Is OK a family friendly state? (Tulsa, Lawton: renting, mortgage, loan)

[Snowman05]

So I'm 37 married with two small boys. I've lived all over and my background is mostly manufacturing and local truck driving. I like that OK ranks near/at the top for homeschooling with minimum restrictions on how to homeschool. I like it has many sunny days in a year and perhaps most of all is relatively cheap.

I want to be within a direct flight or full days drive of my family in NC, can't be closer because my wife hates them. I'm moving from WA where I been for 6 years and I can never afford anything good here. Been outbid by AI bots and investors who buy up everything with cash, even in humble remote neighborhoods. But I'm tired of renting and need to buy a home at this point and OK has homes in my pre-qualification range. The funny thing is, I'll be qualified based on my WA income to buy a "2nd home" with a smaller loan half the amount of a regular mortgage. Good thing I have some cash. My budget is only 100k.

I realize I'm limited with my budget but what part of OK has some growth and a stable economy? I imagine the military base areas help sustain the state. OK seems to have big prisons, think I can be a guard with a clean record but no experience? I'm not shy of doing hard work. I grew up in states where you're lucky to get a 30 minute lunch break. I don't need a high paying job, just a place that has jobs at all. My main objective will be paying a small mortgage food and spending time with my family and wife who does gigs online from home.

Does this sound more like Lawton or Tulsa area? How about near Fort Smith AR?

[Snowman05]

Can this be moved to the overall state section. I didn't mean to put in the subforum.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

I'd stay away from Lawton unless you're just looking for the Southern Plains mixed with semi-arid almost desert lie terrain.

Fort Smith is an up and comer and really a beautiful little city. Because it's in the far west of Arkansas, it still orients itself to OKC and then Tulsa.

Tulsa is an interesting place. I like it because many of my kin are from there but I would stay away unless you have some existing relationships. OKC has surpassed Tulsa in many ways and seems to have less of the Good Ol' Boy network.

I'd look at Choctaw which is still close to OKC or Muskogee & Bixby which are close to Tulsa. Ardmore is a great town in Southern Oklahoma which is still drivable to Dallas or OKC.


Welcome to the Great STATE Of Oklahoma!

[Threestep2]

With two drivers you can be in NC from OKC in a day. Plenty of flights.
I do not see COL as "relatively cheap" and a house in the larger OKC area at 100k will be a fixer upper. Outside the gates of Tinker AFB you see very little of a military presence. The usual used car lots and cheap motels but that is it. O&G, education, aviation, medical have a high presence. Yes, jobs are available. www.jobs.ok.gov is a good local source.

[Johnhw222]

If you close southern Oklahoma consider durant. It just passed Ardmore in population, both or just under 50k population for their counties. Durant is closer to Dallas side of DFW and its north burns and you have Sherman and Denison within 30 miles so close and thriving.

Welcome to oklahoma my home state.

[Snowman05]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

I'd stay away from Lawton unless you're just looking for the Southern Plains mixed with semi-arid almost desert lie terrain.

Fort Smith is an up and comer and really a beautiful little city. Because it's in the far west of Arkansas, it still orients itself to OKC and then Tulsa.

Tulsa is an interesting place. I like it because many of my kin are from there but I would stay away unless you have some existing relationships. OKC has surpassed Tulsa in many ways and seems to have less of the Good Ol' Boy network.

I'd look at Choctaw which is still close to OKC or Muskogee & Bixby which are close to Tulsa. Ardmore is a great town in Southern Oklahoma which is still drivable to Dallas or OKC.


Welcome to the Great STATE Of Oklahoma!

Thank you. I'm now under contract to buy a home in LeFlore County, OK. It's a safe quiet area between Poteau and Fort Smith AR. I do like the greenery compared to somewhere like Lawton. So far everyone I've talked to is friendly. There's definitely some poverty but not the worst. The home is on a corner lot of land and needs a couple big projects per inspection and I look forward to make it mine.

[Snowman05]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

With two drivers you can be in NC from OKC in a day. Plenty of flights.
I do not see COL as "relatively cheap" and a house in the larger OKC area at 100k will be a fixer upper. Outside the gates of Tinker AFB you see very little of a military presence. The usual used car lots and cheap motels but that is it. O&G, education, aviation, medical have a high presence. Yes, jobs are available. www.jobs.ok.gov is a good local source.

Thanks for the website. I browsed it and saw a few postings I can apply for. 100k for a fixer upper doesn't sound bad considering if it's in OKC area. OKC seems like a worthy city.

[Snowman05]

Originally Posted by Johnhw222

If you close southern Oklahoma consider durant. It just passed Ardmore in population, both or just under 50k population for their counties. Durant is closer to Dallas side of DFW and its north burns and you have Sherman and Denison within 30 miles so close and thriving.

Welcome to oklahoma my home state.

Thanks. I did stop in Durant from DFW. That's quite a casino. It seems that as soon as you enter passed the OK state line, the DFW sprawl finally ends. I can imagine many Texans moving to OK.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Snowman05

Thank you. I'm now under contract to buy a home in LeFlore County, OK. It's a safe quiet area between Poteau and Fort Smith AR. I do like the greenery compared to somewhere like Lawton. So far everyone I've talked to is friendly. There's definitely some poverty but not the worst. The home is on a corner lot of land and needs a couple big projects per inspection and I look forward to make it mine.

Poteau-Ft Smith area is actually quite nice and is generally unknown amongst most Oklahomans because it is Arkansas-centric.

But the market area is relatively large and when Ft. Smith metro is combined with NW Arkansas... and Poteau kind of functions as the southwest node of a vast strung out multinodal metro. But once you are south or west of Poteau... you got good old fashioned boonies. LOL.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

Poteau-Ft Smith area is actually quite nice and is generally unknown amongst most Oklahomans because it is Arkansas-centric.

But the market area is relatively large and when Ft. Smith metro is combined with NW Arkansas... and Poteau kind of functions as the southwest node of a vast strung out multinodal metro. But once you are south or west of Poteau... you got good old fashioned boonies. LOL.

I've visited Poteau and it's in one of the most scenic rural areas that you can find in the vast central part of the USA. It's just over 20 miles southwest of Ft. Smith. The west side of town has Cavanal Hill, which is like a mountain island with great views in all directions. Sugar Loaf Mountain is just east of town, and about 10 miles southeast (near Heavener) you're on the doorstep of the Ouachita Mountains that run west to east into Arkansas. It is far enough from most big cities that you don't see big crowds of visitors that you might expect for such a scenic area. I think most visitors from out of the region go to Arkansas as it puts more attention into marketing it's outdoor attractions.