""thought I'd brave Montana, but can you believe their rents?! (San Diego: lease, big house)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by coyoteskye

I don't know which CA you're talking about but those sure don't look like California coast (Santa Cruz for example) rent prices to me!!!
I wish!!!
missoula apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I loved the add for the 2,400 square foot home renting for $1,250 I think and the place is new. You might be able to get a 2 bedroom apartment in Oxnard for around that price. It will be something built in the late 1950's to the mid 1970's. I don't know of any homes renting for less than $2,200. Most of the homes I know of start at the $2,200 range and that would be for somehting closer to 1,300 Square feet and at least 30 years old.

[Mach50]

Back to the OP, can you give us 1 example of a comparable sq ft, age, amenities and rent from Montana to California? I fail to see anything remotely close.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by Mach50

Back to the OP, can you give us 1 example of a comparable sq ft, age, amenities and rent from Montana to California? I fail to see anything remotely close.

And while you are at it compare similar type of towns. I can drive North to Santa Barbara or South to Malibu and both areas have very differant rents than in Oxnard where I live. I am not familiar with Montana but if the city you are comparing is their best, worse, or somewhere in the middle, let us know. If you are in the most expensive city in Montana and the rents are similar to lets say Fresno then your comparing apples to grapes. I can find 5 year old homes in Bakersfield selling for around the $100,000 mark and I can find 30 year old homes in Oxnard selling for $275,000.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

The California real estate bubble was interesting,because the magnitude of the real estate rises were directly proportional to how "cool" a town was perceived to be by coastal Californians. For instance, Ashland,Reno, Bozeman, Kalispell, Durango, Bellingham, Arcata, Bend, Chapel Hill, NC, Santa Fe, Flagstaff,Asheville, etc.,etc. were blown through the roof.

Boulder
Fort Collins
Coeur d'Alene
Missoula
Sheridan
Boise
Sandpoint
Great Falls (you'd be surprised)

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

While Salem, Helena, Moscow, LaGrande, Colville, Baker City, Pittsburgh, Cheyenne, and Cincinnati were not. The result is that places that were quite nice are now simply not affordable to locals dependent upon a wage. Finding a good value in the West now means finding a place YOU like, but that would not appeal to the typical boomer in San Jose with a huge equity tailwind. While the quaint, progressive towns were always more expensive, recently it has become obscene. Although natalie456 would like it to not be so, I don't see it changing overnight. Best thing is to be smart about it. RESEARCH!!!

There's nothing overly impressive about Salem (natural beauty wise).

I got yelled at by the drive-thru lady at the Hardee's in Helena when I asked if they were only serving breakfast. Left a bad taste in my mouth. No wonder people don't want to move there.

IMO Moscow doesn't belong in this list. Moscow is trending towards the others, believe me. It'll be a "it" place soon enough, unfortunately. It has all of the elements needed...

Colville is one small slice of Americana still left in the West. A really small slice. The big attraction there is Wal-Mart. Very economically depressed place, but beautiful. Too small and tucked away for anybody to notice it.

Have you been to Cheyenne? No, really, have you?

IMO, for a town to transition to one of these CA transplant boom-towns, it's got to have at least one iota of natural beauty, (Cheyenne does not have this, unless the color brown really does it for somebody).

I really hope the OP finds what she's looking for. Considering she's on a budget, she likely isn't going to be able to afford to be around the people she wants to be around, but will probably have to put up with the people she can afford to be around.

I for one, wouldn't want to pay to be around any "type" of people. Who cares if the people in Missoula (for example) are _____, ______ and ______? Their supposed politics, beliefs, and "open-ness" don't outright make them good friends and neighbors, most of these "qualities" in these people are forced and fake. They're followers.

Not to mention, there are two waaay more fantastic cities west of Missoula on I-90. When you head east from them, Missoula looks a lot less impressive than the other two, actually, Missoula is quite underwhelming compared to the other two.

OP, first, find out where you can afford. Then narrow it down from there. You can't pick a place first and then find out that you can't afford it.

[Fontucky]

Don't get me started on Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Don't get me started on Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls.

Now I want to get you started...

CDA was one of the two, PF was not.

[Fontucky]

I'm referring to the general area

Well, between the general surly nature of the inhabitants I encountered, the stereotypical "what you doing here, boy?" attitude of the local cops, the amazing amount of skinhead youth, the Nazis marching down Main Street (or whatever they call the main street) in celebration of Hitler's birthday, and the white supremacist compound outside of town... I didn't feel none too welcome.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

I'm referring to the general area

Well, between the general surly nature of the inhabitants I encountered, the stereotypical "what you doing here, boy?" attitude of the local cops, the amazing amount of skinhead youth, the Nazis marching down Main Street (or whatever they call the main street) in celebration of Hitler's birthday, and the white supremacist compound outside of town... I didn't feel none too welcome.

and to think we used to say that about Fontana!

[Fontucky]

Then I moved here and classed the joint up.

[CAVA1990]

Can't wait to see "The Real Housewives of Fontana".