Considering moving to Springfield, please help (Nixa, Ozark: apartment, renting, lofts)

[Legend9370]

Hello, I'm really considering moving to Springfield MO or any towns that surround it. Right now I live in MA. I am planning to move in a year, maybe in 2. I am single, not married. Which part of town would be the safest in terms of crime, etc (N, S, E, W)? Or towns like Republic, Nixa, Ozark is the better option? Also I'm looking for 1 bedroom apartment, how much does it cost in Springfield area? Another thing is, how easy is it to find a job there? I'm looking to work in a pizza restaurant or something like that for now. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

[christina0001]

Springfield is overall quite safe. Hopefully others can direct you to what neighborhoods are the most safe, or are less desireable.
If I were you, I wouldn't go to the 'burbs. Suburbs out here are going to be smaller than what you are used to in MA. Frankly, on the east coast a lot of the suburban towns have as much or more going on than Springfield itself. So I would strongly encourage you to go directly to Springfield, at least at first and until you get a better feel for the area. Of course there will be more job opportunities in Springfield than in the 'burbs.
https://www.missouricareersource.com/mcs/mcs/login_jobseek.seek (broken link)
Springfied Jobs from ozarksnow.com, Springfield News-Leader and CareerBuilder.com

[Saj227]

I agree with Chrstina that most parts of Springfield are safe, and really none of it compares to crime in larger cities. The most desirable areas of Springfield would be the East side/South East, and the areas adjacent to MSU, and places near downtown (though some areas west of downtown are the worst.) If you're looking for a 1 bedroom, it really depends on what you want, do you want surburban, downtown, near shopping areas, universities, etc. Finding an affordable place is easy here, a one bedroom can range from $300 a month, to a more upspcale apartment can can go up to $650-700 for a one bedroom. Lofts are an option too, but you generally pay more in utilities. Jobs can be hit or miss here, but we are still seeing job growth in this economy. You stated that you want a restaurant job, and that should be no trouble at all.

[Legend9370]

Thank you so much for the info. It would be interesting to know how much 1 bedroom would be in say between suburban and downtown region. Like E/SE side. From what you said, I would estimate $400-$500. And are the utilities that expensive?
Another thing I'm curious about, how much would a small home cost? I heard it's pretty cheap but how cheap?

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by Legend9370

Thank you so much for the info. It would be interesting to know how much 1 bedroom would be in say between suburban and downtown region. Like E/SE side. From what you said, I would estimate $400-$500. And are the utilities that expensive?
Another thing I'm curious about, how much would a small home cost? I heard it's pretty cheap but how cheap?

It depends where you want to live. You can pick up a small, "fixer upper" house in North Springfield for $35,000. You can pick up a pretty nice older house around St Johns for $75,000. And, you can buy a really nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch in a relatively new subdivision for around $100,000. Very reasonable compared to a lot of places in the US.

20yrsinBranson

[christina0001]

Keep in mind too, property taxes are dirt cheap compared to the coast. My annual property taxes are less than what my friends back in NJ pay PER MONTH.

Having said that, I recommend renting before buying, to give you time to get to know the area and be sure you are happy here.

[GraniteStater]

Don't expect any price appreciation for housing ever for the most part in rural MO as well as the Springfield area. No wage growth, little job growth, and too much supply= downward pressure on prices. Very bad for sellers, but good for buyers.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Don't expect any price appreciation for housing ever for the most part in rural MO as well as the Springfield area. No wage growth, little job growth, and too much supply= downward pressure on prices. Very bad for sellers, but good for buyers.

True except for raw land. It keeps going up and up and up and up. Smart investors would buy acreage that can be divided. In the past 6 years raw land has gone from approximately $3,000 to $10,000 per acre.

20yrsinBranson

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by Legend9370

Hello, I'm really considering moving to Springfield MO or any towns that surround it. Right now I live in MA. I am planning to move in a year, maybe in 2. I am single, not married. Which part of town would be the safest in terms of crime, etc (N, S, E, W)? Or towns like Republic, Nixa, Ozark is the better option? Also I'm looking for 1 bedroom apartment, how much does it cost in Springfield area? Another thing is, how easy is it to find a job there? I'm looking to work in a pizza restaurant or something like that for now. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

1. You want to leave Massachusetts, one of our nation's liberal utopias, and move to Republic, Missouri?
2. You want to work in a pizza restaurant and you're thinking about buying a house because houses you're heard houses in southwest Missouri are cheap?

Am I the only one who thinks this sounds ridiculous?

[jbushart]

Be careful buying outside of the Springfield city limits. Most rural areas in the state have and/or enforce no building codes. Anything goes.