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Old 07-22-2009, 11:15 AM
 
11 posts, read 39,608 times
Reputation: 12

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I want to apologize for this long post, but I feel like venting!

I am from MI, born and raised in the country about 45 min from Grand Rapids. I worked I GR and built my house by myself in the country 20min east of GR on an old apple orchard, I had nearly everything I wanted at the time, I had a decent though not particularly enjoyable PT lob that would pay all the bills, I also had a lawn car business that I was just starting, so not making much money, but I enjoyed doing it. The economy was going down hill pretty fast, but my job was not really in any jeopardy. My wife is a dog groomer, she was still making decent money, but almost half the customers where she worked had moved, lost their job or just couldn't afford to have their dog groomed any more. So we sold our 3 year old house, that I built, for less then the amount we had into it in materials and moved to AZ, Phoenix specifically.

Now Phoenix is supposed to be temporary, we are supposed to move north to a smaller town. I had visited out here twice, and it was ok. Norhtern AZ is not too hot, rarely over 90. The thing I didn't notice when visiting is how dirty it is. Someone told me (my sister in law who lives here) that it wasn't dusty, I am begining to think she just wante us to move out here so she wasn't alone. Anyway, I have been here 4 weeks, and y car was dusty, It was about to rain for the first time, so I backed my car out of the garage to let the rain rinse it off. Eveidently, the rain here is dirty! nver heard of that before. Not only are the cars dirty, the rain dirty, I sweep the back pourch off in the morning and it is allready dirty in the evening.

Back when we were trying to pick a place to move, I suggested MT. My wife has always been stuck on AZ. Northern AZ can be beutiful, but I would rather visit then live here. Anyway, my wifes reason for not going to MT is she doesn't think people will pay to have their dogs groomed and boarded. Our plan is to open a dog care facility. We know here in norhtern AZ poeple pay a lot of money for they dogs care. Would a buisness like this be sucsessfull in MT?

I work for UPS and am getting a transfer out here to northern AZ. I can't tranfer again right away. My wife has recently began to be kinda money hungry, want to make a bunch of money. My philosophy is more, make what yo can, and do most you can with it. As I said I am a country boy, I would live to live in the middle of norwhere. I would like to be no more than 30 min from town of 50,000 poeple or so. I am a car guy too. I absolutley must live on a paved road, so my car can stay clean. I can do almost anything as far as a job. I was a licsenced builder in MI, I am nearly a lic. Auto mechanic, and I am a supervisor for UPS.

I am 28 and my wife just turned 26. we are quite string republicans, really conservative financially and want the gov to stay out of our buisness. How ever, I love doing the liberal type activities, moutnain biking, skiing, hiking

Sorry for the life story, and the long post, maybe you can suggest a good place in MT, and help me convince my wife to move there! thank you.
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Old 07-22-2009, 12:02 PM
 
Location: In The Outland
6,023 posts, read 13,989,250 times
Reputation: 3535
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockyrunner99 View Post
Not only are the cars dirty, the rain dirty, I sweep the back pourch off in the morning and it is allready dirty in the evening.

help me convince my wife to move there! thank you.

It really hard to keep a car clean in Montana especially in the winter and I've seen it rain muddy raindrops in Montana due to a dust storm in eastern Washington once.
If you want to convince your wife to move here just bring her for a vacation she will either want to live here or she will say no way !
We had a thirty below zero cold snap last winter and other areas got colder than that.
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Old 07-22-2009, 01:09 PM
 
Location: western montana
214 posts, read 598,847 times
Reputation: 88
Northern Arizona is definately more dusty than western Montana except for Flag. area. Once you leave Phoenix you'll be washing your car more no matter which way you guys decide to go. But you can keep classic cars here in Montana and they'll do just fine. They do hand washing just like in Phoenix during the summer months in a lot of the towns here, but it's not quite like Wise Guys. You'll need to store them in the worst part of the winter. The Jeep I brought up here to Montana has had a sweet life because it left Arizona. Less cars on the road to hit it. No rust. They don't get sun rot up here like they would in the Flag/Phoenix area, too. People in Montana aren't as self concious about how clean their truck or car looks like Phoenix people. In fact, the dirtier or muddier your truck looks the more jealous they are because they figure your having more fun then they are. It will be a little bit of a culture shock, especially for your wife. I'm assuming that's where your wife wants to try living at is Flagstaff? Cause you mentioned it doesn't go over 90 degrees. Everyone has a different take on what defines northern Az. Are you thinking about Page maybe? The chain stores up here do dog grooming and a lot of small business owners, too. Since Arizona's doing so poorly right now you might want to convince your wife on trying the business up here. I would just hate being a UPS driver here in the winter,though.

Last edited by Jbechtel; 07-22-2009 at 01:41 PM..
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Old 07-22-2009, 06:19 PM
 
120 posts, read 376,665 times
Reputation: 107
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockyrunner99 View Post
The thing I didn't notice when visiting is how dirty it is. Someone told me (my sister in law who lives here) that it wasn't dusty, I am begining to think she just wante us to move out here so she wasn't alone.
Sounds like New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment". When asking someone from New Mexico why it's so darned dusty there, the likely reply will be, "That's not dust, that's 'enchantment'".

As far as towns with a population of at least 50,000, your choices are limited:

Billings -- 103,994
Missoula -- 68,202
Great Falls -- 59,251
Bozeman -- 39,442
Butte-Silver Bow* -- 32,119
Helena -- 29,351
Kalispell -- 21,182

I included cities with populations under 50,000 because, if you count all the nearby cities and outlying areas, those easily go over 50,000 as well.
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Old 07-23-2009, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Where the mountains touch the sky
6,740 posts, read 8,501,590 times
Reputation: 14908
The best advice is to come and see what the state is like for yourself. Advice that we can give you is going to have to be pretty broad based as Montana is a huge state, and sections are almost independent states within a state. It is hard to compare Ekalaka to Eureka, or Dillon to Glasgow.

There are some larger communities as Fodderman indicated, but there are many smaller towns within an hours drive of larger settlements that are very different from the city.

Michigan is a lot greener, wetter place than Montana. Montana gets a lot more rain and snow than Arizona.

There are a lot of Dog Care places around, and they seem to be busy.
I think your main concern is what is most comfortable for the way you want to live. Wages are lower in Montana, land prices are coming down some but still way too high especially in the Western half of the state.

Visit. Take a few weeks in different seasons and actually see what is here. Montana isn't a utopia, just a great place to live.

Check it out, make an informed desision and you will be a lot happier than if you move here from a web boards advice and are completely disenchanted.
We welcome hard working conservative young couples with drive. You would be a good addition to the State by your post.

Come visit and see for yourself!
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Old 07-24-2009, 01:30 PM
 
3 posts, read 7,883 times
Reputation: 10
I agree, you need to come up and check it out. You might want to look at the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana...very pretty valley just south of Missoula. Small towns, friendly people, yet within easy driving distance to a big city and college town. Good luck!
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Old 04-01-2010, 02:29 PM
 
2 posts, read 5,647 times
Reputation: 10
Default economy tough everywhere but NV and Texas

Big Boy
Check out the area around Boz to Harrison.......economy is tough everywhere...do not plan on it being any different there........do not plan on finding a job that will pay more than 10 an hour......unless you have a professional certified job.
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