Moving to Sheridan (Buffalo, Dayton, Big Horn: appointed, sales, rentals)

[Dangerous Dave]

Hi
I'm moving to Sheridan and would like some feel for the area. I see that housing prices are through the roof, so I will probably wait a while to buy a house. I have a wife and 3 boys, and a dog. Are there any suggestions on rentals?

Also, I read on other forums that the police can be kinda rough there, which doesn't bother me since I'm pretty straight and narrow. Any other major issues with the town? I'm sure it's boring, but I don't have much spare time anyway.

How about racial tolerance? I have an adopted son that is part hispanic. Not very dark skin, but black hair and dark eyes. Will he be targeted when he gets older?

What's the big activity? I like exploring old ghost towns, 4x4's, fishing, hiking, canoeing, etc. when I have time.

How are the people? We don't know anyone, but will likely find a church when we get there. We're protestant, any suggestions?

Any help appreciated. And no, we're not coming from California.

[molon labe]

Sheridan is a beautiful place, but your observation about the housing is correct. That area along the Big Horns is pricey, especially if you want any sort of land. You might try Buffalo; I think you'll find that the housing is enough cheaper that it may be worth the drive up to Sheridan for work. I'm assuming if you're moving to Sheridan for work it's methane related?

I don't know anything about the police in Sheridan as I've never had any experiences with them. The people over there are nice for the most part, but there are some definite "groups" over there that don't like outsiders. I know quite a few people that live over there, and even the ones that were born and raised there tell me you're never really in with some of the people unless your family has been there a while.

Overall my experiences there have been good; in fact, I was just looking at a place in Dayton last week. It was a little out of my price range, but if it comes down a little I may have a commute on my hands!

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by molon labe

Overall my experiences there have been good; in fact, I was just looking at a place in Dayton last week. It was a little out of my price range, but if it comes down a little I may have a commute on my hands!

I think I'll be renting until I feel comfortable with the home prices. I've seen it before... fedding frenzy followed by a big softening of the market.

We may actually buy a lot, then sit on it for a couple of years until the builders aren't as backed up.

[sunsprit]

DDave ... I think you may be misreading the marketplace in Sheridan on a basis of other areas in the USA that have had a large ... and now, falling ... housing pricing and soft resale market.

While Wyoming has had "boom" times cycles before for various industries, the current demand for Wyoming's resources is not forecast to be slackening for quite a long time. Counter to the perceived "recession" in some areas, Wyoming's business forecast is to be in a growth cycle for awhile.

So, my take on the short (and fairly long term) pricing of Wyoming's land and housing is that it's going up as many factors come into play that will work to keep development here scarce and more restricted in the future, while demand will not abate. If you want to buy livable land here, you'd best consider buying sooner than later or you risk being priced out of the market unless you're bringing a lot of capital with you. If you're thinking you're going to buy on a blue-collar income, you may be disappointed.

Please note that there aren't many vacant "lots" in the area within Sheridan city limits with municipal services. You'll find these to be very pricey. Most raw land sales in the area are acreage, with 40 acres generally the minimum size parcel, and many do not have services ... so you'll be looking at the costs of bringing in a well, septic, power, communications, driveway access to a county road, etc.

Good luck on your relocation.

[Dangerous Dave]

Thanks for the info, Sun. I'm actually looking into a lot at Powder Horn, and building on it. I know that the area is booming economically, which is causing the housing shortage and not necessarily the low interest rates which were fueling the housing boom elsewhere. But supply will eventually catch up with demand if the boom never busts.

Granted, I know most of the builders likely have more workload than they can handle right now, but with the land cost being the big variable, I'm hoping to buy now, even at a high price, and build on it later. Even if the market does soften, we'll just be out the depreciation on the lot itself. I'm not going to go pay $250k for a fixer upper when I'll be in better financial shape to build exactly what I want in a couple of years for near the same cost. I can rent until then, doesn't bother me.

That's the plan, hopefully it works.

[molon labe]

Building is a great idea... you can save a significant amount of money by building a place instead of buying one. As others have mentioned, this market is fueled by a booming economy and most of the people that come here need housing quickly. They simply don't have the time to build a place, so the ones that are already constructed are going for a premium when compared to construction that may take a while.

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

Thanks for the info, Sun. I'm actually looking into a lot at Powder Horn, and building on it. I know that the area is booming economically, which is causing the housing shortage and not necessarily the low interest rates which were fueling the housing boom elsewhere. But supply will eventually catch up with demand if the boom never busts.

Granted, I know most of the builders likely have more workload than they can handle right now, but with the land cost being the big variable, I'm hoping to buy now, even at a high price, and build on it later. Even if the market does soften, we'll just be out the depreciation on the lot itself. I'm not going to go pay $250k for a fixer upper when I'll be in better financial shape to build exactly what I want in a couple of years for near the same cost. I can rent until then, doesn't bother me.

That's the plan, hopefully it works.

[KuRRu]

might wanna check this out... this is from an early 20s white male from east coast (myself)
http://www.city-data.com/forum/wyomi...eridan-wy.html