Is OK okay for us? (Tulsa, Bartlesville: for sale, rental, job)

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

Yes, supposedly that's the "NJ question". But -- we don't live near an "exit" We're quite a ways from the Garden State Parkway, and not too near the New Jersey Turnpike. We're west of both of those highways -- a stone's throw from Pennsylvania.

People always knock on NJ for some reason or another but there are some very beautiful areas of that state; some of them quite remote. The Pine Barrens come to mind.

And then there's the Jersey Devil.



Sorry, off topic. So, to keep it on topic. Oklahoma's O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, OKLAHOMA!

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by redbird4848

Don't you plan on seeing the place BEFORE you sell?

As I explained earlier, I plan to stay in business here until we close on this place, and I can't be out of my service area Mon-Fri from 8am-4pm. AND... My wife refuses to ever fly again, so we'd have to take a drive out there for the whole family to check things out and if it looks good, to buy a place while we're there.

Our Plan B, if OK didn't work for us, would be to buy a place for cash in NH about 40 minutes from here where I could still maintain my client base and life would go on as usual.

Either way, our main goal is to be mortgage-free. We have no other debt, and to get rid of the mortgage would be awesome. Real freedom.

That being said, there is not much of a future for our children here, so I think OK would be MUCH better for them. Besides, we've lived in New England all our lives, and we think a change would be a good thing. As cool as New England was, it's not what it used to be. We're ALL ready for a new adventure and new surroundings.

The economy in OK looks better than here, and there'd be better employment and education opportunities for the kids there also. (Doesn't look bad for me either.)
We're ALL pretty psyched about it.
But as I said, we'd need to verify all our research with our own eyes.

Sound crazy? Might to some, but that's the plan.

M.

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

Goodpasture, I would rep you but can't. You are hilarious.
Good luck CG. If you get the chance, you should fly out and check the area out even if it's only for a couple of days. Have you narrowed down the area yet?

We're focusing on the North Eastern part of the state at this time for MANY reasons,
but we're keeping an open mind until we actually get there and check things out. The other side of the state has plenty to offer also...

Wife won't fly, and I'd never make a big decision like that unilaterally, so we WILL be doing a road trip.

It would also be good for us to see the country... You see a LOT more driving than flying.

The farthest North we've ever been was WAY up in Quebec, the farthest South was Key West, the farthest West was Niagara Falls Ont. and we know most of the North East intimately. It's time to broaden our horizons.

M.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I told you folks from the gitgo to go somewhere else....you won't like me or anyone else around here all that much. We tend to be mixed, politically......the country folk tend to be yellow dog Democrats, those sissys in the city tend to be Republicans that think everyone needs to be just like them or they aren't American or something. A Copenhagen can is formal attire, there are two kinds of music....country, and western.....except in town and you can hear the boom box cars hip hopping from three blocks away. We get into heated arguments.....mostly about OU and OSU football. We tend to shoot subdivision dogs when they pack up and chase the goats or cows. You can't get through a day without being asked to visit a church of one sort or another. Gun control is being able to hit what you are pointing at. Like I said, most of you won't much like it around here.....too many chiggers, ticks, scorpions, and yellowjackets.....too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter (got down to 39 last night). Not enough malls and game rooms. Too many potholes in the roads, often there's too much police (Take Okmulgee for example, you got the State Police, the City Police, the County Police and the Creek Nation Lighthorse). I tell you......come and visit and spend some of those dollars, but think twice before you move in.

I don't see what folks don't like about Vinita. It is in the Cherokee Nation, which is pretty good on it's own, there is a Judge Goodpasture there that is supposed to be as fair and honest as they come, the state mental hospital is there so there is long term employment (we really don't have all that many crazy people and those we do have usually get sent off to Texas). It isn't far to Grand Lake and Lake Hudson.You just gotta be prepared to deal with a bunch of Cherokee and a few Delaware and Miami.

You know how Pasadena has the rose festival, and Muskogee has an azalea festival and other cities have tulip festivals and flower festivals of all kinds? Vinita has a calf fry festival (http://www.vinita.com/events/calffry_07.html)........now (broken link) you tell me, what smells better? a bunch of roses and azaleas and other fancy flowers, or that deep fried smell of fresh calf fries? I don't know about you folks, but that is an easy easy choice........

So, to close this post, let me remind you that unless you are looking for a place with people with bad attitudes, and that make a competition out of calf fries.....you might just wanna stay home.

Good Lord what did I miss here!!!!! Goodpasture your hilarious!

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

The wife has been checking out all the suggested areas on realtor.com (and local Realtor sites) and we've found a few properties that meet our requirements... Not that they'll still be available when we get there. But it does look like we'd be able to find something when the time comes.

If you find something you like and want more information, let me or Schousse know....we are members of both the OKC and Tulsa MLS systems and have computer access to all the tax records in the state.

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

Hope that doesn't happen again. We seem to have the worst timing.
Wish us luck... We'll need it.

Find one you want, put a offer on the table contingent on you selling in NH

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

It would be really nice to get out of Dodge before the REAL NH Winter starts.

Thought Dodge City was in Kansas....is there one in NH too?


You should at least make it out for the calf fry festival

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by TheComputerGuy

Don't blame me... It's my friend's fault that I asked!



I've only been in NJ once... To take the kids to Six Flags, way back when....

The only thing I know about NJ is that they have Draconian gun laws...
(And from other posts you've made on the forum, I'm sure you agree... My kids learned shooting and gun safety at an early age also.)

From what I can see here and from other research, you'll (and I would) like OK... Although NH has better carry laws... (Not as good as AK and VT though.)
But WAY better than NJ!

Do you plan to visit OK any time soon?
Due to employment obligations, I won't be able to set foot on the ground there until I sell my place in NH... Hope you don't suffer from such constraints.

Even though I'm not an Okie (yet), Welcome aboard!

M.

We are in the process of refinancing our house now so we can take out some money to buy in OK. As soon as the refinancing is done we're putting our house up for sale. Probably in about 10 days. Right now the plan is for myself, DH and DD to fly down January 2 for a few days. We hope to find something we like and put in an offer. Then hopefully close soon enough so we can leave NJ by the end of January, beginning of Februrary. DH will come back and "babysit" the house, and I and my two teenagers will stay in OK. If the house doesn't sell in six months, we're going to rent it out until the market improves. He will continue his job search from New Jersey and if he gets a job before the six months are up, he'll come down and we'll just rent the house out. I really don't want to be an absent landlord, but things are moving SO SLOWLY here with house sales that I'm not planning on it selling. Preparing for the worse, hoping for the best.

[Synopsis]

colleen,
I've got some land in SE Oklahoma. It's out in the woods a bit but there is a house on it and I'll gladly rent it out to you. It's not in the best shape, but hey.... FIXER UPPER!!!!




Just Kidding! I really do wish you and your family the best. If there is any way I can help with any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

[peggydavis]

You are probably so excited, Colleen, but nervous too. I hope you find a place you like and the weather is nice while you are here. Let me know if you have any concerns.

Synopsis, that picture is funny. I wonder if that is a for sale sign in front of the house.

[Goodpasture]

that is an original log house......what are you asking for it?

[Nameless]

ComputerGuy: Have you made any progress in your search? Any particular area you're more interested in now?