Tell us about your state ... The good, the bad, and the crazy.

Warning; You do NOT want to come to North Idaho. The people are mean, the landscape uninteresting and the jobs are nonexistent. Three seasons: Dust, mud and snow. What else?....oh yes, the beer is always warm here.

I live in daviess County NW of KC, i think you lve south, right??? i also think we'll be pretty crowded. we're even getting those "Caleefornee People" up here in thenether world. Today I met some new folks from Chicago. They are an interracial couple, hope things work out for them. Here( not Daviess County but one right next door) they burned a cross(NO LIE) on someone's lawn right before we moved out here. Lots of the old south left here. That Confederate, can't remember the name... somebody's raiders, was right around here. They made a movie about 20 miles up the road...wait, was it Contrell's? So, I spoke to the husband at length and they're trying to start up a restaurant, just doing take home food now. A RIB/BBQ place. We could sure use one. Seem like nice folks. He's already getting a sample of country life. His in-laws live real close to him and already showed him some real horse tradin'. Heehee. Now I don't feel as if the locals were pickin' on me so bad. It was nothing personal.
Anyway, I'm no spring chicken, so I'll be starting to look before too long for the next place to go. I figure about ten years before they start thinking up all kinds of new rules and regs and zoning will make doing as you please with your property impossible, I'll have found somewhere to be.
Connecticut when I was a kid was WONDERFUL. Where I lived it was rural, my grandparents had a farm, they lived about a mile away on dirt roads I could walk, I had a whole lot of family around, aunts and uncles and cousins. I'd say that was the best place I ever lived. Unfortunately it doesn't exist anymore anywhere but my memory. Missouri is second best to that. It reminds me of CT in a lot of ways. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be right now. Unfortunately it's so nice other people think so too. It's a big state tho, lots of room yet, and not everyone likes the country.

Crystal,
want to relocate someplace you'll like? If you don't mind the cold (like CT) try Iowa, it was settled by New Englanders. Or try the mountains in northeast Oklahoma. Mississippi might be a little radical for a CT native. I'm from CT. I live in MO and I like it, but there is a long adjustment period(not yours, the natives). Iowa folks are a LOt like Ct people only sweeter. Oklahomans are pretty wild and crazy, but in a good way, friendly too. The weather's better than Mississippi. Mississippi is an okay place, but for a Yankee it might be a trifle on the warm side.

Lisa,

Are you taking lessons from Farmer Willy?

Nikki

Blue Juniper,

Thanks for the information about Oregon. I realize that many places are so large that it's impossible to accurately describe their whole state. But information about your little corner of heaven is helpful.

Nikki

I lived in MO for 3 years, and spent a lot of time down there this past summer. They are definitely racist there in areas- but only because the '_____________ deserve it.' in other words, they pride themselves on NOT being racist, but I've run into more negative attitudes there than anywhere else. In AREAS others are fine. I don't think it's the paradise many make it out to be, there are a lot of negatives. And it is HUMID. And it IS HOT, and people do NOT like outsiders - unless you're a single chick.

Arkansas - used to be you had to vaccinate your children, no exceptions, which could be an issue for some. Very poor, but growing, Walmart and Tyson are huge employers and the Fayettevill/Bentonville area are booming.

Oklahoma - Nice, people are your best friends right away. But they're nosy Also HUMID. HOT. HOT HOT

Iowa - LOVELY people, but ask me about my 6 months in Iowa, I loved it, but um, the homestead is for sale (literally) I just don't have the skills needed to live there. Windy. Iowa is windy.

Minnesota - Minnesota nice doesn't exist, but they are polite as far as letting you merge on the freeway. The country can be very cliquish. It's hard to get accepted as an outsider. And, COLD. humid in the summer, frigid in the winter, and more mosquitos than you can imagine. You know, the Native americans used to not go there for a lot of the year. They were smart.

WA - Big city, environmentalists, and farmers. A weird mix. Also not that friendly to outsiders. When they see my MN plates, they glower till I tell them I was born here. Then it's ok

Just some quickie statements, every place is different.

__________________
Procrastination is just another way to get an adrenaline rush - and much safer and cheaper than bungee jumping!

"A friend will help you move, a true friend will help you move a body"

Alaska
If you are trying to live to close to Anchroage then the land prices are very high in other areas they are not so bad. I would never live in Anchorage I hate hate hate the city. Were i live has to many people for me and the pop. is only about 12,000. We are currently trying to move to a smaller town. Tok is the arm pit of Alaska i can't imagine a worst place to live. in most of the rest of the state there is enough of a growing season that you can live and grow a garden quit well. After all we can grow some of the largest Cabbage and pumpkins there are. the short growing season is made up for by the fact the the sun up for most of the 24 hours in a day. They don't call us the land of the midnight sun for no reason. in my previous post i did not mean to sound negative. i love alaska and would never move any where else but the thing about alaska is you love it or you hate it. There is no inbetween.

Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute! As far as I'm concerned (and other Tokites, I'm sure!), Anchorage is the arm-pit of Alaska!! I don't think Tok is going to be a great place to be, with fuel prices heading for the sky, but all other things being equal, I would be happy to go back there to live!! And, in fact, I may end up back there, fuel prices or no, after my Grandmother dies (which hopefully won't be for several years, but at 93 who knows). Tok certainly isn't for everyone -- jobs are hard to find, at least decent ones. And the growing season is short, though a lot of people do have gardens. But I happen to like it, and so do most of the people who live there. You just have to really, really like winter!

Kathleen

Thank you Frikinfarm~~ MO has always been my first choice as a place to retire to. We very nearly moved there in '88 but my inlaws (esp FIL) became ill and we ended up having to stay here. We had a deposit on a farm, our house on the market and were packing when "it hit the fan" for us here. We are still caring for FIL today. I am so very sick of living here with everyone trying to keep up with everyone else and looking down on those of us who don't. I could care less what anyone owns, drives or what they make but I seem to be in the minority here. Our newest vehicle is a 2000 Ford van but those around us own Lincolns, new Jeeps and other expensive cars. Most have more vehicles than people! One neighbor has 4 newer vehicles and there are 2 drivers. Another has 5 and 2 drivers. They refuse to wave to us when we are driving the '92 Sundance, they don't want to be seen doing so. I guess you could say that I am tired of the materialism around me. Of the people who wear $100 sneakers then look down at my Wal-Mart specials. I got a lecture from one neighbor on how I should "keep up my image" by buying and wearing expensive clothing and buying a big, new car. Why? That stuff don't impress me at all. Now a good farm pickup, thats different.

The reason I'm a bit shy of MO is the tornados. I am terrified of them! We do get them here, had one twist up the trees in my front yard and saw one during a storm. Here they seem to be much less of a problem than they are out there. I would appreciate any imput on those things that anyone can give me. Are they as bad and widespread as we've been hearing? Or is it because the states are so much bigger that it seems as if they get more of them out there?

Ok you are right anchorage is totally lame. I don't like it either. Tok is not the armpit.

It's not that it "seems" as if Missouri has more tornadoes than CN..it does have more..
Take it from a tornado-sissy..there are very few states which have NO tornadoes..If you are afraid of them, get a place that has a cellar or a tornado shelter. Even I am not afraid of any storm as long as I am below ground..

Maine, the way my husband puts it is 9 months of pure blizzard, and 3 months of lousy skiing.
We are currently being invaded by the Mcmansion group . Land is at premium prices.

Alaska

We have four seasons (a variation if AKcowgirl's seasons)
Almost Winter
Winter
Still Winter
and fire season

We are a conservative voting state, but most folks are somewhat socially liberal (though few would admit it)

Our gun control laws are reasonable and we are definately a heavily armed state.

I know things in Anchorage and the Kenai are different, but here in the interior land taxes and land prices are reasonable. If you get outside of a city or borough there are no land taxes.

No state income taxes. We actually get an oil dividend. The annual dividend has been as high as almost $2000 per person, but should be about $1000 this year. Each member of your family gets this.

Our winters are mild compared to the planet of Pluto and our interior summers are really beautiful. We get warm sunny days and almost 24 hour daylight.

The midnight sun almost makes up for our short growing season. We manage to grow, raise and hunt 60 to 70% of our food even with me working a full time job. Plenty of game and fish.

No matter you live you can find real wilderness without nuch of a drive. We live within 3/4 of an hour of the city of Fairbanks and have acreage with privacy, wildlife, a pond and good neighbors.

I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Don't worry Pyrnad the McMansion Group is invading everywhere

hey Freeinalaska i like your season saying also.
we are thinking of moveing north a little i live just south of Anchorage. Do you like it where you are at?

Pennsylvania

I can’t complain much about it. I grew up in the center of the state but now am holding down a job in Allentown (extreme eastern part). The culture was definitely different moving from rural to urban.

I don’t have any complaints about it. I wish we’d get a bit more snow in the winter but that’s about it. The forests are a mix of hardwood and softwood which is nice. The undergrowth minimal except when laurel takes over. Makes for easy hunting.

IMO the best parts of the state consist of the central, northern, and northwestern parts.

Going through school, we didn’t seem to have the problems that a lot of other schools seemed to experience. .

What else…

I never heard too much talk about bad neighbors.

Where I grew up, diversity was pretty much non-existent.

I would describe rural home prices as “fair.”

That’s it.

OK, I'll bite for Kansas. 13 acre orchard and home and LARRRRGE Morton building assessed at $95,000. Taxes are $900. Sales tax 6.3%. Lots of small towns with large, roomy houses cheap. I mean, very, very cheap. You have to drive for big money jobs, or be a creative person. If you are a person of small means not bad at all. Good place to retire - sometimes hard to find town with doctors. Usually a town nearby with hospital. Schools OK, lots of churches, not much snow or ice in winter, not all that cold, either (aint Nebraska, lived there l8 years - high cost of living and shoveled my can off in winter!). Hot in summer and droughty lately. At least when it's dry there aren't mosquitoes. Make your own entertainment if you live in the north, south or west; everything else in the east of the state. Lots of football, auctions, sales, antique places to browse. We have the general 4 seasons, not that far from Col. or Ks. City. Can be placid and down to earth at the same time. Suits me. Can make a living...couldn't in Cal. or Neb. As for tornadoes, you're right; few states don't have them. Seems like south and southeast have more than we do. Poor Oklahoma seems to get more than their share. Lobbying family for tornado shelter instead of 1/2 basement we have now. That's about it - WINDY you out there with anything to add? I mowed 6 1/2 hours and I'm too beat to think...

one correction--in missouri, you dont get all your property taxes back if you're over 65 or disabled--only a portion--the portion they consider your "homestead" usually about 5 acres and house qualify. rest of farm dont. experience speaking.

For those of you that are afraid of Tornados think about Northern WI. I mean way north right on Lake Superior. Tornados are pretty much non-existent. The lake seems to suck up alot of the bad weather. Allthough it's a trade-off. You'll get more snow in the winter. But then you won't get the severe low temps that they do a little further south because in the winter it is always "warmer by the lake".

Heather

Ceresone..
That's right..that's why I posted that there's a "formula" that the state goes by, and in my case ( if I had a house with 3 acres) with my income, as long as my taxes were below $700/year I'd get it all back..but first you have to pay it..didn't mean to mislead anyone..
I just looked up Alabama's law..no taxes on the primary residence PLUS adjacent 160 acres for anyone over 65 or 100% disabled who makes less than $7,500/year TAXABLE income..social security is not taxable income in Alabama. what a great state, eh?

I know that Illinois has what they call a "circuit breaker" program for seniors and disabled..it's income based..if your disabilty income is $12,000/year and your taxes are $2000/year, your rebate is less than $400. Ohio's program is similar, with a slightly higher rebate of $600 using the same numbers.

That's why we left the Northeast. PA was a great state, and I loved it..yet we had neighbors in Strasburg who were widows..they had been in their homes since they were young brides..raised all of their children there & had paid off their mortages years ago. Their fixed incomes were based upon salaries from the late '70's..as the taxes increased, they simply couldn't afford to pay property taxes plus the rising cost of oil heat. Seeing them having to sell their homes and move into apartments was a real eye-opener.

What do you do when your income is $800/month and your property taxes alone are $4000/year or more and rising every year? It's a shame that there are only a few state which recognize that hardship for folks who have paid taxes for decades.