leavin' wisconsin-lookin' for "heaven on earth".anyone from there?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

first off thanks to ken,amanda & ernest for past help in this area. when we heard about amandas' house, the price, the land, the taxes. $85.00 a year for taxes. here something like that would be about $4000.00 a year. over ten years? do the math. let's see 2 weeks pay vs. 2 years pay. that makes it sound like an easy choice, but. (1)my folks just moved back from arizona, near my brother & sister. i think to make things easier on us kids. ya see dad has had several strokes & isn't doin' too good.(2)my wife sees her mom every week, so we're probably gonna get both sides mad at us. (3)My oldest daughter decided she wanted to go to high school, so 2 years ago my wife stopped homescholling all 4 kids, They've all made alot of new friends, especially my oldest daughter 16. I think she is going to hate me.(4)I must find a steady job, with decent medical insurance.BTW I'm a printer, have experience on web & sheetfed presses since 1978. So, if ya know of a place lookin' for help let me know the thing is, the place I work for has not layed anyone off since it opened in 1903 & is a top 100 printing co. Now, where do you live?Why is it heaven? How's the bad weather? I.E. tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc. What about critters? Poisonous snakes,spiders,scorpions etc? What about people, bein' from the North am I not a "damn yankee"? Oh yes, how are the prices of property & taxes? And of course how's the fishin'?

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), May 10, 2001

Answers

P.S. Anybody from Wisconsin got ideas?

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), May 10, 2001.

thank you all so much !!(hit a wrong button twice).

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), May 10, 2001.

hi fred, what is wrong with Wisconsin??? To me "heaven on earth" is where the "heart" is. Family around, happy children, good job....maybe you should "bloom where you are planted"???

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), May 10, 2001.

When I able to take early retirement I could have resettled pretty well anywhere in the U.S. No family obligations to consider - except maybe far enough away from siblings to where frequent visits are expected. I was raised in WI until about eight, then FL through high school (then Navy time) then college, then GA for two years, the SW Ohio for about 20. During my work and travels I have been most parts of the county. I chose TN, but really probably the strip from NC/SC, TN, AR may have been suitable. Doesn't get terribly hot during summers, nor terribly cold during winter. No state income tax, but they get their money in other ways. I have found the people to be relatively laid back. Certainly haven't regretted by decision. But, as noted above, home is indeed where the heart is.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 10, 2001.

An old southern saying: What is the difference between a Yankee and a Damn Yankee? A Yankee is someone who comes, spends their money and goes back home. A Damn Yankee is one who stays.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 10, 2001.


Fred, I am in central fla, if you decide to come here; first learn spanish,33% of the people do not speak useable english. Bring your own water, we do not have any to spare. If you want a nice up scale house, bring $250,000.00. If you want farm land, unimproved, bring $5,000.00 per acre. Find a volume of "tropical insects" and learn it by heart. You will also need a full time lawyer to battle the water management people and regulation makers. Pictures of livestock are acceptable but not the real thing. I understand things in north fla. are looser, and they might still speak english!

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 10, 2001.

Fred,

We lived in WI, I taught a UW Madison, had 6 acres and $2400 tax bill each year. We moved to the Ozarks and love it. Our taxes this year were about $100 (I think) and we have 25 acres. I know taxes aren't everything but it is hard to be self sufficient when they are real high. We do face different challenges here than WI. Email me personally if you would like some more info. I can also send you some web sites that list local property. Kim p.s. you can't hate snakes and ticks to live here!!

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), May 11, 2001.


Hello Fred, What Mitch and Fred are saying is soooooo true! We lived in Central Florida and moved to the Ozarks! Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), May 12, 2001.

What is wrong with learning spanish?? I have to say that that remark about having to learn another language in America is quite offensive.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), May 12, 2001.

By the way, my remark isn't meant to get things rilled up - just a thought, not to bash your way of thinking or bring up a debate about anything. Another little comment of mine would be why don't most americans think it is important to learn another language besises english?? This world is made up of so many cultures and languages so it would seem to me the right thing to do - learn as many languages as possible so that we can maybe understand eachother better.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), May 12, 2001.


i think i've found it...NE WA state. up here in this corner, winters are sort of like WI. i'm from chicago, so i know. people are friendly, there arent too many people (yet). and it's beautiful with all the evergreen trees. the air is clean, clear and not polluted. we're 13 miles from canada as the crow flies, and that's great cuz we can save some $ on canadian lumber, some food products and clothes. even dentists are a savings in canada cuz of the exchange rate. everyone here pretty much minds their own biz, and has their own biz to survive. we raise turkeys, chickens and are thinking of getting some goats and sheep. a 40-acre ranch w/a house can be had for 75K +. summers are hot, there are lakes and rivers, and there are jobs about a 30 min. drive away. any other ? please respond.

-- jeannie (mmp@theofficenet.com), May 12, 2001.

Why not here in North Alabama. We have a hundred acres, some open,some woods, some crop. Plenty of water, no regulations on water. Low taxes less than 250 per year. We just built a 1600 sq ft library, summerkitchen, sewing room, just 12 feet north of the house but not connectied with a bath room. No inspectors, no permits, no nothing. Course we did not have a new electrical service ran or a new septic system put in which would have had to be oked by the health dept. We grow something in the garden year round with heavy muclh. Best fishing and hunting in the southeast. Land prices are not skyhigh. We have a house that was defaulted on last week by the young couple that were buying it from us. Seven rooms and one bath, paved road, city water, nice neighborhood. New roof and about 1300 sq ft. We sold it for 36000 with one acre of land. There are another 40 to 50 acres surrounding it that we would like to sell. Haven't got an appraisel back on the land but probably in the 1500 to 2000 range mabey less. The land has a spring feeding a pond, a small cave, and no I haven't crawled into it, part wooded, part open. We would finance with a small down, any or all. We do have tornados here from time to time, some poisionous snakes, not many and it is fairly warm in the summer. But not so bad that we need air conditioning. We don't even have a window unit. Gas is currently 1.52 for regular and thats what we use. Highest I have seen ever.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), May 13, 2001.

Kelly, there is nothing wrong with learning a foriegn language if you have a use for it. I just wished todays immigrant felt the same about our language. Today in Miami the city council meetings are held in Spanish, if you don't speak Spanish you become an outsider in your own country. Walk into a Kentucky Fried Chicken store, the menu is in Spanish 10 inches tall, English is below 2 inches tall. Spanish is a language that puts the descriptive word after the subject, not before it like English; therefore it takes 30 to 50% more words to say the same thing. If you are an airline pilot in China, a riverboat hand in Africa, a secretary in Sweden, a scientist in Viet Nam, whatever; you make a better salery if you speak English because English is the worldwide trade language. Aparrently you are in a place where you do not have to listen to the foreign languages, here in Central Florida we do and we fly bumper stickers with "Speak English or go back" or "Don't learn English, we will allways need servants". These immigrants want us to give them our holidays off as well as their traditional holidays. Utah rescently passed a law stating English was to be the "business" language, I only hope it happens here too. I am not angry at you, I'm afraid you don't see this flowing cancer comming.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 13, 2001.

If you want to live in the USA, learn the language. I don't think they will make every one in some forigen country learn english just because I decide to move there. I don't need a second language, the one I speak serves me well, has for almost 60 years and I don't intend to ever leave the USA again in this life time. The last time I left the country there were little forigen guys trying to kill me. If I go into a store and can't understand the attendent I just don't go back. Sure I understand why people from other countries want to come here and think we should require all imigrants to speak usable english. If you can't speak the language stay where you speak the language.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), May 13, 2001.

Dear Fred & family in WI, My name is Bonnie Smith from NW Montana. I had family in WI and know a little about your state. I have lived here in Libby since 1975 and really enjoy this part of the state of Montana. I went through a divorce a couple of years ago and have a home and land for sale here. I am not leaving the area; have a good job; I got married again last fall to a fellow I dated in 1976 (we sorta found each other again and it's really nice for us). We're selling my place since it's a little closer to town and keeping my husbands' house because he built his place. My house is a 3 BR 2 BA frame house with cedar siding on 7.5 acres. It has a full daylight basement and upstairs 1/2 story. The interior is all cedar and pine paneling with little sheetrock (bath & kitchen are wallpapered). The living room/dining room has a vaulted ceiling and the kitchen is open with pine cabinets and place for a wood cookstove. Ceilings are open beam with 2x6 t&g. I heat with wood so winter utilities are very reasonable. Taxes are around $1000 a year. It's a pretty cozy, country home in a rural neighborhood. We built the place in 1984-85. There are a few small outbuildings on the place for goats and chickens. Also a 3 car garage to keep vehicles out of the snow in the winter. I have a nice garden (30x30)with some young fruit trees started. My neighbor has a 100 acre homestead next door which will never be divided so the chance of other neighbors moving in is very slight. I'd be willing to carry a contract to a qualified buyer. I work with a local title company who would keep all the legal contracts and paperwork in order for both families. The price I'm asking for the place is $160K and I'd prefer to Sell by Owner rather than have a realtor add a commission on top. Carrying the contract would allow me to recover the retirement funds I lost to my X in our divorce and will also help my daughters go to college in a few years. This area of the state is a little isolated but close to a few bigger cities. We have a vast variety of recreation options; lots of lakes, ski hill for winter, Cabinet mountains for hiking & high lakes wilderness area, close to Glacier International Peace Park and Banff & Jasper, Alberta (lots of things to enjoy in Canada). The fishing, hunting and other natural resources here are abundant so it's an enjoyable area for the outdoors folks. And there are no poisonous snakes here; that's why I stayed!! We have a small Newspaper office (bi-weekly), 1 publisher free Trade paper, and 1 family print shop that might interest you for work. The Western News is the name of the local News. Libby is a safe little town to raise a family; low crime rate etc. Our winters are fairly mild however we get a dandy every now and then when you wish the snow would stop. Those make for staying home and taking care of winter work but I don't mind (just keep the fire going and the driveway clear). I don't know your current situation and hope this ad may interest you or others who may take notice. I'm not desperate to sell but want to do it right and not make a mess of my property investment. Thanks for letting me tell you my story; it has a happy ending for me and selling my place is just a small part of it all. Happy in Montana--Bonnie Smith

-- Bonnie Smith (planning@libby.org), July 10, 2001.


Jeannie in NE WA. -

I tried to send you an email to say hello but it didn't work. I'm in Colville. Send me a note.

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), July 10, 2001.


Fred have you found it---or are you still looking????????????

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), December 29, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ