Does anyone here live in Tulsa, OK. or nearby?

[TandJ61574]

DH has a possible job in Wagoner, Ok. I think it is 35 SE of Tulsa.

We are from the Chicago area and of course the salaries differ drastically but the housing costs look way lower in Tulsa/Wagoner.

If you don't mind me asking (you can PM if you want)

1.) Can you tell me approx. real estate taxes in the Wagoner area?

2.) Average price of homes? (They seemed very low on the net...3BR -2Ba..approx. 100-150,000!! Could this be right?

3.) Are there many townhomes/apts. in the area? (can't seem to find any on the net)

4.) I noticed that most homes are a lot like homes we saw in southern Colorado with no grass. Is this due to very little rain?

5.) What is the weather like? How are the winters. Very humid summers? Lots of tornados? etc.

6.) Finally, (and once again you can PM if you don't feel comfortable answering here) what is the average income.

I can only find 2000 census reports on income.

DH is applying for Director of Facilities at a Hospital if that helps at all.

Some of the numbers on the salary wizards are showing:

Low= 75,600
Middle= 89,500
High= 104,265

I know that you have to take many factors into account i.e. size of hosp. and number of employees etc. but the site I went on says that I have to pay to get that info.

So if you can help in any way we would really appreciate it!

 

[Micca]

I'm about 4 hours from Tulsa, but I have family in that area. I don't have a lot of answers to your questions, but I can guarantee the cost of living, especially real estate, will be lower than Chicago. Tulsa is a really nice city, and you won't have to deal with the traffic you'd deal with in Chicago. There will be tornadoes, and as far as the grass question- could it be you are looking a new areas where the grass hasn't come in yet?

Good luck, and please let us know what happens with the job and the move.

 

[m&m's mom]

My DS and her DH are both Dr's in Tulsa. They have been there about 6 years. When they moved from Dallas area there was a very big difference in the home they could afford. Generally speaking, you can get a decent house for $125-250,000 and a very nice house for $350,000-400,000.
My DS's house is 5000 square feet, very nice area, large yard (w/ grass), huge granite kitchen, handscraped hardwood floors etc. and it was in the 350-400 range.
The weather is pretty cold but certainly not what you would be used to in Chicago area.
I don't think there are a lot of townhomes/condo types.
Apartments are generally going to be on lower income level (think people who may not be able to afford a house yet).
All I can think of now.
Good luck!

 

[peachgirl]

I live about 20 miles south of Tulsa and approximately an hour away from Wagoner. My grandmother lived on Fort Gibson lake (Wagoner) for as long as I can remember. I spent many summers at her house and the lake up there when I was a kid. If the hospital is in Wagoner, I know exactly where it's at!

2.) Average price of homes? (They seemed very low on the net...3BR -2Ba..approx. 100-150,000!! Could this be right?


Sounds about right, but in Wagoner you'll find the prices lower than you will in Tulsa. Wagoner is a lakeside community and you could easily find very nice lakeview and probably even lakefront homes in that price range. A very nice 3 or 4 br home for well under 200,000 is not hard to find. What a lot of people find surprising is the amount of land most homes have. We don't measure lots in sq footage, we do it by the acre.

3.) Are there many townhomes/apts. in the area? (can't seem to find any on the net)

There are plenty of apartments in Tulsa, not so many townhomes although you can find them. There are very few apartments in Wagoner and I don't know of any I would consider "nice".

4.) I noticed that most homes are a lot like homes we saw in southern Colorado with no grass. Is this due to very little rain?

It's due to the time of year. This part of Oklahoma is known as green country and by spring the grass will be gorgeous and green again. It has been incredibly dry and warm this winter. In fact, it's so warm that we have bulbs coming up and the blooming shrubs are starting to bud out. At any rate, there's plenty of grass....nothing like Colorado or even the panhandle of Oklahoma.

5.) What is the weather like? How are the winters. Very humid summers? Lots of tornados? etc.

In a normal year (and this year is not normal), temps in the summer will get as high as the low 100's probably 10 days out of the summer but we'll be in the 90's from mid June to the end of August and yes, it's humid. Winters are fairly mild, usually snows a couple of times with an average of 4"-6", we've had as much as 14" here, but that was only once in the 20+ years I've lived here. This winter it hasn't snowed enough to even stick on the ground and it has only gotten below freezing at night a few times. Right now it's been in the 60's and 70's, but that's incredibly unusual.

We do have a tornado now and then but the reputation of having tornado's all the time is blown way out of proportion. I've lived through 1 serious tornado but that was many, many years ago and I've never even been close to another one.

From mid April until late May you'll experience a lot of severe weather. We'll have tornado watches and severe thunderstorms but the chance of a tornado actually toucing down near you is minimal. We have the best weather technology for severe weather you'll find anywhere in the country and the weathermen are excellent at forecasting weather. If tornado's scare you, then be sure to include a tornado shelter in your wish list when searching for homes. Most houses have them now.


As far as taxes and average incomes, I'm not that familiar with those details. I know that for a home appraised at $200,000 in my county the property taxes were approx. $700 for the year. I don't know how that rates in comparison to your area.

Here's a link to the Tulsa paper. While you have to have a subscription to view articles and things, you can look at the classifieds and some areas for free. That might give you an idea as to what salaries are like.

http://tulsaworld.com/

Whew! That's a lot of talking.

Good luck in your decision. If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me!

 

[DisneyMomOK]

Hi Jo Ann,

Because housing is so reasonable, most people with a job also own a home. Housing is definitely less expensive; my neighbor just moved here from Ill and he jumped on a home I thought was over-priced, but he seemed elated with his purchase. Summers are hot and humid, but winters are typically only about two months long (this winter we have had unusually warm weather with lots of days this Dec and Jan in the 60's and 70's). Very few days are below 25, even during cold winters. Wagoner is an old town (for Oklahoma), but is becoming a bedroom community for Tulsa. In the midst of this area are several lakes, with lots of water-related sports activities. This area of Oklahoma is called "Green Country" and the lack of lawn must be because the construction is new.

Good luck.

Sharon

 

[TandJ61574]

Thanks so much everyone!

Can anyone answer the salary question?

 

[TandJ61574]

No One???

 

[goofeyken]

hello tulsa here not too familiar with Wagner, last time I was there about 10yrs ago I remember it being very rural. Cost of living should be very low. No clue about taxes or average income but im sure its real cheap compared to what you are used to.