Where to even begin...please help (Billings, Great Falls: real estate, low crime, homes)

[Pooka218]

my family and i are interested in moving to montana....we need somewhere that is affordable with low crime and would love to have a mountain view somewhere....we dont necessarily need to be in a big town, a small one is actually preferred. i am trying to research and see what area would be best suited for us but i dont even know where to begin in my search...as far as work goes, my husband does several things, he is a pizza maker, he has also done office work, and landscaping. i am so confused at this point and don't know where to even begin...if anyone can please help it would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance

[MTSilvertip]

Wow, you just described about 1/2 the towns in Montana.

A small town with low crime rates, view of a mountain or 2, those are easy.
Affordable, that puts you east of the divide, but away from places like Bozeman.

Jobs are always a big question. Right now most jobs are along the North Dakota boarder with the oilfields, and away from the mountains.

You can look in areas around Billings for example, more jobs, fewer mountains, but if you locate to somewhere such as Columbus or Park City, the commute to Billings for work isn't bad, the Beartooth Mountains are to the South, Both are small towns and pretty decent places to live, plus you have the Yellowstone River at your door.

There are a hundred places from the Canadian boarder to the Wyoming boarder, and basically from the Continental Divide to Fort Peck Lake, and along the southern tier you can include the Pryor Mountains which will take you further east.

The farther away from larger towns you are, the better the crime rate and the more affordable the homes are, but there are fewer jobs.

If you basically look at a map of Montana and cut the center 1/3, you would be in the ball park for what information I have to work with.

West of the divide is very nice, but far more expensive. You could include the southwest corner as well, but Beaverhead county has experienced some growth and the land can be pretty pricey there.
Close to Great Falls, Helena or Butte the land is more expensive than if you are 30+ miles away from them.

I can only give you very broad ideas here as the perameters you have given are really non specific.
If you wish to define your criteria a little better we would be able to give you a more specific choice and information.

Good Luck.

[bongo403]

MTSilvertip had good advice, although there are a few places in western Montana that are relatively affordable. Check out Anaconda and Deer Lodge. I know real estate prices in both those towns are quite low right now compared to other areas in the western part of the state.

[Pooka218]

thank you both for the input...i know my search criteria is vague, its because i don't even know what town to begin with in MT....i do know that i did come to the realization that mountains are not life or death, we can always visit them.....MTSilvertip thank you for breaking down things...i am going to research and research more and then send for info on the areas that we pick...

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by Pooka218

thank you both for the input...i know my search criteria is vague, its because i don't even know what town to begin with in MT....i do know that i did come to the realization that mountains are not life or death, we can always visit them.....MTSilvertip thank you for breaking down things...i am going to research and research more and then send for info on the areas that we pick...

...........Since it appears you are not very familiar with Montana................may I suggest that you click on the: "Montana Winter Weather Alerts" thread (it is one line below your post).

Read it thoroughly..................it is representative of the type of weather (and dangers) that can be very common from early November throught the month of April........................

Being from Florida,......are you prepared for this type of weather for 6 months out of 12?????...................THINK ABOUT IT

[Pooka218]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

...........Since it appears you are not very familiar with Montana................may I suggest that you click on the: "Montana Winter Weather Alerts" thread (it is one line below your post).

Read it thoroughly..................it is representative of the type of weather (and dangers) that can be very common from early November throught the month of April........................

Being from Florida,......are you prepared for this type of weather for 6 months out of 12?????...................THINK ABOUT IT

thanks I will check out the thread
i am originally from ny so I've experienced snow and winters but I've been told they dont compare to over there

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Pooka218

thanks I will check out the thread
i am originally from ny so I've experienced snow and winters but I've been told they dont compare to over there

They really don't. In Montana, the forgotten news source, you will find som wind, some cold, some winter that will kick your butt.

Many many years ao I was young and stupid about winter. I was born and raised on a farm where I would get out there in the white and blowing cold and get r done. I thought just putting on a pair of insulated cold pants and heading out into the cold was qualifying me as bad. Well, it didn't make out to be that way. I fought that cold. Then I went and lived in 38 different states. Found out I didn't know what winter was.

Since then, I've lived in -58 degrees below zero. No, there was no wind. It was bone cold -58 degrees below zero. When it's that cold the term cold doesn't enter into the formula. So I've seen cold. I've seen new york below zero, but I've never seen that far below zero.

[Pooka218]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

They really don't. In Montana, the forgotten news source, you will find som wind, some cold, some winter that will kick your butt.

Many many years ao I was young and stupid about winter. I was born and raised on a farm where I would get out there in the white and blowing cold and get r done. I thought just putting on a pair of insulated cold pants and heading out into the cold was qualifying me as bad. Well, it didn't make out to be that way. I fought that cold. Then I went and lived in 38 different states. Found out I didn't know what winter was.

Since then, I've lived in -58 degrees below zero. No, there was no wind. It was bone cold -58 degrees below zero. When it's that cold the term cold doesn't enter into the formula. So I've seen cold. I've seen new york below zero, but I've never seen that far below zero.

wow that is quite cold....im still dong my homework and taking into consideration what ppl are telling me.....just trying to weigh the options of various states and see what is what

[Threerun]

My son and I were out swapping and lowering the US flag this a.m. Our troop takes care of the big flag flying in Helena- 30x50 in size...

It was zero on the thermometer in my jeep. After 20 minutes my toes got a little cold.

But -50??? That's damned cold

[Pooka218]

Originally Posted by Threerun

My son and I were out swapping and lowering the US flag this a.m. Our troop takes care of the big flag flying in Helena- 30x50 in size...

It was zero on the thermometer in my jeep. After 20 minutes my toes got a little cold.

But -50??? That's damned cold

thats like antarctic temps