Moving to WY from Central NY...how do I do it? (Cheyenne: for sale, real estate)

[whaleyk98]

Hi everyone. I am wanting to move my family to Wy...more specifically the Cheyenne area. We are located in Upstate NY right now and Ive had enough. I have wanted to move out west for yrs and I think nows the time. My husband works at the Walmart Distribution Center so hopefully he can transfer to the one in Cheyenne. I am looking to purchase a house around there...doesnt have to be in Cheyenne but he doesnt want a horrible commute either...so about 1 hr either way is fine. Does anyone have any suggestions....I dont even know how to buy a house from all the way over here....I have two young children as well so I would need a good school as well. Also, I would need a place where I can have animals...I raise and breed show rabbits. What areas should I be looking at?

[a42887]

First, you most definitely want to have a job lined up for your husband before even thinking of moving, and for yourself as well if your day-to-day living requires it.

There is no acceptable commute in the winter. The Wal-Mart DC is at the western-most spot on the Interstate that you can access when they close the Interstate at Cheyenne. You will want to live somewhere within the area that does not close as I understand the road being closed is NOT an excuse for employees there.

Have you ever been here in the winter? I would never advise anyone to move here without at least visiting for a week during the winter. And even then, you may not get a good feel for it if you get a milder week. Winters here are brutal.

As far as housing, there is a fair amount of houses for sale on the outskirts of town that still allow for travel to the Wal-Mart DC but are far enough out that breeding animals should be no problem. Rentals though, not so much.

Others will chime in with much more info than this.

[whaleyk98]

Thanks for your quick reply! As far as winters go we're from Central NY so we are no stranger to bad winters How do I find out what areas of the road dont close?

[HighlandLady]

Road closures are not something easily predictable - just as the weather isn't. But, and not to sound condescending, the winters in NY are not quite the same. a42887 gave some excellent advice - definitely have a job before landing in Wyoming...or anywhere for that matter. And yes, take a week in the summer and winter - if feasible - to experience each in Cheyenne. Driving in the Winter can be daunting around Cheyenne...and the advice given is quite sound with regards to this; there is not a conceivable 'commute' to Cheyenne in the Winter.
As far as buying a house in Cheyenne from New York - google real estate in Cheyenne to begin with. I resided in Casper and had to find a home in Alaska. Find some places, contact realtors to discuss what you are seeking, and make a trip to look at the homes in person - a MUST!
Good luck!

[whaleyk98]

Can someone tell me what areas would be considered the outskirts of Cheyenne?

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by whaleyk98

Can someone tell me what areas would be considered the outskirts of Cheyenne?

Anything West of I-25 or NW of Hwy 85 would be "outskirts" closest to work.

With a job at the WalMart DC, I'd be looking for property (a house) to buy West of Warren AFB and North of I-80, perhaps a location close to Happy Jack Road. There's several subdivided locations out there on acreage and Happy Jack is one of the prinicipal roads in the area ... plus it's a school bus route, so it's going to be among the first to be plowed by the county as storms pass through. But if ready access is a priority, you'll not want to get too far off of it ... the side roads (and your driveway) are a whole different game to keep open and accessible.

Upstate NY winters don't hold a candle to what goes on in this area for storm fronts passing through. There's a lot less total snowfall here, but the low temperatures and prevailing winds (not uncommonly 50-60-70-80+ mph, and then there's the gusts with instant wind shifts) make for some serious wind drifted snow drifts, black ice driving conditiions, and frequently low visibility.

While you can select your potential property sites during the clear months of the year, it is best to see what a place looks like during the winter months before making a decision. Do not rely upon the representations of any real estate agent here ... you must come see for yourself if what you are buying is what you can live with. Due diligence upon your part is essential for every aspect of your purchase, right down to well production/water quality, septic installatioin, property lines, quality of house construction, and accessibility. Be sure to visit with your prospective neighbors to get their take on winter time issues in the immediate area.

For example, I have friends who purchased an absolutely fabulous 80 acre view site up past Burford (which would be way too far of a commute), and they built a $600K house (very expensive for the area) there. In good weather, it's remote enough to be 25-35 minutes from leaving I-80 ... and everything you could possibly want for living in the area. I cautioned them that the winter time access could be a problem, and they laughed and said the real estate agent told them the road would be plowed by the developer, so no worries. I also suggested that they might want to lay in supplies sufficient for a month of being snowed in, and to be sure that they were totally independent for electricity, heating, and domestic water. Their first winter was a disaster ... the last several miles of access to their property was totally snowed in and impassable starting in November that winter. By mid-January, it was becoming a problem for them ... they needed supplies, feed for their livestock, and hadn't been able to get to work. Ultimately, it took getting in there on a nice day with a snowmobile to rescue them, and they were taken to Cheyenne where they purchased a snowmobile and another AWD vehicle which they were able to park at a neighbor's place. They could not get vehicle access until late April. Now they know ... they built a shed at the neighbor's place and park several of their 4x4/AWD vehicles there at the beginning of the winter so they can snowmobile in/out of their place. Of course, they wound up buying a much larger stand-by propane fired generator to supply their domestic electricity needs, too. If only they'd asked around the area (4 neighbors) ... they'd have found out that none of them planned on staying over the whole winter because of the access issues to their subdivision.

Out in the county areas, small domestic livestock is not an issue unless prohibited by HOA's. Poultry, rabbits, etc ... are OK ... although there may be limits on the number of them you can have per acre.

LCSD #1 has a good reputation for their schools, so you'll be OK with that resource.

As far as dealing with a real estate agent in Cheyenne by distant dealings ... I don't trust any of them I've dealt with face-to-face .... I've literally dealt with every major agency here in town, and they all have a consistent level of low performance. The ethics and candor which you may have come to expect as normal performance in other markets appear to be seriously deficient here in Wyoming real estate agents. You'll need their services, but back up everything about any deal with your own due diligence so you have an opportunity to know what it is you are buying and make a good decision upon facts, not assumptions or something somebody said that isn't in writing.

Since Wyoming is a non-reporting state for real estate transactions, you are dependent upon your real estate agent's knowledge of the local market transactions, or a professional appraiser; when it comes time to make an offer/deal on a property, I'd go for the pro appraiser's opinion, not the real estate agent's.

As always, I urge you to come visit the area at least twice ... once in nicer weather months to see what is here, and then in the winter months to see what you'll have to live with for much of the year. Keep in mind that the higher elevation provides a much longer winter than other areas, and that this is a desert, not a riparian area. The trees and woods are entirely different here than the forests of back East. It may/may not be your cup of tea ....

[whaleyk98]

You are awesome! and thanks for all the detailed info!