A - MEN
I have lived in Mt since 1961, (Uncle of mine sent me there 
A nice place to visit but you wouldnât want to try to make a living there
ActuallyâŚ
I like the idea of buying a place there for vacations.Sort of your own personal retreat in the mountains. I donât actually know how that works with not being there 12 months a year and all. I would have to work in another state in a big city with a lot of higher paying jobs. I have found one bedroom apartments in Boca starting at 860 when I was looking to go to school there.Around the same thing for places in and around Tampa. 650 for two bedrooms doesnât sound too awfully bad.
Saw something funny when looking at vacation rentals in Montana one time. For a nice log home the owners said they donât require a security depoisit and go on the honesty system. I donât think you will ever find anything like that out east.
Also I donât think prices for homes and cost of living is higher in the eastern part of the state. However might be alittle more boring with not as much mountains but I am sure there are nice places there too.
BTW hey okole, hey no reply on email man?
AlsoâŚ
Land and homes seem a lot cheaper the further away from the big mountains you go. I mean I havenât ruled out WY, SD, ID, or even ND. Some parts of Wyoming seem expensive! You know they are when Harrison Ford lives there. I have found some nice prices in SD. just look -
http://www.realtor.com/Prop/1043798805?lnksrc=00045
it looks like a bargain and there must be some places around to paddle and be outdoors.
What e-mail?
Never got no e-mail
You are correct sir, houses are cheaper East of the mountains. There is a reason lots of high winds, (the airports use log chain for wind socks) and severe cold in the winters. I have personally seen 65 below zero, chill factors over 100 below. Most, make that all of the small towns along the high line are slowly disappearing. You can get a good deal in places like Chester or Joplin, or Rudyard
There is the Missouri River and Fort Peck to paddle on. Fort Peck resivoir (sp?) has more shore line than the state of California. Still has the wind though and 3-5 ft of ice in the winter.
snowing
Saw on TV you guys are getting a snow storm today. I heard a saying that goes in montana it starts snowing in September and doesnât stop until September. or something like that.
Montana has two seasons
Winter and For Sale
where have you been?
What do you mean? We had yet another mild winter with all time lows of snow! I had a total of 8 inches of snow in my yard this entire winter the 1st week in January. Weâve had 50-60âs all winter including nearly 70 degrees part of January and Feb. Many of the ski areas received alltime lows of snow. Im mowing the grass this weekend. People who dont live in the Mountains ususally dont realize that most of the snow falls in the mtns or at least a 1000 to 4000 feet higher than the valley floors where 98% of the state lives etc. We have seasons like anyone else.
MT.
â Last Updated: Apr-21-05 4:32 PM EST â
but, no snow = no water = drought = fires = poor paddling/poor fishing...all summer/fall. it's the way of the west!
I saw itâŚ
I saw it this afternoon on Fox News. It showed Billings, Mt and said there is blizzard like conditions.I do remember one night this past winter where there was a freeze here in Florida. I think it was in Feb. They said on the news it is going to be cooler here then it is in Denver.
Hey paddletothesea where in Montana do you live?
I have
lived in Montana since 1961, how about you?
During that time I have lived in Glasgow,Havre, and the Flathead. I have seen record lows (Glasgow, 1964 and again in '69 ) drought and flood
Thatâs why I now spend my winters in Maui
Its melted already in Billings. 60âs tod
Livingston on the Yellowstone River north of Y-stone Nat. Park.
Jefferson?
Any of you folks paddle the Jeff? After buying our first canoe and paddling a bunch of lakes last year the wife and I think weâre ready to try some easy rivers. Hoping to go from Cardwell to 3-forks (or even start at Whitehall sometime). Looks fun but havenât heard any 1st hand info. How long do you think it will take if we go sometime in the next month?
As for other MT info, it seems to me that the affordable land/houses are located in places where it would be very difficult to earn a living if you werenât already wealthy. Heck, my wife is in the Mortgage biz and I have a MS degree and 3 yrs experience with a environmental consulting company - thereâs still not much chance of us buying a house in Bozeman (where weâve rented for 6 years now). Probably have to move to Manhatten by the time we save up a downpayment. Iâve gotten spoiled by being able to bike to work almost all year long and am not looking forward to having a commute, even if itâs only 20 minutes.
Another thing, when you get here you might not want to mention that youâre buying a vacation home. Many of those who are struggling to afford an âalwaysâ home get a little miffed by that. I think itâs because it allows them to put a face to the thing thatâs driving prices Big Sky-high.
jeff
I havent yet, probably going from three forks to townsend this weekend. The section you mentioned down from cardell is suppose to be great. I was intending to paddle up it last years once i reached three forks but the water levels were too low in august so i ended up walking the rest. The Montana Paddling Guide Book is fairly good with a lot of places to go but the info is sort of vague but worth it for the logistics and put-in info etc.
n
Montana is Paradise
I travel to Montana from Texas several times a year to visit my sister (a Montana native) who lives on a ranch near beautiful Red Lodge.
Back in the 50âs (yep! Iâm really an oldtimer) I was the only schoolmarm for the Porcupine School (8 grades - 8 students) at the foot of the Crazy Mts. near Wilsall in the Shields River Valley. In the winter, I hauled water in a bucket and coal for the stoveâŚwading through four feet of powder snow. Although I was a city girl, had to learn to catch and saddle a horse as all my students rode their horses to school and the little primary kids usually needed some help. I was just 18 yrs. old. Iâd go back there in a minute; but all the one-room country schools are now shut down and I would guess itâs mighty hard to make a living there unless you want to mann a ranger station. But I did see some nice cabins down by the river for sale that would make dandy summer homes. Maybe you could even buy the old schoolhouse!
I have kayaked the Jefferson twice. We usually put in just up the road from Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park about 19 miles west of Three Forks on Mt. Hwy. 2. This park has a lovely campground with log cabins and tent sites and hot water in the showers! The caverns are interesting, too. They are known as the largest limestone caverns in the Northwest. Iâve also paddled the Upper Missouri for five days but canât recall offhand exactly where we put-in and came out. Itâs a fantastic trip that everyone should try at least once.
Montana
Have not been out there for at least 7-8 years, but the last time we were, Montana did not have a sales tax on items like food (gas, alcohol, cigs obviously were taxed). Montana also did not have a speed limit on the interstate at that time. The speed limit sign read something about prudent and safe âŚand only lasted for a couple years I believe. Not sure why since every exotic car club across the country was planning their summer vacations in MontanaâŚbut the sales tax issue may be unchanged.
right
so far thereâs still no sales tax but West Yellowstone and I think Gardner have a tourist tax of a few percent.
I believe the âSafe and Prudentâ limit was a test which ended about 6 years ago. The highway speed limit is 75 mph now.
We also havenât had an open container law in the past. As long as the driver is under the legal blood alchohol level he and any passenger can drink whatever they want in the car outside of city limits. That ends in October.
several friends of mine boughtâŚ
âŚproperty in Bozeman some years ago and vacationed there. They soon decided to move there (both to raise families). These guys were pretty well off to begin with & bought into a successful business. I know property values are escalating more rapidly now in the bigger towns, but still relatively reasonable.
hmmm
"but still relatively reasonable"
Perhaps, but you also have to figure in how little most will earn in Bozeman compared to the same job elsewhere - where housing may seem less âreasonableâ. Most people donât own businesses and if youâre a regular working schlep the prices of houses here can be a bit staggering for what you get.
Of course, maybe other places where salaries are higher have proportionately greater housing prices.
Caveat: Iâm becoming jaded now that my wife and I have started looking into buying a house in Bozy.
Seasons
We have four seasons in Idaho. Early winter, mid-winter, late winter and next winter.
Seriously the weather is great Iâm going to spend the rest of my vacation on the water.