Best places in southwest Missouri (Springfield, Lebanon: sales, rental, home sales)

[huntman58]

I am looking to move to Missouri. It has been 30 years from my last time there. Looking for a country home or small town life but close to work commute to jobs what would you locals suggest? Yes I am coming from calif but not as someone with money .I have to work and buy just like if I was there to day as you do. Basically starting from scratch.
The job field will be in social work with kids or the aged. I will not be working as I am disabled but the wife will be. we are looking for a place to sink roots call home and have a life not like living here in calif were we can not afford any thing . Hoping that’s the best I can do right now for home owner ship. I would be renting at first with buying in a year or less after. Prefer the southwest corner. Like to hunt and fish both of us. Would also like to keep it less than 30 miles for work one way. What areas would you lives or move to if it were you?
Thanks ahead for the info

[Crackerjack]

Huntman58, my cousins just moved from the San Diego area as the costs were too high to live there anymore and they moved to the Springfield, Missouri area. They were able to buy a huge acreage with a large house in the rural area around there for what they sold their tiny frame house in San Diego for plus they have a lot of money left in the bank so you are wise moving out of CA and to Missouri because it is so much more affordable. I would recommend the rural areas around Springfield. Good Luck on your move!

[huntman58]

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

Huntman58, my cousins just moved from the San Diego area as the costs were too high to live there anymore and they moved to the Springfield, Missouri area. They were able to buy a huge acreage with a large house in the rural area around there for what they sold their tiny frame house in San Diego for plus they have a lot of money left in the bank so you are wise moving out of CA and to Missouri because it is so much more affordable. I would recommend the rural areas around Springfield. Good Luck on your move!

Thanks I need the luck. Unlike your family member I have no home to sell the ex got every thing left me with a truck some change and my clothing thats it . starting over like a kid freshly dropped out of high school but at 47

[MoMark]

Luckily there are advantages to being wiped out by an ex... for one thing... moving expenses should be lower if she got most of it However, while the cost of living is much lower here, so are wages. So if you're coming with no California home sales advantage, I'd look for a modest rental somewhere outside of town near Ash Grove, Willard, or even closer to Stockton, Missouri. The reason I mention those is that while Ash Grove and Willard in particular are within 18 miles or so of Springfield itself and in Greene County, they are on the northwest side, so closer to Stockton Lake, which is HUGE and has great fishing I'm told. Stockton is north of that and may offer proximity to fishing as well as being fairly close to Bolivar, Missouri, where medical facilities are. Probably a good thing to do is hit the book store and buy a map of southwest Missouri so you can see where in relation to lakes most towns are. Or, simply google search. Good luck.

[Crackerjack]

Huntman58, my cousins mentioned Stockton Lake too having great fishing. Also they go down to Table Rock and Bull Shoals which aren't all that far so that area has some great fishing. Sorry to hear about your ex taking it all. I heard some great advice from a guy who once told me his wife took everything, he didn't even have a bed or a couch, he decided to go to church because he was so down, he didn't think it could hurt only to meet his new wife there and now they have more then when he was married to his first wife so know there is hope!

[huntman58]

Well the lady I am with now is just awesome. We both are red necks were my ex thought she was a city gal but was really nothing more then a wanda be socialite LOL. The best part is the lady I am with loves the things I do and that starts with God being first in our lives. So what you heard is true but I meet here not at church and been hipper every day more then ever before but when my kids were born. To bad I could not have done that with out the ex LOL

[Crackerjack]

I am glad for you Huntman that you have a good lady now and hopefully when you move to SW Missouri, your new life will begin and things will only get better for you. You can't go wrong when you put God first! There are a lot of Christians in Missouri so you will have plenty of company!

[MoMark]

Don't worry about a lack of access to Christians and churches here. Southwest Missouri has more churches than the Chinese have chins. This is a heavily religious area, but not fanatic. I've noticed lots of different Baptist churches, and all my neighbors are saved Christians who belong to fundamentalist churches. If one is looking for a mosque or a Buddhist temple, Southwest Missouri is probably not the place to begin one's search

[huntman58]

ya know from every thing i remember from being a kid spending summers in missouri I almost feel nothing has changes as back then it was the country and the people and I see the people are still the same there REAL out here west it is a to fast life or as long as I got mine to heck with you way of life . been here to long .
still got time before i can move so looking at places on the web . what kind of real time dose it take to travil say from Lebanon to Springfield? how about the countys around Springfield but only the ones west east r noth as have no want to go and live around Branson to many califans there LOL.

[ramblin_man]

Cassville might be worth a look. Small but with some industry. Close to trout and lake fishing. Low costs and good folks.