****Tell me about Big Lake, Becker, and surrouding areas up to Princeton please..

[Grizzly Addams]

Originally Posted by tlarnla

I have relatives in Big Lake, and know somebody with a house in Becker. I grew up in Monticello, which is right in that area.

Winter gets cold, because this is MN. But winters do not get as cold as Alexandria, and definitely not as cold as Duluth. The good news is that most homes in MN are very well insulated, so it stays pretty warm indoors. As a disabled vet, I think you would probably be able to get energy assistance to help with winter heating bills, but I don't know very much about that. You should probably check into that.

I don't know much about Becker (or Princeton), but I think people in Big Lake seem pretty friendly. The American Legion would probably be a good place to make friends. As mentioned; outdoor sports like hunting, fishing, boating, and snowmobiling; are very popular in that area.

Duluth doesn't get all that cold (relative to the rest of Minnesota) due to the lake and hills. When I went to school in St. Cloud I thought the winters were horrible. Flat land and wind are not a good mix.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by starrider434

There is no cheaper part of WA state, there is nowhere that compares to home prices with a little acreage like anywhere in WA, like there is say,...in Big Lake MN, or Becker for example. Even Spokane has crappy inventory in my price range. I am thinking more like North West Arkansas as a possibility, along with a few other states. I just don't think I want to retire to a place where the cold is prevalent for so long, such as a place like Idaho Falls, ID for instance and etc.

I guess things have changed in Spokane from when I lived in WA! It was very provincial and not desirable in the 90s when I would visit. I liked it, but it was very "frontier" feeling.

I'd advise you to visit NW Arkansas to make sure the place and people are to your liking. I've spent time in central Arkansas. It's quite pretty, but the people were pushy with religion and just weren't a great fit for me in general. I think NW parts of the state are quite a bit less parochial; lots of folks from the mid-west have retired there, I know. I think weather-wise it'll be much more in line with what you are searching. One strategy would be to plan a trip to the north shore of MN or UP of Michigan every summer when the heat gets oppressive. There are LOTS of cheap and pretty places to camp in MN's excellent state parks. BTW, AR's state parks are nice too.

[rebeklady]

Have you looked into northern michigan. Not the UP (upper peninsula) but the lower peninsula of northern michigan. It's flat too but a lot of trees and beautiful views with the great lakes. Places like boyne city, petowski, charlevoix or harbor springs and grand haven are quite popular. Also traverse City. I think land is pretty reasonable too. not sure on where a va hospital is located though. my family is from there and we still own property up there.