NH moving to Livingston area... ? (Bozeman, Whitehall: real estate, house, find a job)

[aunlanpo]

We're looking to move to the Livingston area, and can not find affordable housing anywhere. By affordable, I mean at least 2 acres where we can have chickens, with a house at least 1700 sq ft, for under $180,000 in a good school district. Is that just a pipe dream? We don't mind a bit of a commute, up to 45 minutes. Any ideas where we should look?

[grizzfan]

I hope that you have already found employment in Livingston or don't need to be employed. Housing prices in town are on the climb but less than in Bozeman for example, by a huge factor.

Livingston has only one school district and, depending on where you choose to live in the town determines where your children go to school. The one HS has had some headline discipline problems the past couple of year; I don't know what that's all about but I'd ask some one on the school board or the school.

Commuting in Montana in the Winter is not fun and can be potentially very dangerous because of blowing snow, ice and cold. But, being from NH you are probably aware of that. Just be forwarned. If you really have to commute check out the Shields River Valley. I suspect land prices there might be less than in the Yellowstone River Valley for example.

Get hold of a realtor - I don't know anyone anymore that I could recommend; see if the Yardleys are still in the business - I know the family and they are good people.

Good luck!

[bigtrees]

Commuting in Montana is gauged in miles rather than minutes (big difference between small towns and cities). You can go 30 miles in the summer in 45 minutes pretty easily but don't count on that in the winter, 30 miles can take an hour or two if you get there at all. Winters will be very, very harsh and very, very windy. Not sure if you are really up to tending you chickens when it is 30 below zero and blowing 50 miles per hour? I'm not kidding - the coldest day I saw in Montana was -32 below zero and there was no wind that day (Bozeman, MT). Livington is known to be on the of the most windy parts of the country. There is no way I can accurately describe how cold 32 below zero is except to say that you don't spend much time outside.

Grizzfan is not kidding about the job situation - you'll be hard pressed to find "gainful employment" in much of Montana. Housing prices are not determined by local incomes but what outsiders can pay for housing.

You don't need 2 acres to have chickens. Some of my co-workers own chickens in Seattle, WA on a city lot. You'll want to be careful with the wild animals - sometimes they will get you chickens.

Big thing about Livingston is the wind always blows. It was very rarely not blowing in Bozeman when I went to college there and Livingston is much worse.

[winterprahl]

These responses are hilarious! MT isn't Siberia! I moved to Livingston 11 years ago from NH and think the winters here are more mild. The dry cold never feels as cold as the humid freezing rain in NH. I've also never lost my power for 9 days because of freezing rain storms like my family in NH. I do agree that you should ask a real estate agent for pricing because there is a huge range. We bought our house in town on 2 city lots 5 years ago for right around $100,000. And, you can have chickens within the city limits here. As far as commuting goes, my husband has a 45 minute commute each way to work. He has only missed work twice in five years because of weather. Also a lot of people commute from Livingston to Bozeman for work, and the good news, there's a bus! Hope this helps!

[ladyflyfsh]

Winterprahl, is the wind really as bad as people claim? It is very windy in Whitehall do you know if Livingston is worse or the same?

[grizzfan]

I've never associated Whitehall with wind. On the other hand, Livingston is very windy. Blasts out of the north one day, the south the next! Some years ago a wind turbine project was initiated only to have all the towers collapse in the wind. Driving over the flats on I-90 overlooking the town from the south is very dangerous in the wind and each year there are several 18-wheelers blown over or off the road.

[rickers]

The weekend I spent in Livingston I couldn't wear my favorite ball-cap outdoors. I stuck in in the rig after chasing it for a quarter mile while out in the parking lot at a gun show.

[Analysis]

It is hilarious to hear how y'all think MT is cold, you have obviously never lived in the east coast or even Minnesota! I tell you it's heaven here by contrast.
It's windy in Livingston but not much in Bozeman. If you could find a job I think Lston would meet your requirements and lots of people have chickens there in the town, I just got some great eggs from a friend a week ago!