Insider Notebook: Winslow ranked most affordable house-buying Maine town
Photo / Maureen Milliken
The Kennebec River and Taconic Falls, separating Winslow, right, and Waterville The town was ranked the top one in Maine by SmartAsset for housing affordability.
SmartAsset, an online financial advisory firm, has ranked the top 10 most affordable places to buy a house in Maine.
The rankings are based on average closing costs, annual property tax, annual homeowners insurance, annual average mortgage payment and median income.
And the winner is ... the Kennebec River town of Winslow.
Winslow, across the river from Waterville, has a population of 7,600 and is in Kennebec County. The average closing cost for home buy is $2,164; average annual property tax is $1,853, homeowner's insurance is $574, annual average mortgage payment is $6,625 an median income is $49,361. Winslow ranked 1,526 nationally.
The rest of Maine's top 10, from 2 to 10, are:
Caribou, in Aroostook County, with a population of 7,600 is second. Average closing cost is $2,635, property tax is $1,736, insurance is $409, annual mortgage payment is $4,721 and median income is $38,168.
North Windham, with a population of 4,600, and part of the town of Windham, in Cumberland County is third. Average closing cost is $2,545, property tax is $2,728, insurance is $983, annual mortgage is $11,346 and median salary is $76,250.
Skowhegan, with a population of 8,589, in Somerset County, is fourth, with annual closing cost of $2,515, property tax is $1,438, insurance is $456, annual mortgage is $5,259, median income is $36,688.
Brewer, with a population of 9,500, in Penobscot county is fifth. Closing costs are $3,001, property tax $2,856, insurance $727, mortgage $8,385, median income $58,403.
Topsham, with a population of 8,800 in Sagadahoc County, is sixth. Closing costs are $3,506, property tax $3,363, insurance $981, mortgage payment $11,325, median salary $72,537.
Presque Isle, with a population of 8,900 is seventh. Closing costs are $2,558, property tax $1,984, insurance $480, mortgage payment $5,538, median income $37,401.
Gardiner, with a population of 5,800, in Kennebec County, is eighth. Closing costs are $2,821, property tax $2,616, insurance $627, mortgage payment $7,231, median salary $48,212.
Belfast, a coastal city in Waldo County with a population of 6,700, was ninght. Closing costs are $3,224, property tax $2,925, insurance $851, annual mortgage $9,819, median salary $60,993.
Ellsworth, with a population of 7,700, in Hancock County, is number 10. Closing costs are $3,140, property tax $2,679, insurance $804, annual mortgage $9,281 and median salary $55,191.
Malone supports food effort
Malone Commercial Brokers recently made a donation to C4C (Cooking for Community), an effort to provide support for restaurants, provide meals for those in need and also set off a ripple effect through the local food supply chain.
The organization pays restaurants to cook packaged meals, that are easy to reheat, using locally sourced ingredients and resources, which helps restaurants pay employees as well as supports local seafood growers, fishermen and farmers. The meals are distributed at no cost to the unemployed, those with low incomes, the elderly and immigrant community.
"Our local restaurants are our neighbors and clients," said Joe Malone, president of Malone Commercial Brokers. "Portland is a foodie town and we want to keep it that way. It is what has been driving our economy, bringing heightened awareness of what a great place it is not only to visit but to live and work."
Malone is also matching donations made by his team, which quickly responded to the challenge, said a news release from the brokerage.,
Malone said, "Supporting them while supporting those in need is the right thing to do now."
For more information, on cookingforcommunity, visit cookingforcommunity.org.
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Not a realistic depiction of the cost to live in Winslow. Do your research carefully!
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