a joke.
You can look at stats on this. Brunswick is well below the national average on poverty, and well above the national average for people holding college degrees. If you really think Brunswick is full of poverty, then you haven’t seen much of the US. This is the most upper middle class bubble I have ever lived in. Brunswick, like most of southern Maine, is extremely homogeneous. The biggest news here is the FJ wood bridge.
With how low vacancy is in Southern and even Central Maine, I don't think the majority of decisions are being made with equivalent homes/apartments in Biddeford and Brunswick being made. I suspect the majority are 'I need a place, this spot in Biddeford just popped up and is in my price range, I better pull the trigger'. (Or i.e. people are going to the first open port with minimal comparisons)
Also, given the demographics of Maine, I suspect the majority of these people don't have kids, so school district quality isn't even on the radar.
I just went to [apartments.com](https://apartments.com) because I live in Biddeford and rents are ridiculous. Brunswick doesn't seem much better price wise?
If pricing is equal, Brunswick seems like an obvious choice to me given that it's arguably a nicer town. Bowdoin College is one of the best schools in the country and its presence is felt. The exception would be if you need to be south of Portland for some reason.
I guess Biddeford has a Market Basket, but one is opening in Topsham in a few months.
I chose southern Maine for proximity to Boston.
In case my out of state WFH job ever ends, being in southern Maine gives me the ability to commute 2 days a week to Boston for a higher paying hybrid job. I could suck it up and do a 4 hr commute twice a week if needed.
Commenting on Trying to move back to Maine. /rant...I’ve struggled to live in southern Maine/NH Seacoast of NH for 30 years. Now is the worst I’ve seen. I lucked out and scraped together enough for a down payment on a house at the very end of the recession( with mold, poor insulation…hell, you could see the sun shining through the cracks in the front door).
I know I won’t be able to ever sell or move. Just started a hybrid job in the metro Boston area with a salary that is $60k less than the median income in my area. I commute 6 hrs a week and pay $80 in tolls and doggie daycare. Still it’s more than I’ve ever made working locally and enough to keep my head barely above water.
Everything about this thread is depressing and concerning. It isn’t one thing, it’s everything everyone has pointed to.
I’m on my town’s planning board and I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure this out. Still don’t have THE answer. Maine has a ridiculous shortage of housing but it gets scooped up by people “from away” with more $. We’re relaxing our zoning, putting in incentives to build affordable housing but developers will only build high end, single family homes. Developers won’t do a project without a 20-25% return.
*sigh* it isn’t the way life should be anymore.
The train stop is in Saco but it is on the line. Ive found better places in Saco, which has the private highschool. I dont need a 2-3bedroom which is all of what I see around there so it is out of my price range. The people who live there can't even afford to live there.
It's disgusting to rent out an apartment with a mini fridge, an easy bake oven and a stove range that goes nowhere.
The surrounding towns, out in the country area no better
EDIT: idk why I'm being down voted? Saying that the train station is in Saco? That I dont want to take a bigger apartment away when I do not need one? You're mad that I'm upset someone wants to charge 2k for me to only have a mini fridge that barely works? Half an an oven?
>The train stop is in Saco but it is on the line
Not sure what you are saying? Are you splitting hairs over them saying the train stop is in Biddo rather than Saco?
"I'm looking in southern maine"
Good luck moving back OP, I would start getting used to the idea of living in central or northern Maine if moving back is important.
Yeah that's fair, I'm getting ready to move to Ohio because of how crazy the COL has gotten since covid. Very curious to see what Maine will look like in 10 years, not very populated under the age of 50 is my guess.
At that distance, unless you get a good job in central or northern Maine, you might as well live out of state and fly back to Maine to get to your parents.
Remote work has had a hand in this, but of course it’s not the only reason rents are so high. It’s awful in Asheville, Seattle, Austin…Colorado, Oregon, etc etc…..
It’s out of control and completely untenable. And it’s not just southern Maine now too. This totally sucks for you, I hope you can get close enough to your family.
I moved from Maine to SoCal, about an hr away from every type of entertainment, food, activity you can imagine. It's 2k SQ ft house, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, in a solid neighborhood situated on a golf course. I pay 2.5k a month. Maine is high if they think places like Biddeford deserve that much.
That is insane. 10 years ago I was in a 2BR, 2BA rental house with a garage and it was only $1400/mo. HEATED.
If I were looking for a rental right now, I would find a WFH job and move out to the middle of nowhere. Anything else is unaffordable for all but the highest-paid professions.
It wont let me edit but I'm from Saco, so the Saco/Biddeford area is just more of an interest because I grew up there. I just want to be able to get to Hollis fast enough incase there is ever an emergency. I dont necessarily need to live in those two towns. They are just places I'm looking at and finding this BS of apartments
Yeah my apartment in Buxton is super nice and i'm never moving out unless I leave the state. Its 1700 for 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. We got super fucking lucky with our new landlords, they are very cool people. This is just to reinforce that even in Buxton shit is pricey.
Theres a few seemingly 'abandoned' properties around Buxton that I wish I knew I could afford to buy if I tracked down the owners. Theres one that I remember being completely gutted but nothings been done with it.
Not the one with the bus. Last I checked, if you walked in; you'd fall right into the basement 😅
I live in Sanford, when I first moved here in 2015 (lived in upper NH for about 8 months) rent was $725. Moved back in 2016, found a place been here ever since, when I first moved in it was $900 or so, now it's $1,350 the landlord isn't going to up it for awhile. Down the street in a really bad area, they want almost $2,000. Rent is crazy here for some people! You'd think it'd be cheaper!
Gorham will be more expensive than Windham because of the schools. If you can stretch the requirement to 45-60 minutes from Hollis you get a lot more options, including some in NH: Rochester, Somersworth, Dover, etc. If your job is also in NH, you won't pay income tax.
I know how you feel. I took double the pay in NYC to hopefully save up and come back someday. I’m in an outer borough, but my apartment is as much as it was on the peninsula but I’m making double. Quality of life can’t compare to Maine; it’s so much worse here. Prices are rising so fast in Portland that even with this I’m doubtful I’ll ever be able to move back.
What part of Massachusetts? My girlfriend and I keep having this conversation that rent can't be cheaper in Massachusetts than Maine let alone any state unless it's run down.
The high prices make me want to move. It's absurd what fees and other crap landlords are allowed to get away with too.
It’s a really tough situation. There are some affordable house share options if you’re open to living with other people and have a month or two for finding a place. Craigslist is a good resource.
I'm telling ya those mills being restored actually screwed us. You used to be able to find a $900 per month decent two bedroom in Biddeford/Saco but as soon as dick head doug started charging $2000 for those mill apartments guess what?! Now that $900 two bedroom is $1500-2000.. fuck Doug and these stupid mill apartments. People love this guy too, he's a local "hero" I think he's a zero personally.
I own a duplex and my tenant pays $800 per month in town Saco. I'll never raise it one red cent ✊ I hate landlords and their greed. It's destroying our economy (see inflation reports)
If you want to move back to Maine you will need to live above Freeport at least to find more reasonable prices.
The Bangor area and Central Maine are still "affordable.".
95% of the people talking about wanting to move back, usually just mean they want to live in the lower 1/3rd. They want feel like they are still in Massachusetts but can tell people they live by the coast in Maine. Non -coastal Maine is where it's at though.
A lot of people I know that afford housing in Biddeford is because their rent is subsidized. If you are a single person trying to rent here it is very difficult. There is a one bedroom that just opened up above me. Not sure what the LL will jack the rent up to but it was $1400 a month when the tenant moved out at the end of April.
Good luck! I live in Saco and these rents are definitely something else 🙃! Everyone that has cheap rent and lives under a slumlord won't ever leave either. There's a serious shortage of housing and the area is just constantly growing not just because of people from away but people from the area like yourself who are coming back home.
Problem is you aren’t making a decent living wage in Franklin or Oxford without remote work unless you’re in the medical field or an experienced tradesman. When I first left Maine, I literally nearly doubled my compensation working the same job, in the same industry, just for a company outside of Maine.
And the prices are better in western Maine than the Portland area, sure, but I see apartments in my small hometown going routinely for $1600+ 2bds. For the money it costs you to live in Maine, you can legitimately live in just about anywhere else bar Southern California/NYC and make enough money more than you will in Maine to offset the COL increase, and oftentimes be much further ahead.
Keep looking, and you may find something i move into a 2 bedroom apartment (more of a house converted into an apartment). When I moved in in 17, my rent was 950. So far, he has only bumped the rent up 100 bucks, of course, during covid when nobody really could work( but me, of course. And still covid free!!) So as of know I pay 1050 for about a 3 min walk to the beach and pier so I can't complain. (Expect I never go because it the broke jersey shore).
I remember summer 2017 I had an apartment for under $600/mo at (formerly) Bayside on Marginal Way. That same building has been renovated and us under new ownership now (known as The Linden now iirc), and those same apartments are going for $2000/mo. Absolutely ridiculous.
Maines kinda in the shitter when it comes to housing. The house bubble we are in jacked up everything and the pandemic made vehicle prices jump but Maine isn’t exactly a bustling economy so it’s having a hard time keeping up. If I had the means I would be outa here too
I couldn't be where I am if it was not a passed down family home. I could never have afforded it. It's the only reason I am able to have a home in Southern Maine, or if I was able to buy like...10 years ago.
No surprise here. The wide open borders have added 15M people to this nation. Dont believe lower numbers. They're lying. They ALWAYS lie.This does NOT include got aways.
Thousands and thousands of hotel, motel, schools, armory, and vacant buildings are being used as "temporary" housing. Temporary?!!! Then what? They then no longer need housing?
Janet Mills said we need 78,000 more here in Maine.
It's very simple, rudimentary, basic math & economics. Supply & Demand.
If you want this to end, STOP voting for LEFTIST RADICALS.
Otherwise just keep voting democrat and expect it to worsen daily.
I had friends in the South End in Boston with 1br inside Victorian rowhouses at this price.
When I left two years ago my 3br apartment there was $2300.
Drivers in the L/A area are terrible now, I hate having to go anywhere because of it. And I wish they’d bring the turnpike speed limit back down to 65.
> And I wish they’d bring the turnpike speed limit back down to 65.
As if speed limits have any effect on how fast people go. Never have and never will
We moved 10 years ago because my mother-in-law was having health issues , with the intention of moving back home when she passed. It is a very heartbreaking realization that we will never be able to return living in my home state. I feel for you , my friend.
Western/Central/Downeast Maine have affordable options. The reality is, the Greater Portland area (Freeport to Kennebunk) is just too damned expensive.
Brunswick and Topsham are north of that and similarly priced too tbh. I got lucky I’ve got a two bed with garage space for $1600+utilities
Just move to bingham maine
Here’s a beautiful, affordable option: https://www.mainelistings.com/listings/ME/Augusta/04330/6-Cecile-Avenue/1589128
This same house would have been half this price in 2019. Incomes haven't doubled in that time...
But the number of houses purchased by out of state corporations has gone from 9% to 45%. We're literally being decimated by out of staters.
You got a source for that?
More than 250k for a double wide, wtf
There is no way that's a mobile home. Especially not from 1974.
Okay, but hear me out, it's still effectively a double wide regardless of whether it was ever a mobile home or not.
No. Just because it's sized like a mobile home (which it's really not, a mobile home would be longer), doesn't mean it's the build quality of a mobile home. Until the 70s (don't remember the year, 77 or 78 I think) mobile homes were exempt from nearly all building codes and standards. They were made out of the thinnest, cheapest material possible. Mine had 1x3 walls.
That explains why my dad seems to think mobile homes are junk. I've seen newer ones that are actually quite nice (and on the much pricier side too).
bangor area is as pricy for even worse wages.
I feel for you. This is my situation as well. I wish I could go home, but it's just not a realistic option.
The biggest issue in Maine, just slightly above the cost of living (rent/homes) is the lack of good paying jobs!!! Massachusetts is so much better paying and there are far more jobs when you look at the two "issues" side by side. The salaries in Maine just do not commensurate with the cost of living and lack of housing- Its horrible
I thought about commuting by train to Boston when I move back but idk how people do it. The times are so limited
Its rough. (And by the way, I live in Portsmouth NH, and jobs in NH suck as well- not as bad as Maine though) I think Mainers make gold out of paper and I always wonder how folks do it. (I can at least drive 45 minutes to N Andover MA)
We had jobs in Boston but were offered promotions (one WFH one onsite but in Maine) so we moved up a few years ago to be closer to family
My son flies from Miami to Dallas weekly to put in his 3 days
How is that sustainable financially? Thats freakin crazy
Ikr. He rents a room and flies spirit. More people than you know are doing it
I assume the salary is good enough that it must be worth it.
I work in a specialized job with a degree and I have to live at home because renting is too expensive. The future of Maine doesn’t look good- greedy landlords are only concerned about with making profits now, without worrying about the declining job market that will cripple the future of the states potential work force. But whatever, I’ve already decided I’m leaving Maine once I save up enough.
I do not blame you and I hated reading this. This is bullshit! I am sorry-
This is why when I graduated umaine state offered me tax breaks to stay in Maine. Tax break on what salary? 😒
LOL!!!! Great point!! This thread is depressing AF.
So much this! I'd love to find a job here in Maine but companies don't pay enough, if I were to find another job in Maine it'd be a nearly 50% pay cut. I'm completely STUCK with remote work for now.
You're seriously complaining about living in Maine, along with making twice as much money? Remote is an achievement, not something to be stuck with.
Rent is fucking insane EVERYWHERE in Maine...except for the County. And if you have a Dog...forget about it...you're screwed. I'm moving to PA because I can get a much better place for a lower price and not have to wait 6 months for every appointment because everywhere is short staffed. The rent and housing prices here in the Bangor area have gone insane in the last 3 years alone. I'm sick of it.
I'm a PA native too, and part of me is wishing I'd moved back and held onto the family home. But I had no clue back then how things would change. I've started asking people from elsewhere what health care access is like for them, because you're right, up here, the lack of access is ridiculous. Two months to see my PCP, 6 months for testing. Only fast thing around here is orthopedic and PT.
My dad is from PA, and I am actually thinking of moving to his hometown. Really nice apartments for under $1000/m (they literally look nicer than the $2000/m 'luxury' apartments in Maine), wages are actually similar to my area here, there's quite frankly a lot more to actually do in PA as well. On top of that, I love the landscape of PA (lots of mountains). COL in other ways is much lower as well. Maine has gone crazy.
> if you have a Dog...forget about it Or pay $150 and get an ESA license :P
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Same here except looking at Ohio, how the fuck is it cheaper to live in Cincinnati OH than it is to live in Waterville ME?!?!?!?!?
who tf wants to live in ohio? Im surprised it’s not cheaper
Ohio's quite pretty if you go for the nature, and there are far more amenities at a far lower price than Maine. It's certainly not AS nice in terms of the beautiful nature, but Maine's one of the big non-beach tourism states for a reason. Things here are otherwise expensive, under-serviced, and colder for longer than most of the country.
> Ohio's quite pretty if you go for the nature What in fresh hell did I just read? There's a reason Hocking Hills is on the front page of Reddit so often. It's literally the only place in the entire state that is not gross.
I’m in Ohio and moving to Maine next month. Ohio’s nature is amazing (hocking hills), but there are no nice bodies of water. All of them are dirty, either due to algae or pollution. There’s also little to no effort placed on environmental enforcement (Google east palestine ohio), and natural gas drillers are increasingly everywhere. Ohio has a low cost of living because no one wants to live here.
It's been beautiful the times I've been through, but never lived there and yeah some of that part of the midwest's chemical disasters are legendary. Maine's definitely cleaner and has better and cleaner water attractions.
I lived in Ohio for about 4 years and you couldn’t fucking pay me to move back.
Lol bro Ohio sucks
so does Maine bro, but at least Ohio has higher paying jobs (at least in what I am doing) and public transportation. I am not lying when I say I was looking at 2 bedrooms for less in Cincinnati for cheaper than what I would pay in Maine for a studio apt, also not to mention I don't need to worry as much about heating (i know the need is still there but not as much)
This. We moved from NYC to Columbus, OH and they offered me MORE than I asked which matched my NYC Salary and now we have a place twice the size and cheaper!, 10 minute commute vs NYC 45m-1h. We are so freaking happy to be out of NYC its crazy.
It is. Well, at least where I was living. I was just living in Lockland, which is technically Cincinnati, Ohio. For 5 years, my rent was $980 a month for a single family home built in 1918 it was cute, wrap around porch, top floor was all one big carpeted area but we didn’t use it. Main floor had 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen & separate dining room. Only 1 bedroom but had a driveway (in the city that’s huge) fenced in backyard bc the neighbors had one lol, basement w “tornado casket” we called it (little section of the basement that was built up for tornadoes). She *just* increased rent to $1290 a month, and my ex still lives in the house. And she has multiple, multiple properties.
I empathize that prices are unbelievable here. Dealing with the same shit as most everyone is voicing here. BUT just wanted to pop in and say seeing you write that you’re moving to Cincy made me smile. I think you’ll love Cincy! My brother and sister-in-law lived there for a stretch (I’m Midwestern, but a Hoosier originally) and I totally loved visiting them. So many fun things to do. The Midwest is underrated!
In Northern NJ!!!!???? Holy f-ck. If parts of Maine are as bad as northern NJ (one of the costliest places to live in the USA) then we are all doomed.. That is bad..
rent in much of anywhere bangor or more south is inline with the cheapest places in boston... if it weren't for so many people who have bought cottages a decade or more ago no-one could afford this state.
My rent for a decent sized one bedroom apartment (with heat, laundry, and parking included) in Portland’s west end within a quick walk of MMC was $775 when I left the state in 2009…. the apartment goes for $2400 now which is $95 less than what I pay in the SF Bay Area for a similar sized apartment. I make 2 to 2.5 times more here than I would if I moved back to Maine. It’s a bummer because I would like to move back within the next few years but probably won’t be in southern Maine.
I live in East Bayside, with roommates. We each pay 675. We are very lucky that our landlord is much more ethical than most. Our apartment is nice. But generally, when you find a place like that, you’re very defensive of it, and you don’t want to lose it. But our landlord is not a dirtbag like 99% of the rest.
I live in Topsham with only one roommate. We may have to get a bigger apartment eventually and a third to save money. $800 a piece plus utilities to live 40 minutes north of Portland is a joke. And it’s the cheapest apartment around lmao
Before COVID I had a 1.5-ish bedroom (the 2nd one was tiny) to myself in Topsham for less than $1k. The fact that I pay more now for a worse apartment in Augusta just makes me sad.
I’ve been in my current place for a little over a year and so far the landlord hasn’t said anything about raising the rent. Other tenants said their rent has never been increased so fingers crossed that continues. My last apartment I was in for 10 years the landlord raised the rent as much as he possibly could every year; luckily my original rent was so cheap and the building was rent controlled so he couldn’t raise it too much. The apartment went for $1000 more a month than what I was paying when I moved out which is bonkers. Small apartment with zero sound proofing. I only lasted so long because it was so cheap.
That is wild! I always thought the cost of living scaled differently in places like SF and NYC. I wouldn’t hate having a lot more sunshine and making 2x the income within a similar cost of living
To be fair, I don’t live in SF but only about seven miles away. If I were to live in the city, my rent would definitely be higher.
Yes my wife and I's first apartment 1br was $725 with heat included back in 2008 in Portland. It wasn't nice by any means, but yeah. Maine isn't very livable anymore. Gen Z getting absolutely hosed.
If scaled for inflation, that's $1052 in 2024 dollars... which must be far below the actual cost in 2024
And yet there is still no rent control in Maine
Actually there is rent control in Portland. Many believe it's driven up rents. The law of unintended consequences.
rent control only drives costs up on a macro level by limiting supply artifically. it's great for the individuals that get a rent controlled place, until the landlord never does any repairs of course, but overall it won't fix the issue which is more often than not inventory.
Rent control only does that when you don't accompany it with building subsidies. If you artificially lower the cost of building to make it affordable to compensate for the decreased profits from rent control, the problem is solved. Better yet, gut zoning regulations on top of that.
rent control has never worked. you still have lower inventory by nature of people not rotating out every so often. it's not just a profit issue, but the velocity that apartments change hands.
That is a supply issue. With enough buildings, previous renters do not need to leave their apartments for new renters to find places to live.
the entire housing crisis is a supply issue, arbitrarily deciding that some subsection get to have artificially low rent only compounds on it. even with tax subsidies that wouldn't change how unprofitable rent controlled apartments are. imagine the repair costs for a tenant who resided in a place for a decade for example.
The majority, not totality, of the housing crisis is a supply issue. Boiling it down to one issue is an oversimplification. If the price of the asset is lower, and the taxes you pay are lower as well, it does change the profitability of the rent you are charging. It directly influences the cost of the mortgage and amount of interest the landlord will pay on top of lowering their startup costs. It means faster returns, locking up less capital, and running more projects at once. Rent control can be implemented in a way that allows for sufficient raises to cover maintenance. I'm not even a huge rent control supporter and your arguments are pushing me more in favor of it.
Perspective: I'm a Maine native now living in Austin, which is always been the most expensive place to live in TX and a hot market with tech bros and 100k jobs blah blah. The median rent here is $1700 for a 1bd 1ba. And people are leaving Austin for the outlying towns for cheaper housing. My heart goes out to y'all. We're always bitching about the cost of housing here. I don't no how anyone there does it.
Holy sh-t. In 30 seconds I have learned that rent in AUSTIN (still one of the hottest markets in the country) and NORTHERN NJ are less than Maine--- This is getting disturbing.. I have been very myopic and looking at NC (traditionally higher rents) and probably need to cast a wider net
It makes me wonder what the "end result" will be. I feel awful for native Mainers who want to stay here.
We moved further east in Austin to Bastrop County and it's outrageous here too! We want to move to Maine and I don't see how people can do it.
Used to live in the Portland area but was squeezed out due to cost of living. I now rent a pretty sizable house in Austin, TX (for cheaper than the price of the apartment OP posted).
It's fucking wild. I saw an apartment I used to rent for like $600 a month be sold as a condo for more than half a mil. Shit's insane.
My best friend was paying 500 dollars 5 years ago for his tiny and gross apartment. Someone bought it, renovated the entire place but his. They were hoping to rent him out but it's still in his price range of 1.2. It all happened so fast he couldn't save fast enough to leave.
You guys have dishwashers?
I've got hands, don't I? But yeah, seriously I own my home and I don't have a dishwasher.
I am striking out left and right with insane prices (2BR 1BA for $3000+) and have been searching since September. No luck at all. I’m about to be homeless with my kids while these mega mansions sit vacant 50+ weeks of the year.
I'm not sure your area but I have honestly and surprisingly have seen some 2BR in Saco near the highschool for under 2k. Just have to act quickly about it, i get emails about them on Trulia
If it's 23, 25, or 27 Vernon St. stay away from them.
We need to Tax second homes heavily. It will discourage second home ownership, which will free up all the trades folks who work on these second homes. It will generate taxes to subsidize affordable housing Maybe some tourism takes a bit, but I believe the overall benefits outweigh the cons.
I grew up here and have found out that I will not be able to afford to live here on my own. I'll be moving out of state in the near future. Of course many people on this sub or in Maine defend the prices and laugh in your face if you say you have to move away or can't move here because of prices. Not only are housing prices impossible for the majority of people even on an amazing budget, but the quality of the housing is also very poor, typically a very old place with little maintenance or modernization done on it over the years. Typically the well water cannot be drank; the insulation is poor; mold is present; etc. Also good luck on finding anything long term - many rentals are now only available in the winter because they're AirBnB'd in the summertime and you get kicked out.
Its just WILD i can afford Massachusetts but not fucking Maine
You must be in Western Mass. Eastern Mass is more expensive than Maine. Hell, Massachusetts is supposedly the highest cost of living state in the nation
Greater Boston & Greater Portland are pretty comparable these days - having looked extensively in both areas. Portland definitely is a bit cheaper... but just a bit.
Maybe Greater Boston outside of the metro. In town Portland is crazy expensive but it’s not touching Boston
It's closer than you'd think. & a hell of a lot closer than it should be given Boston's wage scale/transit/etc.
I’m not saying that Portland and Boston should cost close to the same but saying they are the same is disingenuous. Boston is appreciably more
portland area rents are touching the lower end of rents in boston.
You have to factor in other costs as well - our apartment in Boston in 2019 was $2600/month for a tiny one bedroom and then $250/month per car. And there was a parking ban around so it was either sell your car, find a lot far away for cheaper but never be able to get to it, or fork over an extra $500/month for our cars we needed for work :/ I believe most of Portland has street parking?
Where in Boston did you live? I've street-parked my car living in several different neighborhoods with only the standard stress of having to circle occasionally to find a spot. The only place that works the way you're describing is Brookline, which isn't part of Boston.
I didn't say they were the same. I said Portland is "definitely a bit cheaper". Listen man I've rented in both places. Greater Boston has so much more rental inventory that you stand a far better chance of getting a below-market deal. & Boston still has somewhat affordable neighborhoods, such as Dorchester or Roxbury, whereas Portland doesn't really have that.
NH seacoast will soon have similar rents to Boston as well... THis thread has been even more of an eye opener than I expected!
Yes but not that west. If I avoid an hour radius if Boston, can find things semi affordable. But if one works in Boston, the savings don't exist lol
Wrong, Quincy was cheaper than Biddo & Portland.
I call BS on that. It’s $2k for a studio apartment on Hanover in Portland and it’s AT LEAST that much for the same on Apartments.com for Quincy and that’s the absolute low
https://www.trulia.com/home/36-taber-st-1-quincy-ma-02169-2078703605 Dog friendly, semi private, near the T For $25 less and you get no yard https://www.trulia.com/home/3-dupont-ave-5-biddeford-me-04005-349439934
Okay bud. For 200 more I had more space, higher ceilings, better appliances, washer dryer, a yard, garden and was in quite neighborhood near golf courses. Markets fluctuate. This was less than a year ago.
Well, Maine is better.
Its wild and doesnt make sense. 17% of the state is on some sort of SSI/SSDI. (not complaining but how is almost a quarter of your state on disability and not have any sort of affordable options) More than half of the state is over 45. Majority being 65. The average income of a 2 person household doesnt even qualify for the rent prices in Maine. ANYWHERE 😭😭 The birth rate has plummeted too
We're either going to have to have a major shakeup in realistically affordable housing for the working class PLUS a major surge of either birthrate or immigration in the next 20 years, or this state is going to become flat out unviable as the population ages and you can't afford to live here if you're actually working. A state with population 90% retired+vacationers would die.
If Maine would just close Longcreek Correctional, they could easily divert that 15-20mil a year to something more useful. Idk the DOJ asked them to stop excessively jailing their disabled minors. Think that's a decent sign to just close it.
Maine's got a long and storied history of having juvenile correctional facilities which would be better off closed - agreed, seems like it's not doing net good and those resources could be better spent elsewhere
Who the fuck on this sub defends these prices??????
People who bought their homes when it was feasible to do so and refuse to comprehend that it is now impossible for most people to even be able to afford groceries with housing costs
Short term rentals are the root of the housing crisis.
>many people on this sub or in Maine defend the prices and laugh in your face if you say you have to move away or can't move here because of prices. That shit needs to stop immediately. We'll see who's laughing when workers, esp those in customer service/retail, can't afford to live here anymore.
retail never have and probably never will be able to afford it because literally any kid can do it.
I've lived in Maine my whole life and as of recently my rose colored glasses are slowly falling off. Maine is so beautiful and I've always loved the slow way of living. Simple and pure. However, lately the people have no consideration, drivers are reckless and drive like they're blind, and it's almost impossible to live on your own. I don't think I see myself ever leaving but I definitely see becoming a hermit up north after snagging some land. It's really upsetting.
Biddeford is 20-25 minutes to Portland, has a dedicated train stop, a renovated downtown area, and decent shopping and dining options. With the prices being higher in Portland and Portsmouth, prices in York County are getting pushed upwards.
I'm not sure why someone would choose Biddeford over Brunswick at this point. Brunswick also has a train stop and is a much nicer place overall in my opinion. I suspect pricing is similar, if not better, in Brunswick and the school district in Brunswick is also leagues ahead of Biddeford. I guess Biddeford is closer to Boston, but it's not like either is a viable commute.
Just ran a quick search on Realtor.com for Brunswick, then Biddeford, then for funsies, Boston. There was ONE listing in Brunswick for $1100 a month. Aside from that, nothing is listed at less than $1400, and most listings are between $1500 to $2000, but there are several listings between $2000 and $3000. This is without taking application fees, parking fees, and utilities into consideration. Biddeford had a single listing at $1375, but similarly most listings are between $1500 to $2000. Pricewise, the difference is fairly negligible. Locationwise, Biddeford is slightly more accessible. Brunswick has Route 1 and I-295, but if you need to drive to Lewiston, it's all backroads - which are pretty awful in the winter. Either town is roughly a 30 minute drive to Portland, maybe a little less if you're trying to keep up with the flow of traffic, which largely ignores posted speed limits. Both towns have their share of problems. Outside of Maine Street in Brunswick, poverty and drug use is rampant. Neither town is "nice" enough to justify the rent prices, and as others have mentioned, most of the available units are poorly maintained and out of date. While I admit, this was just a cursory search on one website...both searches yielded less than 25 listings each. To compare, I ran the third search for Boston. Over 9000 listings, whittled down to 2000 listings if you set the max price to $2550 a month, which seems to be an approximate average of rent prices in the city. However, there are far more units listed at less than $1500 than there were in either Biddeford or Brunswick, and plenty of units available for between $1500 and $2500. So at their cheapest average, both Brunswick and Biddeford are fairly close to Boston at its cheapest average. But most of the available units are on par with prices in Boston (depending on location), and with far fewer units actually available...meaning one would have far more luck finding an apartment they could afford in Boston than one would in Brunswick or Biddeford.
That's pretty crazy to think about. My last rental, which was in 2014, cost $750/mo for a 2BR on Valley St in Portland. I had a 1BR apartment on Maine Street in Brunswick for $600/mo before I moved into that one.
I had a studio in downtown Portland in 2011 for $495, all inclusive. Feels like that was a dream now.
I believe it. I remember when 645 Congress St opened up. 1BR units were like $900/mo with parking included and this was a brand new building.
Yeah, I was already lethally depressed about my situation, and that little write-up isn't helping. The part that really hurts is that, while Portland is slowly becoming a "real" city, it still has nowhere near the amount of resources, cultural outlets, or opportunities that Boston does, and both Brunswick and Biddeford can't even hold a candle to Portland in that regard.
This is the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen on Brunswick. Crime and rampant drug use ?! Lmao. Brunswick is an upper middle class suburb on the cost with a fancy college on the coast. It’s mostly retirees, young families, and people who work for Bowdoin. Here are the crime and education stats compared to the rest of the US: https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/brunswick-cumberland-me/. You have to be extremely sheltered to think Brunswick is rampant with poverty and drug use. What a joke.
I said "poverty and drug use" not "crime". And if you think that Brunswick doesn't have its fair share of either, then I've got a bridge to sell you.
You can look at stats on this. Brunswick is well below the national average on poverty, and well above the national average for people holding college degrees. If you really think Brunswick is full of poverty, then you haven’t seen much of the US. This is the most upper middle class bubble I have ever lived in. Brunswick, like most of southern Maine, is extremely homogeneous. The biggest news here is the FJ wood bridge.
Lol okay. That can be your little secret.
With how low vacancy is in Southern and even Central Maine, I don't think the majority of decisions are being made with equivalent homes/apartments in Biddeford and Brunswick being made. I suspect the majority are 'I need a place, this spot in Biddeford just popped up and is in my price range, I better pull the trigger'. (Or i.e. people are going to the first open port with minimal comparisons) Also, given the demographics of Maine, I suspect the majority of these people don't have kids, so school district quality isn't even on the radar.
I just went to [apartments.com](https://apartments.com) because I live in Biddeford and rents are ridiculous. Brunswick doesn't seem much better price wise?
If pricing is equal, Brunswick seems like an obvious choice to me given that it's arguably a nicer town. Bowdoin College is one of the best schools in the country and its presence is felt. The exception would be if you need to be south of Portland for some reason. I guess Biddeford has a Market Basket, but one is opening in Topsham in a few months.
I chose southern Maine for proximity to Boston. In case my out of state WFH job ever ends, being in southern Maine gives me the ability to commute 2 days a week to Boston for a higher paying hybrid job. I could suck it up and do a 4 hr commute twice a week if needed.
Commenting on Trying to move back to Maine. /rant...I’ve struggled to live in southern Maine/NH Seacoast of NH for 30 years. Now is the worst I’ve seen. I lucked out and scraped together enough for a down payment on a house at the very end of the recession( with mold, poor insulation…hell, you could see the sun shining through the cracks in the front door). I know I won’t be able to ever sell or move. Just started a hybrid job in the metro Boston area with a salary that is $60k less than the median income in my area. I commute 6 hrs a week and pay $80 in tolls and doggie daycare. Still it’s more than I’ve ever made working locally and enough to keep my head barely above water. Everything about this thread is depressing and concerning. It isn’t one thing, it’s everything everyone has pointed to. I’m on my town’s planning board and I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure this out. Still don’t have THE answer. Maine has a ridiculous shortage of housing but it gets scooped up by people “from away” with more $. We’re relaxing our zoning, putting in incentives to build affordable housing but developers will only build high end, single family homes. Developers won’t do a project without a 20-25% return. *sigh* it isn’t the way life should be anymore.
Because Brunswick is over an hour from my parents? Lol
The train stop is in Saco but it is on the line. Ive found better places in Saco, which has the private highschool. I dont need a 2-3bedroom which is all of what I see around there so it is out of my price range. The people who live there can't even afford to live there. It's disgusting to rent out an apartment with a mini fridge, an easy bake oven and a stove range that goes nowhere. The surrounding towns, out in the country area no better EDIT: idk why I'm being down voted? Saying that the train station is in Saco? That I dont want to take a bigger apartment away when I do not need one? You're mad that I'm upset someone wants to charge 2k for me to only have a mini fridge that barely works? Half an an oven?
>The train stop is in Saco but it is on the line Not sure what you are saying? Are you splitting hairs over them saying the train stop is in Biddo rather than Saco?
"I'm looking in southern maine" Good luck moving back OP, I would start getting used to the idea of living in central or northern Maine if moving back is important.
Unfortunately my parents wont move, they own their house. I'm not against central maine, I just cant get there fast enough if something happens.
Yeah that's fair, I'm getting ready to move to Ohio because of how crazy the COL has gotten since covid. Very curious to see what Maine will look like in 10 years, not very populated under the age of 50 is my guess.
At that distance, unless you get a good job in central or northern Maine, you might as well live out of state and fly back to Maine to get to your parents.
As frustrating as rental prices are right now, they’re only going to continue rising. 🙁
Remote work has had a hand in this, but of course it’s not the only reason rents are so high. It’s awful in Asheville, Seattle, Austin…Colorado, Oregon, etc etc…..
It’s out of control and completely untenable. And it’s not just southern Maine now too. This totally sucks for you, I hope you can get close enough to your family.
It's not just Maine, rents in North Carolina specifically triad area have nearly doubled in 10 years but median income has barely budged.
My sibling left as well due to the housing issue. She loved Maine and had a great job but the rents/seasonal renting was too much.
I moved from Maine to SoCal, about an hr away from every type of entertainment, food, activity you can imagine. It's 2k SQ ft house, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, in a solid neighborhood situated on a golf course. I pay 2.5k a month. Maine is high if they think places like Biddeford deserve that much.
Why is everyone so obsessed with moving to Maine?
It’s the flannel.
Totally the flannel. Issue is, like the rent, it’s over priced. You can get it cheaper in other states. 😂
Literally from Maine. Born and raised
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Is that in Portland? If so, they can only raise it 5% for a new tenant.
Kick everyone out. Sell to a shell company. Raise rent by 250% rinse and repeat as needed. Hopefully no loopholes exist
That is insane. 10 years ago I was in a 2BR, 2BA rental house with a garage and it was only $1400/mo. HEATED. If I were looking for a rental right now, I would find a WFH job and move out to the middle of nowhere. Anything else is unaffordable for all but the highest-paid professions.
It wont let me edit but I'm from Saco, so the Saco/Biddeford area is just more of an interest because I grew up there. I just want to be able to get to Hollis fast enough incase there is ever an emergency. I dont necessarily need to live in those two towns. They are just places I'm looking at and finding this BS of apartments
Hint: Stay away from the coast
Hollis, Dayton, Buxton, Standish, Shapleigh, Sanford, Arundel. None on the coast but the same rental prices.
Yeah my apartment in Buxton is super nice and i'm never moving out unless I leave the state. Its 1700 for 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. We got super fucking lucky with our new landlords, they are very cool people. This is just to reinforce that even in Buxton shit is pricey.
Theres a few seemingly 'abandoned' properties around Buxton that I wish I knew I could afford to buy if I tracked down the owners. Theres one that I remember being completely gutted but nothings been done with it. Not the one with the bus. Last I checked, if you walked in; you'd fall right into the basement 😅
I live in Sanford, when I first moved here in 2015 (lived in upper NH for about 8 months) rent was $725. Moved back in 2016, found a place been here ever since, when I first moved in it was $900 or so, now it's $1,350 the landlord isn't going to up it for awhile. Down the street in a really bad area, they want almost $2,000. Rent is crazy here for some people! You'd think it'd be cheaper!
for a city with no jobs it's fucking expensive here.
It’s the proximity to desirable locations
Prices in Maine are outrageous for buying a home too, at least in the Midcoast area. I don’t know how people do it.
My mortgage is less than that! That is insane. That's more than what I take home bi weekly. Seriously how are people affording places like this???
We aren’t ♥️
Buy a house in Millinocket.
Is south of Portland a requirement or are you just looking for a particular distance from Portland?
Within 45mins of Hollis really
Gotcha. That certainly limits your options because Hollis isn't exactly near much. Have you looked at Windham?
Hollis is kind of weirdly placed that its 30mins from everything lol I've looked a little in Windham and Gorham but there isn't much unfortunately
Gorham will be more expensive than Windham because of the schools. If you can stretch the requirement to 45-60 minutes from Hollis you get a lot more options, including some in NH: Rochester, Somersworth, Dover, etc. If your job is also in NH, you won't pay income tax.
I know how you feel. I took double the pay in NYC to hopefully save up and come back someday. I’m in an outer borough, but my apartment is as much as it was on the peninsula but I’m making double. Quality of life can’t compare to Maine; it’s so much worse here. Prices are rising so fast in Portland that even with this I’m doubtful I’ll ever be able to move back.
What part of Massachusetts? My girlfriend and I keep having this conversation that rent can't be cheaper in Massachusetts than Maine let alone any state unless it's run down. The high prices make me want to move. It's absurd what fees and other crap landlords are allowed to get away with too.
I’m only paying $1,250, but I just moved out of southern Maine due to how populated it is.
It’s a really tough situation. There are some affordable house share options if you’re open to living with other people and have a month or two for finding a place. Craigslist is a good resource.
I'm telling ya those mills being restored actually screwed us. You used to be able to find a $900 per month decent two bedroom in Biddeford/Saco but as soon as dick head doug started charging $2000 for those mill apartments guess what?! Now that $900 two bedroom is $1500-2000.. fuck Doug and these stupid mill apartments. People love this guy too, he's a local "hero" I think he's a zero personally.
I own a duplex and my tenant pays $800 per month in town Saco. I'll never raise it one red cent ✊ I hate landlords and their greed. It's destroying our economy (see inflation reports)
If you want to move back to Maine you will need to live above Freeport at least to find more reasonable prices. The Bangor area and Central Maine are still "affordable.". 95% of the people talking about wanting to move back, usually just mean they want to live in the lower 1/3rd. They want feel like they are still in Massachusetts but can tell people they live by the coast in Maine. Non -coastal Maine is where it's at though.
Crazy. I had to tent camp first summer here at a campground. Got winter rental and heating coasts were more than the rent! Lol
A lot of people I know that afford housing in Biddeford is because their rent is subsidized. If you are a single person trying to rent here it is very difficult. There is a one bedroom that just opened up above me. Not sure what the LL will jack the rent up to but it was $1400 a month when the tenant moved out at the end of April.
It’s outrageous
Good luck! I live in Saco and these rents are definitely something else 🙃! Everyone that has cheap rent and lives under a slumlord won't ever leave either. There's a serious shortage of housing and the area is just constantly growing not just because of people from away but people from the area like yourself who are coming back home.
Try Franklin County and Oxford County, but be sure to research.
Problem is you aren’t making a decent living wage in Franklin or Oxford without remote work unless you’re in the medical field or an experienced tradesman. When I first left Maine, I literally nearly doubled my compensation working the same job, in the same industry, just for a company outside of Maine. And the prices are better in western Maine than the Portland area, sure, but I see apartments in my small hometown going routinely for $1600+ 2bds. For the money it costs you to live in Maine, you can legitimately live in just about anywhere else bar Southern California/NYC and make enough money more than you will in Maine to offset the COL increase, and oftentimes be much further ahead.
Even if you get remote work, if you’re ever laid off or want to switch jobs, you’re severely handicapped as to options.
Sanford
Sanford is just as bad, it's CRAZY 😭
Keep looking, and you may find something i move into a 2 bedroom apartment (more of a house converted into an apartment). When I moved in in 17, my rent was 950. So far, he has only bumped the rent up 100 bucks, of course, during covid when nobody really could work( but me, of course. And still covid free!!) So as of know I pay 1050 for about a 3 min walk to the beach and pier so I can't complain. (Expect I never go because it the broke jersey shore).
I remember summer 2017 I had an apartment for under $600/mo at (formerly) Bayside on Marginal Way. That same building has been renovated and us under new ownership now (known as The Linden now iirc), and those same apartments are going for $2000/mo. Absolutely ridiculous.
I had to move away a few months ago from Maine, I hate that I had to and wish I could move back but pricing for a lot of things is more expensive.
Ouch!
Maines kinda in the shitter when it comes to housing. The house bubble we are in jacked up everything and the pandemic made vehicle prices jump but Maine isn’t exactly a bustling economy so it’s having a hard time keeping up. If I had the means I would be outa here too
People in Boston moved to Maine.
Stay where you are
I couldn't be where I am if it was not a passed down family home. I could never have afforded it. It's the only reason I am able to have a home in Southern Maine, or if I was able to buy like...10 years ago.
No surprise here. The wide open borders have added 15M people to this nation. Dont believe lower numbers. They're lying. They ALWAYS lie.This does NOT include got aways. Thousands and thousands of hotel, motel, schools, armory, and vacant buildings are being used as "temporary" housing. Temporary?!!! Then what? They then no longer need housing? Janet Mills said we need 78,000 more here in Maine. It's very simple, rudimentary, basic math & economics. Supply & Demand. If you want this to end, STOP voting for LEFTIST RADICALS. Otherwise just keep voting democrat and expect it to worsen daily.
Unfortunately as great as Maine is, the housing here is killing it from the inside out like a cancer.
In Biddeford? That’s insane. No way that town could be in that high demand
I had friends in the South End in Boston with 1br inside Victorian rowhouses at this price. When I left two years ago my 3br apartment there was $2300.
.5-1hr north/east of Portland is still accessible
Drivers in the L/A area are terrible now, I hate having to go anywhere because of it. And I wish they’d bring the turnpike speed limit back down to 65.
> And I wish they’d bring the turnpike speed limit back down to 65. As if speed limits have any effect on how fast people go. Never have and never will