Possible move to Missoula or around (Billings, Helena: loan, brokers, home)

[seww6]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

I've been to Stockholm, Sundsvall, Uppsala, Göteborg, and Helsingborg. Loved it, especially the white nights. Didn't enjoy the fermented herring, though!

Oh you didn't make it that far North, but you've seen quite a lot then.
Hehe that herring should be banned, disgusting. Up here we eat more reindeer and lots of blood in our diet. Good stuff.

Sweden is beautiful but I'm getting a bit fed up with the people and high taxes. Lots of hippies that lives in their dreams on taxpayer's money... the working man isn't appreciated as they should, just work, pay taxes and shut your mouth while hippies in the big city tells us how to act, what to think, and pay them more for doing their flimsy so called jobs...

And invite the entire world to live here on our welfare. Lots of retiree's who has less than refugees or the non-working immigrants.. system is skewed a bit..

[cumminszhere]

Originally Posted by seww6

Thanks for the tip!
Frenchtown looks like a nice little town close to a bigger city, with all the mountains and forest that I wanna live in.

It's funny, I have no idea why I want to Montana, barely been there. But for some reason it feels like where I belong, except for here in the woods

“Coming home to place he’d never been before”

Rocky Mountain High - John Denver


Sums up my experience on my first visit to the Swan.

[NW Crow]

Frenchtown average income is pretty high (surely aided by presence of golf course), Alberton pretty low. Probably affects real estate prices some. Frenchtown about 3 times the size of Alberton. If you pick Alberton or in between, you might use Frenchtown some.

6-12 months of renting is often a good idea to allow time to find best place.

If you pick Frenchtown or Lolo, it will probably work out. Further out could too, if you can handle the commute and feel ok being further from the Missoula / University scene. From what you've said, you probably would feel ok in more mainstream Montana.

[seww6]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Frenchtown average income is pretty high (surely aided by presence of golf course), Alberton pretty low. Probably affects real estate prices some. Frenchtown about 3 times the size of Alberton. If you pick Alberton or in between, you might use Frenchtown some.

6-12 months of renting is often a good idea to allow time to find best place.

If you pick Frenchtown or Lolo, it will probably work out. Further out could too, if you can handle the commute and feel ok being further from the Missoula / University scene. From what you've said, you probably would feel ok in more mainstream Montana.

Interesting that real estate is affected so easy by outside factors.
Alberton also looks nice.

Neither of us wants to live in a big city, if we did we'd move to Salt Lake since we have family and friends there. We want what we have now but in the US; town not bigger than 20k people, a well-paid job and a decent house with a 5+ acre lot. Lots of pines and secluded but with all amenities.

Montana have more forest than Utah, which we prefer.

[seww6]

Originally Posted by cumminszhere

“Coming home to place he’d never been before”

Rocky Mountain High - John Denver


Sums up my experience on my first visit to the Swan.

The Swan?

[NW Crow]

The Swan River Valley that runs from Bigfork to Seeley Lake (with highway 83), northeast of Missoula.

This might interest you http://zipatlas.com/us/mt/city-compa...population.htm
3 6% of Missoula report Swedish ancestry. So for the metro that would be almost 4,000 people. Very different levels of awareness though I'd guess. Most likely to be distant ancestry. Still you could find or bump into some Swedish Americans there. A similar level % as SLC.

[seww6]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

The Swan River Valley that runs from Bigfork to Seeley Lake (with highway 83), northeast of Missoula.

This might interest you Cities with the Highest Percentage of Swedes in Montana | Zip Atlas
3 6% of Missoula report Swedish ancestry. So for the metro that would be almost 4,000 people. Very different levels of awareness though I'd guess. Most likely to be distant ancestry. Still you could find or bump into some Swedish Americans there. A similar level % as SLC.

Have to say, there sure are some nive properties in Seeley Lake, a bit too far for commuting to Missoula. Hardly think I'd be able to find a job in the smaller towns, at least for a start.


That is pretty cool. Guess we Swedes sure have spread out.
On the other hand, I'm not leaving Sweden to be with other Swedes Kind of wanna be with other kinds of people, there's a sense of jealousy among people of this country, and it just bugs me.
I felt so at home in the US, just that feeling of others wanting you to push harder and keep going, make something out of yourself.
You guys sure have something else when it comes to attitudes.


Another question, how does the tax system work in Montana?
No sales tax, so I get that (we have 25% sales tax on most merchandise...)
For example, if one makes $60k per year, what percentage will go in income tax? Are we talking 30%, 15% or what?
Over here one pay local income tax, about 33% where I live, up to a certain income. I think right now the limit is $60k, so if you'd make $70k, you'd pay 33% plus additional 25% on the $10k above $60k. In total you'd pay like 37% income tax. Then there's another limit when you make about $100k, add another 20% or so in taxes...


Then add upp the sales tax which is on everything...
Not much left in your pocket...

[NW Crow]

Federal taxes are an income tax and a payroll tax to support Social Security and Medicare. The amount paid will vary by size of family, mortgage deduction, etc. but on average at $60,000 family income people end up paying about 15% federal tax. Taxes: Here's How Much You Really Pay In Taxes
Add about 5% for state income tax and another 5% or a bit more for property and other taxes & fees (like vehicle registration, gas tax). So the grand total will probably be about 25-30%.

To make a fairer comparison with your country, you might need to add in the cost of health insurance in the U.S., assuming Sweden's health care is largely covered by government supported directly by taxes?

[seww6]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Federal taxes are an income tax and a payroll tax to support Social Security and Medicare. The amount paid will vary by size of family, mortgage deduction, etc. but on average at $60,000 family income people end up paying about 15% federal tax. Taxes: Here's How Much You Really Pay In Taxes
Add about 5% for state income tax and another 5% or a bit more for property and other taxes & fees (like vehicle registration, gas tax). So the grand total will probably be about 25-30%.

To make a fairer comparison with your country, you might need to add in the cost of health insurance in the U.S., assuming Sweden's health care is largely covered by government supported directly by taxes?

I see, interesting, thanks.

Of coursr we need to take social health into consideration but nowadays lots of people buy private insurances so we have a high tax system plus insurances like in the US. Because our social welfare is decreasing all the time...

Salaries are too low for nurses so we have a huuge lack of nurses, dentists, teachers, police, everything. You might not have noticed it, but Sweden is on a downward spiral to **** I'm afraid.

Oh well, still looking for jobs in Montana, even applied for one in Coeur d'Alene, ID! Looks like an awesome town as well. A bit close to Spokane which is a terrible place, been there once..

So we'll see what happens!

[NW Crow]

I read some about Sweden a long time ago to try to understand the different political system / social community (in comparison to US) and with some thoughts of visiting or perhaps living there (especially west coast cities). But I haven't looked in a long while though besides a bit of news about migration issues in the European Union in general. It changes things when a nation thinks us and them instead of just us. Anywhere, whether the divide is race / ethnicity / national origin or just urban / rural or liberal / conservative politics and lifestyle.

I haven't traveled that way. Other cheaper and easier options in US and Canada have kept me busy and still stuff to see & do more. Lots of travel videos of far away places aren't the same as visiting but so far I have been content enough with that level of exposure. Maybe it will still happen.

Good luck with your plans.