<()))>< Considering Moving

[Brooks]

I moved to my town in Idaho in 1979 and am still not considered a ‘local’(there’s about 6 more guys that need to kick the bucket that remember when I hit town. Then I’ll be a local.)

[flyty2]

I moved to my town in Idaho in 1979 and am still not considered a ‘local’(there’s about 6 more guys that need to kick the bucket that remember when I hit town. Then I’ll be a local.)

[Hellmtflies]

I moved to my town in Idaho in 1979 and am still not considered a ‘local’(there’s about 6 more guys that need to kick the bucket that remember when I hit town. Then I’ll be a local.)

I here ya and understand! In Mt. one needs to be one of two things. Be a minimum of a third generation Montanan or a 20-year resident, I need one more year.

[Kave]

Hellmtflies,

I feel your pain. I've lived all over the country, but the longest I lived anywhere was in the Bitterroot Valley. It was, and still is, the best place I've ever lived. I first moved there in '92 and eventually moved away in '09. Even back then, starting around 2003-ish, the writing was on the wall. Changes were coming.

My wife and I considered buying a retirement home back in MT starting around 2017. As per all my friends I'm still in touch with, MT had been experiencing a steady growth rate until 2020, then when Covid hit, it went through the roof. A friend who lives in a modest home in Missoula had a knock on his door. Someone was offering to buy his house at DOUBLE the market price. It wasn't even for sale. We're no longer looking at Montana these days.

As per Yellowstone the tv show, isn't it ironic that one of the themes of the show is how the Dutton family is trying to retain all their land to keep it from being developed. Yet, the show itself has certainly influenced the increased development of the Bitterroot Valley and Montana at large?

If you would consider something more northerly than southerly, your options could greatly improve. That's something I could do but not my wife. If you find a spot, PM me. I promise I won't buy the house next to you and I won't tell a soul.

For now, I guess I'll stay where I am. I can still find redfish flats here in TX that I'll have MOSTLY to myself.

Dave

[Flashman]

Sometimes it is difficult to see the positives of where one lives versus the negatives particularly when confronted with those negatives. It is also very difficult in my view to get a clear picture of a community by visiting for a short period of time. I used to live in one of the "white flight" communities in the Western US like Bozeman. There were many bad aspects to the unmitigated growth. On the other hand, it was the best place I have ever lived and I felt that from the day I moved there until 11 years later when my wife forced me to leave by literally taking my kids to where she wanted to live. She now regrets (she says) doing that since her hometown had also changed and was not what she expected. There is not a day I regret leaving but I really can't go back because my kids are now intricately tied to her hometown now that they are grown, etc.

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, As I might tell my dog,...... Stay! Actually they don't know that command, but the one they do know might also apply..... Sit!

Jay Edwards

[Hellmtflies]

Well,.....I said I'd report back as to our findings and possible relocation from Montana to the south east. My better half and I spent the past month traveling across this great country from Mt. to Pa., N.J. then down the east coast to Va. where we spent a week or so. Then down to N.C. and then up through Tennesse, Nebraska etc. and eventually home. 6,188.6 miles door to door. $967.32 in fuel and a ton in food etc. Fun trip with a wonderful traveling partner. All I can say is that although I can't stand the way Mt. is exploding with development and construction is that there is no place like home. We found that there was development and construction everywhere we were. There is no place that isn't under sedge from over population and development. The east had way too many people for me though my wife thinks it's "OK". But to spend the rest of my time on this planet in traffic, over population and that dreaded awful humidity would be purgatory to me. We did find some wonderful fishing though. SNP was welcoming and the brook trout were more than willing to participate. But, as much as I love those wonderful little trout, catching trout that max out at 8-9"s isn't going to hold my interest for long. The golf courses we played were excellent and there is a ton of those around the coast at very good rates. The elevation changes were a fun change from the mostly flat ones here in Mt. Overall a fun area to visit and fish but to live there isn't right for me.
On the cost of housing. The market is about the same as here. We did find a nice town home in Charlottesville, Va. but to spend $700,000. on a two bed two bath home just didn't make sense to me. Though my wife disagrees. Even though it was in walking distance to a really neat golf course and excellent park I couldn't justify the purchase. Crozet, Va. was interesting and held my interest but there was nothing available currently.
Anyway, I could go on but for now we are stuck here in Big Sky Country dealing with the crush of development and being overrun by change.
Mark

[ibookje]

Don’t move yet. I need a lot of fishing together to catch up

[Hellmtflies]

Don’t move yet. I need a lot of fishing together to catch up

Well, are you making your way over here this year?

[ibookje]

No not this year

[Webfly]

As mentioned multiple times in this thread, overpopulation is plaguing the world and we are running out of resources and roofs. And they said rabbits reproduce quickly???

[driftless angler]

Mark, I think you are making the right call. You did the right think and went out and saw for yourself.

[tomimc1]

Well,.....I said I'd report back as to our findings <snip> Overall a fun area to visit and fish but to live there isn't right for me.
On the cost of housing. The market is about the same as here. We did find a nice town home in Charlottesville, Va. but to spend $700,000. on a two bed two bath home just didn't make sense to me. Though my wife disagrees. Even though it was in walking distance to a really neat golf course and excellent park I couldn't justify the purchase. Crozet, Va. was interesting and held my interest but there was nothing available currently.
Anyway, I could go on but for now we are stuck here in Big Sky Country dealing with the crush of development and being overrun by change.
Mark

Mark,

Yeah, nothing to see here...just a bunch of small mountain trout. Did you explore at all on the Shenandoah Valley side? Charlottesville has gone bonkers over the last 20yrs (and still going) and is similar to what you've experienced in Bozeman. I have quite of few friends that left C'ville because the cost of living/housing just wasn't worth it, including my partner. She was there for grad school plus a few years after, still goes over the mountain every so often and always remarks how much sprawl there is now vs 15yrs ago. If you want to revisit your options or on another roadtrip, shoot me a PM....there's better options than C'ville in the area, imho.

t

[Hellmtflies]

Well,.....I said I'd report back as to our findings <snip> Overall a fun area to visit and fish but to live there isn't right for me.
On the cost of housing. The market is about the same as here. We did find a nice town home in Charlottesville, Va. but to spend $700,000. on a two bed two bath home just didn't make sense to me. Though my wife disagrees. Even though it was in walking distance to a really neat golf course and excellent park I couldn't justify the purchase. Crozet, Va. was interesting and held my interest but there was nothing available currently.
Anyway, I could go on but for now we are stuck here in Big Sky Country dealing with the crush of development and being overrun by change.
Mark

Mark,

Yeah, nothing to see here...just a bunch of small mountain trout. Did you explore at all on the Shenandoah Valley side? Charlottesville has gone bonkers over the last 20yrs (and still going) and is similar to what you've experienced in Bozeman. I have quite of few friends that left C'ville because the cost of living/housing just wasn't worth it, including my partner. She was there for grad school plus a few years after, still goes over the mountain every so often and always remarks how much sprawl there is now vs 15yrs ago. If you want to revisit your options or on another roadtrip, shoot me a PM....there's better options than C'ville in the area, imho.

t

Thank you Tomimc1,
Yes, we looked all over Waynesville and Fishersville. Everything there was right on the highway. We also looked farther north around McGaheysville but there only single family homes were being built. We are looking to go to a condo or town home or villa. Single floor living for us. It doesn't seem to exist anywhere we looked. Almost all that is being built is two story homes with 4 beds and 3 baths. It's just the two of us and we don't need all of that room. We'll keep looking.
Mark

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, Soooooo.... Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tBxjacxRshE

Jay Edwards

[lloyd3]

Prioritize your needs first. If fishing ranks very high then go where there is water to support that. The combination of trout and grouse is also very limiting, largely confining your choices to the northeast. Having lived for a long time in the West, however, the East will be quite a challenge. Two very different worlds clearly, with different values, politics, attitudes, and tax bases. And...you'll need to pick wisely as the wheels may be coming off of this country. Where do you want to make your last stand? Finally, don't go anywhere without spending a far amount of time there first.

[snorider]

He Mark, Relax, this isn't really such a bad place to be stuck. Sure it is changing but as you realized on your trip, that is just the way of the world.

[creakycane]

there’s just more people, and, in the well known spots, more retired/well off people that have gravitated there with lots of Time for angling......Whether east, Rockies, west coast —— even popular spots in Appalachia.
Having good golf courses and bass lakes nearby is the best thing for the fly angler who likes streams!

[adrien schnee]

Kevin, it’s true what you say that there are more people throughout the world. In the case of the US the population has increased by almost 53 million just since 2000, and that growth has been seen in virtually every state and far more so in desirable towns and cities. The same applies to basically every country on the planet now - more humans concentrating in what are perceived to be the best places. Globally there is nowhere great to live which has gone undiscovered or unnoticed. Bummer, but reality.

Mark, you could do FAR worse than Bozeman, that’s for sure. But if you and Martha eventually do move, I hope you find “ the “ spot that does it for you.

[SecondHandWolf]

Mark, I would take a look in Michigan, say Grayling with the Au Sable or somewhere on the outskirts of Traverse City with the Boardman. Golf courses in both areas. Bob Summers knows and lives on the Boardman. He is a sweet man and could give you contacts for anything. The Gates Au Sable Lodge & Fly shop is right on the Au Sable - Josh Greenberg is the proprietor and knows the area and contacts better than anyone. Book a few days at the lodge, explore the area, fish the mainstream and north branch of the river.