Need help deciding where to live? (Springfield, Ozark: colleges, taxes, restaurants)

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by slickcdb2000

Thank you for the post. I'm more of a rural type of person. But would like to be within and hour or so from a nice sized place. Like springfield. Also being from louisiana I would rather have some milder winters... but It would be nice to see some snow. The reason I ask about salt is that I'm in love with my vehicles. Last year I was working in ohio and they use the liquid salt and it will just ruin a vehicle very quick. And I do here a lot about southwest MO. Anyone from the surrounding branson area know anything about the real estate there? I just dont know where to get started really.

As far as I know, MoDOT uses rock salt on roadways in Missouri. Vehicles definitely do rust out, even in southern Missouri. It is nowhere near as bad as in states like Illinois, Ohio, or Michigan, but rust usually will pop up on vehicles that have been around 10-15 years.

With the exception of Branson, most of the Ozarks aren't very touristy at all. You should be able to get a house for $100k without too much of a problem, and the cost of living in general is very low. There are dozens and dozens of small towns near Springfield if you would rather live somewhere small but still be within driving distance to shopping/eating. I'd reccomend making a trip up from Louisiana and seeing how you like the area, and visiting a few towns.

Deer season is very popular in pretty much all of Missouri. There are several months of archery-only season (roughly October into December), about 2 weeks of firearms deer season, and an additional muzzleloader season. There are a LOT of deer in southern Missouri, and in most counties you can get "any deer" tags where you can take a buck or a doe, and kill several in one season. The deer don't get huge in the Ozarks, because there aren't crop fields for them to eat out of, but there are still a lot of them, and overall it is a good place to hunt. If you want specifics on deer season, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website.

[slickcdb2000]

Thank you all for your post. Very very helpful. I looked at a lot of real estate last night in branson and most was in a neighborhood. I would rather have a few acres with my place. I'm just not a neighborhood type of person... I like land. Not to mention I have a lot of toys also. I have a RV and 3 vehicles. Not much room to put all that in a small lot. I also have a dog that I just like to let run around in the front yard. I just dont want a neighbor that I can spit on there house. I like a little room for myself.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by slickcdb2000

Thank you all for your post. Very very helpful. I looked at a lot of real estate last night in branson and most was in a neighborhood. I would rather have a few acres with my place. I'm just not a neighborhood type of person... I like land. Not to mention I have a lot of toys also. I have a RV and 3 vehicles. Not much room to put all that in a small lot. I also have a dog that I just like to let run around in the front yard. I just dont want a neighbor that I can spit on there house. I like a little room for myself.

The Ozarks does have a lot of land to offer, and most of it is reasonably priced. If you aren't into the touristy thing, definitely don't do Branson. There are plenty of other small towns just as close to Springfield that aren't touristy where you should be able to find some acreage.

[GetmeoutofAR]

Bois d'Arc, Ash Grove, Republic, Willard, i'd reccomend you look into land around those

[slickcdb2000]

Ok... I looked at all those places.. seen some really nice places too. An easier question would be is where are the "bad" towns surrounding springfield? I know every nice place has its bad parts too.

[GetmeoutofAR]

I honestly dont know of any "bad" town around Springfield, I'll tell you that from what ive seen of Halltown im not terribly impressed

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by slickcdb2000

Well... that's it. Me, wife and brand new baby son are planning on moving from this state we call Louisiana and really considering MO. Where is the best place to go? What is the most perfect place in MO to go? I know, I know... impossible question....well how bout this. I'm wanting to kinda stay in the southern part. Maybe say around branson or so. I'm afraid that that area being touristy and stuff will be kinda expensive to live. We will probably be on a budget of say... 100K. What would that buy in southern mo? Also what is the terrain like there? Hilly? Mountains? Are there a bunch of gravel roads there? A lot of snow, and if so how do they defrost the road? liquid or rock salt? I work in oil refineries so I have stayed in many different states just haven't made it up that way yet. And how is the deer hunting there? Thanks in advance. Ya'll seem like ya'll have a great state.

Spend some time here before you decide. Every place has it's good points and it's bad. Better to find out BEFORE you move.

20yrsinBranson

[stepka]

Actually, one of the prettiest places I ever saw in Mo was the Rogersville area just east of Springfield. If I could talk my family into going rural again, I'd move there in a minute. It's all rolling hills and pastures and big trees and I went thru there on a summer evening.

[OA 5599]

I agree that there really aren't any "bad" towns in SW Missouri, or at least any that I'm aware of. All will have their fair share of trailer parks and run-down areas, but none are festering with crime.

Rogersville is nice, but is a bedroom community of Springfield (for better or worse). There are plenty of other towns east of Rogersville and Springfield on US 60 that are more rural, but still a short drive into Springfield. Seymour, Fordland, Diggins, Mansfield, and Mountain Grove are the main towns within an hour of Springfield on 60.

[Silvermouse]

My brother just moved to Marshfield and they love it. I think it's like 20 minutes to Springfield and 45 minutes to Silver Dollar City - well, with him driving anyway.

He always was the city kid of the family.