Springfield Area Questions (Ozark, Aurora, Branson: for sale, how much, houses)

[Cbeth]

Hello all. I was hoping some locals could help with a few questions I have about the Springfield area. I'm hoping to relocate there in the next few years. I know there are lakes nearby but I was wondering which one would be the closest and just about how far it actually is? Also I was curious as to the cooling costs. Right now I live on the upper Texas coast and the price to cool our home is ridiculous. Last year we topped out at $526 during the hottest month for a 2000 sq. ft. home. How much do you think it would run for about the same size house during the hottest months? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

[John Brown]

There are tons of lakes within an hour's driving distance. Lake Taneycomo and Table Rock Lake are about 30 miles and have good boating and fishing opportunities.

[c.carter]

Hello CBeth....

John Brown is right; there are several lakes that are easily within a short driving distance of Springfield. Some are tourist-y and congested (Branson area), and others are relatively quiet (Pomme de Terre, Stockton Lake).

Utilties in Springfield are ridiculously cheap, even though many of the locals would disagree with that. Having lived in higher cost of living areas, I can tell you that my monthly electric bill for the summer (air conditioner set at about 72 degrees) is around $50 to $60/month. My house is about 1800 square feet. Winter is a different story; gas is pretty high and it's not unusual to see a $200 to $250 heating bill, but electricity remains cheap at around $25 to $35/month.

Hope this helps.....cc

[Cbeth]

Thanks to both of you. Glad to hear the cooling costs are alot lower. I can handle the higher heating costs as long as they balance eachother out, which it sounds like they pretty much do. Here in Texas it's a whole other story.

[MoMark]

Dear CBeth, I second your desire to move to Springfield, Missouri. I moved here in June of 05 from Las Vegas and bought a 2301 sq. ft. home on 4.3 acres north of town. My electricity is from a Cooperative, not the regular Springfield electric company, and it's super cheap. My electric bills so far average about $28, and that's through my May 06 bill. In the winter it gets pretty cold, but my house is heated with propane, which costs me about $900 a year to keep filled. December and February were very cold and I heated a lot during those two months but I've only filled the tank twice so far. I've never used the air conditioning yet, even though the temps have gone into the 90's with 78%+ humidity. My ceiling fans do the trick and I open the French Door with the screens closed if the night cools off enough. This area is beautiful, people are so friendly, houses are cheap in comparison to most parts of the USA, and Springfield has just about everything one needs. I hope you move sooner. I highly recommend it.

[Cbeth]

Thanks so much for the info MoMark! Springfield definately sounds like a wonderful place to live, and so much cheaper than the Texas coast.

[huntman58]

I am looking at this same area . I am an out doors person to the max . right now sad as i can not move yet gggrrrrrr

[Cbeth]

Originally Posted by huntman58

I am looking at this same area . I am an out doors person to the max . right now sad as i can not move yet gggrrrrrr

I'm in the same boat, just can't afford a move right now. But it never hurts to dream. =)

[micheleharvey357]

We just listed our house for sale in Central Calif. We had chosen an area of Northern Missouri to move and my grown son, who is moving with us, said he spoke to his mother-in-law who lives in the Aurora area and she told him that Northern Missouri is a bad place to live because of tornado's. I am heartbroken because I had found 2 awesome homes at prices we could afford- under 100,000. We want to be able to have several acres for our younger boys and my dogs and I dont think I can find something like that in our price range near Springfield or Aurora.
Is it true that Northern Missouri has a lot of tornado's? We are wondering if it is like the idea that all of Ca. is earthquake country.... Please email me at micheleharvey357@aol.com
Thanks, Michele

[MoMark]

Tornadoes are a fact of life in the Plains states and much of the Midwest. However, you have to be realistic about the threat, it's pretty minor actually. The national tornado frequency maps are easy to look up, and they show historical averages that are then color-coded into a map so you can see areas of greater to lower risk. The highest risks are in central Oklahoma, then from Nebraska down through the northern half of Texas. Missouri tends to be a lower risk, then it gets riskier again through central Illinois and into Indiana. If you let a fear of tornadoes keep you from buying that dream house, I think that's shooting oneself in the foot. As for northern Missouri, it's not the tornadoes that would concern me so much, rather the heavy snows and below zero temperatures they get in the winter periodically. I'm sold on the Ozarks and Southwest Missouri myself.