Willow Springs Area - talk to us plz... (Springfield, Washington: real estate, house)

[dougf]

We are retired form the military (51 years old) and sickened by our present out of control growth in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. Our once laid-back lifestyle has been robbed from us. We NEVER want to settle in an area that has the potential to "take off" like this area has. We are not seeking escalating property values, but a quiet, stable small town lifestyle. We prefer to be out of town, yet still be able to participate in church and other civic events in a nice community.

We found Wilow Springs by accident via the internet and the Real Estate prices floored us. What can be found there for less than 100K is amazing looking - at least over the internet...

How humid is it in this region? If it is significant, then we will not seriously consider it. We've lived in Sumpter, SC, which was WAY too humid. The Panhandle of FL was a little more tolerable.

We love the mountain beauty of Idaho, but do just as well with beautiful farm land. In fact, an agricultural life-style would probably suit us ideally.

The main thing we seek is - don't laugh! A decent, well maintained house with maybe a few acres for 100K or less. Our goal is to pay cash and live off of my 1800/mo military retirement check if we have to, although I'm willing to work if there is any locally.

Town size - some shopping, groceries, gas station, maybe a feed store and a restaurant or two. We stay pretty much to ourselves, but would like to socialize through church, so a "nice" community is what we seek. My wife loves to quilt and do counted cross-stitch with a group of ladies and that would so help her adapt to a new place.

We would like to be able to get to a decent sized shopping area within a 1.0 - 1.5 hour drive.

One further question would be taxes. Can anyone help us understand the state's tax situation.

Missouri is definitely on our short-list, so any info provided will be greatly appreciated. We'd be interested in any areas around Willow Springs that you might be able to enlighten us on.

Thank you all for taking time to reply to us!

[NOLA2SGF]

Southern Missouri is very humid in the summer. If humidity is a "deal breaker" for you, then you may want to keep looking!

I am planning to move from New Orleans to Springfield, and I fully expect the summers to be just as hot and humid in Springfield as they are here. Air conditioning and ceiling fans make the summer weather more bearable than in some other states with more moderate weather.

[whatzaname]

Ok, I've been to Idaho and I've lived my whole life within a couple hours drive of Willow, worked there for several years. I don't consider this area excessively humid. Granted, you have days when its humid, but we've never had problems with moisture damage etc, even growing up without AC. I certainly wouldn't scratch this region off your list over the humidity.

Depending upon what you mean by "good size shopping area." West Plains, while not a very large city, has more shopping for its size due to its status as the biggest town in the immediate area.

If you are looking for the beauty of the Willow area, a little closer to, say, a city of over 100k, then you might consider Cabool or Mtn Grove, or even Seymour. I'd say rural areas of Mtn Grove and Cabool should compete with Willow on prices, but they're just enough closer to Springfield Missouri (70 quick miles, m/l, on good 4 lane highway) to make them feel less isolated. I lived in West Plains for a couple of years a (while working in Willow) and enjoyed it, but found myself on the road to Springfield (100+ mile drive) fairly regularly for shopping and entertainment. But Willow is only 20 minutes or so from West Plains, home to a 3 screen movie theater, a 24 hour super center, quite a few good restaurants (still more local more than chains when I was last there) and a cool little downtown with historic buildings etc, as well as less than 2 hours from two fairly good sized "cities" (Fayettville AR and Springfield MO), appeals to you, it sounds like you'd love Willow Springs, based on your description of what you MISS about your "little" town in Idaho. But Mtn Grove or Cabool could also serve your interests just as well. Both are very rural areas, hilly, wooded, rivers and streams, farms, Nat'l Forest Land, (though it seems to be more so in the Cabool-Willow area than Mtn Grove, but its very varied depending on which direction you go!)

Hope you have good luck seeking your next home. In a couple of years I will possibly be heading the way you're coming from...my daughter is moving to Olympia, Washington, and if her brother eventually follows, as he says he may, I can't imagine wanting to be so far away from my kids, if I can help it! But land prices are definetely zooming up in that region, far faster than here. Makes moving HERE a great deal, moving AWAY, more difficult. Sigh.

[whatzaname]

My little brother manages the Willow Springs Sonic restaurant, and I grew up 30 minutes outside of Cabool. I'm not making any money from this recommendation.

[kareybear]

Originally Posted by whatzaname

Ok, I've been to Idaho and I've lived my whole life within a couple hours drive of Willow, worked there for several years. I don't consider this area excessively humid. Granted, you have days when its humid, but we've never had problems with moisture damage etc, even growing up without AC. I certainly wouldn't scratch this region off your list over the humidity.

Depending upon what you mean by "good size shopping area." West Plains, while not a very large city, has more shopping for its size due to its status as the biggest town in the immediate area.

If you are looking for the beauty of the Willow area, a little closer to, say, a city of over 100k, then you might consider Cabool or Mtn Grove, or even Seymour. I'd say rural areas of Mtn Grove and Cabool should compete with Willow on prices, but they're just enough closer to Springfield Missouri (70 quick miles, m/l, on good 4 lane highway) to make them feel less isolated. I lived in West Plains for a couple of years a (while working in Willow) and enjoyed it, but found myself on the road to Springfield (100+ mile drive) fairly regularly for shopping and entertainment. But Willow is only 20 minutes or so from West Plains, home to a 3 screen movie theater, a 24 hour super center, quite a few good restaurants (still more local more than chains when I was last there) and a cool little downtown with historic buildings etc, as well as less than 2 hours from two fairly good sized "cities" (Fayettville AR and Springfield MO), appeals to you, it sounds like you'd love Willow Springs, based on your description of what you MISS about your "little" town in Idaho. But Mtn Grove or Cabool could also serve your interests just as well. Both are very rural areas, hilly, wooded, rivers and streams, farms, Nat'l Forest Land, (though it seems to be more so in the Cabool-Willow area than Mtn Grove, but its very varied depending on which direction you go!)

Hope you have good luck seeking your next home. In a couple of years I will possibly be heading the way you're coming from...my daughter is moving to Olympia, Washington, and if her brother eventually follows, as he says he may, I can't imagine wanting to be so far away from my kids, if I can help it! But land prices are definetely zooming up in that region, far faster than here. Makes moving HERE a great deal, moving AWAY, more difficult. Sigh.

Wow thank you for the great information. Really appreciate that and your time.

[sunshine girl]

Missouri is a luxury tax stateand has just now passed legislation to withdraw the current taxing they do on social security. But property taxes are not bad in the rural areas. If you did not mind the humidity in the FL panhandle, you would be ok here. It is a shorter hot/humid season here and the nights cool off here, which they don't in FL.

[dougf]

Thank you all for the great replies. Any other comments would be most appreciated!!