Coming to Great Falls very soon! (Missoula, Big Sky: real estate, apartment, rentals)

[avman1]

Hello all,

I've been looking around on the thread since I found it this morning looking for home rentals in Great Falls and general information such as utilities and heating costs.

I'm coming home from the middle east after spending 5 years over here working and blowing most of my money on getting married and having a child and well, life happens.

I found a good job in Great Falls and decided to make the big jump back to the states but having never visited Montana before (I have heard a lot of good things) I need as much information as I can get. Good or bad, what ever info you can help me out with would be great.

Most of my concerns right now center on finding a single family rental home and heating and utility costs. Are most houses gas heated or fuel oil?

I know I'm going to suffer the first winter. In Kuwait the winter temps are 40's to 60's, summer is 110 to 130. My blood is thin!

Any help would be appreciated.

[MHT]

Originally Posted by avman1

Hello all,

I've been looking around on the thread since I found it this morning looking for home rentals in Great Falls and general information such as utilities and heating costs.

I'm coming home from the middle east after spending 5 years over here working and blowing most of my money on getting married and having a child and well, life happens.

I found a good job in Great Falls and decided to make the big jump back to the states but having never visited Montana before (I have heard a lot of good things) I need as much information as I can get. Good or bad, what ever info you can help me out with would be great.

Most of my concerns right now center on finding a single family rental home and heating and utility costs. Are most houses gas heated or fuel oil?

I know I'm going to suffer the first winter. In Kuwait the winter temps are 40's to 60's, summer is 110 to 130. My blood is thin!

Any help would be appreciated.

Great Falls is a great town. You'll be hard pressed to find better people - although that is true of most of MT and WY. The town itself has been a bit depressed but is coming back. We're from Fairfield which is a small town west of G.F. but are now in WY. We loved it there and plan to move back when we retire. It gets very cold in the winter but doesn't stay that way. It may be -30 one day and get up to 60 the next. Lots of sun. Not too hot in the summer although it may get to 100 it cools off at night. I'm not sure about the housing situation there right now but you can check on the newspaper website www.greatfallstribune.com, realtor.com or check with some local real estate agents. There are several offices that deal with property management and may be able to help you find a place. The Charlie Russell museum in G.F. is great, as is the river, quite a few activities going on around town. In another thread there was quite a bit of information about G.F. - some negative - but we never had a problem while we were there with anything. Really miss it and can't wait to get back.

[avman1]

I found the thread with some of the negative comments and all I have to say about that is, any problems that city may have, I have seen and lived through worse over here in the middle east. Meth freaks and drunk drivers don't usualy carry AK's and wear suicide belts.

I'm looking forward to going. might drive my wife a little nuts being that she's a big city girl from Bucharest, Romania but the area reminds me of transylvania so she might like it just fine.

Now for an important question. How much does a hunting license cost and are any animals on a lottery system or are they all plentiful enough to just get your tags and go? I want a mulie, elk, and moose. I'm sick of white tail.

My thanks

[MHT]

Originally Posted by avman1

I found the thread with some of the negative comments and all I have to say about that is, any problems that city may have, I have seen and lived through worse over here in the middle east. Meth freaks and drunk drivers don't usualy carry AK's and wear suicide belts.

I'm looking forward to going. might drive my wife a little nuts being that she's a big city girl from Bucharest, Romania but the area reminds me of transylvania so she might like it just fine.

Now for an important question. How much does a hunting license cost and are any animals on a lottery system or are they all plentiful enough to just get your tags and go? I want a mulie, elk, and moose. I'm sick of white tail.

My thanks

I'm not sure. Check on the Montana Fish & Game website. Meanwhile I'll call my nephew tonight and ask him. He's a game warden in central MT and see what I can find out.

[avman1]

I'm looking more to rent at this point than buy. I've never been to Montana and it all depends on how well I like where I am (as well as the wife). Personaly I think I will love it.

It is nice to know that I can be put in contact with not only a fellow new yorker but also a fellow Navy vet. I may just do that.

Since I have to go back to NY first when I get back to buy a vehicle and load up my tools, does any one have any advice on what my route should be coming from NY. I've looked at the maps but would like to hear from people who know the state since it will be the depths of winter and all. All the way up to MN shouldn't be a problem but crossing ND and MT has me thinking.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Originally Posted by avman1

I'm looking more to rent at this point than buy. I've never been to Montana and it all depends on how well I like where I am (as well as the wife). Personaly I think I will love it.

It is nice to know that I can be put in contact with not only a fellow new yorker but also a fellow Navy vet. I may just do that.

Since I have to go back to NY first when I get back to buy a vehicle and load up my tools, does any one have any advice on what my route should be coming from NY. I've looked at the maps but would like to hear from people who know the state since it will be the depths of winter and all. All the way up to MN shouldn't be a problem but crossing ND and MT has me thinking.

Actually, it gets better the farther west you get..... We Do Not Have Freezing Rain in Great falls. And usually the wind clears the interstate quite nicely.

Minnesota, Wisconsin and points east get freezing rain a bunch... a bearcat to drive in, ....or not... if you park and wait it out.

Big digs going on here in Great Falls, a couple of new Walgreens goin' up, a multi-million dollar housing project going on at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Scheels is re-building in a big way, Coal Fire Plant planned for construction (next year), and the Malt Plant is nearing completion.

Electricity bills really kind of blow though, that and gas are out of sight from what we are used to. Montana Power sort'a bailed on us a few years ago, leaving the utilities to the money grubbing easterners.

Other than all of that, Great Falls is heaven on earth.... It's like how Missoula used to be 20 or so years ago.... before all of the Californians decided to move in........heh heh

Life under The Big Sky is paradise
Good luck on your trip west.......

[avman1]

Thanks. How is the rental home market there?

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Originally Posted by avman1

Thanks. How is the rental home market there?

On average, you can get a rental/3bedroom/washer/dryer/off street parking/fenced yard/quiet neighborhood for about 500 bucks a month... minus utilities.

[avman1]

nice, I'm paying 3 times that for a 2 bedroom apartment in kuwait.

[avman1]

Out of curiosity, what is the morning drive to say, the airport like on an average work week morning?

And how often is the airfield closed due to weather?