Where in Mo? (Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield: condominiums, buying a home, find job)

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I had a friend who lived and went to High School in Nixa, but I don't know much about it.

[OA 5599]

Nixa and Ozark are all pretty close to Springfield. Christian County - which includes Nixa and Ozark - is growing very rapidly, along with the rest of the area. There has been a lot of construction in the past 10 years, and the area is still having some growing pains, as some of the roads are carrying much more traffic than they were designed for, although MoDOT is slowly upgrading them.

You may want to check out Rogersville also, which is a lot smaller than either of the previously mentioned towns, and is maybe 12 miles east of Springfield. A commute to St. Johns shouldn't be too bad from any of those places. However, if you like Springfield you could live there just as easily. It is not a big city at all, the layout is much more suburban and it still retains some of the small-town feel. The south side of Springfield tends to be the nicest. I've known people who have gone to high school in Nixa, Ozark, and Springfield, and all had good things to say about the schools.

[cali-grown]

Just curious if your kids play any sports? That's something to look into when looking at schools also. They're very big on sports here and it's a great way for kids to get to know other kids. My daughter's friend is from Ozark and she missed it terribly when they moved to our town. Haven't heard anything bad at all. Really haven't heard anything bad about Nixa either, another friend goes there and another goes to Republic, which is good too. My daughter's a softball player, that's how we've met a lot of people from different towns.
Good luck to you!

[northbound74]

Springfield itself is actually a really nice town. Like was mentioned, it doesn't feel like a big city by any means. There's plenty of traffic on some main arteries, but you can get around that once you become more familiar with it. Springfield is laid out in a grid pattern that's easy to navigate.
It's plenty safe in most areas, it's clean, and there's plenty to choose from in terms of housing.
Personally, I much prefer it over Ozark, Nixa, or most any outlying town. Springfield just seems nicer, and it's not going through those weird growing pains with infrastructure and the like that the smaller towns are. It has a more established feel to it.
My wife's from that part of the state, and we've toyed with the idea of living in that area to be closer to family. If we did, we'd either live in Springfield, or way out in the country on a good chunk of land.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by luvbnmom03

So I went on homes.com and looked up some homes in Fair Grove and Willard, a city named Republic also came up...WOWOWOWOW the house prices, a 4 bdrm for 179k?! WHAT?! My SoCAl brain couldn't believe it! You can't touch a foreclosed condo here for that, and yes even in today's market!!!! So any comments on Republic? What's it like? I'll keep doing research and I won't let myself go on just home prices. THANKS AGAIN for the replies!

There are pros and cons to any of these areas...including living in Springfield proper. I will guarantee you that you will have a much different experience in each of the above mentioned little towns. I know it sounds touchey-feeley, but there's a different vibe that you can pick up.

I suggest you and your husband (and each of the kiddos) privately make a "top 10 list" of what you would like to have in your new home/community. Put them on sticky-notes so you can prioritize them. Then compare them. See if you can agree on the top 3...it's a tried and true system that I've used with my transplant groups.

Originally Posted by luvbnmom03

Hey guys, we're coming out for Presidents Day! It'll be a quick trip, hubby will meet with St. John's recruiter (didn't take long for them to call hubby once resume was posted!) So wish us luck and hopefully we'll be neighbors soon!

Good...you'll get a taste of the worst of the weather.
Theoretically.


We've actually been known to schedule a quick Over The Fence Coffee Club meeting for people on a visit...it's said to be very helpful to get to sit & talk to some other transplants. Eh, gang?

[STLCardsBlues1989]

It should warm up by President's Day, but I'd still wear a good jacket. Obviously, "cold" is kinda relative. Before next December, I would suggest investing in some winter clothes.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Make sure to give us an update when you find out if he got the job or not.

[lone sailor]

Originally Posted by luvbnmom03

St. John Springfield area. Any suggestions on what communities to look into while there. Granted we'll be there for just a short period, but during the kids spring recess, we planning on going back out there to spend more than just a few days.

Just keep your options open and go where you feel most comfortable. We'll be here to lend a helping hand along with if needed. I'll stick to my guns on my original recommendations, as I don't think they will disappoint. However, as everyone else has said, come back a few times and get a good feel for the areas. I'm pretty sure you'll get a gut instinct that will lead you in the correct direction that you are looking for. Enjoy your trip.

[luvbnmom03]

Ok guys, just heard back from recruiter. We asked him to email us a salary range for an experienced ER RN/Educator. Of course, he began his reply with how the cost of living is so much affordable there than SoCal, then the bomb dropped! Oh my goodness you should have seen our mouths drop when we read the range from $17-30! $30 being TOPS! New grad Rn's make more than $30 here! That was so difficult to swallow. But we're hoping it all balances out, right?

We are not planning on buying a home until we live there for at least a year or so and get to know the areas we like/love. So can you tell me what a 4bdrm/2+bath home would rent for? In Springfield and surrounding areas? Thanks.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by luvbnmom03

Oh my goodness you should have seen our mouths drop when we read the range from $17-30! $30 being TOPS! New grad Rn's make more than $30 here! That was so difficult to swallow. But we're hoping it all balances out, right?

Put wages in one hand and home costs in the other...it should balance.

Originally Posted by luvbnmom03

We are not planning on buying a home until we live there for at least a year or so and get to know the areas we like/love. So can you tell me what a 4bdrm/2+bath home would rent for? In Springfield and surrounding areas? Thanks.

I don't do much with rentals, but generally it's going to depend on the home. In my area...low end: $900...High end: $2000. Really high end: Never mind! I had some friends who found a big slightly-dated home with fantastic lake view for $1500.