Things to know if you are moving to Montana. (Bozeman: low income, apartment)

[rickers]

Originally Posted by Mr Miker

All in all, Thompson Falls is a nice town, pretty quiet.

The trails on the island are nice. There are good spots to see the dams and the fishing can be good. Here is a picture I took from out the window of our truck on Hwy 200 just east of Thompson Falls.

[xlsdraw]

Montanadreamers, sounds like your going about things the right way. Moving as a family unit particularly with younger children makes things alot easier. My wife and I tried it a couple of years ago buying a place in a subdivision on the Jefferson River and spent two summers there. The second summer was supposed to be a permanent move. We left our two grown mid 20's daughters behind in Central Florida. They had already started their careers and lived close by. My wife couldn't handle not having our daughters close. She got so homesick that she made my life so miserable that we had to move back to Florida. I loved Montana so much that I seriously contemplated sending her back by herself. If we'd just made the move when the girls were younger it would have worked out. Now I've got a house out there for sale during the worst real estate market in decades. I was looking for exactly the same things that your looking for and I found it in Montana. Just didn't make the move at the right time. Worst mistake I've ever made.

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by xlsdraw

Montanadreamers, sounds like your going about things the right way. Moving as a family unit particularly with younger children makes things alot easier. My wife and I tried it a couple of years ago buying a place in a subdivision on the Jefferson River and spent two summers there. The second summer was supposed to be a permanent move. We left our two grown mid 20's daughters behind in Central Florida. They had already started their careers and lived close by. My wife couldn't handle not having our daughters close. She got so homesick that she made my life so miserable that we had to move back to Florida. I loved Montana so much that I seriously contemplated sending her back by herself. If we'd just made the move when the girls were younger it would have worked out. Now I've got a house out there for sale during the worst real estate market in decades. I was looking for exactly the same things that your looking for and I found it in Montana. Just didn't make the move at the right time. Worst mistake I've ever made.

Wow X, so sorry that you were not able to go on to that dream. Us moms often have a hard time letting go but in the long run we are with our husbands longer than our children so IMO marriage first.
Sure you can not come back? If not come to the let's visit thread and we will enjoy neighborly chats to help your get you Montana fix. Good luck.

[rickers]

Another thing to watch out for is that I'm thinking that if a man and woman lives as a married couple without having a marriage licence or ceremony for six months or longer then the couple becomes legally married as a common law marriage. I could be mistaken about this though.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by rickers

Another thing to watch out for is that I'm thinking that if a man and woman lives as a married couple without having a marriage licence or ceremony for six months or longer then the couple becomes legally married as a common law marriage. I could be mistaken about this though.

Montana Recognizes "Common Law Marriage". It is one of only 16 that
do recognize Common Law Marriages.

Requirements:

Cohabitation...(but not for any "specific time period")*

An Agreement to be Married.

Must have the mental capacity to consent to Marriage.

Reputation of being Married (i.e. using the same last name, filing joint tax return, accepted by the community as being married, etc.)

*There is a common mis-conception that if a couple lives together for a certain length of time (one year, 5 years, 7 years etc), that you are if fact
"Common-Law- Married". This is not true in any of the 50 states or D.C.

If, after you have satisfied all the requirements of a Common Law Marriage (based on the fact that the state you live in recognizes Common Law Marriages, you decide to split and go your own ways.....You must get a legal Divorce.

Interesting, eh!

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

Montana Recognizes "Common Law Marriage". It is one of only 16 that do recognize Common Law Marriages.

Requirements: [snipped]

Makes sense in context: Two people make a life together but (back in the horse and buggy days) lived days from the nearest judge or preacher or whoever was legally entitled to tie their knot -- so this makes a reasonable alternative. It also assumes that average adults are capable of managing their own, uh, affairs. We need more of that!

One of the old-time ways to seal a marriage was to jump over a broomstick together. Some friends here did a slight variation on that -- over the broomstick and into the pool -- still in their tux and gown!

[MontanaGulcher]

Montana, since the mid seventies hippies have invaded destroying jobs and selling off Homestead Act agriculture land to rich Real Estate investors from Goldman Sacs and Bilderberg Group elites. They think the Government owes them free health care and free food. Western Montana, especially not Missoula or Helena, is not welcoming to hard-working conservative Americans.

[Reedsmit]

Daughter is moving to MT in Jan, from FL. Rather than shipping or driving the 2500 miles we will buy a car in Bozeman. Three questions: Is 4 wheel drive recommended? Is a block heater necessary? If she has snow tires does she also need tire chains? Thank you for your help.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by Reedsmit

Daughter is moving to MT in Jan, from FL. Rather than shipping or driving the 2500 miles we will buy a car in Bozeman. Three questions: Is 4 wheel drive recommended? Is a block heater necessary? If she has snow tires does she also need tire chains? Thank you for your help.

"Yes" to all three*, And don't forget the "snuggies"!!
* That is if you don't want to worry about her when you check out the Bozeman weather forecast this winter (late Jan, Feb ) and notice there is a Winter Storm Warning which quite possibly would include heavy snow fall (1 to 2 feet) with winds to 50 mph and potential wind chill down to MINUS 40F.

Bozeman IS NOT in the "Banana Belt" of Montana (like Hamilton is).

A lot depends upon where she will be living in the Bozeman area; will she have a garage and is she at all familiar with driving in Montana Winter type weather, and on snow and ice covered roads.

[rickers]

[quote=Montana Griz;11430663Bozeman IS NOT in the "Banana Belt" of Montana (like Hamilton is). A lot depends upon where she will be living in the Bozeman area; will she have a garage and is she at all familiar with driving in Montana Winter type weather, and on snow and ice covered roads.[/quote]

Yup, and even in the "banana belt" type of areas you can still get plenty of snow and sub zero temps. I rarely see folks using tire chains in Montana, once in a while you may see a big rig with them on if the conditions are really bad. We used to cross snow covered passes almost every weekend for years selling at events during the winter and we never even had studs, just snow and mud tires on our 4x4 rig. Front wheel drive cars do well on dicey roads and studs do help when there is ice.
Here is a picture of the road while driving through a winter weather system. Doesn't it look fun ?!