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Portland is one of New England’s best kept secrets. The trouble is, that secret is slowly getting leaked to the rest of the world, and has been attracting new growth in number of residents and businesses. In fact, Portland is considered to be one of the top cities in the country to begin or to further develop a small business. For these reasons, Portland Maine homes for sale remains a hot commodity. Even with the economic turndown, this has remained the case. As people from neighboring states and other places move to the city, the value of the land in outlying areas has increased dramatically, with some owners recouping 500% or more of their original investment on their property within a ten year period. This is highly appealing, but there’s more to Portland than just that.

Portland has a long and rich history, and a great deal of this history can be seen and felt in the surprising number of intact buildings dating from the 1700 and 1800′s. There are even several buildings surviving that were built in the late 1600′s. In fact, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Portland is the Old Port, replete with its original cobblestone sidewalks and some very old pubs. The city’s seafaring past can also be seen here- although it is easy to spot this particular aspect of the region in many areas. From the Old Port and other places along the bay, one can take a sail out to any number of islands, search the horizon for whales, or join a lobster boat to haul in a day’s traps.

Portland was once part of Massachusetts, and was the first capital of Maine when it became a formal state. While the city has since relinquished that role, it has taken on many others. One of those roles is as Maine’s best place for entertainment and leisure. Portland is a vibrant city that offers dozens of fine restaurants, art galleries, shopping centers, parks, theatres, and a host of public centers. The city itself is extraordinarily clean, and is heavily favored by tourists from June until October. After that time, one can find skiing, snowboarding, ice-fishing, and other winter activities nearby.

Portland boasts a strong infrastructure- perhaps the best in Maine, and thus offers a wealth of excellent doctors, hospitals, and treatment centers. Schools are in the upper echelons of their region in terms of testing results and student success. For this reason, Portland Maine homes for sale is highly sought after by young families who are seeking space to grow amid a small but cultured and safe city. The economy in Portland is thriving, and has been for several decades. This is possibly the biggest draw for most newcomers to move to the city. Portland offers a great number of jobs in the services and technology industries, and still has a sizeable fishing and marine resources industry as well. Another major growing field in the city is the medical and health care industry, which has increased its presence in the region exponentially since the 1990′s. In fact, Portland possesses the most comprehensive trauma center in the entire state. For these reasons and others, many cities in Maine are beginning to model themselves after Maine’s Biggest Little City.