Where should I move to in MT?

[Hem]

Yep Montana sucks for skiing. Spread the word.
I hope the Big Sky scurge doesn't spread to our smaller places. Did someone brag about Vail? Condorado,right?

 

[Schaaf]

That’s an impressive price. I feel like it’s made at the same place as Rainier? Could be wrong.

Bunch of Malarkey

 

[Pelican]

Little known fact: you can use Schmidt for chumming for whatever animals on the can.

Another little known fact: if you remove every other letter from the word “Schmidt” you are left with a word that a accurately describes the taste of Schmidt beer.

 

[MT_Chad]

Steve, I grew up on the eastern side of the state and since high school have lived in most of the towns you are interested in. I've been in Helena for 9, was in Missoula for 4, Butte for 5, and bozeman for one terrible summer.
Honestly, to each their own, but no way would I live in Bozeman, even though it is closer to home. I would live in Missoula hands down again over Bozeman. I spent my college years in Butte, so I'm extremely fond of Butte. If I was in your shoes, I would give Butte a hard look, we did when we were debating on moving to Helena or Butte when my wife finished school in Missoula. Butte has very low cost of living compared to any of the other areas you are considering and it is still very central to everything you want to do. Butte definately takes some getting used to, I hated it my first year of school, after that I loved it. It has to grow on you like the cancer the water gives you.
Helena is fine, we have lots of family here so that has been nice. My biggest complaint is since it is central to all the other bigger towns, you can't really escape the people in any direction to go hunting. Every direction you go you start bumping into guys from the next town.
My advice would be to find where there are jobs available to start with and go from there, that is a tough aspect of montana, there isn't a ton of opportunity for jobs like that.
My wife works in the medical field here in Helena and we have a lot of friends that work in medicine around montana, if you have any questions about specific hospitals, I might be able to get you some answers. Also, open invitation to hit me up if you are coming through Helena looking. Good Luck!

 

[MT_Chad]

Definitely the biggest down side of the MT mountain regions are the real estate trends. I don’t see how it can continue. How does someone on an below average salary buy a $400k home and make it work? Referring to early posts.

I don't know how they can, my wife and I have good paying jobs and building our house for 250k 8 years ago was hard to swallow. Now its worth over 500k, no way would I be willing to take on a mortgage like that.

 

[MO Betta]

I wouldn't be surprised if Aspen was providing everyone with a gift bag of cocaine with their seasons pass.

Are all these transplants coming to MT paying cash for these over value home purchases or are lenders losing their minds?

 

[Schaaf]

Another little known fact: if you remove every other letter from the word “Schmidt” you are left with a word that a accurately describes the taste of Schmidt beer.

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[westbranch]

Screaming deal in CDA if anyone is looking in Idaho.

877 W Marie Ave, Coeur D Alene, ID 83815 | Zillow

877 W Marie Ave, Coeur D Alene ID, is a Mobile / Manufactured home that contains 980 sq ft and was built in 1979.It contains 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The Zestimate for this Mobile / Manufactured is $108,000, which has increased by $4,748 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Mobile...

www.zillow.com

 

[MT_Chad]

View attachment 168958

Are all these transplants coming to MT paying cash for these over value home purchases or are lenders losing their minds?

From what I have heard and seen, mostly people paying cash from out of state. My wife's best friend works for a realtor and was telling us they have people calling telling them to start knocking on doors of houses that aren't even for sale. These people are supposedly rolling in and paying cash for houses. We need winter to actually show up in a bad way.

 

[MO Betta]

Figures. I've been working to eventually move somewhat near my friends outside of Polson, but this has gone crazy.

 

[Salmonchaser]

If you’re ever near Dillon Montana, great place to eat

 

[Bluffgruff]

I think your relocation will largely be dictated by your wife's job opportunities. The bigger more popular western Montana cities pay less compared to cost of living. However, you both should visit several, drive the areas, see if the area has what you want, and decide if being very close to family is more or less important. If she starts contacting hospitals or practices on her own, she may have more luck in the hunt for her ideal situation down the road as well. Good luck!

 

[antlerradar]

Best to figure in the cost of vanity license plates. You are going to want them when you figure out like all the other people that are moving to the western big Montana towns that the hunting is a bit better out east.

 

[MTGomer]

This is how crazy real estate is.. in August I bought 20 acres in a rural subdivision outside Philipsburg. After being out bid on one lot listed at 114k, I bought what I think is one of the nicer lots (and the only one on the market at the time), but not very well marketed by the sellers agent for $110k.

It’s fairly square, off the main (busier) road, power and driveway is already built, has a building site etc.

Last week what I think is one of the worst lots in the subdivision closed for $175k. It went under contract in a week and a half. It’s long, skinny and wedged between the busier county road and a steep drop off of unusable land. It has a fine building site but they’re not really getting use of the full 20 acres they’re paying for.

If that lot is worth $175k, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask over $200k for mine if I listed it.
Again, My offer was accepted 5 months ago and I closed 4 months ago. Wild times

 

[Salmonchaser]

Been poking around my BIL place in Paradise Valley for 30 years or so. Figured I needed to buy and hold but From the start I thought prices were high but from what I’ve seen on this trip things are going nuts.
Been quite a while since I’ve been into Jackson Wyoming, 20 years or so. This place has gone bat shit crazy. We were planning to stay for a couple of days but the better half just isn’t interested. Moving on to Laramie

 

[Nameless Range]

Lots of stories similar to Gomers’.

A coworker of mine sold his house in Helena two years ago. He sold that house for $269,000, which was like $40,000 more than he paid for it four years prior. Saw that house listed on realtor.com the other day for 389,000. Sold in a day.

I live on one of the only lots in my subdivision that is eligible to be subdivided based on our CC and Rs. Owned it for seven years and never heard a peep, but in the last six months we have been approached twice by people asking if we were interested. These people are doing their research.

I don’t understand how it is sustainable, but then again, we aren’t talking about money from Montana. We are talking about money pulled from the pool of 330 million other Americans Who want to get the hell out of wherever they are at, and I don’t see that desire ceasing, so maybe it is sustainable. I don’t know if waiting it out is a good tactic.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Lots of stories similar to Gomers’.

A coworker of mine sold his house in Helena two years ago. He sold that house for $269,000, which was like $40,000 more than he paid for it four years prior. Saw that house listed on realtor.com the other day for 389,000. Sold in a day.

I live on one of the only lots in my subdivision that is eligible to be subdivided based on our CC and Rs. Owned it for seven years and never heard a peep, but in the last six months we have been approached twice by people asking if we were interested. These people are doing their research.

I don’t understand how it is sustainable, but then again, we aren’t talking about money from Montana. We are talking about money pulled from the pool of 330 million other Americans Who want to get the hell out of wherever they are at, and I don’t see that desire ceasing, so maybe it is sustainable. I don’t know if waiting it out is a good tactic.

Our apartment in Aurora doubled in value in 3 years... totally agree makes no sense. Similar stories from all over CO, ID, MT probably a ton of places in the mountain west.

Definitely makes me think twice about the midwest... 100 acres, lake access, 4bed 3bath, + a new ski boat for the same price as a 2bedroom apartment out here... hmmmmmmm $800 for a NR elk tag suddenly doesn't seem that bad

 

[ShortAction]

I have been planning on a move out there for a while now, but it looks like I may be a year too late. My daughter has been in Great Falls for several years and I have spent a great deal of time there. Although I like GF, the wind is enough for me to look elsewhere. I really like Helena. It's more centrally located to the places I want to travel, just the right size (not too big, anyway), and has a VA hospital. It seems a bit cleaner and newer than GF. I'm putting my house on the market next month and plan to rent if I can find an affordable single level duplex. I looked at a couple this past summer and plan to fill out some applications next week. Of course, I can stay with my daughter as long as it takes to find the right place. I am so looking forward to escaping the ridiculous humidity and traffic here in Virginia. Not to mention living in an area I have been in love with since I was a young boy!

 

[HuntingJudge]

I have lived in Butte, Helena, Dillon and Chester, and Conrad. I can not speak for the hospitals in the bigger places but if I have to put in order the towns I would want to live in based on the type of hunting I do Deer, antelope, and waterfowl. I would have to go
1) Great Falls ( Elk hunting towards the front, Missouri river for ducks, Decent hunting for deer to the east west and north) cons (Wind, and Cold)
2) Helena ( Elk hunting all around, Deer hunting all around, duck hunting is great there) Cons ( Everybody and there brother hunts close to Helena)
3) Butte (Close to Dillon for hunting, has decent elk hunting close) Cons ( Butte is a interesting town, Love it being born there, but outsiders can have some trouble fitting in, water has a funny taste)
4) Billings ( Deer hunting to the east and to the north are good, Yellowstone does not freeze till later in the season for ducks, antelope in all directions) Cons ( I don't like the smell of the town)
5) Kalispell, Bozeman, Missoula ( I don't like hunting around those areas, except Kalispell north for bears)

If I could move to any town in the state it would be Lewistown Great hunting all around. Con (cant buy underware there, that is a partial issue though, son forgot his for a baseball tournament)

 

[MThuntr]