Phoenix,AZ...to...Montana (Billings, Missoula: living in, moving to, housing)

[Euro87]

Hi,

I'm a female in my 20's and thinking about moving to Montana sometime in the future. What are some of the major differences between Great Falls & Billings?

Any input from the MT locals would be helpful. Thanks.

[rickers]

Billings is bigger, G.F. is colder in the winter. I live in western Montana so that's all I can tell you about those two. At least this reply will bump your post up, good luck.
Oh I just remembered, Billings has a Red Lobster and G.F. doesn't !

[RickieInPhx]

Since the title of this thread is what it is I think I'll post in here

I'm also living in the Phoenix area and I'm planning on moving to Montana in a few years.

I visited Montana in early November and it was just great. I'm really looking for mountains and trees so Missoula/Kalispell type areas were really nice to me. Just for the record Glacier NP was the single most beautiful place I've ever been in my life! It was more or less closed so I couldn't drive the who le "Sun" road but Lake McDonald is like something on a postcard! Amazing!

Anyway, Is there anyone on here who has lived in AZ and MT? If you dont live in a certain place its hard to tell what areas of the state or even of a particular town might be better, worse, more prone to crime, or less, etc. than others. If you have lived in Phx then I'm basically looking for somewhere like Scottsdale/North Phx type area rather than downtown or South Phx.

As far as work goes. Are there opportunities in the IT field in any certain areas more than others?

Anyway thanks for any input.

[rambrush]

Well maybe I count, Live up in Kingman and own 20.5 acres south of Anaconda in the Mt Haggin area.
Our property is not year around access unless you have a snowcat.
sits up at 7000 ft elevation year around creek 2 wetland areas, loads of wildlife.
We enjoy the Montana folks we have met and they are not stand offish or anything as some post here.
The biggest thing is get in your vehicle and drive to Montana explore the areas and look at whats out there. Realtors are not always the best source to find the perfect spot to land. You have to get out and poke and prod to locate the the gems.

[AQHA]

Originally Posted by rambrush

Well maybe I count, Live up in Kingman and own 20.5 acres south of Anaconda in the Mt Haggin area.

What is seasonal access land like that selling for Rambrush?

To answer the original question, GF and Billings are both nice places to live, Billings is just much much bigger.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by RickieInPhx

Since the title of this thread is what it is I think I'll post in here

I'm also living in the Phoenix area and I'm planning on moving to Montana in a few years.

I visited Montana in early November and it was just great. I'm really looking for mountains and trees so Missoula/Kalispell type areas were really nice to me. Just for the record Glacier NP was the single most beautiful place I've ever been in my life! It was more or less closed so I couldn't drive the who le "Sun" road but Lake McDonald is like something on a postcard! Amazing!

Anyway, Is there anyone on here who has lived in AZ and MT? If you dont live in a certain place its hard to tell what areas of the state or even of a particular town might be better, worse, more prone to crime, or less, etc. than others. If you have lived in Phx then I'm basically looking for somewhere like Scottsdale/North Phx type area rather than downtown or South Phx.

As far as work goes. Are there opportunities in the IT field in any certain areas more than others?

Anyway thanks for any input.

I've lived in Tucson and currently live 15 miles from GNP. If you're looking for Pheonix/Scotsdale size than you're looking at eastern MT. The biggest thing is the weather, 180 degrees different than where you're currently living where shorts and t-shirts rule the day, here they're only good for about 2 months at the most. On the west side I'd say Missoula is the closest you'll find to a bigger city.
You'll need to figure out and post a little more info on what you're looking for in a city, like jobs,housing,recreation etc.

[rickers]

What do you mean two months of shorts and T shirts Jim ? I'm still wearing them ! Just joking, but here in H.S. I switch to shorts and T shirts about the middle to the end of may. I go back into long pants and shirts about the end of September.
Those off grid and seasonal access properties may be cheaper than more livable property but you better be a "Jeremiah Johnson" type to live on them year round. It would be very rough living on a 7000' elevation property with seasonal access like that one mentioned above. A few hardy types live like that and sometimes get snowed in for months at a time even with snow machines.
Myself, I like being able to walk my three blocks to the store, post office and hot mineral tubs !

[jimj]

Originally Posted by rickers

What do you mean two months of shorts and T shirts Jim ? I'm still wearing them ! Just joking, but here in H.S. I switch to shorts and T shirts about the middle to the end of may. I go back into long pants and shirts about the end of September.
Those off grid and seasonal access properties may be cheaper than more livable property but you better be a "Jeremiah Johnson" type to live on them year round. It would be very rough living on a 7000' elevation property with seasonal access like that one mentioned above. A few hardy types live like that and sometimes get snowed in for months at a time even with snow machines.
Myself, I like being able to walk my three blocks to the store, post office and hot mineral tubs !

I was allowing for the may and june snow storms we sometimes get...... I just figured 2 months total as a good round number for us less "hardy" types...

[rickers]

I'm already making my spring fishing plans. I'm glad for the winter break, it gives me a chance to fix things I broke during the summer. Any one planing a move from a place like Arizona to Montana would be wise to visit in the winter first except maybe those who have lived in a state with long cold winters before.
One thing that shocks some newcomers is how fast it goes from icy cold winter to freaking hot summer ! In the winter we huddle by the wood stove and wait for summer, and when summer hits we cower in the shade and pray for winter ! I'm kinda joking but sometimes it seems that way.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by rickers

I'm already making my spring fishing plans. I'm glad for the winter break, it gives me a chance to fix things I broke during the summer. Any one planing a move from a place like Arizona to Montana would be wise to visit in the winter first except maybe those who have lived in a state with long cold winters before.
One thing that shocks some newcomers is how fast it goes from icy cold winter to freaking hot summer ! In the winter we huddle by the wood stove and wait for summer, and when summer hits we cower in the shade and pray for winter ! I'm kinda joking but sometimes it seems that way.

The age old joke.

Last year, we had fall on the 19th of September. It was a nice evening, didn't have to run the AC or the heater.