It's a misperception that Californians are driving housing prices up (Gillette: mortgage, loan)

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by molon labe

The one big problem I personally have with people from CA (this is coming from somebody who was born and raised in Modesto, CA) is that they tend to migrate to other states and then try to make those places like CA. I HATE CA for it's socialist-oriented, fiscally irresponsible, illegal alien accepting, anti-business, greenie agenda, elitist politician, nanny state mentality. Those things seem way too normal to many CA residents, and those ideals tend to spread when those residents relocate to other areas.

I like my money (I work hard for it), I like a good economy, I like my guns, and I don't want the government telling me what to do. I don't want Wyoming to turn towards these ideals.... I don't want to wake up in 10 years and find that I moved out of CA only for CA to come to me. Anybody that wants to come to Wyoming for Wyoming is ok in my book; I have an inherent mistrust of anybody who wants to come here and change it into whatever they think it should be.

Well said. I agree with what you wrote here, too. I have lived most of my life in California, and enjoyed it in my younger years. By the time I was in High School, I could see my old neighborhood changing for the worse. Housing prices were out of reach for most people starting families (as I was soon to do), and that was only a fraction of what they have become recently. I had (and still have) a good job that is becoming a career. I didn't want to give that up, but didn't want to live in the area where I grew up due to the crime and pollution, as well as the political climate of the area. I moved out to a rural area that was lower priced and much more conservative than the area I left behind. I have been here for over 15 years now, and unfortunately, the stuff I left behind is creeping in. It's bad enough living in a state with these socialist policies where my voice is not represented outside of my local area, but now I'm losing that voice here, too. I also like my guns and don't need the government telling me what to do, because I can think and act on my own. I don't need the government to run my life, because I can handle that on my own. I just want to be left alone to live my life according to my own ideals, beliefs, and values, and unfortunately, the rest of the people in this state don't seem to want to do so. I am planning to head to Wyoming when I retire because it is one of the few places in the country that still supports my values. I don't want to change anything about the state, because I like it the way it is. People take care of themselves and each other, and don't need or expect the government to do so for them. This, in my opinion, is how it should be.

[Heit]

I totally agree. The builders are not holding a gun to these folks head. It takes two to tango. I was more than willing to keep shopping until I found a fair bid. If ALL the builders were sky high I would have been forced to either downsize or general the project on my own. I was NOT going to throw my money away because that is what the market will bear.

You know and I know many builders, in a small town, know each others business and they "work" together in a situation like this to keep bids HIGH. Hat's off to a builder who recognizes a niche in the market.

My best friend in Cheyenne owns an HVAC company. He has always given a more than fair bid to clients. The result is he has more business than he knows what to do with! When his competition is sitting on their hands, he is busy. He indeed reaps what he sows. Pretty simple.

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by Heit

I totally agree. The builders are not holding a gun to these folks head. It takes two to tango. I was more than willing to keep shopping until I found a fair bid. If ALL the builders were sky high I would have been forced to either downsize or general the project on my own. I was NOT going to throw my money away because that is what the market will bear.

You know and I know many builders, in a small town, know each others business and they "work" together in a situation like this to keep bids HIGH. Hat's off to a builder who recognizes a niche in the market.

My best friend in Cheyenne owns an HVAC company. He has always given a more than fair bid to clients. The result is he has more business than he knows what to do with! When his competition is sitting on their hands, he is busy. He indeed reaps what he sows. Pretty simple.

That is great that your friend is prosperous in Cheyenne, same exact situation here...

I think as this economy slows down too, those who have treated their customers fair will stay afloat and some of the crooked people will sink into the background... Hopefully that will cause some stabilization...

[molon labe]

You are spot-on with the competition. Your husband works for a great company; there is a reason they're doing the business they are. IIRC they have between 80 and 100 units now..... all that most of the people around here want is a good company doing good work at a fair price. It can even be higher priced than other areas as most people know it takes more to get and keep good people in this area. However, people know when they're getting taken for a ride..... if a business keeps it fair and provides a good service they will do very well in this area.

On the RE thing.... Gillette's housing prices (along with RS and Casper) are mainly due to energy; a large part of that is that the wages in these areas have not outpaced the housing. There is not a ton of outside influence affecting the housing prices in these areas. It's the boom and the Realtors/builders/developers who want to build as much as they can and sell for as much as they can regardless of market consequences that affect the prices around here more than anything. Once again, the builders who are selling for fair prices are still moving a lot while the overpriced places are not moving very well.

My wife is a Realtor, and the broker she works for is selling a subdivision for a builder here in Gillette. They are brand new homes and are selling for $165,000 to $225,000. Those are very fair prices for the area, and homes are still selling out of that subdivision every week. There are some other subdivisions around here that have houses selling for 1.5-2x that, and they're not moving nearly as well. People know when they're getting taken advantage of.

The other areas such as Jackson, Cody, Sheridan, Sundance, Laramie, etc have seen drastic price increases because of people from other states... many from CA. That was a product of a CA RE boom that left homeowners feeling like they were rich because of the increasing property values. A lot of them cashed out and bought those "cheap" houses in other states that were actually very expensive by local standards. This drove up housing prices in those areas and led to a ripple effect over many states. It happened in Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho and Montana in a big way. There are neighborhoods in Missoula, Boise, Cour D'elene, Reno/Carson/Minden/Gardnerville areas, and many other scenic areas that are predominantly comprised of people from CA. Not that I blame them for leaving, but as many don't drop the CA ideals at the border those places tend to change. They are also priced out of range for the locals. I know of many people from Jackson who have had to move out because the property taxes have risen to levels that are not affordable for them. They cash out of their overpriced land in Jackson and move to Cody or Pinedale.... and the cycle continues.

Originally Posted by Kristynwy

I am glad you were able to find a reputable builder... Good luck on your new house... and I am happy there are people like you who don't throw their money at the highest bidder...

My husband is in the heating and Ac industry... and many of the the successful heating companies that have been around since the 1900's, one company in particular in Oregon, built their entire industry on fair prices like that and still made a profit and in the long run became so built up with a customer base the higher charging companies always had to work harder for their business to attract customers.

That is what is happening even here locally, my husband's previous HVAC company charged outrageous rates and they have a very low customer base and my husband's current company has very competitive rates, some of the best paid employees and health coverage yet lower rates than most companies, and because of that a higher customer base. They have three shops one in Gillette, Buffalo, and a brand new one in Sheridan. My husband's overpriced previous employer has one shop in Sheridan that he doesn't even own he rents it...

So in the end you always reap what you sow you are so correct....

[WyoMama]

Originally Posted by wyoman

Good post WyoMama Will have a few more comments about people calling other peoples homes dumps also! Guess we need to find out who the butt heads really are? With me on that?

You got THAT right WyoMan!!!

Just as an example how 2 Wyo ppl selling out to a Florida developer - sold out something like 750 acres for about 131 MANSIONS (I do mean that literally - the lots themselves start at $200K) in a gated community in the Wapiti Valley on the way to Y'stone from Cody. Is right in the middle of prime winter range for the wildlife - everything from elk to bison - and will have a GIGANTIC impact on our well water availability (this is near-desert area), sewer - which wioll be septics right by the Shoshone River which is where Cody & many other towns in the Big Horn Basin get their water, and not even touching the impact on the infrastructure such as the highway into town that was just re-built about 10 years ago. We fought it basin-wide for several years but the guys with the deep pockets won out. There are to be a few multi-fam dwellings in there as well on final impact statement as I recall. I got so PO'ed at the whole thing I quit even reading about it. The county tried - REALLY tried to keep it from happening - but so many loopholes because Wyo really never expected this sort of fight on its hands. And I can tell you right NOW I know that of the new homes there are 12 are bought by Californians, 3 from Massachusetts, 6 from Colorado, & who knows others? But I do know NOBODY from the Big Horn Basin has made any purchase in Copperleaf. AND, despite what the below citations say, it is not a "hodge podge" of homes. There are historic ranches & scattered homes up a 52 mile highway to Y'stone. Yes - I would rather have the house here & there than a huge neighborhood in wintering lands for the wildlife. The impact on the wildlife is going to be insane between losing the habitat & having a GATED community to find their way around. So, don't sit there & tell me what's going on in this part of the state that is having a TREMENDOUS impact on our entire infrastructure not to mention availability of water & their leach fields within about 200-300 yards from our drinking water. Called Copperleaf if anybody interested. Moderator cut: link to realitor ad not allowed.
Cody Enterprise: News about Cody, Wyoming, and Yellowstone Country - in THAT article, the last comment mentions that the public should have purchased the land. UNFORTUNATELY the 2 ranchers selling the land to Copperleaf would sell to the public only if they purchased nearly twice as much for nearly 1.75% as much per acre. So, they prevented that from happening.
Cody Enterprise: News about Cody, Wyoming, and Yellowstone Country (Note Lynne Bama's comments - she is a life-long resident & husband is Jim Bama, reknown Wyo artist / scuptor.)

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by molon labe

You are spot-on with the competition. Your husband works for a great company; there is a reason they're doing the business they are. IIRC they have between 80 and 100 units now..... all that most of the people around here want is a good company doing good work at a fair price. It can even be higher priced than other areas as most people know it takes more to get and keep good people in this area. However, people know when they're getting taken for a ride..... if a business keeps it fair and provides a good service they will do very well in this area.

He really likes his new company so far What is IIRC?

You are right too, eventually people catch on to those who charge the outrageous rates and don't tolerate it...

My husband said on a weekly basis at his old company, customers were calling in upset about their bills, and the secretary was having to cut charges here and there, just to keep their customer base, and the price was still outrageous....

I am really glad my husband is with his current company, so if things every slow down, at least he is at a secure place that has a good customer base...

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by WyoMama

You got THAT right WyoMan!!!

Just as an example how 2 Wyo ppl selling out to a Florida developer - sold out something like 750 acres for about 131 MANSIONS (I do mean that literally - the lots themselves start at $200K) in a gated community in the Wapiti Valley on the way to Y'stone from Cody. Is right in the middle of prime winter range for the wildlife - everything from elk to bison - and will have a GIGANTIC impact on our well water availability (this is near-desert area), sewer - which wioll be septics right by the Shoshone River which is where Cody & many other towns in the Big Horn Basin get their water, and not even touching the impact on the infrastructure such as the highway into town that was just re-built about 10 years ago. We fought it basin-wide for several years but the guys with the deep pockets won out. There are to be a few multi-fam dwellings in there as well on final impact statement as I recall. I got so PO'ed at the whole thing I quit even reading about it. The county tried - REALLY tried to keep it from happening - but so many loopholes because Wyo really never expected this sort of fight on its hands. And I can tell you right NOW I know that of the new homes there are 12 are bought by Californians, 3 from Massachusetts, 6 from Colorado, & who knows others? But I do know NOBODY from the Big Horn Basin has made any purchase in Copperleaf. AND, despite what the below citations say, it is not a "hodge podge" of homes. There are historic ranches & scattered homes up a 52 mile highway to Y'stone. Yes - I would rather have the house here & there than a huge neighborhood in wintering lands for the wildlife. The impact on the wildlife is going to be insane between losing the habitat & having a GATED community to find their way around. So, don't sit there & tell me what's going on in this part of the state that is having a TREMENDOUS impact on our entire infrastructure not to mention availability of water & their leach fields within about 200-300 yards from our drinking water. Called Copperleaf if anybody interested. Moderator cut: link to realitor ad not allowed.
Cody Enterprise: News about Cody, Wyoming, and Yellowstone Country - in THAT article, the last comment mentions that the public should have purchased the land. UNFORTUNATELY the 2 ranchers selling the land to Copperleaf would sell to the public only if they purchased nearly twice as much for nearly 1.75% as much per acre. So, they prevented that from happening.
Cody Enterprise: News about Cody, Wyoming, and Yellowstone Country (Note Lynne Bama's comments - she is a life-long resident & husband is Jim Bama, reknown Wyo artist / scuptor.)

That is a real shame... Sounds like the "powder horn" of Cody....

I am sorry that the long term residents of Cody who were in objection weren't listened to. You are right though, sometimes those with deeper pockets always end up winning in the end..

[molon labe]

Originally Posted by Kristynwy

He really likes his new company so far What is IIRC?

You are right too, eventually people catch on to those who charge the outrageous rates and don't tolerate it...

My husband said on a weekly basis at his old company, customers were calling in upset about their bills, and the secretary was having to cut charges here and there, just to keep their customer base, and the price was still outrageous....

I am really glad my husband is with his current company, so if things every slow down, at least he is at a secure place that has a good customer base...

I think he chose a good place.... the owners are good people and the employees that I deal with there are great as well. They have good steady business all over the basin; been doing a really big job out at Rochelle for the last several months. Every time I'm out there I see at least a few of their trucks/vans out there, and I see them around town every day.


IIRC is If I Recall Correctly...

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by molon labe

I think he chose a good place.... the owners are good people and the employees that I deal with there are great as well. They have good steady business all over the basin; been doing a really big job out at Rochelle for the last several months. Every time I'm out there I see at least a few of their trucks/vans out there, and I see them around town every day.


IIRC is If I Recall Correctly...

Is Rochelle a coal company?

My husband just completely his "coal training" class and was out in Gillette the other day at a mine.

My husband has serviced commercial and residential equipment, but not yet industrial so he is really interested in learning more about the industrial end of things... I guess they service all the coal mines in the area, I know the two or three coal mines outside of Sheridan are begging them to come out...

The Sheridan shop is a nice shop too...

They do take really good care of their employees so far... and that makes me happy less for me to worry about during the day and that my husband doesn't feel bad giving people the bill anymore...
He used to feel awful especially when a customer knew what the cost and markup was and knew they could go buy the part cheaper themselves and then pay to have it installed....

I heard they have a huge shop in Gillette I have never seen it, but my husband did the other day when he was completing his coal mine training, and said it was really nice and the staff out there were too...

So that makes me happy...

Thanks for explaining IIRC, I thought it was a coal mine company or something! haha!

[molon labe]

Yeah... Rochelle is a coal mine that's owned by Peabody (Powder River Coal Co). The training your husband just completed was probably MSHA and his on-site. Those will allow him to enter and do the site-specific classes (usually involving 1/2 hour or so video and a small test) at each of the mine sites he will be going.

PR does have a big operation in Gillette.... there's actually a couple shops at their location off of Sinclair. I've never been to the Sheridan shop... we have a store over there as well so I don't service them in that area.

Originally Posted by Kristynwy

Is Rochelle a coal company?

My husband just completely his "coal training" class and was out in Gillette the other day at a mine.

My husband has serviced commercial and residential equipment, but not yet industrial so he is really interested in learning more about the industrial end of things... I guess they service all the coal mines in the area, I know the two or three coal mines outside of Sheridan are begging them to come out...

The Sheridan shop is a nice shop too...

They do take really good care of their employees so far... and that makes me happy less for me to worry about during the day and that my husband doesn't feel bad giving people the bill anymore...
He used to feel awful especially when a customer knew what the cost and markup was and knew they could go buy the part cheaper themselves and then pay to have it installed....

I heard they have a huge shop in Gillette I have never seen it, but my husband did the other day when he was completing his coal mine training, and said it was really nice and the staff out there were too...

So that makes me happy...

Thanks for explaining IIRC, I thought it was a coal mine company or something! haha!