Planning a move there this spring~ Have Questions (Springfield, West Plains: rentals, houses)

[CityLifeSucks]

My husband and I are planning a move to Missouri this Spring. My husband lived in a small town called Dora when he was young and loved the country lifestyle. I myself admit the country life sounds very appealing. My husband runs a business online so we don't have any restrictions on location because of work. We would like to live 30 minutes or less outside Branson or some other city with amneties and no more than 1-2 hours outside Springfield. A house in a suburb is out of the question. We want to walk out of our house and be surrounded by wilderness.
We need a fairly large house with at least four bedrooms. I have been trying to find rentals and it is very hard. If anyone can point me in the direction to a good website that would be very helpful. Or if anyone knows of a nice country home which will be for rent in the late winter early spring please let me know. We will be renting for the first year or two before we buy.
Thank You

[lone sailor]

First, welcome to CD.

The potential for what you have listed can be in all directions of Springfield. You have a broad spectrum of areas to choose from, really. You have the beautiful southern region of the Branson and Tri-Lakes areas with scenery to die for, or perhaps the eastern rolling hills along the way of Hwy 60 toward West Plains that will put you at peace with the world. You have plenty of options to the north with the Preston and surrounding areas full of heavily wooded timber for your privacy and enjoyment. To the east and north of Springfield you have the likes of Texas county, lots of places to choose from in that area and you'll be hard pressed to find a homestead you don't like nor friendlier neighbors. To the west you have places like Chesapeake that put in seclusion but still close to the Mt. Vernon amenities. Like I said, lots to choose from. Perhaps a bit narrower search will help in deciding which areas will be right for you both. Tell us more of what the two of you like to do or anything else that interests you so we can try to be more helpful.

[Lake Junkie]

Yes, we love to help...but it would be good if you could talk a little more about what you want!

Flat land, hilly or mountains?
Do you care about rivers & lakes?
Or is a Walgreens more important...

Sometimes it helps to hear about what you like about where you're leaving...

[SouthernerInSeattle]

From my experience, finding bigger houses for rent was hard. I would recommend taking a trip or two down before you move to check out the area. Maybe you'd find a house to buy then. Aurora is really nice, about 20-30 minutes to Springfield and about an hour to Branson. I know that's kinda flip flopped from what you said but I just love it out there.

[CityLifeSucks]

I will be more specific on what my husband and I want. Ideally we would like to live in a valley with a river close by. My husband loves to fly fish so having a nice river close by is essential. Also, I enjoy long distance running and would like to live some place where there are a lot of trails or scenic areas to run.
Someone asked what I like about where I am moving from. I like the programs I have our daughter in. She is in an art program and she has also started playing soccer. So, although we will be moving to a much smaller area, ideally I would like to live about 15-30 minutes from a city which offers programs for children.

[Mollym313]

Have you tried Craigslist.com? I have been thinking about a move to the Branson area myself and I have seen several rentals under the Springfield heading that lists the branson area too.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by CityLifeSucks

I will be more specific on what my husband and I want. Ideally we would like to live in a valley with a river close by. My husband loves to fly fish so having a nice river close by is essential. Also, I enjoy long distance running and would like to live some place where there are a lot of trails or scenic areas to run.
Someone asked what I like about where I am moving from. I like the programs I have our daughter in. She is in an art program and she has also started playing soccer. So, although we will be moving to a much smaller area, ideally I would like to live about 15-30 minutes from a city which offers programs for children.

Well, it sounds like you'd be fine anywhere within 30 minutes of Branson. Here's a link to the Parks Dept...http://bransonparksandrecreation.com/
We have lots of rivers, valleys...it will be a little more difficult finding groomed trails, but they're out there.
You need a good map.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by CityLifeSucks

I will be more specific on what my husband and I want. Ideally we would like to live in a valley with a river close by. My husband loves to fly fish so having a nice river close by is essential. Also, I enjoy long distance running and would like to live some place where there are a lot of trails or scenic areas to run.
Someone asked what I like about where I am moving from. I like the programs I have our daughter in. She is in an art program and she has also started playing soccer. So, although we will be moving to a much smaller area, ideally I would like to live about 15-30 minutes from a city which offers programs for children.

Have you considered going back to Dora? It would be a fly-fishers paradise with the North Fork River (trout and bass) and Bryant Creek (bass) so close by. You'd be about half an hour away from basic shopping in West Plains and maybe 1.5 hours away from Springfield. But beware, Dora is a VERY small town (its not even incorporated), and you'd really be living the country life there.

As far as trails specifically for running, you'll find very, very few of those in the Ozarks. BUT, the region has literally thousands of miles of country gravel roads, which are excellent to run on. I run on them every time I'm home...nice packed gravel surface, and little traffic. Just watch out for mean dogs, and prepare to get some odd looks from passer-bys, as just about no one in the Ozarks runs.

As far as finding a rental goes, good luck. You might want to google "The Horse Trader" which is a classified for south-central Missouri. It doesn't reach over towards Springfield though. You should really visit the area if you haven't already and spend some time, as moving from a larger city to a small Ozarks town can be quite a culture shock.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by CityLifeSucks

I will be more specific on what my husband and I want. Ideally we would like to live in a valley with a river close by. My husband loves to fly fish so having a nice river close by is essential. Also, I enjoy long distance running and would like to live some place where there are a lot of trails or scenic areas to run.
Someone asked what I like about where I am moving from. I like the programs I have our daughter in. She is in an art program and she has also started playing soccer. So, although we will be moving to a much smaller area, ideally I would like to live about 15-30 minutes from a city which offers programs for children.

BTW...I have a couple of friends, one in Springfield and one in Branson, who are long distance & marathon runners that would be happy to meet you......my arthritis keeps me on a bike...

[lone sailor]

Originally Posted by Lake Junkie

Well, it sounds like you'd be fine anywhere within 30 minutes of Branson. Here's a link to the Parks Dept...http://bransonparksandrecreation.com/
We have lots of rivers, valleys...it will be a little more difficult finding groomed trails, but they're out there.
You need a good map.

I second Lake Junkie's suggestion. I think the Branson area is probably going to offer you more of what you are looking for in general.