Considering moving to Montana? (Billings, Missoula: for sale, salons, real estate) - (MT) - City-Data Forum

settebella · 01-09-2011, 09:34 AM

Hey,

I'm 24 and I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life. My family and I are thinking of moving, and Montana is on the list. Everyone over here is in a rush, not always friendly, and it's become congested. I hear the cost of living in Montana is high? But I'm sure it couldn't be as high as Newton, MA...property here is well...very very very expensive. I know every place is going to have negatives. I'm basically looking for a place to some day raise a family, make a decent living and just be happy =). Weather is not an issue for me, I love the cold and I love humidity! I even like rain. I guess I just want to know a little bit more about Montana. What's the job market like? I'm going to be graduating from Cosmetology school soon =). What are some of the housing costs? Safety? School systems? Etc.

ElkHunter · 01-09-2011, 11:28 AM

Montana is a very large state. It's as different on one end to the other as night and day.

I suggest you read some of the threads here, maybe hit the search button and take a look at some of the threads that don't show. That way you can kind of narrow down your questions.

Do you want mountains? Prairie? City, small town, rural living, outskirts of large town, are just some of the things you need to look at before people can give you good details.

Welcome to the Montana forum.

settebella · 01-09-2011, 11:44 AM

Mountains, probably outskirts if a larg city or town, but I'm flexible. When I finish with school and get my Operators license in Cosmetology, I'd like to work in a salon. If I were to take a visit, where ya think might be a good place to start?

rambrush · 01-10-2011, 07:01 AM

Elkhunter pretty much covered it. You really need to come look, some areas don't have year around access unless you utilize a snowcat.
The Bark Beetle Kill has made some areas look not so nice and also created more of a fire hazard.
Access even on freeways can be questionable I-15 has been closed a few times this year from Idaho border on up past Dillion.
What is advertised in the real estate for sale mag's may not be real accurate on property descriptions.Thus you have to come look. We wanted water/creek or pond on ours. We printed reams of paper loaded up the dog's and traveled to Montana and started exploring. Everyone of them said they had water, but when we checked it was down on the far end of the buildable site or only cut across the corner of the property. none had water we could sit on the porch and hear the creek flowing by.
After a week or so we were told of some property possibly for sale and the individual lived out of state. Sure enough he would like to sale it even though it was not on the market. 20.5 acres 1/2 mile of running creek and a couple of old beaver ponds thrown in. Course it is in a area with out year around access and is buried in snow currently.

RogueMom · 01-10-2011, 04:53 PM

I lived in a mobile home (on a rented lot) for a coupld of years in the Bitteroot Valley. My kids would like to go back to Montana, but upon checking the real estate sites, I can see that property in the area is STILL way more than someone who is an average working person there could ever afford. What a shame.

calicokate · 01-28-2011, 09:29 PM

Come to Bozeman! There are several busy, hip salons here and they do well. Montana isn't super image-conscious but I imagine the people looking for hair upkeep (and thus keeping the salons in biz) would be here, Whitefish, and Missoula. We're also close to the mountains (you can drive to the Bridgers in 15 minutes, they backdrop the whole city.)

This side of Montana is a dreamy place for a kid to grow up...our schools haven't suffered with the budget cuts as much as many other states, there's tons of outdoor stuff to do, and the place is super, super safe. Many folks don't lock their doors.

Bozeman housing is expensive for Montana but probably not too shocking compared to Mass. Missoula and Whitefish are a bit cheaper.

If I had to generalize...BZN is the hip, yoga-mom, yuppietown with the engineering state school, Missoula (the 'Zoo) is the more hippie-ish, more down-to-earth, diverse (as in you see rednecks, ranchers, hipsters, etc.) milder-climated liberal-arts college town, and Whitefish is a little outdoorsy town close to Glacier National Park. Bozeman gets more sun than Missoula and Whitefish.

No need to power through the weather, really, compared to Mass...I always thought snow you couldn't ski on was depressing but here it has a purpose...piling up at Bridger Bowl, 15 miles up the road! I hear lift tix on the East Coast are pricey...BB is a whopping $43/day. And we aren't very humid.

One thing that came to mind reading your posts...a common bumper sticker here that reads, "Did you move here to be in a hurry?"

Come here and feel your blood pressure drop!

FL2MT · 01-29-2011, 06:30 AM

I think calicokate gave some good advice. There are only so many 'big cities' in Montana and I think as far as moving those would be good areas to start because you'll have more job prospects. Rent for a year or two and spend some of the weekends during that time traveling to other parts of the state. You may start in Bozeman and decide you want to be up near Kalispell/Whitefish because you really enjoy Glacier Nat'l Park or vice versa. The only way to ultimately find out is to give it a shot! Good luck and I hope it's all you're looking for.

GLS · 01-29-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by settebella

Hey,

I'm 24 and I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life. My family and I are thinking of moving, and Montana is on the list. Everyone over here is in a rush, not always friendly, and it's become congested. I hear the cost of living in Montana is high? But I'm sure it couldn't be as high as Newton, MA...property here is well...very very very expensive. I know every place is going to have negatives. I'm basically looking for a place to some day raise a family, make a decent living and just be happy =). Weather is not an issue for me, I love the cold and I love humidity! I even like rain. I guess I just want to know a little bit more about Montana. What's the job market like? I'm going to be graduating from Cosmetology school soon =). What are some of the housing costs? Safety? School systems? Etc.

The MOST important factor in surviving and enjoying Montana is a good job.
I just Googled: "Cosmetology + Montana" and it gave at least ten sites that would be extremely helpful to you. These included the Montana State Board of Cosmetology license requirements, a Career Resource Network, and a list of all the Cosmetology schools in Montana.

I suggest you try that to start narrowing down potential locations that offer employment that could support you. In contrast, some areas of Montana have more "saloons" than than "salons".

settebella · 02-01-2011, 07:28 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I guess I need to start getting some tickets and get to traveling. I never even stepped foot in Montana. I'm not too worried about getting another license in cosmo.

Clark Fork Fantast · 02-02-2011, 12:15 AM

Time for a road trip! If you have never visited the area, fly out, rent a car, and drive around. Make a point of driving all the way from Montana through Idaho and Washington to Seattle. You might even include Portland, OR. Since you love humidity, the Pacific NW may be more to your liking. The NW is an amazing place, full of cultural variety and beautiful scenery. If you fly into Billings you can probably rent a car (Enterprise is your best bet for interstate rental) and return it to an airport on the West Coast. Come get an impression of the entire area--don't even think about making a decision without having visited!