Info on Great Falls, MT???

Halfway · #21 01/04/11, 07:30 AM

I have to ask...what is the "hi-line"?

Old John · #22 01/04/11, 07:36 AM

A few years ago, about 12 or 15, we were thinking of relocating from Indiana to Montana. We looked at a couple places in the Hamilton & darby area, up close to Missoula. The realty company we used was Rocky Mountain Timberlands. They seemed to have several places. Here's a link: http://www.rockymountaintimberlands.com/about_rmt.php

But.......we both decided it was too far away from the Grandkids and really
maybe too big a change in Climate for a couple of folks approaching upper-upper middle-aged, 60's for me. And I really do not like it too cold.
Good Luck in finding you Dream Place.
So we fo

wy_white_wolf · #23 01/04/11, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halfway

I have to ask...what is the "hi-line"?

http://www.bigskyfishing.com/Montana...a-hi-line.shtm

Halfway · #24 01/04/11, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcia in MT

I live in Great Falls, and agree with what most of the others have said.

However, I think I need to mention conditions that affect something near and dear to my heart: gardening. Most of the soil is either heavy gumbo (clay) or sand, with the best natural stuff in the creek bottoms -- and there are not really a lot of them (more around Missoula and Helena). We have spent almost 25 years amending our clay, and it is *almost* decent garden soil. And soil conditions tend to be very alkaline, which makes growing decent veggies somewhat challenging.

This is great info as food production is near and dear to us as well. I do use container and raised bed methods with very efficient compost/vermiculite/peat mixes. This method will likely come in very handy. I am also having great success with hydroponics, another skill set I will put to use as needed. Great post, thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtfarmchick

And in Northeastern Montana you can be in line ahead of someone and say "Are you horsepoor21 on homesteadingtoday.com?", (having never spoken to that person on the phone much less met them in person), and have that person say yes I am (even if a little hesitanly).

Great Falls is an awesome town. It really does have just about anything you would need.

LOL. I will drop that phrase when I have the chance!

MTplainsman

Thank you very much for posting. Really great info!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old John

A few years ago, about 12 or 15, we were thinking of relocating from Indiana to Montana. We looked at a couple places in the Hamilton & darby area, up close to Missoula. The realty company we used was Rocky Mountain Timberlands. They seemed to have several places. Here's a link: http://www.rockymountaintimberlands.com/about_rmt.php

But.......we both decided it was too far away from the Grandkids and really
maybe too big a change in Climate for a couple of folks approaching upper-upper middle-aged, 60's for me. And I really do not like it too cold.
Good Luck in finding you Dream Place.
So we fo

We are mentally getting rid of the "closeness to relatives/parents/kids" feelings we have. This has been hard and I understand your point. Thanks for sharing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by wy_white_wolf

http://www.bigskyfishing.com/Montana...a-hi-line.shtm

Ahhhh......great website BTW....it will come in handy. The Ranger bass boat will need to be sold and a complement of fly tackle will be dog-eared in the Cabella's catalog.

wy_white_wolf · #25 01/04/11, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halfway

......Ahhhh......great website BTW....it will come in handy. The Ranger bass boat will need to be sold and a complement of fly tackle will be dog-eared in the Cabella's catalog.

Billings just opened up a new Cabella's. I think Missoula might have or be getting one.

Halfway · #26 01/05/11, 02:19 PM

Nice. They seem to have magnets that suck money from my wallet. Always something I 'need".

horsepoor21 · #27 01/06/11, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtfarmchick

And in Northeastern Montana you can be in line ahead of someone and say "Are you horsepoor21 on homesteadingtoday.com?", (having never spoken to that person on the phone much less met them in person), and have that person say yes I am (even if a little hesitanly).

Great Falls is an awesome town. It really does have just about anything you would need.

hahahaha I'll never live that one down ,huh ?

Halfway · #28 01/07/11, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horsepoor21

hahahaha I'll never live that one down ,huh ?

Sounds funny, might need to hear "the rest of the story".

I read the article on the Hi-Line. Very cool and painted a very good picture on population shift, scenery, economy etc.

Now to get a better idea of the real estate in the area we are looking at......

mtfarmchick · #29 01/08/11, 01:09 PM

Amy and I have never met each other but when she and her husband were thinking of relocating to our area they considered parking their camper at our place. They ended up moving about 50 miles from us. One day I was in Pamida (a local discount retail store) and there was a lady in line behind me with several little kids. I'm not sure what made me ask if she was horsepoor21 but I did. She probably thought I was some weird stalker until I told her who I was. Heck, she probably still thinks that!

Halfway · #30 01/08/11, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewtlm

The land prices near the cities you listed are much higher than the eastern part of the state.

Don't forget to look at Billings and the surrounding area if MT is were you really want to be.

The cold here is different than other places. It's dry here in central and eastern MT. The only place it's really cold is up on the High Line were it stays sub-zero from Nov to March.

Thanks for the input Sewtlm. I noticed your post on selling IL/IA property during a search on Montana in the real estate forum. Small world. I grew up in the Quad Cities so we both have a shared knowledge base of the area, the politics, the taxes, the weather, the collective attitudes etc.

Can I ask how you are liking the area in Montana you now live? Any surprises or things not living up to or exceeding expectations?

Feel free to PM.

Thanks!

SunRiverMan · #31 01/08/11, 02:05 PM

Another thing is Great Falls has an awesome hospital and clinic system, plus a cancer treatment center. It may help with as you get older.

I really like places near Great Falls like Cascade and some off the main road places in Vaughn, Sun River, Fort Shaw, and Belt. You would have to commute to work, but probably less than 30 minutes one way. SRM

EDIT- People live in the bigger cities for work. Otherwise I might be in Eastern Montana myself. The prairies are beautiful in their own way.

National Relocation demographics.

horsepoor21 · #32 01/08/11, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtfarmchick

Amy and I have never met each other but when she and her husband were thinking of relocating to our area they considered parking their camper at our place. They ended up moving about 50 miles from us. One day I was in Pamida (a local discount retail store) and there was a lady in line behind me with several little kids. I'm not sure what made me ask if she was horsepoor21 but I did. She probably thought I was some weird stalker until I told her who I was. Heck, she probably still thinks that!

LOL I don't think you're a stalker ! I do ,however , find it freaky that people in Scobey seem to know when my husband is gone and when he comes home , and everything else about me , and I don't even know who the heck they are ! LOL

Halfway · #33 01/08/11, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunRiverMan

Another thing is Great Falls has an awesome hospital and clinic system, plus a cancer treatment center. It may help with as you get older.

I really like places near Great Falls like Cascade and some off the main road places in Vaughn, Sun River, Fort Shaw, and Belt. You would have to commute to work, but probably less than 30 minutes one way. SRM

EDIT- People live in the bigger cities for work. Otherwise I might be in Eastern Montana myself. The prairies are beautiful in their own way.

National Relocation demographics.

Thank you for the link. Very helpful.

SunRiverMan · #34 01/11/11, 12:01 AM

I was reminded of something when I drove to Missoula yesterday to eat with our kid who is in college there.

There are dead tress from the bark beetle all over. The smaller communities are cutting them down as fast as they can, but it seems the USFS is going to let them burn some day.

It is my belief the fires will be massive when it starts and I would not want to own a home surrounded by forest. It is something to watch for. SRM

rider · #35 01/11/11, 12:47 AM

hey horsepoor21 we are neighbors i am south of you by 150 plus miles i played basketball in scoby when i was in high school, was a big weekend trip we would play in scoby, wolfpoint and plentywood in a 2 day span and get home around 2a.m. sun morning they dont let the kids do those fun things anymore. as for the rest of this post I dont mind Great Falls or that part of the state but there are way too many people over there for me. I like it down here where nobody bothers us. i grew up here and moved home after being in colo. or 18 years. yeah its a long way to anywhere and winters are cold and long but couldnt ask for a better place to live.

mtfarmchick · #36 01/11/11, 11:04 AM

Rider,
I am East of horsepoor, in a little town called Dagmar. I agree completely with wanting to be where there are less people. I grew up in AZ but don't want to go back because there are just too many people.
I don't think I ever commented on the original poster's question. I don't have alot of info about Great Falls, just an opinion. I would rather go there than Billings. It has everything Billings has as far as shopping goes without all the traffic. And it's a beautiful city. It's pretty centrally located to all the bigger cities in Montana.

horsepoor21 · #37 01/11/11, 02:49 PM

Wow ,Mantanans Unite !!!

Halfway · #38 01/12/11, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horsepoor21

Wow ,Mantanans Unite !!!

By the posts on this thread, pretty proud and spirited folks!!

Looking forward to our move.

Great Falls has the College and the Air Base of which both are somewhat priorities in our move. Still looking at a few other cities as well.

Thanks for the info on the bark beetles. They have devastated parts of Colorado (of which we travel often) and the fire potential is great. Sad to see so many acres of dead "toothpicks".

udwe · #39 01/12/11, 07:36 PM

Tell me about it, I live in Glasgow & it just recently (today) got above 0.

horsepoor21 · #40 01/13/11, 12:28 PM

My husband called me yesterday , he's in ND trucking and heard on the radio that it was -25 , not counting the windchill ,over here. I told him I thought it seemed a little cold out ! LOL