Seriously thinking of moving to Montana (Billings, Missoula: sale, rent, house prices)

[Mt-7]

Glad you are getting great help!

[MontanaGyrl]

You mentioned police work -- getting on to a police force here in Montana has become very competitive. As in 100 applicants for every job in the bigger towns. Veterans get preference points, and of course experience and training are huge, too. Just FYI.

[bharp3]

Is this the refinery work that was mentioned earlier? It is exactly what my husband does here in Texas, and they're hiring So, hopefully this Montana dream for us will soon be a reality.

From everything we've looked into so far, Billings still seems just about right. Now its just looking through, googling, and actually visiting places to live. I was wondering if anyone knew of the cities and towns outside of Billings that would be a good place to start looking, again not looking for 100's of acres or anything, just a few to have our own space and let the boys play outside with out worrying of others.

MontanaGirl(if i'm remembering correctly) being a police man or official was just an idea that he had, but thanks for the heads up on the competition. He will probably lean more towards refinery or any machinery work since he is skilled and certified an all in that.

Also, as I think HappinessIs said earlier, I looked into Private school for my sons, and it IS cheaper, only 40 cheaper but hey, when you're sending 3..that money will add up quick!

My husband has been looking into vehicles and whatnot to make sure all of ours would be good there..and he already knows about studded tires? and summer tires, so he has that area covered. I really don't stay out in the roads, just enough to get the kids to dr appts, school and a playdate every now and then or if theres ever extra $ to shop a little (usually, very little! HA)

I am so glad, I have not personally come across a rude source or post.
Everythings looking great!

[happiness is]

Any of the good neighborhoods in Billings will be fine for your boys to play outside without worries. The term "city" does not really apply in Montana.... all feel like towns, Billings bigger than the other towns.

[happiness is]

If your husband gets a job at the refinery, look for homes in the west end of Billings, as it would be a straight commute from there on the interstate to the refinery.

[happiness is]

Go to Google maps maps.google.com and type in
Shiloh Road Billings MT
Drag the little yellow man icon onto Shiloh Rd on the map, and navigate around looking at the photos. You will see the west edge of Billings. Lots of open space.
Navigate the street view around Billings, and you will get an idea of how different it is from such a large city as Houston.

[virgil tatro]

Originally Posted by happiness is

Yes, as Bongo says, Billings is a good place for medical care. It has the the largest concentration of medical facilities and providers for not just Montana, but serving northern Wyoming and the Dakotas, as well.

Since there are fewer than a million people in the entire state of Montana, when people from big cities come here, our largest city, Billings, feels small to people who would live somewhere like Houston.

Any town in Montana is surrounded by country space.

NO TRESSPASSING dont forget that< LOOK BUT DONT TOUCH.. I live in Montana and I like it here but get tired of the no tresspassing signs everywhere.. There are refineries in Montana as well. several around the Billings and laurel area.. BOZEMAN is way expensive. Bozeman actually has the Highest cost of living from Seattle to Milwaukee. it was in the paper a while back. But for a good place to live where there is work, check out Columbus, Absarokee, Montana and Stillwater mining company...

[happiness is]

Originally Posted by virgil tatro

NO TRESSPASSING dont forget that< Bozeman actually has the Highest cost of living from Seattle to Milwaukee. ..

Your info is out of date. I don't know if Bozeman was ever that high in its cost of living, but it definitely is not that scary.

[happiness is]

Here is a link to a cost of living comparison table. The zip for Bozeman is 59715.
The data update was 8/26/2011 as of today.

Local Cost Of Living Data for Bozeman Montana

KEEP REFRESHING THE PAGE and it will compare Bozeman to lots of other cities.

Remember that there is NO SALES TAX in Montana when comparing to other states.

[Last stop]

Proceed boldly with caution. I too lived in the south and Dallas / Houston for a few years. Montana will be quite the adjustment for you guys. - notice I now say you guys and not ya'll. lol

We've been here a year now and all and all love it and plan to stay many years. However, keep your eyes wide open and evaluate all the pros and cons. For sure (100%) do not come to Montana without a job as you will be disappointed at the time it takes and pay it equals. You will frequently find those with good education and degrees (up to PhDs) serving coffee and waiting tables. Jobs are hard to find and most take lower level and lower pay for the quality of life.

It is a GREAT place to raise a family as we have 2 boys and have spent more time outdoors in the past year that in our whole lives. It pulls them away from video games and computers and places them outside where they can be much more well rounded. We have adopted what many locals told us early on. "If you can't handle the winters, you don't deserve the summers!" That is so true as this summer has been fantastic. I travel back to the south and Texas often on biz and do NOT miss the heat and humidity and yes the TRAFFIC!

Please take a look at the thread : http://www.city-data.com/forum/monta...-missoula.html

It deals with Missoula which we love but learned some things in the process. It has all worked out for us since I travel a lot for work and did not need a local job or support.