We moved from AZ to Ozark MO

[OzarkMan]

I haven't posted in over a year, maybe even three. We sold our house in AZ due to the rising costs. We did excellent and bought a nice house in North Ozark MO. We are in a 12 home community of 3 acres each. Absolutely love it here and for the first time in our lives, are mortgage free. I have been renovating this place from roof to crawlspace over that time and finally got to the garage. I went from 1100sq ft to 625. it's ok since this place came with a 24x30 shop. The shop is in excellent structural condition however it needs a color change and interior upfit. The garage will get new doors since the previous owner backed their car into the 2 bay door and the single door was screwed shut due to the owner living in a makeshift apartment while his daughter and kids lived in the main house. I ripped all that out to make it one big garage. He had a bathroom in there which I tore out and revamped it into a half bath. Epoxy will go in (Not doing it myself this time due to the minor cracks on the slab nor do I have the patience after smoothing out all the texture from the drywall.) Once that is done, I have a closet company coming to put in cabinets and a workbench. Just wanted to say hi again and if anyone is local to me, I would love to get together and compare notes! (Yes, I did all the work myself on this house aside from concrete. People charge way too much and I can still do alot on my own with my OCD issues)

 

[Theronswanson]

Not local, but in Missouri. Welcome!

 

[kbuhagiar]

Congratulations. Being mortgage and rent-free is a HUGE deal. Sounds like a bright future ahead!

 

[atch]

So you get to eat dinner at Lambert's every day...

b-t-w; welcome to Missouri.

 

[nadogail]

I have a Buddy who lives in Ozark, she is a very capable gal who is single parenting.
Welcome back to the forum.

 

[OzarkMan]

So you get to eat dinner at Lambert's every day...

b-t-w; welcome to Missouri.

Yeah, we live across the street! Been there three times in the last year and a half. Good enough for us!

 

[OzarkMan]

I have a Buddy who lives in Ozark, she is a very capable gal who is single parenting.
Welcome back to the forum.

Is her name Kandis by chance?

 

[OzarkMan]

Congratulations. Being mortgage and rent-free is a HUGE deal. Sounds like a bright future ahead!

Best feeling in the world. Costs have skyrocketed in AZ and my business fell slow. It was time to survive and cash out for literally greener pastures.

 

[OzarkMan]

Not local, but in Missouri. Welcome!

Thank you! We do love it here.

 

[PoorUB]

We were thinking of moving to Missouri, but never got going on it. We have good friends in the Bolivar area that we would try find a place close to them. We have stuck a bit on money into the place we live in North Dakota and are quite comfortable here. Many friends and good motorcycle riding in the summer in Minnesota. We went to lunch yesterday with friends, lunch today with my mom, and dinner tonight with other friends. It goes on like this all the time!

I understand about Arizona. My wife's sister and husband live there, and honestly, I don't see the attraction. We were in AZ a few days ago and I wouldn't move there for anything. Too many people to start with! The in-laws love it and were giving us a sales pitch about how great it was, but he loves to golf, which I hate, so it works for them. I don't hate snow bad enough to move there!

 

[OzarkMan]

We were thinking of moving to Missouri, but never got going on it. We have good friends in the Bolivar area that we would try find a place close to them. We have stuck a bit on money into the place we live in North Dakota and are quite comfortable here. Many friends and good motorcycle riding in the summer in Minnesota. We went to lunch yesterday with friends, lunch today with my mom, and dinner tonight with other friends. It goes on like this all the time!

I understand about Arizona. My wife's sister and husband live there, and honestly, I don't see the attraction. We were in AZ a few days ago and I wouldn't move there for anything. Too many people to start with! The in-laws love it and were giving us a sales pitch about how great it was, but he loves to golf, which I hate, so it works for them. I don't hate snow bad enough to move there!

I think you live in a beautiful state with good people. We moved to AZ in 2001 right on our wedding day. Bought our first house for 148k with a pool. Moved from Long Island NY where the average house then was 450k along with the high taxes. Chandler AZ was/is a nice place as it was quiet with little traffic. Over the past two decades, that changed. Demographics changed, attitudes changed and finally expensive states sent their people over which drove a 250k median priced house to 600. Too many people as you said, too much traffic and that island heat effect took a toll on us. It used to be 4 months of heat which is now 8 months. Our electric bill went from 179 a month to 954 in the summer. Winter was $117 and went to $460. House was all LED and spray foam insulated. The utility company kept jacking up their rates to pay for those EV Silverados and new bucket trucks with chrome wheels on a yearly basis. They even reduced the amount of credits given when you generated too much solar power! Yeah, it was time for a change. I had a bus that we travelled in and caught a flat north of Springfield MO. Took two days to get that special tire so we looked around and were impressed at what you could get for your money. We are at peace in Gods country where we love to see the sunsets and watch the pouring rain. Oh we so missed the rain and the clean air!

 

[nadogail]

Is her name Kandis by chance?

Negative, Amanda

 

[DAustin]

No more "MesaAKguy" how about NOMOguy?

 

[shade]

Very inyeresting to hear about the move.
Native to AZ (Gilbert)and recently moved to MI.
I love AZ but dont miss it for all the reasons people have mentioned.
House is up for sale now. How long did it take yours to offload?
Congrats on the move.

 

[OzarkMan]

No more "MesaAKguy" how about NOMOguy?

I haven't gotten that far yet on the name or avatar change. I was doing research on the Yukon and Husky boxes when the Journal popped up. Haven't posted in years so here I am over a tool box!

 

[OzarkMan]

Very inyeresting to hear about the move.
Native to AZ (Gilbert)and recently moved to MI.
I love AZ but dont miss it for all the reasons people have mentioned.
House is up for sale now. How long did it take yours to offload?
Congrats on the move.

I believe it took a few months. Listed in May of '24 and got an offer early August. I priced the house far above anything in the area. We were in a non HOA county island with no comps on a little over an acre. Got what I wanted and then some. Not sure how the market is there but it was a sellers market at the time. Some of my neighbors had been renting their yards to people living in RV's which looked very detracting. One rented the front yard to people who had bucket trucks and the like. If it weren't for that, we would have sold much quicker. Buyer moved from Las Sendas community and needed our non HOA property for his son's car building business. I also had a service pit on the side of the house for my bus behind the gates. House was a resort that belonged in Scottsdale and not Mesa. Tons of sweat equity went into that.
I will say and still stand by that AZ is one of the most beautiful states in the union. Just wish the greed and overgrowth was better managed. Beautiful spaces that ended up turning into a bunch of zero lot line homes crammed together.

 

[shade]

Appreciate the breakdown.
You sold in 24...its worse now (at least in Gilbert/Chandler area) its apartments everywhere.
It's only been a few months out of AZ for us and I miss it.
Then I look outside at the 3 acres we're on now, with no HOA, amazing rural views and no traffic.

 

[OzarkMan]

Appreciate the breakdown.
You sold in 24...its worse now (at least in Gilbert/Chandler area) its apartments everywhere.
It's only been a few months out of AZ for us and I miss it.
Then I look outside at the 3 acres we're on now, with no HOA, amazing rural views and no traffic.

I imagine if you are a native to AZ that MI is a much different vibe. Trust me, we are former native NY'ers and we never looked back. We also never looked back at the 24 years we lived in AZ. We just move forward even though we loved AZ in its early years. Gave up alot of friends to move to a new place. We are in our mid 50's and still young at heart. Gen X'ers so you get the idea. I'm enjoying my 3 acres with my 38 horse zero turn launching it over the terrain as I giggle like a school kid! We were in Adrian MI a couple years ago visiting a friend while vacationing in our bus. Went up to Petosky for a Newell coach rally. Spent some time in Mackinaw island. Absolutely loved it. I sold the bus almost a year ago since our property has culverts and no way to get it up here. I stored it in an enclosed rented storage facility that was 25 min away. Figured I would let it go as I didn't want it to sit. I miss it. Maybe one day again.

 

[Shiftless]

So you get to eat dinner at Lambert's every day...

Even though I’m a California boy, I enjoyed an early dinner one time at their Sikeston, Mo location. The throwed rolls were certainly a novelty and not at all appreciated by our 13 year old daughter.
Do they still serve fried Okra dished up out of a big steel bowl right on to a brown paper towel right there in front of you like a place mat?

 

[OzarkMan]

Even though I’m a California boy, I enjoyed an early dinner one time at their Sileston, Mo location. The throwed rolls were certainly a novelty and not at all appreciated by our 13 year old daughter.
Do they still serve fried Okra dished up out of a big steel bowl right on to a brown paper towel right there in front of you like a place mat?

Yes, they still pass around the fried Okra, potatoes and I forget what other things. It is a novelty for sure. I just can't understand why there is almost always a two hour wait. That place is a goldmine for sure. Since we drive past it to and from the house when we are out and about, if there are no lines, we may go inside for an early dinner. Good food. It's comfort food and not Ruth Chris steakhouse!

 

[willymakeit]

In Springfield N of you
Welcome

 

[macgyver37]

I am just an hour and half west of you. Been here in SEK for 30 years now and I haven't considered leaving yet. The family and I were just in AZ and UT last week and I really enjoy visiting, but even as awesome as it is, I don't see leaving here for there.

I've got 5 acres here in town and my shop/business is 15 min away, pretty sweet setup that I don't think I could replicate anywhere else without a lottery win of some kind.

 

[Gordonjuan]

I think you live in a beautiful state with good people. We moved to AZ in 2001 right on our wedding day. Bought our first house for 148k with a pool. Moved from Long Island NY where the average house then was 450k along with the high taxes. Chandler AZ was/is a nice place as it was quiet with little traffic. Over the past two decades, that changed. Demographics changed, attitudes changed and finally expensive states sent their people over which drove a 250k median priced house to 600. Too many people as you said, too much traffic and that island heat effect took a toll on us. It used to be 4 months of heat which is now 8 months. Our electric bill went from 179 a month to 954 in the summer. Winter was $117 and went to $460. House was all LED and spray foam insulated. The utility company kept jacking up their rates to pay for those EV Silverados and new bucket trucks with chrome wheels on a yearly basis. They even reduced the amount of credits given when you generated too much solar power! Yeah, it was time for a change. I had a bus that we travelled in and caught a flat north of Springfield MO. Took two days to get that special tire so we looked around and were impressed at what you could get for your money. We are at peace in Gods country where we love to see the sunsets and watch the pouring rain. Oh we so missed the rain and the clean air!

My sister has been in Chandler for nearly 30 years now, and is thinking moving to WA or MA, where her daughters/grandchildren are. I was there as well for two years after retirement 2019-2021. Even in that time I realized that it was not going to be place for me. When a 1500 sq ft fixer upper, 3/2, on a tiny plot was going for 460k, it's not for me. It will depend on whether my brother-in-law will want to go.

I landed in Houston after that (love was involved!) and this area has definitely changed not for the better in the last 5 years. We are heading back to PA where we both are from. No more than a year from now. Wife is reaching out to a good realtor friend for feedback. Could be packing up in weeks.

It's interesting all of the way around!

 

[PoorUB]

Yes, they still pass around the fried Okra, potatoes and I forget what other things. It is a novelty for sure. I just can't understand why there is almost always a two hour wait. That place is a goldmine for sure. Since we drive past it to and from the house when we are out and about, if there are no lines, we may go inside for an early dinner. Good food. It's comfort food and not Ruth Chris steakhouse!

We have eaten there once. They really have figured out a "hook" to get people in the restaurant.
Definitely comfort food, one reason we haven't been back. We like our food a bit more on the lean side, and smaller quantities. That place is an over eater's dream!

 

[pima67]

AZ real estate situation/population will become very interesting when the CAP canal goes dry and What will happen when the proposed data centers run out of water.
I started in IL, then MT then WY then UT, then AZ then UT again. When we retired we liked Tucson area(west side) so we moved here.

 

[OzarkMan]

My sister has been in Chandler for nearly 30 years now, and is thinking moving to WA or MA, where her daughters/grandchildren are. I was there as well for two years after retirement 2019-2021. Even in that time I realized that it was not going to be place for me. When a 1500 sq ft fixer upper, 3/2, on a tiny plot was going for 460k, it's not for me. It will depend on whether my brother-in-law will want to go.

I landed in Houston after that (love was involved!) and this area has definitely changed not for the better in the last 5 years. We are heading back to PA where we both are from. No more than a year from now. Wife is reaching out to a good realtor friend for feedback. Could be packing up in weeks.

It's interesting all of the way around!

We had a RV we travelled with and one of my favorite states was PA. My wife couldn't get the grasp of dealing with more than a couple of snow occasions. Western and Central PA were my picks. Around 2006 we looked at properties on the outskirts of Dallas. Prices were not too bad but the property taxes is where the "gotcha" was. Wife's mom fell down twice on that trip and broke both wrists and ankle. This forced her into dialysis and renal failure. We went back to AZ and got stuck here for another almost 20 years. On a good note, we paid 280k for our house and it went up quadruple. We were in debt from my business going soft. Everything was so expensive that even our customers just held off projects. We still paid our employees so we didn't lose them whether they were working or not.

I'm excited for you. Sounds like you have a great adventure up ahead. Don't forget to find a place with a nice big garage or shop building!

 

[OzarkMan]

I am just an hour and half west of you. Been here in SEK for 30 years now and I haven't considered leaving yet. The family and I were just in AZ and UT last week and I really enjoy visiting, but even as awesome as it is, I don't see leaving here for there.

I've got 5 acres here in town and my shop/business is 15 min away, pretty sweet setup that I don't think I could replicate anywhere else without a lottery win of some kind.

We raise Italian Modena and Classic old frills satinet pigeons. We have a breeder in Weir Ks. He's about the same distance as you. We drive through Joplin on I-44 and head southwest from there.

 

[Gordonjuan]

We had a RV we travelled with and one of my favorite states was PA. My wife couldn't get the grasp of dealing with more than a couple of snow occasions. Western and Central PA were my picks. Around 2006 we looked at properties on the outskirts of Dallas. Prices were not too bad but the property taxes is where the "gotcha" was. Wife's mom fell down twice on that trip and broke both wrists and ankle. This forced her into dialysis and renal failure. We went back to AZ and got stuck here for another almost 20 years. On a good note, we paid 280k for our house and it went up quadruple. We were in debt from my business going soft. Everything was so expensive that even our customers just held off projects. We still paid our employees so we didn't lose them whether they were working or not.

I'm excited for you. Sounds like you have a great adventure up ahead. Don't forget to find a place with a nice big garage or shop building!

Thank you so much! We already have - my wife's aunt went to a retirement community. She let the family know what was going on and we asked about buying the house. Done deal. Really large two car garage, so I'm excited!!

We will be an hour west of Philly, an hour east of my dad near Hershey - still the sweetest place on earth, and best friends are north of Pittsburgh. I went to college in NW PA, so I love the western part of the state. There's a lot of PA Turnpike in our future...

Good on you for paying your employees. Not many people it seems would do that these days. Hopefully things will continue to turn out grand for you.

 

[Sumboodie]

No more "MesaAKguy" how about NOMOguy?

No Mesa in AK. There's Butte

 

[DAustin]

No Mesa in AK. There's Butte

How did I do that the K key is nowhere near the Z key?

 

[Jagmandave]

I am just an hour and half west of you. Been here in SEK for 30 years now and I haven't considered leaving yet. The family and I were just in AZ and UT last week and I really enjoy visiting, but even as awesome as it is, I don't see leaving here for there.

I've got 5 acres here in town and my shop/business is 15 min away, pretty sweet setup that I don't think I could replicate anywhere else without a lottery win of some kind.

I went to college in Pittsburg, 147 bars on main street back then!

My BIL lives in Ozark, Mo......just over the damn dam.

My son and grands live in Phoenix!, I visit there in Jan and Feb, I'm home by March!