Wright County (Ozark: homes, school, deed)

[NavyWifee]

I am in the same boat! Our family has lived overseas for the last 10 years ~ it will be an adjustment when we move in the spring. We bought land and a house in Cabool with Baker Realty. The people we have met thus far (our short stay in the area back in the summer) have been wonderful. My family is very excited about becoming a part of the community.

[tambre]

Hey NavyWifee,

Glad to hear that your coming stateside. I can only imagine that the culture shock will enormous whereever you would move to in the states, after 10 years in Japan. Why did you decide on Cabool? We looked in that area, but didn't find what we were looking for. There was a fantastic realtor, Druscilla Martin, who works for Baker....is that who you used? If anyone needs a good realty company in the Mountain Grove, Cabool, Birch Tree area, I would recommend her. Well, good luck with your transition back.

[SimplerTimez]

Originally Posted by tambre

Hi ST,

Do you know how this City Data website got started? Is it a realtor-based endeavor? Like Dorothy in the land of Oz, I would like to know who those moderators are sitting behind the big curtain with the "edit button"? Of course, it is just as fun to play out here in the open, and I do appreciate the information being shared....just curious.

Hi T,

I'm not really sure how the site got started, but the only moderator I really know of is Da Jammer - and from my limited understanding (I'm rather new to the boards here), the moderators are chosen for their input and helpfulness from actual users like you and me, in the State/City area that they moderate. I believe they also have to have the time to devote to the site, and be respected by the other members who are active on the forum. I don't think it's a realtor-based endeavor, but I could be mistaken.

Since I'm still a wanna-be Missourian, maybe someone like ShadowCaver, Northwoods, MrsG or Lake Junkie could answer more definitively. I'm a n00b here But the people here are great; helpful, honest and fun!

~ST

[mongazid]

Well, for my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers I use old tires. I cut the sidewalls out of them and set them anywhere and everywhere. I know they are not the prettiest thing to look but they work great (plus the whole recycle thing is good). For my larger beds, for beans and such, I go to a local saw mill and buy some rough cut lumber for the walls.
Works good and there usally cheap.
Heres another little tip.
Just east of mansfield on old hwy 60 is a comodity feed dealer. His name is Steve and he sells brewers grain (hops,barley and some rice or wheat thats used to make beer) and corn gluten (the left over corn product from the making of ethanol). Its great cattle feed and is super high in protien. Plus its cheap 55.00 a ton for the brewers grain and 70.00 for the corn gluten.

[tambre]

Hey Mon,
That's a great use for old tires! Do you can or freeze part of your vegetable harvest? Also thanks for the cattle feed advice. How much would you feed of the brewers grain or corn gluten, per day/per cow? How do you store the feed? Does Steve deliver it, or do you pick it up yourself? Is it in bags? We only have a small pick-up truck. Do you also have to feed the cattle hay along with it, or is is a total substitute? Do you have cattle and if so, what breed? Lots to learn! It's great to know local resources, your sharing this information is greatly appreciated.

[NavyWifee]

Hey Tambre,
Actually we have not lived in Japan the entire time. We were in Yokosuka, up by Tokyo, for three years. Then we transfered to Gaeta, Italy (close to Rome) and then were sent back to Japan a few years ago. We are way down south now ~ very close to Nagasaki. I have loved the travel but am so ready to call some place home again. My husband will retire, 24 years active duty, after our next duty station. We decided it made more sense to purchase a home before retirement rather wait till after. Jeff and I had looked at locations and homes for years and finally decided on the Ozarks. A friend from Italy hooked us up with Baker Realty. Back in the summer we took a trip back to the states and house hunted. Pat Root was our agent ~ she was awesome! We spent two days looking at homes and land from Springfield all the way down to the Arkansas border. We ended up purchasing a place that was listed with Hayes Realty ~ but shown to us by Pat. Cabool just happened to be where the house was located. The land is not set up exactly like my husband would like ~ but he will have lots of time on his hands after retirement to work the land. The house was perfect for us ~ lots of room for the kids and hiding places for mom & dad. How long ago did you guys purchase? Where did you end up? If you looked in Cabool ~ you might have looked at our house. It was put on the market in Jan of 07. I attached a pic of our house ~ not sure if it worked though. I am new to this type of forum. Gotta run.
always,
tam

[tambre]

Wow, NW, that house is gorgeous, seriously gorgeous. We were looking for a house with 40 plus acres, and on a limited budget, and the houses we saw were nothing like your new house--not even close. We decided to buy undeveloped land in Mansfield, which is closer to Springfield, for work reasons. We are not retired yet. We are in kind of a bind now, as we have to sell our house in order to afford to build a house. We are thinking of building a simple garage/apartment with living quarters first, and then after we sell our NY house, we could build a breezeway, and attach the garage/apartment to the actual house. Or, maybe we could rent for awhile until we get jobs and become more settled. How much land does your new house sit on? I think there is a large military community in Ft. Leonard Wood,...not too sure how close it is to you... but you are probably aware of that already. I wish you many happy years in Cabool.

[NavyWifee]

Tambre,
Thanks ~ we love it. Or will once we get to move it. It is currently rented out but they will be moving as we transfer back to the states. We got 40 acres, 3800 sq ft and paid 240k for it. This is the first time we have owned our own home. Being in the military ~ we have lived in base housing or rented at each duty station. Not much sense in buying when you move every 2 to 3 years. Ft. Leonard Wood is about an hour and half away. I know they have a nice commisary and a pretty good size PX there. Main thing I will use is the commisary for large grocery shopping. Other than that, I can get what I need from Wal-Mart in Mt. Grove or Willow Springs. Are you still in New York?

[tambre]

Hi NavyW.,
That is a fantastic deal you got. Congratulations on buying your first home! Yes, we are still in NY, and will be putting our house on the market, probably in the spring. We have never built a new house before, so it will be an interesting experience, for sure. The biggest risk is moving to a new area without a job. That's probably the scariest thing about moving to Missouri for my husband and I. Especially, not having health benefits. I guess we can COBRA them for awhile. What is your 40 acres like? Is it woods, pasture, hayfield, views, any water? I love the roof line of your new house, and the exterior is classy, but at the same time, homey. Really nice.

[Cali BassMan]

Originally Posted by NavyWifee

Tambre,
We got 40 acres, 3800 sq ft and paid 240k for it.

Wow, Sign me up, nice house and 40 acres.........Tell Mr Navy to learn how to tie a Palomar knot, I'll need a fishing partner when I get there.... Of course that a ways away still