relocating to the branson mo area (Joplin, Nixa: foreclosures, rentals, custom home)

[Lesa McKee]

Hi! My husband and I are thinking about relocating to the Branson area. We live in a town (and have for many years) that has absolutely nothing for kids/teens. (or us for that matter). We have 2 teens and they don't like it here. No swimming pool, community center, skate park, skating rink, movie theater, shopping centers, nothing. Our wal-mart even closes at midnight. The closest place with most of these activities is 30 miles away. We only stayed here to be near my parents & family,whom we love dearly. Another problem is the lack of jobs here. My husband is a carpenter by trade but with the slowing economy, that market is dead here, so he had to get a local low paying job, which since nothing else has opened up, he has been at for the past year now. I was wondering if anyone could tell us how the construction/carpentry industry is going there? The Branson area is our first choice, since we wish to stay in Missouri. I grew up going to Branson for vacations every year and have always been in love with the area! Thank you for any help!

Mrs. McKee

[ozarksgirl]

Hi there Mrs. McKee, we moved to Branson last fall from Texas but we've lived in the Ozarks before. We missed SW MO soooo much, had to come back and we love it! I don't ever want to leave again.

We had originally planned to buy a home in the Branson area but after months of searching we have decided to stick to the Nixa/Ozark area. You can just get more for your money up there. We love Branson too and hate to leave it but we'll be close and paying less for more house. I'm sure there are some deals in Branson though, we looked at Emory Creek where there are a TON of foreclosures and good deals. One drive through there though may answer your question about carpentry jobs in the area. It's very sad.

You might consider Branson West and Reeds Spring. There's not as much to do there but Branson isn't too far, depending on where you live. Houses seem to be cheaper over there, not sure on rentals.

Best of luck in your hunt! Branson is awesome if you can make it work!!

[LynnKK]

I am in the same boat and am seriously considering a move to Missouri. Our close friends live in Kimberling City off Joe Bald Road and would like an unbiased opinion of that area. Thanks.

[CHIPANDGEO]

Originally Posted by Lesa McKee

Hi! My husband and I are thinking about relocating to the Branson area. We live in a town (and have for many years) that has absolutely nothing for kids/teens. (or us for that matter). We have 2 teens and they don't like it here. No swimming pool, community center, skate park, skating rink, movie theater, shopping centers, nothing. Our wal-mart even closes at midnight. The closest place with most of these activities is 30 miles away. We only stayed here to be near my parents & family,whom we love dearly. Another problem is the lack of jobs here. My husband is a carpenter by trade but with the slowing economy, that market is dead here, so he had to get a local low paying job, which since nothing else has opened up, he has been at for the past year now. I was wondering if anyone could tell us how the construction/carpentry industry is going there? The Branson area is our first choice, since we wish to stay in Missouri. I grew up going to Branson for vacations every year and have always been in love with the area! Thank you for any help!

Mrs. McKee

I am trying to write you a message but the last one got lost.
We live in Forsyth which is 12.9 miles from Branson, We have good schools, Branson also has good schools, includeing COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS, they have all the things you outlined, Swimming,Boating, Fishing, Cinemas, Theaters etc.
Branson now has a HILTON CONVENTION center as well as a Comercial airport 8 miles south of town, nearly forgot we have the largest WAL * MART in the USA and it is 24 hr.

We have lived here for 9years and love it, however we have two daughters in North Illinois with grandchildren, we are trying to sell our house and move back there to be near them.

Construction here has picked up in the last two months , and good carpenters are hard to find. Remember this is a Tourist town, it is growing fast, there is still a slow down in the winter for at least 2 months.
A great many of the people here use this time to Vacation and refresh themselves.
I believe this will change in the not to distant future as City leaders not just the Politians are endevoring to attract year round Visitors.

Hope this is helpfull.
Mr Chris, CHIPANGEO.

[CHIPANDGEO]

I am trying to write you a message but the last one got lost.
We live in Forsyth which is 12.9 miles from Branson, We have good schools, Branson also has good schools, includeing COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS, they have all the things you outlined, Swimming,Boating, Fishing, Cinemas, Theaters etc.
Branson now has a HILTON CONVENTION center as well as a Comercial airport 8 miles south of town, nearly forgot we have the largest WAL * MART in the USA and it is 24 hr.

We have lived here for 9years and love it, however we have two daughters in North Illinois with grandchildren, we are trying to sell our house and move back there to be near them.

Construction here has picked up in the last two months , and good carpenters are hard to find. Remember this is a Tourist town, it is growing fast, there is still a slow down in the winter for at least 2 months.
A great many of the people here use this time to Vacation and refresh themselves.
I believe this will change in the not to distant future as City leaders not just the Politians are endevoring to attract year round Visitors.

Hope this is helpfull.
Mr Chris, CHIPANGEO.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by Lesa McKee

Hi! My husband and I are thinking about relocating to the Branson area. We live in a town (and have for many years) that has absolutely nothing for kids/teens. (or us for that matter). We have 2 teens and they don't like it here. No swimming pool, community center, skate park, skating rink, movie theater, shopping centers, nothing. Our wal-mart even closes at midnight. The closest place with most of these activities is 30 miles away. We only stayed here to be near my parents & family,whom we love dearly. Another problem is the lack of jobs here. My husband is a carpenter by trade but with the slowing economy, that market is dead here, so he had to get a local low paying job, which since nothing else has opened up, he has been at for the past year now. I was wondering if anyone could tell us how the construction/carpentry industry is going there? The Branson area is our first choice, since we wish to stay in Missouri. I grew up going to Branson for vacations every year and have always been in love with the area! Thank you for any help!Mrs. McKee

LisaMc...I didn't discover the Branson/Table Rock Lake area until about 10 years ago...I wish I'd known when we first moved to Missouri!!!
The construction industry here is struggling just like it is nationwide. Other than some commercial stuff which is forging ahead, and the scattered custom homes or remodeling projects. No spec homes, there are way more houses on the market now than normal, so those have to sell before there will be a market for new spec homes.

It is, however, a positively smokin' place to raise kids!

Originally Posted by LynnKK

I am in the same boat and am seriously considering a move to Missouri. Our close friends live in Kimberling City off Joe Bald Road and would like an unbiased opinion of that area. Thanks.

LynnKK...I don't know how unbiased my opinion is, but I can give you the positives and the negatives, in my humble professional opinion...

Kimberling City has an active year-round population, unlike some of the lake towns. There's a nice library, restaurant options, some retail, good schools, two good grocery stores, a bowling alley, a wonderful marina. One of the biggest things in my estimation is that it's been a melting pot of people from all over the country since the lake was built in 1959. So you're not going to be made to feel like an outsider. You can safely say hello to someone over the zucchini at Harter House and ask, "Where are you from?" (The very few natives will grin & say...I'm actually from here!)

Table Rock Lake as a whole is a fun place to live, with a mix of retirees, vacation home people, and a scattering of young families. You need to sit down with someone who knows the area and a good map.

I guess you can see by my screen name that my opinion probably isn't unbiased...

The negatives that exist are going to be in the individuals' opinion: Winding two lane roads. Some severe winter weather. Ticks 'n chiggers. Difficult place to make a living. Some find the area as a whole not as "upscale" as they would like; i.e. trailers here and there. That's all I can think of...

[nanjosbrand]

Good reviews of the area! My family and I moved to Kimberling City in March and have observed quite a bit of the "small town" living while being here. By that I mean that there are some people who talk about others in a not very nice way for one reason or another. I have also learned a lot of people are related to eachother, so it's been hard to find people who don't have any family around. Makes it kind of lonely for us thus far, but we've been doing our best to get involved in the area.

We have found 4 ticks on my daughter since moving here. I had never experienced ticks before in my life, so now I am paranoid she has lyme disease. :P

Kimberling City is a nice area to live in and the winding roads are something to get used to. My advice is to avoid living too far deep down in the hills and try to stay on the top if you can.

My husband is also involved in construction and the pay is definitely not what he's used to. There has not been a lot of work for those in construction and people are definitely down about the economy. I wish you well in your decisions!!

[Mollym313]

I really like this thread because it is asking the same questions that I have been wondering about and some of the same concerns are being expressed that I have about my 13 y/o son. I too want to move to the Branson area but have also looked into Nixa. My son has struggled through school and contually slips through the cracks. It is just my son and I and so relocating is a scary thing. I worry about who I can call if my car breaks down and where I can meet new people and build relationships in my new community. Fortunately I only live in Joplin now and am familiar with Branson but it is still scary too move 100 miles away and not know anyone that you can call if you are in a bind. The biggest thing is living close to the lake, my son and I both love the water and of course the school system. I have yet to hear one bad thing about Branson schools. I hear SDC hires teens at 14 during the summer. I would love for my son to experience making a paycheck and buying his own school clothes while meeting new people and trying something new. However I think teens need to have summer fun and thats where SDC, Whitewater, and the Lake would come in handy. There just seems to be so much to do in a close proximity.

Is there a "top" in Kimberling City? I want to avoid the deep windy roads.

[nanjosbrand]

There is a "top" in Kimberling City. I had the same worry about moving here before we did. I grew up driving on completely straight roads and coming here for the first time made me sick. (Literally) We were looking at property with a realtor and I had to beg her to pull over and stop so I could get out of the car.
My recommendation if you're looking at property in the area is to look at a place somewhat just off the main road. I have become accustomed to the meandering roads a little bit since my initial visit, but I am happy to be living in a house that is not too far off Highway 13.

I do agree that it's wonderful that Branson offers so many big city amenities. I really don't see where kids could get too bored in the area because I can't think of too much that Branson doesn't have compared to larget metropolitan areas.

I do believe that the best place to meet people is in your neighborhood and at church if you're willing to step your foot out and get involved. I don't know about SDC hiring teens at 14. I haven't seen anyone that young working there, but I am not sure at all.

[Mollym313]

I think I saw that they hired teens online. They do recruiting late winter/early spring. I think the teens do "behind the scene" type work. I really had not looked into that any further. Thanks for the advice. Yea...I can relate to the car sick aspect of Branson. I went to Kimberling City several years back and my friends took the curviest roads they could find and I had to sit in the back seat. The driver thought it was funny but I said, "you won't be laughing when your wearing my lunch,"....