Answer extracted from The Boulos Beat: A Commercial Real Estate Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What prompted a software engineer to relocate from San Francisco to Maine and build a business there?
After visiting Kennebunk during New Year's 2021–2022, George Matelich and his wife Anne fell in love with Maine and decided to make the leap. Nine months later, after spending only four cumulative days in the state, they purchased their dream house and relocated from San Francisco to launch multiple ventures.
A winter visit that changed everything
The decision to move across the country didn't come from impulse. Matelich and his wife had spent 18 months building up the idea of Maine in their heads before they ever booked a trip. They were living in San Francisco at the time and already thinking about returning to the East Coast. When they finally arrived for a winter vacation in Kennebunk, the timing felt intentional—visiting during Maine's coldest season meant they would know whether they truly wanted to be there year-round.
The visit went better than expected. "We loved it," Matelich recalls in the episode. "And we thought, man, if we like it now, imagine how we'll feel when it's nice out." That sentiment proved decisive.
From vacation research to homeownership in nine months
What makes Matelich's relocation remarkable is the speed of execution. Nine months after that winter trip, their dream house appeared on the market. Rather than spend months deliberating or making multiple scouting visits, they made an unconventional choice: they purchased the property after spending only four days total in Maine.
The move happened two and a half years ago from the podcast's recording date, giving Matelich and his wife time to establish roots, build community connections, and launch their entrepreneurial ventures. As a software engineer who had held product roles at major tech companies on the West Coast—including a position focused on multifamily property management software—Matelich brought valuable expertise to his new base of operations.
"I wasn't put on this earth to build someone else's dream."
George Matelich — Co-Founder of Rely and Nexus Maine. A 29-year-old software entrepreneur and product strategist who transitioned from roles at major West Coast tech companies like Updater to build real estate technology and community infrastructure in Maine, leveraging over a decade of experience in the multifamily property management software space.
The decision to uproot from San Francisco and build a life in Maine reflects both strategic thinking and willingness to embrace calculated risk. As detailed in this episode of The Boulos Beat, Matelich's relocation enabled him to co-found Rely, an AI-powered real estate software platform that launched in January 2026, as well as Nexus Maine, a community initiative that grew from a goal of 100 members to over 1,000 members.
See also
What challenges do office property operators face in the post-pandemic commercial real estate market?
George identifies continuous compression of profits and expanding operating expenses as core challenges in office properties, driven by tenant evolution and market shifts.
What structural impact did COVID-19 have on a Maine-based office portfolio and how did operators adapt?
COVID required Grand Metro to reinvest over $10 million in one building to survive, and the post-pandemic period brought significant tenant downsizing and operational restructuring.
What Long Island industrial property sale did a real estate investor regret missing, and how did it influence subsequent decisions?
George missed an opportunity to purchase a 250,000-square-foot warehouse on Long Island near exit 60 of the Long Island Expressway in Suffolk County when financing fell through.