pushed from the farm lands (Missoula, Bozeman: sales, crimes, home sales)

[farmbound]

I'm lookin to move to Montana some time in the next two years and needed some constructive advise. I'm finishing nursing school and my family (husband and son) wants to move outa Va beach. I grew up on a big horse farm on the skirts of Va beach and it has since been turned into a housing development. I have read everyones postings about outsiders, raising property taxes with high home sales, newcomers fencing the lands you've hunted for generations and the overall upset feelings of others moving into town. I to have been "pushed out" and want to resume a simple life of working, eating, and enjoying the stars. I lived here my whole life and watched "outsiders" take my land and the horses. Montana seems to have the good ol boy feel and peace of mind I remember. Can you give me a realistic feel for the town of Missoula (politics, school, living and everyday life). We are loyal people and help our neighbors. By and By our neighbors got pushed out too. We're left to fan the flames of gangs, crack and hoodlems. I miss the horses and want my son to grow up grounded in nature. Can anyone help?

[jandjblue]

very libaral, collage town

[rickers]

Nurses are needed everywhere but keep in mind that what happened to your home is happening everywhere and the exploding population growth in Montana has got housing prices through the roof. It seems that given the flooding that seems to be occurring more often than in the past in eastern states coupled with wide open borders seems to be driving folks in montana's direction. Pay rates are in the tank in Montana and housing costs are up. But no sales tax and the freedom here make the adjustment less painful.

[farmbound]

Do you have any suggestions as to where a young college horse person can go. Our family snowboards, rides horses, wakeboards, mountain bikes, kayake, hike and mountain boards to name a few. I find it hard to believe that the people trying to keep others out wouldn't prefer to have people come that are trying to live the same low key life. Your "very libaral, collage town" doesn't tell me very much. I hear about the great herbal festival, the gay and lesbian community, the youth on campus, multiple DUI drivers, and land that's difficult to purchase. Is there anything extra I should add or have I summed up all the posts on Missoula. It sounds O.K. other than the DUI mishaps and the land issues.

[farmbound]

Population is the main thing pushing us out. We have 436,000 people versus Missoula 60,000 people. We want to find a place were the other neighbor give to the community instead of hinder it. I can't let my child ride his bike for fear someone will kidnap him. Security lock down is in effect for fear of burglery. You get a better job and go to school for a better trade, so you can live in a richer neighborhodd, so your child doesn't get harmed. Low pay is O.K. as long as the cost of living is equal. Keeping up with the Jones's gets harder and harder and we want to scale back. If the house can be paid off what other problems exist in Missoula?

[rickers]

I only go to Missoula to shop and eat at restaurants. I live in Hot Springs and there are only about 500 people here including the nearby camas village and the ranches. Missoula has jobs but Kalispell is also an employment center. You would not have any real trouble getting a job as a Nurse anywhere but it may be a waiting game in the smaller towns.

[orygun]

Originally Posted by farmbound

Population is the main thing pushing us out. We have 436,000 people versus Missoula 60,000 people. We want to find a place were the other neighbor give to the community instead of hinder it. I can't let my child ride his bike for fear someone will kidnap him. Security lock down is in effect for fear of burglery. You get a better job and go to school for a better trade, so you can live in a richer neighborhodd, so your child doesn't get harmed. Low pay is O.K. as long as the cost of living is equal. Keeping up with the Jones's gets harder and harder and we want to scale back. If the house can be paid off what other problems exist in Missoula?

I could tell you a little about the area. We spent a year in the Bitterroot south of Missoula and I worked as an RN in the "big city." I am guessing what you are describing from your life is a bit similar to our now being in Spokane, Washington. We are heading back to MT next month. Despite the growth in the state and skyrocketing home prices it is still an awesome place to live. It's best if you can blend in with the lifestyle, which it sounds like you will, rather than try and make changes which Montanans don't want to see. Much of Montana is horse country though it seems I have seen the most in the Bitterroot which is what I love about that area. Kalispell also has some horse country as does more Eastern places in MT.

Missoula is a pretty typical college town I think. There is the rowdy drinking crowd and fanatical Grizzly fans alongside retirees, families and artsy writer type people. Local bookstores have MASSIVE collections of books inside the front door with local authors emphasized. Missoulians seem proud of their area and rightfully so. I left with a bad attitude and will return with a different outlook. It is SO much worse in other places as we found out. Housing is a bit expensive and pretty much wages don't keep up well with housing costs. But if it is a rural life with horses I can bet you will find that in many places in Montana outside the city limits of places like Missoula, Kalispell and Bozeman.

As for safety I loved that about Montana. There are still some random crimes and property theft and bike thefts but I felt much safer than here in Spokane where I have the same worries you have. A few years back there was a random act of violence in the little town of Florence south of Missoula where a man went into a beauty shop and killed the people in there. And last year some wild guy, from Idaho I think, was shooting randomly as he drove south of Missoula toward Idaho on Hwy 93.

[farmbound]

I feel a little better now. Thank you for the info. We just want quietness and the ability to enjoy our neighbors instead of fear them. Do you know if Lolo is a good place to send children to school? There stats looked good. I also wonder if you know anything about house, land and water rights.

[Sookie]

I'd like to know about this as well if anyone has some info about the Lolo area. We found some property we like that would begin as a vacation project and then we'd eventually like to move/retire there if all pans out well. The water situation in other states has us a bit worried with buying our first bit of empty land.

[orygun]

Originally Posted by farmbound

I feel a little better now. Thank you for the info. We just want quietness and the ability to enjoy our neighbors instead of fear them. Do you know if Lolo is a good place to send children to school? There stats looked good. I also wonder if you know anything about house, land and water rights.

Lolo schools do seem to have a good reputation. On an interesting side note a case worker for my twins had said that Stevensville High was more into meth and Lolo had more of a drinking reputation for whatever that is worth. Montana seems to be a pretty big drinking state as it is though low on smoking I think. I do know Florence-Carlton is highly regarded but very full. I think Lolo kids commute to Missoula for high school.

I don't know much about land and water other than cost. I know further down in the Stevi and Florence area it seems to be all about water rights coming with a property. Irrigation ditches open in the spring and property owners have rights off those. Could be different by Lolo, not sure. It seems to be less farm land and more in the trees in that area. They are building some subdivisions off Hwy 2 out there as well that people were protesting. Another thing you will hear about is Tom McClay I think it is. He owns property near Florence/Lolo and has big plans for a resort that would hugely alter the area. Hopefully it doesn't go through. Last I heard the forest service was saying there wasn't a need for that. But you can see his slopes on the mountain when you head south of Lolo.