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...you couldn't pay me enough to pull the lever for a Democrat, we would be bringing a family with strong conservative values to the state!

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Life long Missourian here. What sort of an area are you looking for? Metro, rural? Recreational opportunities? What is important?

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I would like to be reasonably close to a metro area for work in the future, although there are plenty of remote working opportunities in my field, I just need high speed internet. While I'd love to be out in the country on 100 acres, for now since we have kids in school and activities, being closer to the city is important. And while I'd be ok not seeing another human other than my family for a long time, the rest of my family is much more sociable, so I don't want them to feel cut off from the world.

The biggest thing for me is just having more separation from the neighbors. I've spent the last 15 years on a .25 acre lot, and I'm just done with essentially living on top of my neighbors. A 1 acre lot would be absolute minimum, but I'd like to have more like 3-10 acres. That's why I liked the properties I was seeing in Loma Linda, as the majority seemed to be on nice sized lots, but still not too far from Joplin.

As for recreation, there isn't anything really specific we're looking for. I like to do some light fishing, maybe a little camping, shooting, etc... A property where I could get some go-karts for me and my 8 year old to tear around on would be awesome.

Our housing budget is pretty flexible, I could comfortably go up to 400-450k or so, but I've found a few really nice looking places for around 300k which would be ideal. Up here, on a 400k house which isn't nearly as nice as what I'm seeing down there for that price, my taxes would be 6500-10,000 depending on if I was in the town or city. So getting a lot more house, on more land, with significantly lower taxes has a lot of appeal. Even with the personal property taxes, we should come out way ahead it seems.

Look at Clinton Mo.... lots of really nice homes near town, some with acreages. A hospital, wallyworld, restaurants, new car dealers and gun shops. On Highways 13,52 and 7. Straight shot down 13 to Springfield, home of BassPro and a college town( 6 or 7 I believe). Straight north on 13 to Warrensburg another college town and then west on highway 50 to KC in 35 minutes or so.
Lots of fishing and hunting( great waterfowling), a public unmanned shooting range that is maintained very well, and a public ATV area though I don't know if it is operated by the Corps or MDC.
Lots of fairs,festivals,rodeos,car races and tractor pulls nearby. Canoeing on the Sac river about an hour south and loads of recreational opportunities if you want to travel 2-3 hours.
I've lived here my entire life and I've never heard of any tornadoes affecting Clinton though there has been at least 2 that affected the Warsaw area in the last 10 years or so though that is on the other end of the lake.

I am aware of the tornado risk, we get them here but not to the same extent. Many of the properties I've seen mention having storm shelters, so I think we'd be ok there.

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I'm on the Kansas side of the border, about fifteen miles for Joplin, it's where we go to eat, shop, etc...  IM me if you have any questions.    I know it's a shitty thing to say but the tornado bought the town to life. New retail, dining, a new hospital and medical school, new state of the art schools and Mexican restaurant for every day in the month.

Non-tornado related thoughts; great hunting and fishing opportunities, gun owner friendly, handy airport, nice people, university, at the intersection of East-West and North-South highways, no liberal activist bullshit, nice'ish downtown.   Like most places, have a job lined up before you get here though there are good oportunities in Joplin, across the border in Kansas and the North West Arkansas, Bentonville area is BOOMING, Walmart and all.

Skip Eagle Rock.  My dad built his retirement home there.  He had to move health reasons but he still wouldn't have sold within a few years.  He thought he would enjoy the lake life but it is just so remote.  One restaurant within ten miles, only shopping is a liquor store and a Dollar Store, HBO Ozark'ish locals and retiree's.  The view was amazing and it's on the highway which is a real hit compared to some lake development areas but after a few months the seclusion and long drives to shop, eat, doctor, is too much.