[Danette]

What are the school districts like? Best school? Military retirement tax? All taxes? Home prices? Best area to live? Friendly? Employment?

Just post away your advice. I'm sure there are lots of questions I haven't even thought to ask.

[mlmr]

Let me understand this, you are moving from Minnasota to Missorie for better WEATHER?

[al baby]

Dont do it

[squarebarb]

I'm from Missouri (show me)--- many generations in the Ozarks. As for home prices and taxes I am not sure. Sorry. As for the military retirement tax, sorry again. If you are retired military and are looking for the nearest PX - BX that would be Whiteman Air Force Base in Warrensburg. I suspect that the prices of homes in SW Mo. should be very reasonable.

The area is typical small-town and your schools should be good around Springfield. Economy tends to be self-generated in the small town areas. Branson of course employs many in its tourist industry (Silver Dollar City, as well as the big shows in Branson and tourist economy around Bull Shoals Lake, Table Rock). The extreme southwest corner of Missouri I would not suggest as it is almost entirely farming/cattle. Check in around Springfield. Battle Creek area is new homes, moderately priced and very lovely. My cousin has a woodcrafting operation there. Also lots of snowbirds and newcomers have moved in and it's a nice mix.It used to be very clannish (I know, I am from one of the clans) but not so now.

The weather is generally pretty good, nothing like the winters you're used to. Not more than one or two snows a year. Tornadoes, however, are truly exciting and as much fun as a horror show at the drive-in. Springfield is in the Ozarks but is actually on a plateau.

If you are retired military, look around the Rolla/Fort Leonard Wood area. Rolla is on the St. James River and Big Piney Creek, again a wonderful recreational area and with the School of Mines (U. of Mo.) in Rolla a nice mix of University and military. Home prices are, I think, reasonable everywhere in Mo. except St. Louis suburbs and K.C. suburbs but you don't want to go live there anyway.

Google Real Estate and Taxes on Springfield and county and Rolla and County. Good luck!

[jembows]

All of that really depends on where you want to stay. I grew up and lived in Missouri most of my life (now in Indiana..don't know why). I lived about an hour outside of St. Louis, small town. Depending on if you would rather stay closer to the city or in a smaller town...I would say more friendly than not. Home prices are very reasonable...in a small town. Employment would be better in the city, most of my family drive the hour to work in the morning and back rather than live in the city. Me personally, I wished we'd move back there, and we will...hopefully one day soon. I know, didn't help much did I?

[Clintons Are White Trash]

If you want to be close to Ft. Leonard Wood, Lebanon is a nice small town close by. If that doesn't matter, I would recommend Springfield. Some years ago it was voted one of the best places to live based on cost of living, etc. It's a very nice large town with a few colleges, good hospitals, etc. If you want to go rural, the area between Springfield and Branson is beautiful Ozark Mountain country. The schools in the Springfield area are very nice, I've worked with some of the teachers from there.

Good luck, I've lived in Missouri all of my life and love it here.

[ahadams2]

my wife and I moved here from VA. I was born in WI, and have been snowmobiling in MN in January before so yeah, you're looking at comparatively milder weather *but* there are an amazing number of folks down here who do NOT know how to drive in snow. In WI such folks were self-eliminating by the end of DEC (figure it's pretty much the same in MN) but not here, so you have to be twice as careful when it snows.

Costs down here will be somewhat less, at least as long as you stay out of the KC, STL, and Columbia, as well as staying away from Lake of the Ozarks. Also watch out for people with Kansas plates with a JO county sticker - they come from one of the ritzy suburbs of KC and tend to drive like they own the road.

If you're into hunting and fishing the resident permits are cheaper here than most places...and there's an abundance of conservation land to hunt on, until you've been here long enough to make friends with the local land owners. One difference that I've never seen anywhere else: here in MO if a farmer paints the top section of his fence posts purple it's considered to be exactly the same as posting "NO HUNTING OR TRESPASSING" signs.

Schools vary somewhat in quantity and quality. Also there are substantially less 'consolidated' school systems here than elsewhere. Many little towns (such as the one in which we live) have K-12 schools, thus rural kids don't have to bussed as far from home (at least in theory).

Home prices: well not to brag but we paid in the low 40's for a house with a double lot... of course prices go up radically in the cities and as always your milage may vary.

The thing to remember when shopping for a home down here is that outside of the metropolitan areas there are NO building (plumbing, electrical, etc) codes. So when you go house hunting do NOT assume anything - this is especially true if you are looking at rural land - sewage treatment lagoons (rather than septic tanks) are still common in some areas of the state.

I'll probably take some static for this one but probably the worst place to live is St. Louis - does the name Dick Gephardt ring a bell? He's a living breathing example of all that's wrong with the demoncrat political machine that pretty much still controls St. Louis. If you're looking for a conservative city try Springfield - very strongly conservative...as are most of the rural areas as well.

As far as gun rights go, we're having to fight in the courts to keep the right to carry (CCW) laws we finally got passed this year - if you want more info on that I'd suggest contacting Luke Skyfreeper, as he's usually up to date on all things related to gun rights. There's one peculiarity of Missouri law with regard to purchasing handguns: for each one you buy you have to get a 'mother may I' form from the county sheriff. It's a 'must issue' form (i.e. if you aren't a convicted felon they have to issue it) but they can stall for up to three days (longer in St. Louis) and it costs 10 bucks - which is the REAL reason the sheriff's like that law so much - they get to keep the whole 10 bucks.

Employment can be an issue outside of the urban areas. Due to NAFTA much of the smaller manufacturing facillities have disappeared from rural areas - all headed to Mexico or where ever.

that's all I can think of for now...

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Might I suggest that you check out Belle Vista, Arkansas? It's right across the border. It'sbasically a very large retirement community...5 lakes, 7 golf courses, two golf clubs, a yaght club and a Country Club. It's affordable. When we lived there the dues were $16.00! It's pretty, lots of trees and topography. Nice people from all over the country. There is a Minnesota club in addition to 99 other clubs on just about anything imaginable. You can live rurally or closer to the action..if I remember correctly it's area is 7 sq. miles. It's close to Joplin Mo, close to Branson and is in the NW ARk. area, so it also borders Okla. Used to shop in Tulsa as well as Springfield Mo. It's a burb of Bentonville, Ark...home of Sam Walton and WalMart corporation. Tons of millionaires in Bentonville. :0) I still have friends there. Forgot to mention, there's a good climate as well.

[Just Lori]

Missouri winters can be pretty knarly too. Ice storms, bone chilling cold..... then there are the summers...... intolerable! 95degrees with 95% humidity... I don't miss it at all. Good luck.

[Freedom2specul8]

Springfield through the Theodosia area...

[Freedom2specul8]

Minnesota trees are so much prettier than western central missouri trees...but the further south one travels, the better looking the environment.. I wish you all the best!

[KC_Conspirator]

Bump

[Lexinom]

Some ramblings about the Show-Me State:

The culture is generally wholesome. Many attractions are cheap or free. Cost of living is generally low, even in the cities, compared to the coasts. As a whole, people tend to be honest - my wife lost her wallet and had it returned, with all the cash.

On the down side: Auto registration is very poorly organized in our state. You have to get TWO inspections to get an out-of-state car registered. Beware. High-tech jobs are hard to come by unless you (apparently) match a certain racial profile. My experience is with a certain large, bloated phone company.

As far as business climate goes, I've yet to incorporate so am unsure about this.

Hope this helps.

[samiam1972]

We just moved back to Missouri from Wisconsin a few months ago. I grew up in the K.C. area and wanted to get back to family. Right now we're in Oak Grove because my brother is here. We're renting and taking the next 6 months to decide which area to live in. We've ruled out the Kansas side and are looking into Liberty. We've heard the schools are excellent there. There's a nice mix of old and new homes with an older square. It's close to the attractions of the big city with a small town feel to it. There are some great garden/patio homes in the Independence area, close to Lee's Summit that are going up around little man-made lakes. My parents are looking to retire in one of those new homes from Little Rock, AR. For a small monthly fee they take care of your yard and driveway(shovel snow, etc.) The lakes are stocked with fish and the houses have screened in porches overlooking the lakes.

Good luck with your move and WELCOME!! After living in 6 states in 9 years it feels good to be back in the mid-west. Hope you like it here!

[ConservativeStLouisGuy]

Danette,

I lived in St. Louis for about 40 years....first in St. Ann, then Ballwin, then Ellisville then Grover (Wildwood)....you'll like life better in the county sections (Wildwood, Ellisville, etc), but the TRAFFIC on the roads (Manchester Road, Highway 40, Clarkson Road, etc) is horrendous!

Find a house/apt near a major highway....better if you have to commute to the city....buses are almost non-existant in the county too -- most people take the bus in the city....

If possible, also live close the mass transit (Metro -- light rail)....in St. Louis the line runs from the airport (north county) all the way across the St. Louis City into Illinois....it is a good deal and is quite reliable in all kinds of weather....

Stay away from East St. Louis (Missouri and Illinois)....too much crime there....

Email me either here or via private email if you like....I know St. Louis pretty much like the back of my hand....Good luck in looking for a place!

- ConservativeStLouisGuy