Hello MHTF.

I grew up in Southeast MO. Stoddard County. I left when I was 19 & said I'd never live there again. Now here it is almost 40 years later & I'm looking at retiring in a few years. My mind has changed about lots of things over time & I'm considering coming back to Missouri. Don't want to be in the SE part of the state - it's too flat.

I always liked going to the Ozarks when I was younger and floating the rivers & camping. Thought it was a beautiful area.

I've been checking home prices and found that the selling price of my house will get me a similar house plus 15 - 20 acres there.  The area I'm looking at is Carter & Shannon counties.   I was considering moving further east in TN. but I can get much better bang for the buck in the Ozarks.

I'm still about 5 years out & just kicking ideas around. Might consider purchasing some land now &  building something later. Jobs and schools will not be an issue. Just looking for less people, traffic & diversity. Want to put the Corp. life behind & disappear. It is just me, the wife and the dog.

I think the tax situation will be about a wash.  Is this a good idea and a good area?

Thanks in advance.

I dunno how you rate it good or bad, but I like those areas...

About two years ago, I loved down here to Madison County/Fredericktown from N. St. Louis County and I love it...   You could not pay me enough to move back.
You would be somewhat South and West of me, but pretty much the same type of area and landscape.

I would certainly make a weekend trip of it and drive the crap out of those areas too make sure its what you're looking for and what all is around you...
I'd make a list of potential properties you're interested in and the local gun shops if any and check them out...

Good advice. Check it all out first, while you have time to be thorough.

By good idea, I meant I didn't want to move into meth head central. Should have been more clear. I know meth was really bad in SEMO several years ago. I think Stoddard county was number 1 in the country for meth lab busts one year.

I've been to the Fredericktown & Marquand area.   It's nice.  Spent a lot of time on the St Francis  & Castor rivers but it was way downstream from you.

I travel the counties you mentioned quite a bit.  While you do see signs of meth mouth, it's not the norm.  I believe some of it was due to poor genetics/nutrition while young, as most do not exhibit the damaged nervous systems/mannerisms of long term drug use.

Carter county is still trying to recover from our flood last year, Shannon County wasn't hit as hard.  Both still have lower populations, and the people who live there are nice friendly folks.

Having just moved from Southern Illinois last year to SE MO...  I don't think you know what flat is.

Think you are aware, but we have income and personal property tax, (cars trucks trailers 4 wheelers).    But as you said you are retiring so income tax may not be as big a deal.    As you said I think it is a wash a lot of the time anyway, our car registration is not much comparted to other states but we pay a few hundred in personal property taxes on a car, but the registration would be that much in other states.    Hope you find a nice place to build.

IL tags were $108/yr for my truck.  MO tag renewal just arrived for the first time.  $41.75/yr, or $83.50 for 2 yrs.