moving and have ?'s (Tulsa, Broken Arrow: apartment complex, rental, insurance)

[desgei]

I already posted on OK forum; but Tulsa is the area that we are moving too.

My husband and kids are planning on moving to the Tulsa area. We were wondering if anyone would give us any tips on the area there. We are wondering what a few occupations pay there? What does a framer and foreman make in construction, a waiter, and gas station clerk?
Any disasters that can happen there (earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, etc.)? Also what areas would not be a good neighborhood for a family to live in w/ two toddlers. Were moving from CDA, Idaho where we are unable to afford for rising house prices. We're a young couple who have lived hear almost our whole lives and this city went up too fast for us to keep up w/ rates of everything. Our pay for framers (stick) range from 13-16hr, forman's make 18-20, waiters 2.30 plus tips, and gas station clerks @ $6. Thankyou for replying to us. I'm really excited for this move and for a new start where we can work hard and move ahead instead of trying so hard and not making it.

DES

[desgei]

Huh, no one has any input? Oh, well.

Des

[peggydavis]

Sorry no one responded so far. I will tell you what I can.

The wages you describe sound about the same as I would expect in the Tulsa area. Wages are not high in OK, but the cost of living is not high either.

As far as disasters, not much chance of an earthquake. Flooding can be and has been a problem lately so you need to not live in a low lying area. Sooner or later, the creek will overflow. That is pretty rare, usually we don't have enough rain. Tornados happen too, you have to listen to the weathermen. Still, you will probably never see a tornado.

Can't help you with areas to live since I have only a general knowledge about Tulsa. I wish you good luck. If you are hardworking people I think you will find success here in Okieland.

Just wondering, what made you pick Tulsa?

[desgei]

There are many reasons we picked Tulsa. We heard about Oklahoma from a friend, that her family bought a house so she, as a single mom, can raise her kids in a good place. She mentioned how housing is low here. I checked on the net and found it out myself. I checked for places all over the country using Moderator Cut; found that Oklahoma has lots of good points. We love the lower housing (seriously, only way we will probably own a house). It seems not too cold nor too hot. You have nice lakes and beauty in the area (pictures). The only reason, though, we are moving is so that our family can survive. My husband has childsupport payments that take a large chunk of income, which is the main reason we are not making it. What we are looking for from the start is a place where we could work in construction/ renovating/ building and too buy a house around 40,000-50,000 to fix up on our own. Thankyou for replying.

[Jammie]

Des, check out Tulsa's newspaper. It's called the "Tulsa World." You'll be amazed at all the jobs you'd have a choice from. I believe the cashier jobs, front desk, etc range between 7.50 to 8.50 to start. Most of the employers there also seem to offer benies with medical insurance. It doesn't seem to be a high paying state, but you won't have to pay a fortune for rent or housing either.

When we visited, we were amazed at how inexpensive entertainment was there. They have beautiful parks and museums and an aquarium (Jenks) and a zoo, etc.

It looks like one of the few states left where young families can actually survive. Oh yea, and older families, too.

[Terlton Tornado]

I would add that simply being honest & hard working goes a long way around here & more often than not leads to rapid promotion & $$$/benefits increases no matter what occupation or level you may hire on at, I've started several construction jobs as general labor w/no "connections" and advanced to lead positions w/company vehicle & many creative rewards for nothing more than an honest days work combined w/a good attitude, usually within 3 or 4 months of hire. My wife does good as a waitress, but she really does enjoy it & has yrs. exp.
I really believe this simple advise could be an asset to every part of Your move.
GOOD LUCK!

[desgei]

T. Tornado, What is the wage for an experience framer get paid around there? Is there a certain city or area the would be a good place for my husband to search for work? Also what is the usual commute time to get to work, or how far out is the average job? Around here job sites might be up 40 miles away but average is about 20 miles or less, because were located in the city center. Want to know so we could start a plan for our living/gas budget; want to prepare before the move, to keep it as smoothly as possibe.

Thankyou all for replys, really helpful.

[briansgi]

The housing boom continues in areas such as Owasso, 15 miles north of Tulsa and also in south Tulsa. West of Tulsa in Sand Springs and Sapulpa there is alot of housing construction going on too. Tulsa has very little traffic, even when there is traffic, there really isn't traffic compared to other cities so commuting is not much of an issue.

[Honeybee]

Welcome :O) We just bought here in Broken Arrow near Tulsa and came here from Ca. :O) We kept the property in Ca. and will use it as a Rental we were able to buy here a 1836sq. ft. custom built home for only $149.000 and it is in a Great loction as well peaceful and beautiful :O) Property here so so much cheaper and you get more for your money here .My husband is making good money but he is a welder .I am sorry I don't know much about other jobs except my friend works in Bartelsville as waiters and makes great tips she says :O) It was either WA. or OR. or ID. we wanted to retire early and so we pick Tulsa OK. as it was Green Rolling Hills and we Loved it ! Hope you will also . Best to you and your little family my daughter and her hubby and 2 grandkids bought here also .Ages 8yr. 4yr. my grandkids and we all Love it here so very much :O)

[Mrs_Spain]

Des, I don't know if they are online or not, but the Job Fair and Employment Guide mags are usually pretty helpful with different job searches, you could Google them, and also the Tulsa World classifieds is a good place to look. My husband and I have 2 kids and have lived here for almost 2 years, its a lot better place to live than I expected to be honest. I would double check the school ratings when you find an area you like, as there are many schools and even from one to the other within a couple of miles I have found that test scores can differ greatly. Depending on the age of your kids there are some really good sports teams, and also a great Parents as Teachers setup. There are pockets of good areas and bad on any side of town, but investigate the particular nieghborhood before marking any off.If you are looking to buy, Keller Williams realty have been very helpful to my husband and I, and if you are renting first than buying, check out the apartment guide online, they have pretty much every apartment complex and also some Duplex setups. As for salaries, I was quite impressed with the pay average, my husband started at 11 in a masonry business at entry leve and has had several raises since starting when we moved here. As for someone with experience, find the right company and it would most likely be good pay and good benefits. The cost of living is not too high either, which makes a difference. Good luck!