I guess it's time to be movin' on

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If anyone thinks that I'll leave this site when I go up north, guess again :twisted: :cheers:
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Ted, that is great to hear. I've learned a lot from your posts on this board, and I hope that you will remain active to help me and others.

Changes can be really hard sometimes. A couple of years ago I was laid off after over 7 years with my company. (They got bought out by another company, and my position was eliminated.) My next position required me to move, which was very hard on DW and the kids.

On the other hand, in moving, we bought a house with a pool, and I eventually found my way here, to meet all the wonderful people on TFP. :-D

My only real advice is to start packing early, and keep packing slowly and steadily, even after you think you've packed everything you can. It's amazing how much stuff a home can hold, and how much there still is to pack when you think you've gotten "almost everything." (In our case, it's always the kitchen that gets us.)

Best of luck with the move, and the new situation.

Tim.
 
Again, THANK YOU ALL!!

The 'tips and tricks' are helpful and I've been sharing them with my wife. Every winter I clean/ reorganize the basement (it's amazing how cluttered it becomes in 1 short year :pukel: ), this year I have an eye towards packing it too :)

AnnaK, your list is most helpful! :bowdown:

While we have 6+ months to pack up, we're already starting in on getting things organized to pack, as TimS said, we'll do this 'slow and steady' so it won't be a last minute frenzy :)

Y'all are great! & who knows, the new house has a backyard, maybe I'll set up an Intex and finally discover the 'joys' of pool ownership :twisted:
 
TimS said:
My only real advice is to start packing early, and keep packing slowly and steadily, even after you think you've packed everything you can. It's amazing how much stuff a home can hold [...]
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Which reminds me

Hello, I must be going.
I cannot stay, I came to say.
I must be going.
I'm glad I came but just the same.
I must be going.
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OK, I’m late to the party and you’ve already received a great deal of very good advice and thoughts, I want to add my good thoughts to you and your family as well.


BUT!!! Why are you going north to an area that will offer you far less of what you’re good at? Have you thought of moving south, maybe to Florida (or TX)? When we first bought our home in FL, it was a vacation home with the intention of someday moving there full time which at least I have now to get my wife here too. The company that I hired to tend to the pool never did a good job. Talking to neighbors, I quickly understood that the pool guys get to know when you’re not there and end up not doing what they are paid for. After trying several different companies, I found little difference. The last company actually removed the filter cartridge I put in and replaced it with a used one probably selling mine to a neighbor. On my street alone there are about 60 homes all with a pool and I think I'm the only one who tends to their own pool. All the rest are on a constant search for a good pool company. What I’m trying to say here is that there is always a need for quality, honest pool people here and it’s a year round business!!

As far as home prices, trust me, you will be like a kid in a candy shop coming from CT. There are unbelievable opportunities here for homes here. I have to tell you that I grew up in CT, I know a lot about what it’s like living there, trust me, someday you’ll look back and be happy you were able to escape. :cheers:

Seriously, consider taking this opportunity to make a big change in lifestyle. I’m located in South West Florida, if you every have any questions about the area, please don’t think twice about contacting me.
 
Waste a very late post but nevertheless....been there done that! My family went from never beeing late on a payment of any kind to losing almost everything in less than a year.
It has been the most difficult trial of my life, we have many ups and downs but in the end we have each other. We are still walking through a lot right now.
One bit of advice is block out those nay sayers that want to bring you down. There are so many people that haven't had trials, that want to blame it on carelessness..... just don't let it offend you because they have no clue. Yes there are some that blew a bunch of money on credit and couldn't get out and there are those of us that lost entire incomes and legitimately lost because there were no jobs etc.
Keep your chin up.....and Welcome to Maine :-D I live in the Southern Maine region and I love it! Good Luck!
 
Thank you !

It'll probably be just before X-Mas before we move in.

Perhaps we can go out and look at some frozen pools in Jan. :lol:

I mean no offense, but if I don't joke about it I'll go nuts :)

I promise to update this post - as I know more :handshake:
 
A big shot to the system for sure, Ted. But, why go north? Colder, too much snow, higher taxes, Yankee accents. Come on down the the Bible Belt? It's warmer, hardly any snow, longer pool season, lower taxes, Redneck accents. People are still moving down here for jobs. We have a pro-hockey team, Tobacco Road ACC basketball, NASCAR heaven, pulled pork bar-b-que, sweet tea, Outer Banks and warm inviting ocean, Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokey Mountains. Did I mention low taxes? Jobs? Warm? Low taxes? Lots of pools?

Whatever you do, may the road rise up to meet you.
 
Ouch Ivy leager, I just moved from the "bible" belt and I got some warm weather for sure, although this past winter was cold with snow, but no jobs and the taxes were not lower! That's why we moved DH was without work for 8 months. He found a job in Maine within a week. Honestly I didn't find it any better or worse (generally speaking) than the North at all. In certain areas however there are lots of pools but "pool guys" are a dime a dozen.

Sorry for the Hijack Ted, I do wish you well and if you need any guidance on where stuff is up here, drop me a pm I would be more than happy to help out whatever way I can.
 

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I suggest you find out if there are local indoor pools there, also indoor pools in hotels. There may be a niche for that sort of service or for retailing parts and chems for indoor pools and outdoor hot tubs. And you could also do internet sales of equipment to the Northeast.

My suggestion for moving... Post-it Notes.

In the kitchen, before you go too far in unpacking, put post it notes on all the drawers and cabinets with what you think you will put there. Live with that a few days before you commit to the arrangement. A well organized kitchen is very important to getting settled in. Remember to keep things you use at the sink at the sink with the things you use a lot nearer and the things you use a little further, or even in a box up high. Make a Mixing Center (bowls, measuring spoons, beaters) and a Storage Center (plastic wrap and storage bowls and boxes for fridge) and a Cooking Center (pots and pans and splatter screens and hot pads) and a Serving Center (tableware and placemats and serving bowls). Ideally, Storage is between the table and the fridge, Mixing is between the fridge and the sink and not too far from the pantry and the largest counter top area, Cooking is at the stove and oven. The smaller the kitchen the more important to keep surfaces clear of stuff so be clever in what you keep where.

And try to have one room completely unpacked so you have a sanctuary to retreat to that is in order and has no visible boxes. I got the kitchen done first -- for my sanity, then the living room - so there was a sofa to sit on and one place that looked nice when you came in the front door.
 
Another moving tip is to mark the sides of the boxes so you can see what's inside when they are stacked up. Many people tend to mark the top because that's the surface that's easiest to get to while packing.

It's also confusing to me why a pool guy would move so far north. South=more pools and longer swimming season

Good luck to you
 
Just a thought, I would stay in your home [the short sale] as most of these take many months. My wife is a Realtor here in Calif, and I have seen some people stay for a year while the things are worked out with the bank's for a short sale.

We went through this here 3yrs ago, and it sucks. Good luck yo you and your family!

MB
 
It's been a while since I've been on this thread :oops:

I really want to thank everyone who's read and commented on my "~saga" :cheers:

I worked 12 hours today (for the 4th day in a row) and haven't the strength to thank Cary, Carolyn, MB, and all the others properly.

Y'all are my family and friends.

Right now, it looks like Louisa (my wife) will move up there in July and I'll just come home every night - til Thanksgiving - to an ! empty condo with a day bed, a TV and a computer.

Thank you all for responding and giving us your well wishes!!
 
What part of Maine? Hartford to Portland is around 4 hours, IIRC. Maybe you can do a weekend commute so your wife doesn't forget what you look like... I used to do Boston/Hartford most weekends while my wife was in med school.
--paulr
 
Hello to all my TFP friends :wave:

The first stage of moving started on the 10th, we slammed all the 'non-necessary' boxes we'd packed (~50) into a 15' box truck and Louisa drove it up to Maine and got it into the house. :cool:

Her plans on when she's going to permanently move up are indefinite but, we still 'own' our place and have access to the new one. (I gotta tell you my place has changed in the past few months - decorations are missing, bookshelves are ~ empty and, before we loaded the truck, there were packed boxes littering any free floor space - now that they're gone, the place is 'uncomfortably spacious' :( )

Other than the 'more obviously impending transition' becoming more of a reality, things are pretty good :-D

THANK YOU ALL again, for your help and support :goodjob: :cheers: :party: :whoot:
 
Another update, so soon?? :p

My SIL was interviewing for a job at a resort (she's the Maine reason we're going north instead of south) and somehow the pools (4) and spa came up. Mamie said that her brother in law was a pool expert. Apparently they've been looking for someone like me for months. I interview next Sunday :party:

If I land this job, and the pay is reasonable, you may see a change in the location under my name within a month :-D

As was said, "when one door closes..."

Also, my MIL intimated that she might bankroll me to start my own pool service company :whoot: :cheers: (I've just got to do the details of a mission statement and figure out which niche I want to fill, equipment I'll need, etc. - any tips on that would be GREAT, I've never imagined that I'd be my own boss :shock: :mrgreen: )

Again, thanks :!: all for the help and support :cheers:
 
waste said:
Also, my MIL intimated that she might bankroll me to start my own pool service company :whoot: :cheers: (I've just got to do the details of a mission statement and figure out which niche I want to fill, equipment I'll need, etc. - any tips on that would be GREAT, I've never imagined that I'd be my own boss :shock: :mrgreen: )
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Well, if you don't want any competition and want to be a bit of a pioneer at the same time, maybe you should consider starting up R/O!

Congrats on what seems like a great opportunity :cheers: :cheers:
 

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