looking at homes in Lander, Cody and Buffalo need some pros and cons to the areas (Riverton: real estate, crime)

[baileyjaide]

We are leaving for Wyoming next weekend to look at homes. I love the Lander area but feel we should look at other areas also. Water is a big factor along with homes with a little acreage and not over $375,000. I do believe in miracles.

[gaduchman]

Water, acreage and under 375k - good luck in Cody! More doable in Lander, plus it's centrally located and not TOTALLY dependent on tourists.

[baileyjaide]

Thanks, emailed some realtors from each location, Lander is and has been a favorite of mine. A little iffy about Cody and my husband said that Buffalo, as far as price should be good. I'll know more when we get out there and will be checking out all the threads until we are ready to leave.

[CptnRn]

This might be useful to you:

[Happy in Wyoming]

You can find a nice place in the Cody zip code for under 375k. If you look around Cody, stick with Cody, Wapiti, or Meeteetse. Avoid Powell. The people aren't the same.

[baileyjaide]

Been checking out the real estate, so far 2 nice ones outside Cody w a little acreage (one has a guest house) 4 in Buffalo and 2 in Lander that we would really want to check out. We'll be in WY for 2 wks and have to find a home that we'd be satisfied with in that time frame before heading back here to PA. From the threads it seems like Cody will have a higher cost of living than Lander and still don't know much about Buffalo except that my husband did a hunt from there awhile back. This will be our retirement home so cost of living will also play a big part in our decision.

[plainsman48]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

Avoid Powell. The people aren't the same.

That's a bald-faced LIE! Powell people are the nicest you'll ever come across - salt of the earth. Mostly farmers and it's NOT a tourist town.

[plainsman48]

Yep, it's a desert that I lived in for 10 years.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by baileyjaide

Been checking out the real estate, so far 2 nice ones outside Cody w a little acreage (one has a guest house) 4 in Buffalo and 2 in Lander that we would really want to check out. We'll be in WY for 2 wks and have to find a home that we'd be satisfied with in that time frame before heading back here to PA. From the threads it seems like Cody will have a higher cost of living than Lander and still don't know much about Buffalo except that my husband did a hunt from there awhile back. This will be our retirement home so cost of living will also play a big part in our decision.

I'm not familiar with the Lander housing market. But apart from that, the cost of living in Lander shouldn't be much different from Cody. Lander has very little shopping, so you'll need to figure the cost of driving to Riverton, the commercial center of the county. If you look at property between Lander and Riverton, be sure to find out how far it is from the Indian reservation. You don't want to be close and you don't want to be on any routes to and from. There's a lot of petty crime there, and some that's not so petty.

The area south as you go towards South Pass and South Pass City is very nice, but it's farther from shopping. There are a few places that are quite remote. If you don't often need city services, this could be a good choice. South Pass City does get summer tourists, but not all that many.

[gaduchman]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

If you look at property between Lander and Riverton, be sure to find out how far it is from the Indian reservation. You don't want to be close and you don't want to be on any routes to and from. There's a lot of petty crime there, and some that's not so petty.

Not altogther true - yes there's petty crime and the Arapahoes don't always turn headlights on at night and most people living there don't wear their seatbelts. Heck we never did and we're still alive! But it's not the same kind of crime you'd find in Cody.

That 82414 zip code covers more than just Cody - it goes all the way outside of town, down the South Fork and Lower South Fork nearly to Valley and almost half way down to Meeteetse, north to nearly Clark and east to Powell. So, when you see 8,000 people in that zip code, it's misleading. Cody proper had about 4,500 in 2000. It hasn't REALLY grown all that much in 10 years.

The area south as you go towards South Pass and South Pass City is very nice, but it's farther from shopping. There are a few places that are quite remote. If you don't often need city services, this could be a good choice. South Pass City does get summer tourists, but not all that many.

As most here know, I grew up above da Rez and often spent my youth in Dubois or Lander. South Pass City is a hump in the middle of the highway - not much else except the historical marker and lots of free range cattle.
South Pass City - Wyoming Ghost Town

Buffalo always intrigued me. Never knew what the hub-bub was all about - Johnson Cty Wars, TeaPot Dome, the uranium mines were east of there.
I like Fremont County much more than the rest of the State, but that's just my opinion.

Plainsman48: You're ABSOLUTELY right about the people in Powell.