When you decide to move, and you can live anywhere, why choose the Ozarks?
2002 I was living in Lodi California. South of Sacramento, about 90 miles inland from San Franciso. This first post is about how I chose the Ozarks, and what I learned.
My first why was freedom, in California it seemed everything was regulated.
I searched in Oregon, too regulated, waaay too regulated. If I opened a business in Oregon I couldn't cut my own grass because I would be taking work from someone else. Washington, too cold, Nevada, meh, Texas, too hot. Then Missouri was suggested, "I think you would really like Southen Missouri, it is beautiful forests." My response "Isn't that where you go to a family reunion to like...find a date?" He chuckled and said, "I think you need to go further South for that." Okay, look at Missouri.
My grandparents had 300 acres in Georgetown California, with lots of forests, Lodi is in the great central valley, trees are in rows of almonds, or peaches, or whatever. I longed for trees, not in rows. Southern Missouri properties looked like Paradise. But the thought of tornados terrified me
What is the weather like in the Ozarks?
A ton of research on the Federal government sites for the number of tornados, straight-line winds, hail damage, decided for me that I wanted to be somewhere between Ava and Mountain Grove. In the years that I have been here, I can now tell you that there are lots of other areas that are just as safe.
South West Missouri is on the plateau, the further West the more susceptible to the more severe weather that comes out of the West. Large hail in Springfield typically means pea-sized hail in Ava if any at all. The same is true of straight line winds causing downed trees. Storms out of the South are usually soakers which cause flash floods all over the hilly areas. There are wet weather creeks everywhere. Wet weather means they become raging fast-moving water after and sometimes during a hard rain. They usually go back down within hours, but they are dangerous to try to cross if they cover the road way. You can gauge how bad it might get by the depth of the creek and how much surrounding bottom ground there is. Bottom ground is rich soil because it is made up of sediment from flooding. The more bottom ground, the worse the flooding potential.
Average rainfall for Southern Missouri is 46", which is why everything is so lush and green. We don't get a lot of snow, typically a dusting to an inch or two, and it is gone in a couple of days.
You want near Level or Mountainous?
Another criterion for me was the character of the land, I didn't want flat ground. The topography changes across Southern Missouri going West to East from level, to a gentle roll, to hilly, to steep ridges, and then back to hilly, a gentle roll and level towards the bootheel. Here in our area the population also follows the topography, the more level the ground, the more people. But it also has to do with the proximity to Springfield for jobs. I have climbed narrow gravel roads to the top of a ridge to find lush green pastures that roll gently across the length of the ridgetop. Big sky on those ridgetops. If you are on one that is a bit higher in elevation you will have stunning views that lay out in front of you for miles.
Are there building regulations in Southern Missouri?
As far as regulation, for the foreseeable future, there are a number of counties here in Southern Missouri where you can build outside of city limits, your home or anything else to your specs, not someone else's. I had a hard time getting that through my head before I arrived, called every government agency I could think of until one sweet lady finally said to me, "Ma'am, if you build it and it stands, that is a good thing. If it falls down, that is your problem, no one cares." California mind blown.
Circumstance kept me from coming to look at property in person, I did all of my search on the internet. In 2002 site unseen I purchased a 68 acre wooded parcel with a small two-bedroom cabin and a few outbuildings for $82,000. Wow! right? Sounds great? That no regulations freedom was about to bite me in the butt. 
When I asked for more pictures the real estate agent was too busy. Said, "Sheila, it is the cutest place, be so easy to fix up!" I arrived to find my "cute little place" was a one-room cabin that had been built onto. The back half was the kitchen and a second bedroom. The floor sloped so badly that I had to use shims to keep the television stand and bookcases from falling over.
I could stand in the kitchen and by shifting my weight from one foot to the other get the back rooms to sway. I discovered that the two back rooms were nothing more than plywood supported on logs. None of this was reported by the real estate agent or the guy who was paid to inspect the property. By late that same year, I had my real estate Broker's license and have educated every buyer to not make the mistakes I did.
That summer while I was standing on the front porch a big black walnut came right through the roof of the porch leaving a fist sized sky light. That was a good laugh. I never did build another house on that land, and I've been told that when someone else did they burned down the old cabin.
No regrets, Missouri is the place for me.
For months after I arrived, I would take my morning coffee outside where I could look over the Ozark countryside from that ridgetop and cry grateful tears that God would put me in such an amazing place.
Since then I have lived in Grovespring, Mountain Grove, Ozark, and back to the Ava area. I rarely think about California, when I do I see it in the rearview mirror and leaving as one of the best decisions I ever made. I do have thoughts about where else I might live next, I love Ozark. I'm thinking Ozark.
Until next week,
Sheila
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