I have been doing some work back there. The biggest obstacle you will find is housing. There is a major shortage of it. From what I am understanding, it is way cheaper to buy than rent. If you have any specific questions, please feel to pm me, and I will answer them as well as I can. When I am back there, at this point, I have very limited access to a computer, so a reply could take a bit. Good luck if you do head back there.
Well, according to the maps, I am about 411 miles from Williston, ND. I am 11 miles south of the ND/SD border. I agree with wooddustmaker's assessment. Buying is cheaper than renting for many reasons.
While we are about 7 hours away from there, we are able to help in some ways. Feel free to PM for any specifics...
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I have made a few contacts up there, and now have 2 cousins in the area. I still have questions, though- do you or anyone you know homestead in the Williston area? What's ND like for homeschoolers? Is there a demand in the oil field for hotshot & roustabout services, or is there a glut of services like that?
Is it easy to garden there? What sort of plants typically thrive? (I'm in the high desert of NM, with a very short growing season- 80 days if I'm lucky)
Are there a lot of pest bugs? Will fruit trees grow & produce there? Is there a market for goats & sheep? Are there a lot of predatory mammals? (I'm used to coyotes, bobcats, and the occasional bear or lion, but what about wolverines??) I'm looking for info like that... I love to garden & have my livestock- chickens, horses, goats, sheep, etc.
I commute over 900 miles each way when I am working back there. From what I understand, the weather has been a bit different this year than it was last year. It was quite humid I thought, but than again I live in the high desert. There were alot of grasshoppers, and crickets. Way more than at home. I have seen roadkill coyotes, and deer. As far as the rest of it, people seem to have trees growing, so I would assume fruit trees may grow. As far as a market for livestock, they always give a commodities report on the radio. If you were looking to sell to private parties though, I would guess the market wouldn't be very strong. There is a very transient population there. Guys are there to work, make their money, and go back home. As far as the roustabout or hotshot services, there are a lot of them. Wether the market is higher than the demand, or vice versa, I couldn't say. From what I understand though, you can buy a house for way less than you can rent. I will check in here from time to time and see what other questions you may have. If I can answer them, I will try. Good luck.
Are there a lot of pest bugs? Will fruit trees grow & produce there? Is there a market for goats & sheep? Are there a lot of predatory mammals? (I'm used to coyotes, bobcats, and the occasional bear or lion, but what about wolverines??) I'm looking for info like that... I love to garden & have my livestock- chickens, horses, goats, sheep, etc.