Is montana welcome to outsiders? (Lincoln: for sale, house, private schools)

[Machine]

How does Montana view outsiders?

[jimj]

Depends on how they act.

[bigtrees]

Montanas welcome outsiders who:
- Want to adopt the Montana way of life
- Don't get upset that things are different than back home
- Don't mind the fact that the economy is smaller than back home.
- Don't build great big mansions on pretty parcels of land that were really nice beforehand
- Are good neighbors and contribute to the Montana way of life

Montanans don't like outsiders who:
- Drive up the cost of living
- Feel they can "improve" things by bringing everything they left behind with them
- Live in Montana only during the easy months
- Choose not to adopt the Montanan way (the bad parts as well as the good parts)

[ElkHunter]

Like I've always said. If you come from California, please leave "All" of California behind you.

Originally Posted by bigtrees

Montanas welcome outsiders who:
- Want to adopt the Montana way of life
- Don't get upset that things are different than back home
- Don't mind the fact that the economy is smaller than back home.
- Don't build great big mansions on pretty parcels of land that were really nice beforehand
- Are good neighbors and contribute to the Montana way of life

Montanans don't like outsiders who:
- Drive up the cost of living
- Feel they can "improve" things by bringing everything they left behind with them
- Live in Montana only during the easy months
- Choose not to adopt the Montanan way (the bad parts as well as the good parts)

[seattlerain]

I think that this quote says it all:

Originally Posted by GiftShoppeGuy

We here in Montana, truely do love our home.

Some of us are used to being caring and kind to each other.... we've grown to have a sense of community....... we've enjoyed the company of good neighbors and are accustomed to those who would be responsible.

Our communities are small and close and thoughtful of each other....

What's been going on over the recent past, is that we are being displaced by those who would rather not be kind, caring, close or responsible.....
We have those who would much rather upset our economic apple cart.. who trod on our forests and open spaces..... who don't give any thought to our natural beauty, our history and most of all, our people and how they've chosen to live.

We who are Montana, have lived through the refining fires of life... we've suffered through countless rough winters, economic depressions, and drought filled cropless seasons..... We, who are Montana, deserve to be who we are.

The sentiment is indeed understandable in many cases.
There are those here in Montana that are witnessing, first hand, their way of life being swept away by those who would just as soon care less about us, our way of life, our concerns, our economic survival, and especially, our wide open spaces.....

Montana is a mighty rich girl..... she's experienced countless numbers of abuses over the past 100 or so years. It's not so much us, but more Montana herself, that decides who stays..... many who come here, leave, because Montana doesn't allow them to stay...... whether it be by economics, climate, geography...... many who come, don't stay.

We'll witness the million dollar homes for sale in Lincoln County as a testament to this fact..... we aren't just any ole cup-o-tea..... and many who come here find this out in pretty short order.

Now, I'm not going to sit here banging away on this keyboard telling everyone to just stay away..... Quite the contrary......
I'll say... Come on in....... Move here...... Settle down and live the good life.....

Everyone deserves to live their dreams.... if they can..... and if moving to Montana is a part of your dream..... then so be it.....

And while you are making preparation to fullfill your dream, you might want to consider cutting your current budget in exactly half of what you've grown accustomed to.... because it's gonna take some dollars to just live here, neverminding anything else, like new cars, private schools for the kids and so on.... and so forth.

Prepare yourself, your family, to run on the proverbial shoestring... to fly by the seat of your pants.... to run roughshod...... because sometimes, living here just isn't the "walk-in-the-park" that some would have you believe.
There's a price to be paid by those who choose to surround themselves with all of this beauty......

If you are moving to Montana for the "simple" life...... then your bucket will overflow with it for sure...... just remember to live "simple"..... and you'll be alright.

[Timberwolf232]

Yup.. It's all about a persons attitude and where they go.

If you appreciate the place you will be fine, but if you are a "change the world" type, I'd stay and change it starting with wherever you already live.

[JetMech72]

Originally Posted by Machine

How does Montana view outsiders?

I was born and raised here and my Great grandparents immigrated here back in the late 1800s. So, I'll tell you that Montana is stuck in the past, they don't want change. Even though my roots run deep in this State, I'm treated like an outsider because I left for 14 years....and became too "Californianized".
The number one reason that people move here is because they want to live in a sparsly populated portion of the Rocky Mountains. Well, considering that we only have a small sliver of the Rockies, it is rapidly filling up and people that have moved here,,,,hate what has become of their precious low-density Rocky Mountain home. So, to move to the western 1/3 of the state, you'd probably encounter these people that don't want more moving in...however, the other 2/3 of the state are encouraging people to move here due to the declining population of the Eastern part of the State.
This odd duality is easily identified by the Rocky Mountain Front....everyone west of it tends to hate outsiders that are adding to the tremendous growth there....while everyone east of it tends to embrace outsiders so that they can perpetuate the disappearing population. So, to steal a line from the comedy "Out Cold"; "Don't go changing that mountain."

[seven of nine]

Moved here to Eastern Montana just over a year ago. Really went from one end of the equation to the other. The whys? Lower cost of living, tired of sitting in traffic, tired of supporting all the illegals going thru the public education system and clogging up the courts, (I know now I sound like a raciest). What did I find? People really left me alone, approached me slowly, took their time. I bought an old house and am working on it slowly, go to church, visit the local eatery once a week and try to keep my head down. No one likes to be invaded. I have taken the approach that I am a guest and a guest is always on their best behavior. That in itself would be my best advice. I do hear that the western side of the state is suffering massive cultural loss. The one reason I did not locate there after reserching Montana for 4 years. Visit before you decide, good luck. I should have done it 10 years ago.

[bigtrees]

Moderator cut: thanks for your suggestion bigtrees and Jimj

[Stropes]

I really appreciate this thread. My husband and I have thought about Montana for years. It's disheartening to hear people say outsiders aren't welcome, but I can understand that attitude when I read threads like this. I wouldn't like people rolling through my home and ruining what is there. We definitely wouldn't do that! I did like the tip that you should cut your budget in half before you come. I think that's great advice. We'd never dream of moving unless we really thought we could make a go of it. Thanks for all the honesty!