Suggestions for Cold & dirt cheap towns to live in. Hillbillies ok. We like snow (homes, living)

[ketchikanite]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Depends on same things I asked the OP. Size of immediate community, distance to bigger place, how big. Housing price. Etc.

5 - 20 - 45 - 70 miles from Kalispell could work for some. Some variety. From Bigfork and Whitefish to Columbia Falls, Eureka, Kila, Swan Valley, Ashley Lake, Lakeside...

Sometimes I'll guess in advance but you or anyone will get better recommendations from me or others the more specific the criteria you list.

Outside Libby, Darby, Philipsburg, Seeley Lake / Ovando, Divide, Whitehall,Twin Bridges, Ennis, West Yellowstone... could work for some, some better than others based on your mix of criteria.


You want water. Ok. Stream, river, small lake, big lake or all of the above?

"On the road system". How much? On County road or just close? Within 2 to 10 miles of state highway? 5-20-50 miles to US highway or have to be near Interstate?

I guess I should have clarified my “on the road system” comment. In Alaska that means you can drive to a road that eventually connects to the outside. Not a fly in or boat location only. Any kinda water even if it’s only a water well. Not something barren. Community size isn’t really important as long as you can drive to one. I’ll narrow down my choices. And I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by ketchikanite

I read your posts with great interests. I’m still looking for my spot in NW Montana. Forested with water, ... Ideas or suggestions welcome.

NOT dirt cheap, but... As previously mentioned.. Thompson Falls > Plains, MT > (Clark Fork valley) is a pretty decent area (Weather, water, acceptable costs / forests / access.. and close enough to civilization for reasonable services (Spokane to Missoula))

Kalispell / Columbia Falls is another nice region to look at.

Dirt cheap is fleeting and would be a remote town on the prairie.

Rural NE / KS can be very inexpensive for houses, but watch out for income / property taxes and utilities (if that is a threat). Home resale may be impossible, so I hope you like it there!

Some very nice small towns on the prairie (including SD, CO, and WY, must drive for everything (Medical, airports, bulk shopping, events)

SD or SE MT is probably a good choice for least costs and expenses in western / mtn state region.

Domicile in SD (no income tax), with a ONE NIGHT per lifetime residency requirement. (stealth living / no other state of residence) https://dps.sd.gov/application/files...davit-2021.pdf
Register your vehicles and shop in MT (No sales tax).

vehicle over over 11 yrs old... (or RV) you can get a permanent registration $87.50
https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0...0050-0620.html
fees:
https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0...0030-0210.html

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

Smart move. KS or someplace else in 'The Heartland' area might be a good stopgap until things pull back. We're stuck in the melt-up as the Fed has no intention of meaningful tapering or rate increases, so the madness will continue.

Here in the Flathead, the 'Zoom Boom' hit us hard. Housing options are suddenly slim to none for anyone but millionaires and billionaires. Rental options also extremely limited due to AirBnB, VRBO, etc. which can make a landlord a lot more profit (nothing wrong with that, but it inadvertently hurts the working class).

We like our property, but inside of a couple years, we suddenly find ourselves with no viable options to be a little further away from the ever-expanding noise and hustle/bustle of a growing Valley. I guess there's worse places to be, but we're saddened by the direction things are going here.

As I understand, it's like this everywhere around the PNW & Intermountain West.

Yep, it sure is a PNW thing.
I lived in Eureka for a few months back in 1990. We've grown tired of this area and want to move somewhere quiet that doesn't have the need to fill every empty stretch of land with a warehouse or Starbucks. I thought I'd give Eureka a look since I really liked it in 1990. But I also understand that was 30+ years ago, so things are bound to be different there now.
We used to head into the big city of Kalispell once a month or so for the bigger shopping trips.

-Mike

[winterlover42]

Anywhere in Eastern Montana or Western North Dakota will do. I've actually been looking at Bismarck and Dickinson myself.

Also, a reminder to not vote for the same kind of people that turned California into what it is today. We as midwesterners don't appreciate that stuff.

[NW Crow]

Eureka MT home prices reputedly up 55% in 10 years. 12% of that this year. Was cheap in past but now more than expensive than US average. I've seen
million plus dollar listings outside on town. Town itself probably looks / feels mostly similar. But housing cost is very different and would be a challenge for many on local wages.

Are there still some "cheap" places in that area? I dunno. I'd generally say maybe but haven't look there recently. "Dirt cheap"? Probably not. But only way to know is look at real estate sites and actual real estate in person and look at value to you and value you can bring to such a place.

If you want cheap, look at the worst. Work to find stuff that nobody or almost nobody wants to talk about / show you. And be aware that many of those properties are indeed undesirable rejects. Some might be tough or good calls for someone prepared to make tough calls.

[suzco]

Butte. Rundown, cheap, has everything you need.

[MTSilvertip]

With the wuhan flu fiasco, there are a lot of people looking for remote "bug out" properties. With that come the speculators buying the cheap land and holding it until the price goes high enough for them to maximize their profit.

Land that could have been purchased in 2019 for $1000/acre is now triple that price with no improvements.

Unless there's a pressing need to buy right now, my advice would be to watch the markets and be ready to move if a piece of ground comes up at a realistic price.

[ejisme]

Originally Posted by OnProbation

We currently live in Calif and have snow about 1/3 of the year. To the point it's difficult to get over the pass to the closest town of Truckee to work. Many seasonal jobs but they are afraid I may not be able to get to work.


We are sick of the prices here. Homesteading is very difficult too with the snow.

If homesteading and living off the land is your goal then all of Montana will be difficult to do. You're smart to look to warmer areas with longer growing periods and less need to heat and protect your home from the long winter cold.

Western Oklahoma, near the Texas boarder, might work for you. There are some reservoirs near Altus, OK. That could be your base town for major shopping and medical needs, but live in a smaller town some miles away. You'll still get some snow each year, but nothing as significant as where you are in CA or Montana. You'd need irrigation water for your crops, but your well can probably provide enough. You can also do a rain catchment system to hold rain water for other uses. Maybe you can setup wind and solar to provide the majority of your power too.

[Shuffler]

Originally Posted by suzco

Butte. Rundown, cheap, has everything you need.

Butte is attracting those who can't afford Belgrade/Bozeman anymore, so a growing # of people are buying there & commuting. This will only drive prices & speculation higher if the Fed maintains current monetary policy.

Peak insanity/melt-up still in full swing.

[ketchikanite]

Originally Posted by suzco

Butte. Rundown, cheap, has everything you need.

I’ve spent time in Butte. Too many people and too much traffic. Nice place to visit.