A Possible Newcomer... (Billings, Bozeman, Troy: for sale, real estate, apartment)

[Shaun85]

Without beating around the bush, I want to relocate to Montana. It is my dream and passion to be part of the West and relive history.

Currently, I work in Chicago. I love my job. Yet, I look out my window and see the Sears Tower right next to me. I look down and see crowds of people pushing and shoving to catch the bus. Sometimes on clear mornings I can see Lake Michigan which is only 1/2 a mile away from me. This is not my lifestyle, plus I really dislike this state.

I have been through Montana 2 times now and when I say going through I literally mean I've visited most of the major & smaller cities. If I'm going to survive, I'd have to aim for a larger city such as Billings. I do CAD & 3D graphics / animations so work in my field just doesn't exist in Montana, I'm fine with that. I'd give it up just to experience this state on a day-to-day lifestyle.

Do I sound crazy? Despite the hard times right now, is it impacting Montana? Thanks for your time.

[Jbechtel]

Nonsense, you can do your CAD work here in Montana. I'm a consulting engineer here. Work out of your apartment or house you'll be moving to. You don't have to be near a big city to do it. Most companies in Montana have the plotters necessary. Northwestern Energy's always looking for someone that's fast. Or better yet, go through the yellow pages and check under engineering consulting firms or A&E. Are you trained in civil or mechanical?

[mthawki]

Montana has a hard time attracting the "best and brightest" because of the lower pay. If you're willing to take a hit in income in exchange for lifesytle improvement and getting away from the ratrace, then MT is for you!

Just make sure you get a Dish when you move here, because the cable company (Bresnan) doesn't have WGN for Cubs games!

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Shaun85

Without beating around the bush, I want to relocate to Montana. It is my dream and passion to be part of the West and relive history.

Currently, I work in Chicago. I love my job. Yet, I look out my window and see the Sears Tower right next to me. I look down and see crowds of people pushing and shoving to catch the bus. Sometimes on clear mornings I can see Lake Michigan which is only 1/2 a mile away from me. This is not my lifestyle, plus I really dislike this state.

I have been through Montana 2 times now and when I say going through I literally mean I've visited most of the major & smaller cities. If I'm going to survive, I'd have to aim for a larger city such as Billings. I do CAD & 3D graphics / animations so work in my field just doesn't exist in Montana, I'm fine with that. I'd give it up just to experience this state on a day-to-day lifestyle.

Do I sound crazy? Despite the hard times right now, is it impacting Montana? Thanks for your time.

Shaun,
Go for your dream. I can't contribute with solid info about Montana, but I can tell you you're not the only one who wants to relive the Old West. For two summers we looked at properties in NE Montana from the ID border (the Yaak/Troy) to the Bitterroot Valley, and along the Clark Fork. That was our target area. But somehow prices remained high, the acreage wasn't what we wanted, if it was inexpensive it was off the grid, so on and so forth. We ended up buying 5 acres in North Idaho, actually 3 miles from the MT border with a view of MT mountains! And close to the Clark Fork River. I think it is one of the most beautiful areas in the West, with lots of history. We anticipate many MT trips in the future. We're not ready to move yet, but at least we have the land. And we intend to build a modest logcabin, not a MacMansion.

My suggestion is you zero in on a target area in MT, a place you really want to be (maybe around Bozeman), go online and look at Realtor.com, then contact a local realtor, and have 10-15 properties lined up. Then take 5-6 days vacation and look at them. Not necessarily for purchasing, but to get a better impression of what's out there, and what you want. If you're ready, do it before the market heats up again. This summer would probably be ideal. Good luck. The West is still there, waiting for you...

[AQHA]

Go west young man, go west!

[Redraven]

The latest I heard (on the radio this morning) was that Montana hasn't been hit all that bad by the drop in real estate values, and "they" (whoever "they" are) anticipate values to increase on theorder of 2.9% over the coming year.
Start by researching the JOB market, to see what is available in the area where you want to live, THEN look at housing. But, get the JOB first!
there are a few things to keep in mind about this area;
Don't think your cell phone is going to work like it does back East. out here, it is more likely to NOT have a signal everywhere except close to or in town. There are VAST areas where a cell is useless! I know of one area where you can go from "no service" to 3 or 4 bars, to "roaming" in the space of 50 yards!
unless you are in or near town, forget about cable TV. You can get satelite TV, when the rain and snow allow it to work.
In many areas your only option for internet service is dial-up. I am lucky, I get mine via microwave transmission from a tower about 5 miles away.
You will not have the airline service you are used to.
The only passenger rail service is the Empire Builder across the "hi-line", the extreme northern part of the State. It closely follows US Hwy 2.
One statement that will get you either in trouble or ignored, is, "Well, back where I come from we had this or we did it that way!" many people will be very blunt and tell you "If you liked it back there so dang much, why didn't you stay there?" Embrace the way it is here, and accept the shortcomings, and you will be very welcome. We need all the taxpayers we can get!

[rangerider]

We are getting impacted here, but it's too early to tell just how much. I'm off 50% or more in my salary so far this year, but my wife's job is going great guns. There is a lot of real estate for sale, but I don't see prices dropping anywhere near where I thought they'd be by now. The retail sector is hurting the worst.

One thing to think about...it never hurts to have more than one area of ability. The folks who survive here the best are those that are not necessarily pigeonholed into one particular profession. It is less so in the more populated areas just because of the scale of business present.

Good luck to you should you come out this way...there are a number of places to live here that offer an increasingly wider array of opportunities and lifestyles. Bozeman might offer employment positions suiting your expertise, and so would Billings. Billings has more heavy industry, Bozeman is more tech oriented and has many, many small businesses. Plus Montana State University, the Tech Ranch, et. al. Lots of networking and call for specialized subcontracting of one kind or another. Working for a firm here might mean travel, although until the recent slowdown there was a ton of work to be had around here. Two years ago the help wanted section of the local paper was two or three pages at least, now not so much.

[Jbechtel]

Shaun, here's some million dollar advice from a middle aged engineer for free here today. Find a sponser there in Chicago first, then you don't have to look for a job out here. That way you get the prevailing wages in Illinois, not here. That's what I always do. It's the lazy man's way but it works. Why find new clients when you don't have too. Your in a field like mine where you can be your own boss and Montana loves small business owners, not like Illinois. You don't have to be fulfilled working for a big company, that's just what they teach you in college. Communications in the 21st century at the home is just as good as in the office of a Fortune 500 company now. You'll be tele-conferencing all over the country instead of going into each person's office. The water cooler will be your computer. That will give you time to find local clients if you like. I even know a couple of scientists that work out of their home. I always thought they worked in laboratories. Shows how dumb I am!

[seven of nine]

Would you be able to teach CAD? I see that is in many schools here, good luck follow that dream but remember to visit in many seasons

[Shaun85]

I appreciate everyone's responses: the positive feedback and I already feel like I'm making progress. I look forward see where I bring myself.