NWArkansas to Tulsa (Lawton, Bixby, Jenks: roughest, to buy, high school)

[bagelw]

Originally Posted by linicx

I lived in NEOK for a lot of years and spent a good deal of time in NWAR. Travel in NW AR from Pea Ridge to Hot Springs is through three mountain ranges: Ozark, Boston and Ouachita. There is no place in the Midwest/Midsouth that has anything like it. It is awesome. AR 5 out of Fayetteville to I-40 is breathtaking beautiful especially in the spring with the Dogwoods bloom.

OK License plate fees are bizarre. It is based on the FOB price on your vehicle the year it was manufactured. Antique vehicle tags (license plates) are dirt cheap. Not so on new cars; ouch!. To get new plates go to any OK Tag Office.

I like Tulsa very much. I don't like its tornadoes. Tulsa metro population is 1M or more, and it is is a beautiful green and tree city. It is called the art capital of OK by some. If I was going to buy property in Tulsa I would look at the area behind Utica Square on Utica and 21st. The other options are NW or SE -- because the OKie tornadoes form in the SW and more NE.

The one thing your will find different is the food, and you will find two malls and some nice shopping areas like Utica Square. .

Thanks. The area around Utica would be perfect but are there decent homes for under $200K? Looking online it looks as though homes in that area at that price are either very small or need remodeled.

[linicx]

Admittedly, I have not been in that area for some since I no longer am able to drive. When I was there, I had a very favorable impression of the area. Older houses with "good bones" that have had appropriate care and repair for the age are a good investment. For one thing they are sturdy and well constructed. For another they are not terribly expensive to upgrade. I am not talking about major renovation. Cabinet doors in the kitchen, for example, can be replaced or refinished at a fraction of the cost of R/R new cabinets. Serviceable countertops don't have to be granite; besides that it does not have to be done today! It can wait a year. Watch sales at Lowe's. You can pick up some very upscale kitchen faucets for under a $150. I bought two ceiling fans with light kits that still had sale tags on after the sale ended for under $40. Conversely, I like Menard's for ceiling fixtures (not fans). I bought an unusual ceiling fixure that was on sale for $19; the original cost was $90 and it was the last one.

The point is you can do a lot of things to update a house on a budget with patience. Whatever HGTV says is a hot color today will change tomorrow and so will colors. Walls painted with soft neutral colors are not only soothing, it sells houses. If you find a house you like that has good bones do not over look it because of age or because it needs minor updates.

Having said this, do not buy any empty house that does not pass a Home Inspection or a mold inspection. This is not the same as a house inspection by the bank, or the opinion of a realtor. This guy/gal should be licensed and bonded by the state, and you will receive a full written report.

The mold inspection is important because of Okie humidity. if there is hidden mold behind walls or in ceilings, it can cost as much to remove (mitigate) as it does for the house itself. And no, bleach water will not remove mold from studs that is hidden behind a wall. The wall and studs are removed and the wall is rebuilt.

The sale must be CONTINGENT on passing all inspections (to protect your investment). Some states only require a termite inspection. If you do not see mold and home inspection on the check off list, then ADD IT. Mold = lung issues: allergies, infections and disease. The last home/mold inspection I had was in 2007; it cost $600. With a spouse with 2 lung diseases, it was well worth the $$$.

Originally Posted by bagelw

Thanks. The area around Utica would be perfect but are there decent homes for under $200K? Looking online it looks as though homes in that area at that price are either very small or need remodeled.

[swake]

Under 200k is a hard thing to find around Utica. Very little of the nicer parts of midtown is going to be less than 200k unless the house is very small. The number of houses that would sell for less needing upgrades is going to be small too. Lots of the smaller, cheaper houses in the area have been leveled for huge new houses. Around Utica $2 million houses are more common than $200k houses. Your best bet will be Brookside west of Peoria south of 36th or Cherry Street north of 15th or something east of Harvard. But you would still be looking at houses for the most part no bigger than 1500 sq ft.

[linicx]

Depending upon the floor plan two can be very comfortable in 1000 - 1500 sq ft home. I live in a house that is 1bd/1ba and around 1000 sq ft. with an open floor plan. The LR is nearly 30 ft long. The trade-off is the galley kitchen for the huge closets and basement storage. I have more storage that I need.

[Libsk]

Originally Posted by bagelw

Ummmm...exaggerate much?
Ballistic vest, helmets, assault rifles? Really? I've been to Tulsa numerous times and have never felt unsafe. I can't really take your post seriously after you state something like that.

Me either. That post wreaked of someone that is only on here to trash your city. No credibility after that garbage.

[Libsk]

Originally Posted by linicx

Admittedly, I have not been in that area for some since I no longer am able to drive. When I was there, I had a very favorable impression of the area. Older houses with "good bones" that have had appropriate care and repair for the age are a good investment. For one thing they are sturdy and well constructed. For another they are not terribly expensive to upgrade. I am not talking about major renovation. Cabinet doors in the kitchen, for example, can be replaced or refinished at a fraction of the cost of R/R new cabinets. Serviceable countertops don't have to be granite; besides that it does not have to be done today! It can wait a year. Watch sales at Lowe's. You can pick up some very upscale kitchen faucets for under a $150. I bought two ceiling fans with light kits that still had sale tags on after the sale ended for under $40. Conversely, I like Menard's for ceiling fixtures (not fans). I bought an unusual ceiling fixure that was on sale for $19; the original cost was $90 and it was the last one.

The point is you can do a lot of things to update a house on a budget with patience. Whatever HGTV says is a hot color today will change tomorrow and so will colors. Walls painted with soft neutral colors are not only soothing, it sells houses. If you find a house you like that has good bones do not over look it because of age or because it needs minor updates.

Having said this, do not buy any empty house that does not pass a Home Inspection or a mold inspection. This is not the same as a house inspection by the bank, or the opinion of a realtor. This guy/gal should be licensed and bonded by the state, and you will receive a full written report.

The mold inspection is important because of Okie humidity. if there is hidden mold behind walls or in ceilings, it can cost as much to remove (mitigate) as it does for the house itself. And no, bleach water will not remove mold from studs that is hidden behind a wall. The wall and studs are removed and the wall is rebuilt.

The sale must be CONTINGENT on passing all inspections (to protect your investment). Some states only require a termite inspection. If you do not see mold and home inspection on the check off list, then ADD IT. Mold = lung issues: allergies, infections and disease. The last home/mold inspection I had was in 2007; it cost $600. With a spouse with 2 lung diseases, it was well worth the $$$.

Good, informative post!

[Les Pharis]

Well, it's true. I lived in Tulsa for 20 years. At New Years it's not uncommon to hear automatic weapon fire at midnight.
You are 8 times more likely to be murdered in Tulsa than Fayetteville, 6 times more likely to be robbed, 2-3 times more
likely to be assaulted, 3 times more likely to be burglarized, 3-4 times likely to get your car stolen according to City-Data.
However, if you just read the Tulsa World and keep track of all the drive-bys, gang activity, murders, disappearances,
assaults and just the overall level of violence, there is huge difference. Sure, I use little hyperbole to get your attention
but you'd better keep a loaded weapon within reach if you plan to live in T-Town unless you live in a bubble with
private security. For sure, you'd better learn which areas of the city are the most dangerous. Like they say,
ignorance is bliss.

[bagelw]

Originally Posted by Les Pharis

Well, it's true. I lived in Tulsa for 20 years. At New Years it's not uncommon to hear automatic weapon fire at midnight.
You are 8 times more likely to be murdered in Tulsa than Fayetteville, 6 times more likely to be robbed, 2-3 times more
likely to be assaulted, 3 times more likely to be burglarized, 3-4 times likely to get your car stolen according to City-Data.
However, if you just read the Tulsa World and keep track of all the drive-bys, gang activity, murders, disappearances,
assaults and just the overall level of violence, there is huge difference. Sure, I use little hyperbole to get your attention
but you'd better keep a loaded weapon within reach if you plan to live in T-Town unless you live in a bubble with
private security. For sure, you'd better learn which areas of the city are the most dangerous. Like they say,
ignorance is bliss.

And I'm 100 times more likely to die in a car crash on my way to work tomorrow too.
I've lived in much larger cities with much worse crime than Tulsa and have never felt compelled to carry a loaded weapon. The amount of crime in the city has zero influence on my decision. Stop spreading fear.

[swake]

Tulsa usually has 40-60 murders a year or between 1 and 1.5 murders for every 10,000 people. If you lived to be 100 you would still only have something like a 1% chance of being killed. And your risk would be much lower than that if you avoid things like abusive relationships, gangs or dealing drugs.

You are much more likely to be killed by your own gun than to be saved by your own gun.

[Dutchman01]

Originally Posted by bagelw

Ummmm...exaggerate much?
Ballistic vest, helmets, assault rifles? Really? I've been to Tulsa numerous times and have never felt unsafe. I can't really take your post seriously after you state something like that.

That post very nearly mirrors something a fellow teacher of mine indicated about tulsa as well.