I don't know why this post is downvoted. As a queer person myself I completely understand your motivations and I support the idea.

> What is the housing market up there like?

It's fucked, but less fucked the further you get from Portland. IDK how it compares to Kansas, but it's probably worse. Just do some browsing on Zillow (or whatever site) in areas you're interested in.

The challenge here is that the cheaper areas are also more rural, which also generally means less queer-friendly. Southern Maine and up the midcoast you'll see pride flags everywhere (including the churches) but it's a different story up north and in the west.

> Is it better to rent or own?

Always better to own, but tough to afford depending on location. And of course interest rates right now suck, but that's true everywhere...

> What places are there to visit and things to do? (I'm a nature lover and big cities never interested me anyway).

If you like being out in nature, Maine is a great spot to be. I think most folks who live here have some kind of hobby that gets them outdoors. Where you should go depends on what you like to do (and where you live), but there's really nowhere in Maine that's far from outdoor recreation opportunities.

> How would you recommend a Kansan like me adjust to the Maine lifestyle?

A few things to be aware of:

1. You need to find some reason to be excited about winter/snow. Skiing, snowshoeing, snowmo, ice fishing, fatbiking... it can be whatever, but it's good to have something or the winter is LONG and depressing.
2. Mainers are generally nice and accepting in a way, but don't expect a warm welcome... or any welcome at all, really. Folks generally keep to themselves, so you will need to go out of your way to integrate yourself into the community, meet people through activities, etc. If you don't, it can be really isolating. It's a weird culture though -- if you need help and people see it, random strangers will absolutely stop to help you. But at the same time you can move into a new place and not a single neighbor will come say hi, or wave.
3. Per point 2, Maine doesn't have really have a big/organized queer community. There are some gay/LGBTQ-friendly bars in Portland and other spots as well, but it's not comparable to what you'd find in larger cities, in case that matters to you. And again, the further you get from Portland, the less visible queer community there's gonna be.