Hi everyone. The wife and I live in lower NY State right now, but I'll be able to completely pick up and move pretty much wherever I want to in a few years. For the past few months we have been thinking of New Hampshire and possibly Maine. We're looking to buy a nice house with a few (5-10) acres attached and from looking at real estate etc. online we figure we could get something decent in these areas. I'm looking for somebody to convince me to move to the area or dissuade me. Basically any input from you guys would be greatly appreciated...the wife and I look forward to your responses. Thanks!

Though a Mass resident, I spend quite a bit of time in NH, and my parents live in Maine.

1st, as far as gun laws, NH is very easy going, nothing more than a NH driver's license and a federal background check.  Concealed carry permits cost $10 every 4 years and are very easy to get.  Maine Concealed carry is easy to get if you have a NH CCW already. Full auto requires the local police chief to sign off (I believe only from reading here)

Southern NH is starting to get an influx of Democrats who work in Mass but live there, but is still a world of difference from Massachusetts. I saw a hunter show the guy behind the Sporting goods counter at the Walmart just over the border his concealed carry gun in a conversation and he thought nothing of it. Raising your shirt and showing a gun would be unheard of at the Walmart 4 miles south in Mass.

About ~2+ hours north into NH, you hit the White Mountains, which are very beautiful and have lots of hiking.  There are also a couple very huge lakes in that area(Winnepausakue and Winnesquam) which are awesome for boating in the area.

Maine is nice, but once you get 10 miles inland from the coast, there's alot of people down on their luck mixed with blue collar people who are doing alright.   The coast of Maine all the way up is very pretty, real estate is more. My parents live on a blueberry farm a few miles from the coast and I love spending every free weekend there prowling the woods to spot moose and bear, but haven't seen more than bear tracks to date.

Hey man, thanks for responding! I guess we would be better off in N.H. not only because of what you said but also we would be closer to family. anybody else want to sound off regarding New Hampshire? Thanks in advance!

I agree with what the reply from the N.H. resident said.I,ve lived in Maine some 11years now.I moved up from N.J. so i,m familar with anal gun laws.Maine is absolutly beautiful.But the largest difference between the two.Tax laws.Maine residents are some of the highest taxed in the country.This is fact and not just a myth.So wherever you decide good luck and happy shooting

I formerly lived in NH before I was resentenced to RI....all of the above applies. Southern is more densely populated than the rest of the state, but has access to more industry ie better jobs...I loved NH and will move back either when my wife chucks me out;) or when the kids graduate high school.
There are a lot of shooters, a lot of clubs.

For Class 3 the LEO signoff is pretty easy to get. Your C3 dealer wil know who to send you to.
Take a vaca up there and check it out. If you are looking for work, Mass and Southern NH have a lot of tech jobs. Keene has UNH, Dartmouth is on the VT border about midway up the state in Hanover. The seacoast, Lakes, Mountains, it's a great place.

Plus you'll have Live Free or Die on your license plate!

I always debate whether to answer these posts or not. A state has to have at least some growth in order to maintain a robust economy, yet the rural nature of the state is changing because everybody wants to live in a rural nature.

Everything mentioned above is essentially true. NH is a great place to live. Its very firearms and hunting friendly. We have pretty low taxes because we have the least state provided services of nearly any state. If you want excellent government services, don't come here.

We're conservative voters, in general. That's starting to change as well. We have state representatives who have moved here from down country who are trying to make NH just like MA. One of them in particular, Peter Burling of Cornish, who moved here not too long ago from Massachussets, is a carpet bagger liberal of Hillary Clinton magnitude. The man seems to love taxes. Gak.

Once you get away from the southeast portion of the state, its pretty much all boonies. Small towns and villages of the picturesque sort. There are pockets of wealth that rival anywhere in the country, like Hanover, New London and some of the coastal towns. Real estate prices reflect the neighborhood. That also means you can live 15 miles from some pretty cool places and still get land cheap, live in the boonies, and yet enjoy the cultural enrichment of the wealthy cool place.

During summer and winter, NH is a tourist mecca. Don't be mean to them. They give us very large piles of money. Spring and pre/post foliage fall are our times. Everybody has gone home. Its quiet again.

Many people move here and about mid-February they realize that it gets very, very cold. It gets cold early and it stays cold late. Winter can be long and severe. You can shovel 2 feet of snow today and then do it again after the next blizzard tomorrow. It gets so cold that stuff breaks. Many people move back after that. NH ain't Alaska, but its a lot closer to that than it is to Miami.

The Northern Lights can be incredible.

Bear, moose and deer can wipe out your garden. Coyotes might eat your house cat.

You can see the Milky Way.

It can get really, really quiet at night.

There. Thats my summation of NH.

i'm in central pennsylvania now and would also consider relocating to nh. after a recent trip there, i really like the idea of the white mountains and the politics of the state.

Quoted: Keene has UNH

Actually, UNH is in Durham, and there is a seperate campus here in Manchester.

AFAIK Keene State is the only college in Keene.

Quoted: I always debate whether to answer these posts or not. A state has to have at least some growth in order to maintain a robust economy, yet the rural nature of the state is changing because everybody wants to live in a rural nature. Everything mentioned above is essentially true. NH is a great place to live. Its very firearms and hunting friendly. We have pretty low taxes because we have the least state provided services of nearly any state. If you want excellent government services, don't come here. We're conservative voters, in general. That's starting to change as well. We have state representatives who have moved here from down country who are trying to make NH just like MA. One of them in particular, Peter Burling of Cornish, who moved here not too long ago from Massachussets, is a carpet bagger liberal of Hillary Clinton magnitude. The man seems to love taxes. Gak. Once you get away from the southeast portion of the state, its pretty much all boonies. Small towns and villages of the picturesque sort. There are pockets of wealth that rival anywhere in the country, like Hanover, New London and some of the coastal towns. Real estate prices reflect the neighborhood. That also means you can live 15 miles from some pretty cool places and still get land cheap, live in the boonies, and yet enjoy the cultural enrichment of the wealthy cool place. During summer and winter, NH is a tourist mecca. Don't be mean to them. They give us very large piles of money. Spring and pre/post foliage fall are our times. Everybody has gone home. Its quiet again. Many people move here and about mid-February they realize that it gets very, very cold. It gets cold early and it stays cold late. Winter can be long and severe. You can shovel 2 feet of snow today and then do it again after the next blizzard tomorrow. It gets so cold that stuff breaks. Many people move back after that. NH ain't Alaska, but its a lot closer to that than it is to Miami. The Northern Lights can be incredible. Bear, moose and deer can wipe out your garden. Coyotes might eat your house cat. You can see the Milky Way. It can get really, really quiet at night. There. Thats my summation of NH.

That was a very nice read. You are truly an asset to your state!