Considering moving to Jackson (Laramie, Gillette: real estate, rent, mortgage)

[Walk In Beauty]

Hey, everyone! Been checking out this WY forum for a few weeks now & I sure like the attitude I'm reading. I'm considering moving to Jackson from CA central coast.

I have 2 major concerns. One, being the difference in weather. We enjoy the most temperate climate of the entire U.S. - I turn on the heater maybe 10 times over the winter and enjoy ocean breezes to keep things cool during the summer. My gas bill is around $22 during the summer, and maybe $60 during one winter month. My electric bill runs around $20 - $30 from summer to winter.

Having said all that, I love big tall, snow-capped mountains, and when I visited Georgia a couple years back, I realized I could never live in a state that didn't have big mountains. I grew up stomping around the Sierra Nevadas, and continue to do so to this day. Now that I've gotten a bit older (mid-50's) I think I'm ready to move away from the beach and head on up to some higher ground. I've lived within 5 miles of the CA coast my entire life, and am so heartbroken to see what has happened to this state. I mean, everything, absolutely everything, is so regulated and fee'd. It's just corruption at every level of government and extortion of The People on a massive scale. I need to get out before I freak out.

So besides the weather change, which I think I can handle as long as I have a camera to capture winter scenes, and plenty of room for all my other artistic endeavors, my other concern is politics, cause whether we like it or not, government's grown so large, there's no escaping political influences on our lives any more. I'm considering a job in Jackson and was wondering what's the local government like? What's the county and state government like? I'm a Ron Paul supporter - is there a RP group in Jackson area? Are people aware of how the left/right paradigm is used to keep us fighting each other instead of the real thieves at the Federal Reserve Bank? Are people in Jackson pro 2nd Amendment?

Just wondering if I'll be able to find people of like understanding, of like mind.

Thanks!

[sunsprit]

IMO, you'll find a lot of the CA mindset you're trying to escape in Jackson ... most folks I know in Wyoming don't consider Jackson to be a typical community in this regard.

The economics of the place are in a whole different world than the rest of the state, and attract an entirely different population. Suffice to say that these generally aren't people who have to work for a living ... so have a very different view of the value of a dollar and how to use theirs ... and yours.

[Walk In Beauty]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

IMO, you'll find a lot of the CA mindset you're trying to escape in Jackson ... most folks I know in Wyoming don't consider Jackson to be a typical community in this regard.

The economics of the place are in a whole different world than the rest of the state, and attract an entirely different population. Suffice to say that these generally aren't people who have to work for a living ... so have a very different view of the value of a dollar and how to use theirs ... and yours.

Thanks, Sunsprit, but I must say, that's depressing. Are there any other communities nestled in or near big mountains in WY that aren't overrun by yuppies, or is that part of the quickly fading American Dream, too?

[mtlogger]

Originally Posted by Walk In Beauty

I have 2 major concerns. One, being the difference in weather. We enjoy the most temperate climate of the entire U.S. - I turn on the heater maybe 10 times over the winter and enjoy ocean breezes to keep things cool during the summer. My gas bill is around $22 during the summer, and maybe $60 during one winter month. My electric bill runs around $20 - $30 from summer to winter.

If you're interested in saving money, you should stay in Kali. Jackson is the MOST EXPENSIVE place to live in Wyoming.

Having said all that, I love big tall, snow-capped mountains, and when I visited Georgia a couple years back, I realized I could never live in a state that didn't have big mountains. I grew up stomping around the Sierra Nevadas, and continue to do so to this day. Now that I've gotten a bit older (mid-50's) I think I'm ready to move away from the beach and head on up to some higher ground.

Heading up to higher ground costs money, both in lifestyle and freedom.

I've lived within 5 miles of the CA coast my entire life, and am so heartbroken to see what has happened to this state. I mean, everything, absolutely everything, is so regulated and fee'd. It's just corruption at every level of government and extortion of The People on a massive scale. I need to get out before I freak out.

I was born and grew up in Wyoming, but now I'm in Montana. You give up taxes and fees in one place to find them in another. Corruption is everywhere.

So besides the weather change, which I think I can handle as long as I have a camera to capture winter scenes, and plenty of room for all my other artistic endeavors, my other concern is politics, cause whether we like it or not, government's grown so large, there's no escaping political influences on our lives any more. I'm considering a job in Jackson and was wondering what's the local government like? What's the county and state government like? I'm a Ron Paul supporter - is there a RP group in Jackson area? Are people aware of how the left/right paradigm is used to keep us fighting each other instead of the real thieves at the Federal Reserve Bank? Are people in Jackson pro 2nd Amendment?

Are you a libertarian?

People in the real West are ten commandments and bill of rights realists.

[sunsprit]

I'd look around Buffalo, Sheridan, or Dubois.

A lot will depend upon how remotely "nestled" in the mountains you need to be for your scenery,
and how much you are willing to spend on travel, supplies, heating & utility costs. You can definitely find exceptionally remote locations in Wyoming ... but many come at the price of limited access during the winter months, and the need to be somewhat self-reliant and independent in your lifestyle.

If you have a business dependent upon a lot of retail traffic, you might want to consider Cody.

[mtlogger]

Cody has a 120 day season of opportunity. Find a town with 300 days is hard - exc Sheridan, Gillette and Laramie

[sunsprit]

Did I miss something here? The last time I drove through Gillette or Laramie, they weren't exactly nestled in the mountains ....

[Walk In Beauty]

Thanks MtLogger & SunSprit!

I consider myself pretty self-reliant. Grow my own food & stock it up. Know a bit about herbal medicine & how to take care of the human body. Learned how to tan hides & utilize plants for making things. I'm both a Ten Commandments & strict U.S. Constitutionalist type person, which is why I'm having such a hard time with what's been going on in this country. I'm not so concerned with cheap utilities as I realize there's a price for that - meaning people everywhere, which means regulations & fees everywhere.

I started this thread because there's a position available in Jackson that looks like it's made just for me, and feel I stand a good chance of gettin' it. It comes with an adequate salary. So I was wondering what the "political climate" was, how the government and people are about meddling into everyone's business and pocketbook. I understand corruption is everywhere, so I guess I'm concerned about levels of corruption. But it sounds like since it's a tourist town, it's like any other tourist town in CA - concerned with "crowd control" and extorting as much as it can from everyone (which is basically the whole state of CA, I kid you not!)

I'm not preoccupied with massive amounts of $$ & things, as none of that is of any real value, but more about quality of people. I'm talented enough to make any shack into its own treasure, in my own eyes of course, so I'm open to finding a spot in the mtns where I'd have to snowmobile/ski in a little ways a few months out of the year - just as long as I can get to my job every day.

I imagine that the type of people I'm looking to befriend aren't going to be joining the crowd out in the streets 'cause I don't do that either. Night life to me is workin' on a project at home, or just kickin' back watchin' a good movie, readin' a good book, seein' what's on the net, and sharing it with others. Being into arts, I have no need for boring artistic snobbery. Lookin' for good people to simply share ideas, knowledge, encouragement, etc.

Am I hoping for too much?

[WyoNewk]

I've never lived in Jackson nor had any business properties there, but the people I've known in Jackson have been no different than those I've known in other Wyoming communities -- good folks who worked hard -- some rather liberal, some rather conservative, some in between. As a whole, Teton County has a few more Democrats than most of Wyoming, but that's not saying much.

The main difference between Jackson and any other Wyoming town is that property values are sky high. It's going through the same thing that Aspen, CO did a decade earlier -- wealthy folks, many from California who are used to high land prices, buy up prime real estate at any cost. Its got its celebs and high rollers who buy $20 million "second homes", and it's got its common folks who are just trying to make a living and keep up with mortgage or rent payments.

I'd imagine, however, that it has more ex-Californian residents than any other town in Wyoming, and they're bound to bring with them their beliefs -- political, religious, moral or what-have-you. I remember a Jackson newspaper editorial from when I first moved to Wyoming in the early 70s. The editor was begging her readers, "Let's not Californicate Jackson Hole." She could see it coming, but there was no way to stop it.

[paintersspouse]

My husband is an artist and that's why he moved to Jackson. The art scene here is varied and runs the gamut. There are many Californians but they are just part of the mix and not the norm. They moved here because of what the area offers.