Ozarks

[Ozark-Dew]

Good Points:
the people are not shallow or pretentious
IT is absolutely picturesque in every season
Cost of living comparatively low
If you want to build, you most likely won't have to have a permit for every structure or pen you construct or alter
zoning laws are uncommon

Faults:
perhaps as with anywhere, there is a huge problem with drug manufacturing
lucrative employment may be scarse
abundance of pit vipers
zoning laws are uncommon
you can be fired with no explanation nor do they have to give you a copy of
your records when requested.

[Siryet]

you can be fired without explanation just about anywhere unless you are a foreigner or some form of minority

[MissKitty]

So true Siryet!!!
I love the Ozarks and Arkansas...been here for 20 years and this is home...
Like mentioned above there are drawbacks and pluses...Land us to be very resonable until folks started buying it for and selling it off by plots to people that were used to high price land...Getting good water is another subject...lots of iron and sulfur in well water...or well is not drinkable...but usually rural water systems are available in the country...Internet service is another drawback...some places like I am all that is available is a very slow dial-up...Folks are nice and friendly...beautiful scenery...Its a good place to call home...MissKitty

[Alice In TX/MO]

Faults: ticks, chiggers, lack of grocery shopping at a level you might be used to if you live in a major metropolitan area, winding roads that may cause motion sickness, meth labs, gravel roads, long commute to the doctor and dentist (depending on where you live).

Good points: as mentioned by Ozark Dew
The beauty balances most of the rest of it, most of the time. Taxes and insurance are low, too. Air Evac is nice bit of reassurance in case of emergencies.

Shop carefully before you buy a place to live. You don't want to be in an area with meth labs or puppy mills or folks who have thrown all their trash in the yard since they moved in ten years ago. Make sure the water well is good. Be sure you have a good job, as you most likely won't find one when you get here.

Stock up on bug repellant for the chiggers and ticks.

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

Thanks for the replies!

Since I have lived about a hundred miles west of Dallas in a small rural area on eight acres, battled ticks, fireants, scorpions, endured chiggers, and killed rattlesnakes, and copperheads, I'm ok on that level, I think. (Man, I hate chiggers!)

As far as the meth labs go, we had them out there in Texas too, though thankfully I don't think there was one out there near us ever. It's certainly a problem in rural areas.

The shopping isn't much of a worry.

A shortage of jobs - well, if I move back to where I came from that's the same story too. (I keep up through the local paper. Unless you are a truck driver or mechanic, there doesn't seem to be much to draw from.)

Thanks for the heads up on watching the area for what kind of neighbors one seems to have. We are planning on taking plenty of time to tour the areas we might be interested in.

Cheers!

Hipshothanna

[Ken Scharabok]

Much of the Ozarks is a pile of rock, varying in height, covered with a tad of topsoil. My father lived near Mountain View, AR. He said a hole was what was left after you dug out the rocks. When you look at property check the soil depth if you plan to do any extensive gardening.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I keep threatening to bring fire ants with me from Texas to Missouri to wipe out the ticks. At least fire ants don't carry diseases!

Ken's right about rocks. We garden above grade. Lasagna gardening in raised beds. You will have to buy some topsoil to get started.

[Ozarks_1]

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Much of the Ozarks is a pile of rock, varying in height, covered with a tad of topsoil. My father lived near Mountain View, AR. He said a hole was what was left after you dug out the rocks. When you look at property check the soil depth if you plan to do any extensive gardening.

Quite correct. "Soil" depth is a strange thing.
There are places where I've dug down 6' (the depth of my small 3-point backhoe unit) without hitting rock and other places the ledge rock is right on the surface ... some within 10' of each other.

One other thing that should be mentioned about the "soil" is be prepared to deal with clay - usually red clay. When dry, the stuff is almost impossible to deal with. I've pulled T-posts with huge lumps of clay literally baked to the bottoms. Last year a local contractor broke a backhoe piston at a neighbor's while trying to dig in red clay - not a common thing, but it does happen.

[BeesNBunnies]

Land is cheap...if there are no jobs. If there are jobs you can't afford the land! When I first moved here I thought surely people were exagerating about the job situation. They were understating it! Finally sold out...at a huge loss...and moved up closer to Springfield. Found 'cheap' land at $5,000 per acre. Hubby still has almost an hour commute. Ticks and chiggers....there is no description to do this facet of ozark life justice. Friendly people.....distantly friendly yes. If you move into a small community they will not even begin to accept you until you have been there for 5 generations. If you aren't local you will be gouged....on everything....you've been warned. Crazy neighbors....OMG don't get me started! The other posters weren't kidding about the soil/gravel/boulders here. First spring I was here I fired up the tiller....engaged the tines and went flying into the air. Bounced all the way across....each time the tines came down they threw sparks off the rocks. I swear it looked like there was soil in that spot! After much sweat blood and tears I got a tiny patch tilled up...carefully raked out all rocks. Went out the next morning and there were more rocks there than before I raked it. When I was looking at places to buy this time I took a shovel with me when I was looking at land. I have a few rocks here but it is at least a managable amount....of course I'm at the very edge of the ozarks here is why I have soil(I'm technically in the ozarks plateu area). Another criteria when I was looking at land was no trees. If you buy wooded land with the idea that you can clear part of it for pasture....just don't. You can't keep ahead of the brush. You can almost hear the poison ivy and briars growing. Not exagerating about the meth labs either. This is the meth capital. I still like it here. I like the climate. Love the scenery and especially all the state parks. The land taxes are definately lower than in Texas. Lots of wildlife to look at(and fight off). Make sure you have good water if you decide to buy here. If there is any mention of a cistern.....don't walk away...RUN! A gravel road is charming in the summer. Picturesque even. In the winter you can end up snowed in for weeks(ask me how I know!). Gravel roads will eat up your tires. I figure the money I'm saving on tires now that I live on a paved road is offsetting the higher price I paid for land(I bought about 3 new sets of tires per vehicle per year). Yes I know I'm not very encouraging. Homesteaders seem to view the ozarks as some kind of earthly paradise for some reason. It's not. If you look at things from a practical perspective it is a pretty lousy place to try homesteading. No soil is a huge problem. I finally went to raised beds on my other place. For the 3 years I tried to grow a garden I never got so much as a single pea. The deer, chipmunks, coons, groundhogs, crows and God only knows what other creatures either dug up and ate the seed before it sprouted, shortly after it sprouted or just before it got ripe. One memorable spring I planted corn 5 times before I finally gave up.

[mtman]

we have a place 16 miles outside of mt.view it is rocky raised beds is best good place for cattle and the road runners have been keeping the snakes in check and like said the mts. are beautiful

[GeorgiaRain]

The Ozarks are just beautiful (just recently moved away ) The people are very friendly and you can find cheap land, in the rural parts. We lived outside of Springfield, and there are plenty of outlying areas that have very inexpensive land, less than a thousand an acre. Springfield is big enough for jobs, and very low to no crime. Love the Ozarks!

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by BeesNBunnies

Friendly people.....distantly friendly yes. If you move into a small community they will not even begin to accept you until you have been there for 5 generations. If you aren't local you will be gouged....on everything....you've been warned. Crazy neighbors....OMG don't get me started!

Maybe it depends on the type of person you are. I never met anyone there who seemed distant, and have been spending time there all my life. Almost all are outgoing and very friendly... very welcoming. On the other hand, our friends from Maine came to visit. THEY came across as distant to the AR locals, so they were (and rightly so) treated with the same distant friendliness. Our neighbors in AR are WAY more friendly, kind, and helpful than any I've met in any suburban area I've lived in. I see it as they aren't so busy keeping up with the Jones, so they have time to be neighborly.

Originally Posted by BeesNBunnies

Another criteria when I was looking at land was no trees. If you buy wooded land with the idea that you can clear part of it for pasture....just don't. You can't keep ahead of the brush. You can almost hear the poison ivy and briars growing.

Most mountains have trees. For land without trees, go further east into the delta region. Our family farm is there, and I can assure you, you can get all the treeless land you want out there. It's much cheaper, too!

Originally Posted by BeesNBunnies

I bought about 3 new sets of tires per vehicle per year.

I'd say you're probably making way too many trips to somewhere!

Originally Posted by BeesNBunnies

Homesteaders seem to view the ozarks as some kind of earthly paradise for some reason. It's not.

I guess it depends on what "paradise" is to you. I wish a lot more people felt the way you do. That would free up so much more paradise in the ozarks for people like me.

[texastami]

Originally Posted by EasyDay

I guess it depends on what "paradise" is to you. I wish a lot more people felt the way you do. That would free up so much more paradise in the ozarks for people like me.

Easy!!! Where bouts will you be??? We will be in Douglas Co in South central MO!!! Maybe we'll be neighbors and won't have to worry about all those "crazy" neighbors!!!

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by texastami

Easy!!! Where bouts will you be??? We will be in Douglas Co in South central MO!!! Maybe we'll be neighbors and won't have to worry about all those "crazy" neighbors!!!

NC Ark, Stone County. Not far from you in miles, but LONG in drive time!

Ever look up someplace on mapquest in the ozarks and see "11 miles, approximately 58 minutes". Gotta love it!

[mtman]

easyday ill be your neighbor baby hey arent you supposed to be working now lol

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by mtman

easyday ill be your neighbor baby hey arent you supposed to be working now lol

Just takin' a break, tattletale! But thanks for looking out for me, neighbor!

[Corgitails]

I'm buying a house and land in the Ozarks (near Rose ) and I *love* the small town near where we're buying. The people are REALLY friendly, it's beautiful, and okay, so there aren't many jobs- I can do webdesign and train dogs anywhere.

Alton/Thayer/Mammoth Springs seemed like an area that is growing. Alton's 'downtown'/town square was clean, had lots of people (for the size of the town) in and around it, and a number of well-maintained stores. It's never GOING to be a giant metropolitan city, but it seems to have a very active local community and a lot of small businesses.

[GeorgiaRain]

Originally Posted by EasyDay

Maybe it depends on the type of person you are. I never met anyone there who seemed distant, and have been spending time there all my life. Almost all are outgoing and very friendly... very welcoming. On the other hand, our friends from Maine came to visit. THEY came across as distant to the AR locals, so they were (and rightly so) treated with the same distant friendliness. Our neighbors in AR are WAY more friendly, kind, and helpful than any I've met in any suburban area I've lived in. I see it as they aren't so busy keeping up with the Jones, so they have time to be neighborly.



Most mountains have trees. For land without trees, go further east into the delta region. Our family farm is there, and I can assure you, you can get all the treeless land you want out there. It's much cheaper, too!




I'd say you're probably making way too many trips to somewhere!



I guess it depends on what "paradise" is to you. I wish a lot more people felt the way you do. That would free up so much more paradise in the ozarks for people like me.

AMEN to all that! I have seen so many people from places I don't think of as "friendly" move into the area and aren't open to people being friendly and welcoming. We can sense that and it comes across as thinking you are better then us. People in the Ozarks are the friendliest I have seen anywhere, and will be there to help out whether or not they know you. We move a little slower, are kind when driving, and like to visit in the checkout line at the grocery store. Maybe your neighbors were all transplants
I think the Ozarks are Heaven on Earth!

[GrannieD]

I'm here from Minn. & have been for 30 years this year..On the eastern edge of Christian Co....I love it love it & love it...I sat on a bale of hay & watched 2 does & a fawn while feeding ponies...I could have thrown a rock that far in my younger days...what a wonderful time each evening.....you learn to put gardens & poultry in varmit proof pens as there are many to lunch off your work...the area the deer were in last evening was where I put my first garden..the edge of a bottom that has good soil...I do "patch" gardening close to the house now..The people have some of the same problems you'll find everywhere.........& the meth problem moves all over so you can't predict when you might have trouble with it..& you learn to watch for the dangerous snakes..& the ticks/chiggers are awful..the trade off on the snow & mosquitoes in Mn. is great...! GrannieD

[BeesNBunnies]

Well I wasn't disappointed...lol. I knew I'd get flamed for my response. I just wanted to relate my experiences. Other people that moved into the area I originally moved to had similar experiences so it's not that I'm just unfriendly. One thing I have noticed is that there is a lot of difference between the people in the arkansas ozarks and people in the missouri ozarks. The arkansas folks are definately friendlier and more open to new people moving in. The area I lived in was basically a closed community.....everybody was kin. New people...no matter how nice they were...were looked at as tresspassers. If you bought land they looked at it as you were stealing hereditary land....they'd say...why that farm has been in the such and such family for 8 generations, ain't right for someone else to have it. As to having to buy that many tires. No I wasn't exaggerating. The guy that did the grading on my road had an absolute tallent for turning up sharp pieces of rock...and I had a talent for finding them! Other graders do a much better job usually. My road would beat you to death after it was graded. Basically the point of my post was to alert you to possible realities to moving here....or anywhere for that matter. Investigate carefully. Hang out at the local coffee shop or feed store and find out what peoples attitudes are. Try to rent in the area for a month or two first and go to every little metting/get together/auction/etc in the area. I wish I had done that instead of just taking in all the glowing reports I had heard and not checking the way I might have had I been looking to relocate in another area.