Alright Wyoming...let me have it (Casper, Laramie: ski resort, transplants, real estate)

[j1n]

Ok, so let me say this upfront. I'm no noob here. I've researched, read, commented, read some more, and I know how to use the "search" function.

Background...
I'm a long-time northeasterner (NJ/NYC area...born and bred). I have spent large chunks of time in and/or lived in NJ, AR, FL, and upstate NY. I have spent smaller chunks of time in HI, WY, CO, UT, MT.
I currently live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern VA. My wife is a long-time med receptionist/records person. I have done everything from customer service, inside sales, to jockeying a forklift/warehouse work, to working on a horse farm. Neither of us have college degrees. We have 2 kids, 10 and 4.

All of that said...
I have a serious case of mountain fever. I love the snow. I know how to drive in it. I don't care about how green or lush the foliage is. I love camping and being outside. I like being above treeline. I love red rock landscapes. I enjoy high altitudes and the bluest skies I've ever seen. I'm not looking for a big "career". I'm no corporate climber, and I don't need to be a millionaire. I want to work doing something that I don't hate. I'm not too picky...good people and a good company are more important than a prestigious job title. I want to walk outside and see the mountains and be blown away every time. I want to live somewhere where the cost of living is low enough to allow life to be enjoyable. I want my kids to grow up with a love of hiking and camping and skiing and snowboarding. I want to live near other folks who feel a lot like I do. I have a sister in Golden, another in NM, a best friend looking at a relo back to the SLC area, and people in Jackson, WY.

Anyone have any suggestions? Opinions? Opinions on where/what might be right for me? Thanks!

[sunsprit]

If you can deal with the long hours and family stress of a two-wage earner situation,
then you might consider living in a ski resort town. That's where you'll have the access to the skiing/snowboarding, and outdoor activities of the mountains.

In Wyoming, that's pretty much limited to Jackson. Pricey, but it you're willing to do whatever it takes ... marginal housing, scrimping and saving every possible penny of your multiple incomes ... you could do it. Do consider that you'll be working a lot of hours, so your family leisure time together may be minimal and rare. But you'll have the "wow" factor for where you live ....

Alternatively, you could pick other ski resort towns in the Rocky Mountains .... Colorado, New Mexico, or Idaho, California, or the Pacific Northwest.

It all comes down to how much the lifestyle and "wow" factor is worth to you. The jobs are there. IMO, you may also want to consider how much you value the sense of "community" for your family working in the resort environment towns. Some places are better than others ... but you're the only one who can make that judgement call for your needs. It can be fun and satisfying if you have the right attitude and outlook, or it can be a real disappointment .....

[j1n]

hey sunsprit...
thanks for the response. I hear ya. Jackson was a tough one. I know how rare it is to get a job offer in a place like Jackson while you are living 2000 miles away. And I have "people" there. And yeah...the "wow factor" is, well, "WOW"!!
But that was the problem...I really want to enjoy life and the world around me. But I don't want to be a commutin' slave in order to do it!

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by j1n

hey sunsprit...

But that was the problem...I really want to enjoy life and the world around me. But I don't want to be a commutin' slave in order to do it!

Then forget living in a resort in the Rockies, unless you bring your money with you. That's pretty much the lifestyle in ________________ (you can fill in the blank here with Jackson, Sun Valley, Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Taos, etc., etc.).

[j1n]

Yeah, the Jackson thing was a fluke. I don't have any delusions of working a 9-5 in a ski town. In fact, living in a ski town isn't even on the radar, really. Being within reach of that is fine. My original post...
I have a serious case of mountain fever. I love the snow. I know how to drive in it. I don't care about how green or lush the foliage is. I love camping and being outside. I like being above treeline. I love red rock landscapes. I enjoy high altitudes and the bluest skies I've ever seen. I'm not looking for a big "career". I'm no corporate climber, and I don't need to be a millionaire. I want to work doing something that I don't hate. I'm not too picky...good people and a good company are more important than a prestigious job title. I want to walk outside and see the mountains and be blown away every time. I want to live somewhere where the cost of living is low enough to allow life to be enjoyable. I want my kids to grow up with a love of hiking and camping and skiing and snowboarding. I want to live near other folks who feel a lot like I do.

[lovethewest]

I know exactly how you feel about wanting to live near the mountains. That being said, I recommend Lander (pop. 7,000), Laramie (pop. 27,000), Sheridan (pop. 16,000), and maybe Casper (pop. 55,000) for a better job. Sorry I can't be more specific. The best of luck to you in your search. Hope you make it to wonderful Wyoming!

[sunsprit]

Guess I was led astray by your mentioning Jackson as a place you'd like to be at.

Anyway, there are a number of Wyoming and Colorado smaller mountain towns that might also work for you. I think the determining factor will be if you can find jobs for yourselves before coming out to stay. Housing in the "wow" areas ... unless you've gotten into an extremely remote area (and unlikely to find jobs) ... will generally be expensive and in short supply. The closer you are to a resort area, the more difficult the jobs/housing equation will become.

I can think of a lot of small towns scattered throughout the West where it's not apparent they're "resort" areas, but they have been "discovered" many years ago by affluent folks from out of the area. Like Pecos, NM, or Maybell, CO, or Dubois, WY. Jobs are scarce, housing is expensive ... and all you'll be able to say is "WOW" when you visit. But you won't be able to afford to live there ....

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Guess I was led astray by your mentioning Jackson as a place you'd like to be at.

Anyway, there are a number of Wyoming and Colorado smaller mountain towns that might also work for you. I think the determining factor will be if you can find jobs for yourselves before coming out to stay. Housing in the "wow" areas ... unless you've gotten into an extremely remote area (and unlikely to find jobs) ... will generally be expensive and in short supply. The closer you are to a resort area, the more difficult the jobs/housing equation will become.

I can think of a lot of small towns scattered throughout the West where it's not apparent they're "resort" areas, but they have been "discovered" many years ago by affluent folks from out of the area. Like Pecos, NM, or Maybell, CO, or Dubois, WY. Jobs are scarce, housing is expensive ... and all you'll be able to say is "WOW" when you visit. But you won't be able to afford to live there ....

I will go farther than sunsprit. Finding a town that would meet all of your needs is going to be extremely difficult to virtually impossible in the Rocky Mountain West. If such a place existed, it would be immediately over-run by Rocky Mountain natives or transplants like yourself in a minute. Living in this region means tradeoffs--BIG TRADEOFFS. The big metro areas of the region (Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City) are FULL of people who really want to live the kind of life you talk about, but have had to locate in a metro area to put food on the table--many of them who grew up in the very places you fantasize about, but had to leave to make a living. Sorry, but this is the hard truth.

The people who manage to live in the rural parts of the region often have to make significant professional or income sacrifices to do so--this usually includes knowing that their children will not be able to stay there when they grow up. So, more and more, the residents of these areas are relatively affluent people from urban areas who bring a pot of money with them and semi-retire or retire in the desirable rural locales. They don't have to worry about making a living locally. Those are the people you will be competing with every time you buy something--from a house, to a car, to groceries.

Wyoming is fortunate that it still has good-sized mining and natural gas industries compared to those of other Rocky Mountain states. There ARE some decent jobs in that field, but if one looks at the map, it's apparent that those industries aren't located in the "garden spots" that you might like to live in.

I have been knocking around rural Colorado and Wyoming about 35 years. Because of the run-up in real estate prices and living costs it is probably harder than it ever has been to make a local income that is livable in the rural parts of this region--unless you are pretty financially secure before you ever show up here.

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by j1n

hey sunsprit...
thanks for the response. I hear ya. Jackson was a tough one. I know how rare it is to get a job offer in a place like Jackson while you are living 2000 miles away. And I have "people" there. And yeah...the "wow factor" is, well, "WOW"!!
But that was the problem...I really want to enjoy life and the world around me. But I don't want to be a commutin' slave in order to do it!

Thought of Portland?

[RockyMtnr]

Had I read your letter 20 years ago, I'd have had the perfect job for you. I walked out of my tent, tipi, motel room, camper, truck and into a helicopter every morning. Flew up to the mountaintops where I spent my day either walking/running/climbing/snow-shoeing it or spent all day in a little box running various crews that were walking/running/climbi ... well, you get the picture. Got on the chopper a couple of times a day, got in around sundown and flew back to my tent, tipi, etc. Picked up my cash once a week and my check every couple. Worked long days and about 25 usually without a day off. Life was good.
Now, the problem with coming out to Wyoming with no "really specialized" skills is ... most folks already in Wyoming don't have any "really specialized" skills either - and since they were there first, you'd be competing with them for jobs ... and housing.
The problem with Wyoming in that light is that, the towns aren't very big, there aren't all that many people to begin with and so, not as many jobs as there are in some of the more "normal" places. See, even in the Blue Ridges, you get a town every few miles - and quite a few folks in them. In Wyoming, towns can be 30 to 50 miles apart with only a few ranches in between - I mean, a very few.
You can enjoy life in Wyoming. Your experiences in UT and CO probably have prepared you for the possibilities ... but it ain't no cakewalk - and you have kids to raise. Best to figure where your loyalties really lie - and do best by them. Maybe you'll end up in Wyoming. Maybe you won't - but first things first.
Wyoming doesn't have all that much money for welfare if things don't go well.
Good Luck Pard'.