Re: Old Orchard bug

[Jeremy Mixer <mixer@zoso.net>]

On Mon, 2 Sep 2002, Dave Faneuf wrote:

> Okay, so every time I spend a few days at Old Orchard Beach I get to
> thinkin' about how nice it might be to get a gig in Portland and live at
> OOB.  So, I put it to you folks who live and work in and around the
> Portland area.  What are the prosepects of getting a radio gig in
> Portland that pays well enough to live a middle class life near the water
> at OOB? (read that to mean what's the pay scale?)


Hi Dave and others-

I have never worked in radio in Portland, my only two paying gigs have
been in Bangor. However, I grew up in Saco about a 5 minute drive from
downtown Old Orchard Beach and here are some thoughts that may or may not
help you.

This is the time of year to cionsider relocation to OOB. After Labor Day,
the town simply dies down. You can normally get decent priced winter
rentals through May or June that are located right on the water. Who can
afford these? I've had friends of mine who were making their living
working at a video rental store live in these places and be able to afford
it perfectly fine, even better if they had roomates. If you had a full
time radio gig this would be affordable without a doubt.

Many of these rental places are part of a small apartment building owned
by someone. Most of these owners are faar from being considered upper
class. The taxes to live on the coast, especially in OOB, are very high.
That is why most houses that are there have rental unuits, not all, but
most. I do not know how often these go on the market, but if you want to
live on the ocean, that is the best bet- and the most affordable route.
Buy a house with at least one rental unit in it. Granted you won't be
making a lot in the winter months, when you'll probably be getting
somewhere between $350 and $500 a month from a tenant. However, once the
summer comes, I don't know what the going rate is for rentals, but you can
very easily get at least $250-&500 a week and people will pay it.....

If you don't want to have a rental unit, then might I suggest getting a
place on the water either at Pine Point (which still could be reasonably
pricey) or even Saco..... both are a stones throw from Old Orchard Beach.
It is still expensive tax wise to live right on the water, there's also
the Ocean Park are in Old Orchard Beach which is also very nice, and not
filled with drunks and punks like the downtown area is. And Camp Ellis in
Saco (near the moputh of the Saco River) is very nice too, while the taxes
are expensive still, you cn probably find a decent priced place
there....the disadvantage of living there is that whenever there is an
ocean storm that is really bad it eats away on the cost.....in my 24
years, I've seen the ocean swallow a couple or three houses down there.
Once of them made it onto the national news too, much of the problem lies
with the rock jetty known as the "Breakwater" which was built to prevent
erosion of the riverfront properties along the Saco River (suc as the
University of New England) however, unfortunately, it reflects the wwaves
back to Camp Elliss and causes beach erosion.....and moves a lot of the
sand out to Scarborough..

Anyway, I'd say you're best bet is to get a place with rental units that
are winterized.....keep the bigger part for yourself and rent  out the
rest, I'm pretty sure that provided you have a halfway decent financial
backing and decent credit rating, that this would be affordable, EVEN
working in radio. Hope this helps.

Jeremy