Moving to the Branson area. (Springfield, Nixa: house, neighborhoods, buyer)

[asitshouldbe]

We just got home from a beautiful one week vacation in Branson, I miss the weather already we have blizzard warnings today.

Anyway, we fell in LOVE with the area, the people are so friendly I couldn't believe it, I come from the so called Minnesota nice, haha, the people up here are no where near as friendly as the Branson people.
I know they area relies on tourism and employees are nice to tourists, but it's more than that, wait staff should be nice no matter what state your from because all of them rely on tips, the wait staff , clerks, ticket takers, cashiers and EVERYONE were more than friendly.
Kind hearted, warm conversations, some even put their hand on your arm or shoulder when they speak to you.
I couldn't get enough of this friendliness and the scenery, not to mention the weather, no snow.
We started our vacation in Memphis and drove the back way to Branson on a road called the pig trail, very gorgeous and scenic. The roads were slow and windy and extremly hilly, like a roller coaster, my son got sick and we had to pull over so he could throw up...oops...that didn't take away from the beauty.
We have decided to move down to the Branson area as soon as school is out, we will make another trip down in April to look for homes.
Which area would be the best for schools? I have a high school honor student, one starting middle school and one in elementary.
What area should we avoid, we are looking for family friendly areas with a lot of kid activities like dance, gymnastics and sports, plus science and other academic activities.
Our price range will be $300,000 max for a 4-5 br.

[PGC Native]

Ozark and Nixa are midway between Springfield and Branson. They both have some of the best public schools in the state.

Ozark is best because it has direct highway 65 access, the topography is pretty, they have a charming old time square, and there are a lot of family friendly neighborhoods. Each student in the Ozark school system is issued a laptop for school purposes, the second district in the state to offer this. All of the facilities in the Ozark school system are pretty new besides South Elementary. It's a centralized location for all of the amenities Branson and Springfield. There will be plenty of entertainment and activities for the kids nearby living in Ozark.

If you like beautiful country drives, nature hikes, camping, friendly, genuinely nice people, good public schools and affordable housing, it sounds like this area is a great fit. Not to mention the winters are far less severe than in Minnesota.

Your housing budget will get you a lot of house in this area, even on acreage if that's what you prefer. You will easily be able to get 4, 5 or even 6 + bedrooms for that price, and most likely a finished basement with an Ozarks specialty, "The John Deere Room" for storage.

I would avoid living in Forysth or Rockaway beach most likely, just because they are a little bit poorer and more remote from amenities and where you will likely be working. Even they are not terrible areas, but might not be the best fit for a family.

[PGC Native]

Like you mentioned I was also taken aback at how friendly cashiers, servers, maintenance people, and strangers you meet are when I first came out here. It was such a refreshing change coming from the east coast where everyone is so standoffish and guarded. I can assure you it's not just because Branson is tourist driven, it's just how they are here. Warm and welcoming.

Good luck in your housing search in April. This is a great time to buy, as it is still a buyer's market here!

[imbored198824]

Great more Yankees moving in

[asitshouldbe]

Originally Posted by PGC Native

Like you mentioned I was also taken aback at how friendly cashiers, servers, maintenance people, and strangers you meet are when I first came out here. It was such a refreshing change coming from the east coast where everyone is so standoffish and guarded. I can assure you it's not just because Branson is tourist driven, it's just how they are here. Warm and welcoming.

Good luck in your housing search in April. This is a great time to buy, as it is still a buyer's market here!

My whole family was very impressed by the warm hearted people and we are all very excited to move there.

[asitshouldbe]

Originally Posted by imbored198824

Great more Yankees moving in

Love you too!

[asitshouldbe]

Originally Posted by PGC Native

Ozark and Nixa are midway between Springfield and Branson. They both have some of the best public schools in the state.

Ozark is best because it has direct highway 65 access, the topography is pretty, they have a charming old time square, and there are a lot of family friendly neighborhoods. Each student in the Ozark school system is issued a laptop for school purposes, the second district in the state to offer this. All of the facilities in the Ozark school system are pretty new besides South Elementary. It's a centralized location for all of the amenities Branson and Springfield. There will be plenty of entertainment and activities for the kids nearby living in Ozark.

If you like beautiful country drives, nature hikes, camping, friendly, genuinely nice people, good public schools and affordable housing, it sounds like this area is a great fit. Not to mention the winters are far less severe than in Minnesota.

Your housing budget will get you a lot of house in this area, even on acreage if that's what you prefer. You will easily be able to get 4, 5 or even 6 + bedrooms for that price, and most likely a finished basement with an Ozarks specialty, "The John Deere Room" for storage.

I would avoid living in Forysth or Rockaway beach most likely, just because they are a little bit poorer and more remote from amenities and where you will likely be working. Even they are not terrible areas, but might not be the best fit for a family.

We've been looking to this area, I've read Ozark and Nixa are the places to look. Thanks for the information, my kids were excited to hear about the laptop.

[Curmudgeon]

Having spent my high school years in Minnesota and now living about 20 miles south of Branson I applaud your planned move. One caution though, if you want or absolutely need it you'll have to bring our own lutefisk with you.

[MoNative34]

I think you need to research and spend more time in the area before you take a plunge like this. A week vacation isn't enough to make such a major life decision. You need to be careful before moving anywhere. Vacations tend to romanticize things.

[moving46]

If you want to move to Branson or around the area ask your self if you can handle a small
town with millions of tourist. you need more than 1 trip to understand the area.
I moved to branson and while visiting thought It was a neat town until I moved here and
noticed other things going on.

visit more than once before you decide. I would also suggest ozark or nixa.