South Western Montana bound (Missoula, Great Falls: condos, lawyers, unemployment) - (MT) - City-Data Forum

Hampstead1 · 02-24-2011, 01:12 PM

I am 53, a current federal OSHA compliance officer of 20 years living near Baltimore, MD. I also have a small law practice on the side. Put simply, I came to the Rockies (around Jackson, Wy.) about ten years ago, and have been drawn to the area every year since. I am also an avid fly fishermen.

Bottom line is that I'm sick of living in the East and am seriously considering getting some raw land in the Ennis/Cameron area. I would leave tomorrow, but I believe if i did, I would still have to work for a living, not being a privileged character. I have also considered purchasing the land now and perhaps retiring there as well.

Would transplanting to Ennis or some similarly situated area be feasible, given my past career and skills or would I be setting myself up for disaster? My wife is an administrator at a drug treatment center and is capable of managing anything. I am told that Bozemen is about an hour drive from Ennis. If there are any attorneys out there, do you think I would starve as an OSHA consultant that also practices law? From an economic standpoint, would buying land in that area be a good investment right now? finally, given my situation, would there be any other areas of western Montana I should consider? Thank you in advance.

flyingcat2k · 02-24-2011, 01:45 PM

You will be required to pass the Montana Bar. Montana does not have any reciprocity with any state (otherwise we'd be overrun with lawyers from CA). It is not easy according to a few attorneys I know who practice in other states. Montana's privacy rights and environmental laws are quite different from other states.

Land in Ennis is excessively expensive on a good day. There is minimal services outside of the normal water, sewer, electric and phone. Personally, if you are looking for a cheap place, you're better off staying out of the Bitterroot and 3 Forks valleys. There are some cheaper places around Helena but if you want to be close to town and have major services, you'll pay an arm and a leg.

ElkHunter · 02-24-2011, 02:13 PM

I used to be involved with OSHA. I was the guy in all the posters saying "Don't do this".

Montana is full of mining operations. Eastern Montana is just now getting started in a big oil field. Coal mines in Coal Strip and Decker. Construction everywhere due to the wonderful "Stimulus package" that provides jobs just long enough to earn a quarters worth of unemployment.

Work is out there for your field, but probably not exactly where you want to land. But if you bought land and then traveled a little for the next couple of years you'd be set.

Welcome to the Montana Forum.

Hampstead1 · 02-24-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingcat2k

You will be required to pass the Montana Bar. Montana does not have any reciprocity with any state (otherwise we'd be overrun with lawyers from CA). It is not easy according to a few attorneys I know who practice in other states. Montana's privacy rights and environmental laws are quite different from other states.

Land in Ennis is excessively expensive on a good day. There is minimal services outside of the normal water, sewer, electric and phone. Personally, if you are looking for a cheap place, you're better off staying out of the Bitterroot and 3 Forks valleys. There are some cheaper places around Helena but if you want to be close to town and have major services, you'll pay an arm and a leg.

Thanks for the advice. I looked into it and I believe the pass rate for the bar there is around 90%. Worse comes to worse, I could go back to banging nails, LOL. I was looking on Zillow, a real estae related web site, and I beleive the cost of land in that area has dropped significantly; is this so to your knowledge? Also, you mention those from CA...are folks from that state overrunning the area? I had seem some posts on other threads that seem to confirm that,

Hampstead1 · 02-24-2011, 03:03 PM

Yes, truth be known, I was in Construction for about 13 years before I went with OSHA. You may know me...I was the guy standing next to you in the poster. Thanks for the welcome. I normally don't utilize the web for such things, but I guess everybody has to get up to speed with the 21st. century if they know whats good for them.

ElkHunter · 02-24-2011, 03:16 PM

I have a funny story you can appreciate.

I was in the USN and had time on my hands. So I went to a contractor who was building condo's and told him I would install sliding glass doors for $22 a pop. He agreed.

Was doing a project up in Costa Mesa that had an underground parking lot. I was working along and noticed all of a sudden, it got quiet. I went over to the side of the building and everybody was yelling to me to get off the building. I couldn't figure out why, but I turned and noticed my plumb bob was slap hard against the forms. So I jumped off and walked over to see what was going on.

It seems that the foreman told a couple of new-hires to remove "Half the scaffolding" in the underground garage. They did. They removed all of the scaffolding on one side of the building. The pillars failed. hahahaha The foremans idea was to remove every other one. Oh well... Guess you had to be there. hahaha 86 condos on top of a slab that failed. Just round up the pillars, pump em back up and we was back in business.

pssssst. Don't tell the building inspector.

NYMTman · 02-25-2011, 12:37 AM

Hey there! I moved from Baltimore to Montana as well. It's a big difference obviously. Consider the polar opposite of Baltimore and you have Montana.

There are lawyers all over Bozeman. My old landlord in Bozeman was a lawyer. Speaking of Bozeman, the entire time I lived there I think I only locked my front door a small handful of times. Like I said, different from Baltimore.

I moved out here on a lark several years ago. Wanted to get a place way back in the woods and live a nice slow life. I think that's why most easterners and Californians make the Montana move.

One thing you should keep in mind... the weather. It's -35 in Cut Bank tonight.

nature's cathedral · 02-25-2011, 03:24 AM

The key to the Montana Bar: Do not get cocky! Take it seriously and take the review course.

Jobs are another story. The easiest thing to do would be criminal and divorce as in most places. Check out other lawyers in Ennis and set what is going on.

Good Fortune.

montygarlic · 02-25-2011, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYMTman

One thing you should keep in mind... the weather. It's -35 in Cut Bank tonight.

Yeah. Good advice: Keep THAT in mind.

Which is why you should look West of the Divide. Think Missoula or Kalispell areas. You'll be glad you did.

Good luck!

mg

NYMTman · 02-25-2011, 06:40 PM

Yeah I've lived on both sides of the divide and the climate west of the divide is definitely best. The Flathead gets more snow than Cut Bank or Great Falls, but it always comes in reasonable, small/moderate amounts at a time. In Great Falls you can go weeks with nothing, then get a big 12"+ dump. Everyone seems to love Chinooks but I don't - I like having snow on the ground in the winter.