Differences in Alabama & Wyoming? (Cheyenne, Casper: sales, vehicle registration, insurance)

[IShotBigfoot]

After reading many posts, it occurs to me that there are things that I have not even considered, complete after thoughts, that are in Wyoming and vastly different than Alabama. (ex: water sources.)

Could yall please list some other things such as this that I need to consider? I believe WY has low property tax. How accessible is power to more rural areas? What about things like car tags? Mississippi has cheap property taxes then KILL YOU when you register your vehicle.

Building permits tough to get? What about inspections & building codes. Mobile County, Alabama has became RIDICULOUS after Ivan & Katrina struck as far as building codes go. Trying to build a wooden structure home to withstand 180mph winds is dang near impossible, not to mention expensive.

Sorry for the rambling...

Any surprises in home owner insurance cost? Ours, again thanks to Ivan & Katrina, have skyrocketed.

[Froggie Legs]

you might want to try doing a search on water in Wyoming on these forums. I know I've seen posts about it before.

[nomerci]

Wyoming is a desert on top of a mountain. I moved here from New England and couldn't breathe for three weeks. There are no trees - sort of freaked me out how exposed you are but you get used to that. It depends on where you're building what the code enforcement is like and what rural area you're talking about. Personally, I think the land/housing is pretty expensive here for what you get. Water is an issue if you're not on city water (and then there are restrictions for what day of the week you can water your lawn etc). Putting power in if you buy land that doesn't have any is a chunk of change too. Sales tax is 5% where I live but I think it varies by county. Vehicle registration is where they get you if you have new vehicles. My truck is a 93 but I have a 03 Honda VTX1800 and an 09 ATV...the wheeler cost more to register than my truck and bike.

Oh ya.. and if you're not into strong winds, you better think twice about Wyoming.

[Bill7719]

Nomerci, I have a question about the winds. I've heard a lot of people talk about that. Based on your move from New England to Wyoming, can you describe specifically the issues with the wind? Is it noise, windchill, problematic being outside, a combination of these things and others, or something else? I'm considering moving to Wyoming from Upstate NY.

Thanks,
Bill

[ElkHunter]

Geography. Where in Wyoming are you looking at and where did the person from New England relocate to?

Here in Sheridan, we seldom have wind. And we have lots of trees.

So it depends where you are looking at in the state.

But like anywhere else, if you want to locate next to trees and mountains, your going to pay a premium price. If you want to live where it's windy, desolate, and bare, the price goes down considerably.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by IShotBigfoot

After reading many posts, it occurs to me that there are things that I have not even considered, complete after thoughts, that are in Wyoming and vastly different than Alabama. (ex: water sources.)

Could yall please list some other things such as this that I need to consider? I believe WY has low property tax. How accessible is power to more rural areas? What about things like car tags? Mississippi has cheap property taxes then KILL YOU when you register your vehicle.

Building permits tough to get? What about inspections & building codes. Mobile County, Alabama has became RIDICULOUS after Ivan & Katrina struck as far as building codes go. Trying to build a wooden structure home to withstand 180mph winds is dang near impossible, not to mention expensive.

Sorry for the rambling...

Any surprises in home owner insurance cost? Ours, again thanks to Ivan & Katrina, have skyrocketed.

I don't know if this would help much, but I can give the differences. Alabama and Wyoming have markedly different climates. Alabama is subtropical and humid and very prone to hurricanes. Wyoming is colder, dryer, and winder. I don't know if getting a building permit is tough to get, but compared to Alabama, Wyoming is much more libertarian in government and it might be easier to get a building permit in Wyoming. Who knows, it might be harder.
Wyoming's landscape is very different with more mountains, higher mountains, and desert.

[Bill7719]

Elkhunter, I'm looking for a smaller city or town. But, Cheyenne or Casper would also be okay. I can always visit the mountains as opposed to living there. I've wanted to leave the Northeast for years and I've been fascinated with the West. (I'm also not one who will take the attitudes of NY with me. I absolutely want to get away from them.) I like the vast, openness of the region. I want to be away from constant suburban sprawl. I like the notion of living in a place where there isn't a mega nanny government at the state level trying to control everyone's life.

In my first visit to Wyoming, I was only in the southeast. In talking to people (in Pine Bluffs and Cheyenne), they said it's very family oriented. That's something I'm looking for and something we have very little of here in Upstate NY. (In my second visit, I went from Yellowstone across the northern part of the state to South Dakota. The views were gorgeous. I stayed in Buffalo along the way and briefly visited Sheridan.)

So, if I lived in the windiest part of the state where the costs might be lower, what am I in for? What are the worst problems with the wind (noise, chill, etc.)? Is there a serious risk of an accident while driving? I assume it's much worse in the winter than the summer?

[WyoNewk]

Wind isn't usually pleasant, but it's not often strong enough to cause damage. Yes, it can cause an accident when particularly strong if you're driving a high-profile vehicle or if the road is slick. I've seen many, many 18-wheelers and campers blown onto their sides, but I've seen all over, from the upper midwest to Texas to Alaska. I very nearly lost a camper to wind once, but that was in Iowa.

Winds move picnics indoors, imbed dirt in your eyes, make vanilla ice cream look like chocolate chip, remove boats from lakes, ground small airplanes, scatter garbage, cut fuel mileage, make golf more challenging, spread forest and prairie fires and generally make outdoor living less desirable. Additionally, winter winds turn a chilly day into a dangerously cold day, close roads (from blowing and drifting snow), and increase heating costs. That's just a partial list.

No matter where you live, you can avoid much of the wind by selecting a home that's somewhat protected. I live in town, in an established subdivision, in a valley on the leeward side of a ridge. Winds around my house aren't bad. I have to be careful how I water the lawn or the water will evaporate or be carried to my neighbor's property, and it can easily blow onto cars or on my windows, creating hard-to-remove water spots, but for the most part, it's not a serious issue. If my home was on a hilltop in the country with no mature trees for a windbreak, it would probably drive me crazy.

If I were you I'd select the town you like the best and move there. With the exception of Jackson, where home prices are sky high, and a few very small towns that are dying off and have depreciated home values, the home costs don't vary tremendously. Housing costs in Gillette, the prairie town in which I live, are about the same as in Buffalo or Sheridan.

[Bill7719]

Thanks WyoNewk! From what you describe (and I know it's a partial list), it sounds manageable. I visited several states in the west last year. What you described reminded me of my experience at the Bruneau Sand Dunes park in Idaho....when I climbed to the top of one of the larger dunes. I got lots of sand in my eyes. I lost my hat a couple of times and kept trying to chase it down only to find it blown further away every time I got close. I kept thinking I was going to lose it permanently, but I ultimately got it. Thinking back I also remember some strong winds in western Nebraska. It wasn't "fun" but it also wasn't enough to keep me away from these areas. But, I didn't even remember any of that until reading your note. Here in the Northeast we've had some strong winds that have seemed like they were going to push vehicles on I-87 into another lane. But, it never went that far.

It's good to know the prices average about the same in many of the smaller cities. I didn't get to see Gillette on my trip last year so I'd definitely check it out before making any definite decisions.

[wyolady]

When I moved here nearly 20 years ago, I never thought I'd come to terms with the wind. Now I appreciate we only have 500K people in the entire state, partly due to those who can't tolerate the wind. It has become my friend - it keeps our air clean and keeps those looking for a tropical paradise away. Yet like previous posters said, you can plan for it and not let it get to you. The front door of my home I built in Laramie was placed to be out of the wind, I now have shrub and foilage to minimize wind, I place my sprinkler where the wind will help carry water to the desired area, etc.