I just got my September/October issue of AARP Magazine. While overlooking the fact that it’s July 29 and I felt deeply resentful that AARP was rushing my summer away, I paged through and discovered that Portland, Maine, has made the top ten list of Best Places 2011.
I really like Portland, so I’m OK with that. But then the articles starts with “Cheap housing, affordable tax rates, low cost of living: These cities are a bargain – and you can’t beat the lifestyle.” It goes on to list the cities (five in the magazine and the other five included in the expanded on-line version) and I discover that, even in this short list, Portland has the highest median housing costs ($202,800) often by $50,000 or so. Try as I might, I can’t put that in the “cheap housing” category, especially since I have found very few houses that are even that low in the Greater Portland area.
We’re witnessing a conundrum. There’s a housing slump all over the US. If you CAN sell your house, you’re probably not getting top dollar for it. And then you decide to move to Portland, where the median house cost is almost certainly higher than where you came from. So is the cost of electricty. And wait….food costs aren’t any cheaper, either.
I think you should move to Maine, but you need to do it because you love the particular town or the whole darn state. You enjoy the slightly-slower pace, the fabulous turn of seasons, the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature even in our biggest city. You like the first rate museum in Portland, the great theater in Monmouth, the wonderful skiing in Kingfield and the immense fields and forests near Presque Isle. But in my opinion, you certainly can’t move here thinking you’re getting a bargain, unless you’re coming from a Big City. Then, I suppose, housing will seem like a deal.
What do you think? Do you see Portland, or any other town in Maine, as a bargain spot for retirees?What’s your story? Let me know if you really found the Good Life for Less, as AARP writes, and I’ll share your experiences with others. Thanks! Deborah McLean, dmclean@maineseniorguide.com
