Wondering about Williston.... (Fargo, Bismarck, Minot: for sale, houses, layoffs)

[Roloff1976]

LOL..omg...that is hilarious...is this dodg55 serious? Full of hookers? Husbands doing each others wives?... ha ha...just a little bit exaggerated...but with the grammar and mis spelling, dodg55 has to be a joke.....right?????

[SweetMomma]

You have got to be kidding me dodg55...You must have experienced it first hand right??? As for the oil workers doing others wifes there apparently has got to be a reason for it to happen...Not happy in the marriage is one and not taking care of your husband or wifely duties and being FULLY commited to the one you are with..It has nothing to do with the town its the pitiful people that think they have to go else where on the side....The Drugs...Raise your kids right and always know where they are or who they are with and they will stay away from it...There is drugs all over where i live now and i have 3 teenagers who dont partake in the crap...Bottom line..dont dis williston because of your unfortunate dealings and misery...From what i have researched and believe me i have looked at everything on williston it is a very family oriented community and a safe place to live.

[happeemommee]

I've read all these posts and with the housing shortage, I was wondering what, if any towns in the surrounding area are close enough to commute from? I've also read a couple times how a potential employer may help find housing.Are these regular jobs or those higher up the ladder?

We live in Western NC and my hubby has been laid off (from the construction industry) since September along with many many other people in this area.It's so bad here, ya can't even get hired at McDonald's, so we are willing to go just about anywhere as long as he can work and I can finish school.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Roloff1976]

happeemommee...I would look into Minot. Most of the oil jobs and lots of construction going on in Williston. But Minot is also going through a worker shortage due partly to oil, but mostly because of the Minot Airforce base expansion. They have a new wing coming in that will bring in another 1,000 jobs + families. They are building many new homes in Minot, and Minot also has a 4 year university. (Minot State). I almost think Minot would be your best bet on this one. Your husband should have no problem finding a job in construction, and you could find a part time job plus finish school.

[happeemommee]

Originally Posted by Roloff1976

happeemommee...I would look into Minot. Most of the oil jobs and lots of construction going on in Williston. But Minot is also going through a worker shortage due partly to oil, but mostly because of the Minot Airforce base expansion. They have a new wing coming in that will bring in another 1,000 jobs + families. They are building many new homes in Minot, and Minot also has a 4 year university. (Minot State). I almost think Minot would be your best bet on this one. Your husband should have no problem finding a job in construction, and you could find a part time job plus finish school.

It sounds perfect! I will look into that area. Thanks so much! I appreciate your help.

[happeemommee]

Guess I should've asked where is a good place to find these jobs listed? And maybe another site for housing? I've googled the chamber of commerce and will be ordering some generic info on the area.

Thanks again!

[FOAD]

First off, let's get this straight.

Many people in the ND forum are deranged. All they will tell you is positive news, for some perverted reason. It is easy to spot them.

What they've failed to mention is that commuting from Minot to Williston is 250 miles round trip. When you account for road conditions, you will find that you may need to spend over 3 hours one way traveling highway 2. This has been a harsh winter, and tonight there will be another 8 inches of snow dumped on Highway 2.

Another thing, is the small towns around Williston are REAL small towns. They have only a few hundred residents, a post office, a gas station and a bar or two. Many do not even have a motel, or grocery.

Don't listen to these people here, and do some research on your own FIRST. You will not like being stuck up here homeless. The nearest bus station is 130 miles away, and Amtrak only has very limited and expensive service.

There are next to zero places to rent between Culbertson, MT and Minot, ND. Everything is rented between Crosby, ND down to the South Dakota border. Finding an apartment in Bismarck 4 hours away may be your only bet.

That's the reality, with no bull.

PS: Many oil workers are living in RV campers and trying to skirt them with plywood and straw. Most little towns frown on this, as it is very unattractive, and they will likely turn you away. Without the skirting, you will probably have no running water when it gets well below zero. It has been below zero for nearly three weeks every night.

[happeemommee]

Were you saying all that to me? If so, I'm just a little confused.I think he was saying we should look into moving to Minot, instead of Williston, or atleast add it to our list of places to check out. I had asked about towns that DH could commute from, but didn't put Minot into that list.

But I do want to clarify..the surrounding towns, all within safe commuting distance, are all pretty much without houses too? And if my DH moved out there first, which is probably what would happen, how long to do families wait in general, before finding a home to rent?

Thanks for your help!

[FOAD]

Sorry, didn't realize you weren't considering commuting from Minot, but about 1/3rd of the oil workers commute from there. Some even commute from Bismarck. They have schedules where they are on worksite for about two weeks, then they go home for two weeks. They live in bunk houses in the middle of nowhere.

As for finding housing...
There haven't been any places to rent for a long time. All the extended stay motels have been full, and there are waiting lists that are months long. The homeless shelters are full, and out of money because the cost of housing has quadrupled.

Many of the oil companies retain the extended stay rooms, even if they have no people living there currently. You will not be able to outbid them.

You probably can find a place if you are desperate. You will end up buying a trailer house that probably should be condemned for 6-7 times its value. Or you could perhaps find a 3-bedroom apartment no one else wants, because it is a ripp-off. Be prepared to pay $1500+/month for it though, with frequent rent hikes. The landowners here are schooled in boom manipulation.

The way things are going, that house you pay $75k for today, may be worth only $25k by next year.

[happeemommee]

WOW!! 75K for a 25K house?!! That's insane. Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it. I'm still confused about one thing, though, the rooms that the companies keep, do they use those for regular workers or just those higher up?

Thanks!