Moving to Montana! HELP!

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falnovice

Joined
Oct 9, 2005
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Well the time is nearly here.....me and the old lady are moving to Montana!
We are going to get settled in around the Missoula area for a while and I am going to try and go back to college for Pharmacy.
The timeline is looking like the first of November, and I can use a little help with info. If you live around that area, or in Montana in general, and have a few moments prehaps you can help me out.
1. I need to find a house to rent. I would rather not live in the city itself, but anwhere within a half hour drive would be fine. Still gotta work. Hopefully it will be cheaper to be out of the city as well.
2. Work. What is the work economy like in that area? Once again, gotta work.
3. General Info. I have heard conflicting reports for Montana. Is there a state Sales Tax? State Income Tax? Excise Tax when Reg vehicle? How about the electric? Power is expense here in Maine, I don't know what it runs in that area by the Kilowatt hour. Water? Someone told me water was a problem in Montana but I have no idea what they are talking about. Is this water rights for open water or water quality? My water in Maine has some much iron in it I scrub rust out of the sink daily.
4. Newspapers. I found The Missoulian Online but it really seems to focus only on the City of Missoula. I would love to find some papers for the surrounding area, like I said before, within thirty minute drive.

Don't suppose there are any knifemakers or gunsmiths in that area looking for help? :D

Any other info would be great. Thanks.

Alex.
 
Oooooo I'm jealous!!!!!! :D
I think I'd like to live up there among the snow flakes and the grizzlies!
You should think about getting into the antler business, make some good money sellin that stuff!
 
falnovice said:
1. I need to find a house to rent. I would rather not live in the city itself, but anwhere within a half hour drive would be fine. Still gotta work. Hopefully it will be cheaper to be out of the city as well.
2. Work. What is the work economy like in that area? Once again, gotta work.
3. General Info. I have heard conflicting reports for Montana. Is there a state Sales Tax? State Income Tax? Excise Tax when Reg vehicle? How about the electric? Power is expense here in Maine, I don't know what it runs in that area by the Kilowatt hour. Water? Someone told me water was a problem in Montana but I have no idea what they are talking about. Is this water rights for open water or water quality? My water in Maine has some much iron in it I scrub rust out of the sink daily.
4. Newspapers. I found The Missoulian Online but it really seems to focus only on the City of Missoula. I would love to find some papers for the surrounding area, like I said before, within thirty minute drive.

Don't suppose there are any knifemakers or gunsmiths in that area looking for help? :D

Any other info would be great. Thanks.

Alex.
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Alex. I know a thing or two about the area.

1. As of a couple years ago there was a renters glut in Missoula, you should be able to find something no problem in town. If you have to rent out of town, I recommend avoiding the Bitterroot valley. The traffic sucks over there and there is no freeway. Trust me, in pharmacy school you don't have time to burn idling in traffic. Go towards Frenchtown, East Missoula, or Bonner so you can access the freeway. If you are married they have married student housing that is usually fairly cheap (or single parent). There is a waiting list, sign up early.

2. I don't know your skill set, but realize it is a college town full of college graduates and career college students. This means sucky job options and lots of part time work. However, it is also home of one of the countries richest/successful businessmen who has several companies based out of Missoula. Missoula is a regional business center...again it really depends upon your skills.

3. No sales tax, high property and income tax. They demonopolized electricity just as I left so I'm sure the power has gone to heck by now. Water? You will be living in cradle of the Rocky Mountains within 100 miles of the continental divide. Water is the last of your worries. (Montana is the fourth largest state with part of its land very much like North Dakota...that is where the water can suck. Vehicle tax...relatively speaking not bad for most.

4. The Missoulian is your typical liberal rag...but actually covers the city, region, nation, and international well enough. Montanans have a high literacy and reading rate...especially in Missoula.

5. You will love the summers hate the winters. Missoula is surrounded by mountains and air inversions create some nasty air in the winter. If anyone has asthma beware...go live far out in East Missoula or Bonner if that is a factor.

6. Missoula is a major liberal pocket in a generally conservative state so you will either fit right in or gnash your teeth in frustration if you are politically oriented.

7. A lot of history in Montana and near Missoula if you are into that. Missoula is one spot where they intered Japanese citizens during WWII. The Copper Kings built their mining empires just down the road in Butte. Smoke jumpers got their start in Missoula, etc.

8. Like most universities, parking is a problem at UM. If possible use the buses (they may still be free for students) or ride a bike...tons of biking there.

9. Pharmacy school takes discipline, tenacity, and a wee bit of gumption. The first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, the third year they bore you to death,...if you survive that, they bore you some more. :D Unless you are Will Hunting and since you plan on working, your chances of graduating with honors will be slim. If that is the case chant the following mantra to get you through the dark times: "C for Degree. C for Degree. C for Degree."

10. The faculty, well most, are excellent. The facilities are quite new. UofM is very skilled in winning donations and grants. A lot of exciting research is occuring in pharmacy there if you are into that sort of thing.

11. I don't know your age, at least 1/4 of my class was "non-traditional" meaning older, married, with kids etc. They made it. It is tough on marriages and parenting. If you plan on working it is really hard on a marriage. :( Studying, lab work, studying, class, class, class, work, sleep. repeat...little room for spouse. You will be extremely stressed, once things get rolling you will have at least one test a week often more. Life will revolve around these tests. Your schedule will revolve around these tests.

12. If the Indians attack, don't forget to grab a bag of flour before you run into the Fort. ;)
 
Hi Alex,

Zen knows of what he speaks and broke it down pretty succinctly. I would add only that, currently, there is quite a construction boom going on around there (throughout MT for that matter) and construction related jobs (e.g. truck drivers , concrete finishers, carpenters/framers, laborers, etc) abound. As a matter of fact, statewide, our unemployment rate is as low as its been for quite a while. My son attends MSU in Bozeman but spent this past summer living in Missoula with his girlfriend and working for a property management co that was remodeling a couple apartment buildings. They were paying him well, like, $13 or $14/hr which, for MT, is pretty damn good.

His girlfriend already had a place so I don't know the rental situation there but in Bozo during the school year rentals are hard to come by and they want and arm and a freakin sh*t load of cash for really crappy places. I'd definitely second the need to check into student housing ASAP 'cause the pricing is pretty fair and the places pretty decent. Availability is EXTREMELY limited, however.

Funny little cultural aside: Missoula proper is a hippy/granola-type meca. Seems to attract a lot of what my boy refers to as "trustafarians" - white kids from mostly wealthy and upper middle-class families with time and $$ to burn who like to take a few classes at the U, grow their dreadlocks long, party there brains out and wax philosophical ad nausium about whatever floats their left-lilting, often extremest, political boats. Apparently, they like to complain about "the man" and pretend to part of some larger alienated and disenfranchised electorate.

He confided that, after only a few months living there, he's starting to feel like Cartman from South Park when it comes to hippies (and he's a pretty live and let live type of guy). He related how recently one of his like-minded buddies almost started a riot in a local watering-hole when he came in wearing a tee-shirt with Cartman's picture on the front proclaiming "I HATE HIPPIES." LOL! Apparently a trust fund and dreadlocks doesn't guarantee a sense of humor.

I for one came here many years ago to go to finish college and couldn't see myself living anywhere else. Individual rights and freedoms are highly valued here which is easy to get used to. We're the 4th largest state in the Union and have a population of less than a million people. Lots of room to roam and if you like to ski, hunt, snowmobile or just to get out into the bush, even the long winters can be loads of fun. (the air inversions in Missoula are incredibly bad, however, that is no exaggeration)

Drop me line once you settle in and let me know how things are going for you. If I can ever be of any help, don't hesitate to ask. I live in Helena, BTW.

Best of luck to ya.
 
Ruzster,

Thanks for the post.
I personally don't mind commuting that much, I've had jobs over an hour away from home before. If possible I would love to be about thirty minutes out of the city, but this really stand true no matter where I live. To give a little history, I grew up in a town that didn't even have its own gas station. Bangor was the closest "real" city and that was a hour and a half away. But that was okay because we only went there about twice a year.
In my opinion, when it comes to people, less is more.
 
falnovice said:
In my opinion, when it comes to people, less is more.
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Then you'll love it here. If the cattle ever decide to revolt though, we're in trouble. :D (ixnay on the eepshay jokes, btw, for anyone so tempted) :mad::p:p

And just to reiterate Zen's sage advice, definitely check out the likes of Bonner, Milltown, East Missoula and Frenchtown for housing. (Hell, Drummond for that matter if you really don't mind commuting since it's right off the interstate; classic MT ranching community about 40 miles east of Missoula)
 
Moving to Montana?:cool:

First buy a really big Ranch and invite everybody from The BF up to fish and hunt.:D


But really enjoy Montana, and I hope all goes well for you both.:)
 
The only thing I could add to Zen's commentary is that pharmacy college is always a full time gig - no part-timers need apply. Meaning that you'd better line up your finances prior to starting classes, because you will not be able to hold down a full time job while attending classes, especially your first year - many of my class mates couldn't even manage more than weekend work.

If you are confident about your ability to complete the degree then strongly consider student loans - starting pharmacist pay is currently crossing the six figure threshold for retail/chain work so paying them back is all but guaranteed. On the downside there aren't a whole lot of pharmacist jobs available in Montana so you could end up relocating in four years.

But after four years in malfunction junction you may need the change.
 
Unfortunately I will have to work in some capacity while going to school. However I am confident I can handle it. A little older now, and a bit wiser......with stellar time managment skills to boot! :D
 
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