Southwesterners deserting the Southwest? (St. Louis, Springfield: to rent, crime rate, second mortgage)

[BPD147]

I happened to hear Pat Robertson on a couple of talk radio shows the other night. I guess he has a new book out that he's hyping. While I didn't listen to either segment to their completion, I did catch a portion of the discussion where Mr. Robertson asserted that we are seceding the Southwest to Mexico. Hmmm! He made the comment that more and more people from the Southwest, particularly California are "coming back over the mountains" to the Midwest. Okay...I'm guilty of that part at least. While I didn't exactly agree with his reasoning that the Hispanics illegals are the cause, I did start to think of what it was that caused me to drag up my lifelong roots in San Diego and come East. I also thought about all the fellow Californians that I have met here, they too having relocated to Missouri and wondered what motivated them.
As for myself, I was motivated by wanting to live somewhere where I could make a modest living and actually afford to "live", something that was nigh on impossible in San Diego (God bless S.D.G.& E , $1000 rent for something bigger than a shoebox etc.). I wanted away from the endless traffic and humanity. I wanted a school that could actually TEACH my daughter and teachers who still knew how to handle their students(long story but I found both in Missouri). There were more, deeply personal reasons that I won't go in to, but none that had much to do with the mass influx of illegal immigrants into my former home state.
I also have my own opinions about the immigration problem, which is not limited to the Southwest by the way. Nor is it limited to the Mexicans or South Americans. Probably due to what I do for a living, I have seen a great deal of Baltic states illegals as well as Middle easterners. And in larger numbers than one would think possible in Southwest Missouri. It's everywhere, not just in the Coast states. But enough of that. I want to know the reasons my fellow Ex-Californians have for moving to fair Missouri.
The beautiful GREEN countryside? The slower lifestyle?
Here's your chance to tell what brought you here.

[babyfaceminerals]

Well, You asked for it........

This is what made us move from Southern California:
First-We had a deal with my step dad to buy his mom's house from him and traded our mobile home and land with him. He rented that out while we were supposed to rent the house from him for 5 yrs, then buy. I had them over for Easter Dinner and he dropped the bomb on us that he wanted about $100,000 more! We had allready done upgrades plus all new flooring. (nothing was in writing)
We were devistated and didn't talk for about a year.
We decided that if it was supposed to work out, we would try to go ahead and buy the house for the larger amount and just in time because he had just started to ivestigate getting a second mortgage on the house. This is going on while he is reanting out our old place and collecting $ from it!
After buying the house and selling him the mobile & paying interest only mortgage payments for a year, we realized we didn't want to go to the new $2500 plus property taxes and still try to eat.
Second- the schools and teachers didn't care enough to educate my oldest while both kids got picked on for being white which was a minority in their schools. My oldest was constintlay flunking school and had a hard time with her teachers.
Third-My husband installs flooring (18 yrs) and he hasn't got a raise on his prices ever. He couldn't because he had to compete with the illegal workers and their low pricing.
Fourth-Utilities were crazy. Our highest August electric bill was over $550 and averaged about $300.

We started researching this area as soon as dad did that and kept trying to remember that it must have happened for a reason. I told my hubby that I would try my hardest to relocate out of state if he wanted. Neighbor told us of MO and I said, are you crazy, there are tornados and humidity! I have had nightmares of tornados since I was a kid and just had another one 2 nights ago! I said, fine, I will research and then we can look at something else!
Well, things didn't look that bad at all and peaked our interest. We could actually picture ourselves living there.

Thank God the house value came up enough to give 25% deposit on the house.
We still find ourselves strapped but it's our fault, we spread ourselves too thin financially. I am struggling to find the right job for myself but hubby has plenty of work.
This area felt like home right away. No regreats and my oldest is now keeping B's, A's and onc C!!!! Plus, her school will send her to college for 2 years FREE if she keeps a 2.5 GPA and good citizenship!
The 2 months of humid warm to hot summer here is n othing like the 5 months of summer in CA which could blaze! We like winter better than summer and got our first inch of sno allready! We love how everything is green and all the colors in Fall and I don't care if I ever go back to those brown/grey mountains and deserts again!!!!
The kids out here are much nicer, have more values and are more interested in school.
Teachers are great and so is the hospitality. We enjoy the wildlife and all the birds and sit on our deck to watch them.
Taxes are better including property. Our highest electric bill in August was $190, last month was $65 and one before that was $119.
My kids have a bunch of church activities and we love this new church as much as our old one that took us 3 yrs to like.

It has totally been a God Thing getting here and a Real Blessing!

[jdslady]

Although we haven't made the move yet, I can tell you [i]why[i] we want to as soon as we can. We want to retire somewhere in the country and love the area around Branson. Life here in our corner of northwest arkansas has gotten just way to hectic and crowded. In the small subdivision we live in we are now the miniority. We only know our neighbors across the street cause they bought their place shortly after we did. We would love to live in a place where you see your neighbor on the street and they actually speak and wave. I guess I am still a child of the 50's where life was simplier and slower.
Plus our daughter moved to Branson last May and took 4 of our grandkids with her. We want to be where we can go to their games, their school functions and just be there when needed. Sure, I know, we can call them and they are only an hour and a half away but it's not the same as being able to just run over and give them a hug when they (or us) need it. (and believe me, that's been alot lately for reasons I won't go into here).
But we'll make it up there hopefully in the next few months.

[BPD147]

My Bad!! I said Pat Robertson, I meant Pat Buchannan. OOPS!

[mrschilicook]

Cost of living was the only factor that drove us out of California. We lived in the SF bay area and loved the town we lived in (Pleasanton). In order to retire comfortably, we wanted to maximize what we would get for our $$.

To that end, we moved to Las Vegas as an interim move knowing that we wouldn't stay more than 5 years...we aren't desert rats. We love mountains, trees, water, etc. But had plans to eventually move out here.

We have owned a house out on the lake near the Arkansas/MO line for 20 years but my Dad lives there. We finally decided that it was just too rural for us so we started looking around in other states (the desire for no SS/income tax drove the search) like Washington, Tennessee, Texas but something held us back...expensive housing, too wet, high property taxes, etc...Then we unexpectedly sold our house in Las Vegas and had to make a decision. We love this area and love what Branson has been doing with the landing, improved restaurants, etc. We also like Springfield and what they had to offer (theater, baseball, etc). So we bought a house out here and love it..haven't looked back once.

The only thing I miss is Trader Joe's and Costco (sorry Sam's is just not the same)...but St. Louis is only 3 1/2 hours away...an easy day trip if needed.

Still go back to California a couple of times a year and still love Pleasanton and Placerville..but wouldn't move back.

[BigRedIdiot]

I have to be extremely careful since a moderator has sent me two warnings for what he considered "racist" comments.

Fled my home state of California in 1993 and re-entered the USA.

As a blue-collar laborer for most of my life I performed the jobs Americans supposedly will not do.

I was often an Anglo minority living and working among a majority of xxxxxxxxx

At times, I was also a minority due to being an American citizen.

There were plenty of time I suffered severe ostracism for being what I am, even to the point where a gang of xxxxxxx stomped me and once I was shot at while shouts of being told to leave their land were sent my way.

Yep, it is racism to tell the truth that the mass media does not convey to the masses.

I could write for hours of the horrors I and friends, co-workers, etc. experienced.

As wages fell and rents increased due to xxxxxxx increasing the labor supply and by creating a huge demand for housing that should never have been there in the first place... I had to flee.

I am currently in Nebraska but will be relocating to the general Springfield area in the near future.

The less diversity and multi-culturalism I have to experience the happier I will be.

I think about Japan with its mono-culture (I have been there many types while in the military) and wish our crime rate was as low as their.

But, such is the price of embracing this diversity I hear touted so much but in practice....

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Speak the truth, tell of personal experience, and the brainwashed nay-say the messenger.

Such is life in today's USA.

[stephenmattison]

Born in Kansas, married a California Girl after returning from the Vietnam war, took 30 years but got her this close to Kansas finally a few years ago. Grew up fishing and hunting in MO and KS so love em both. Mom's family from MO and Dad's from KS so have relatives to visit all over. Can't beat the environment or the people around here.

[skeating]

Born in Missouri, moved to LA in sixties, schools were frightening then. Left LA in mid-late sixties, moved back to Missouri and never looked back to California again. Go to California only to visit family. The high cost of living, housing, crime and gangs in schools force the concerns of rearing children in CA. LOVE MISSOURI.... NOT PERFECT... BUT FEEL SAFER AND MORE SECURE.... DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE HOME...