Moving from Ohio to Oklahoma

[Nazirite]

The powers that be are moving me from Reynoldsburg, Ohio to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The office is located in downtown Oklahoma City. To keep this gun related how are the laws in OK, and where are some good places to live? I plan on buying a house when I get there. I will probably be moving there sometime in the next two months.

They did offer me New York but I said no way.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I haven't lived in Ohio for a long time, and I don't know what it was like in your area. IIRC, in some counties in Ohio you had to register your handguns. That was one reason I didn't move to Toledo.

Anyway, no registration in Ok. No waiting period for handgun purchases. They do the background check, though.

No "only one handgun a month" thing.

You can have anything you want, including class 3, IIRC. (I've only been here a few months, myself.)

Great gun shows. The last one I attended (Tulsa), it was so big I couldn't finish it.

But they love tolls, here. It's the tollway of America.

 

[Firehand]

P&R pretty much covered it. With the exception of a few idiot-class legislators we've got a pretty good firearms owners situation here.

As to living, depends on how far you want to travel. There are lots of different neighborhoods in OKC itself, and if you don't mind driving a bit there are some smaller cities/towns nearby. And if you want, can buy a nice piece of land and a house a few miles outside the city limits.

 

[Sonny74]

I live in the city of Yukon, about 15 mile west of downtown OKC. Very peacefull place and there are 2 gun ranges within 10 miles of Yukon .

Check out the message board on Oklahoma Shooter site. There lots of nice people that will give you lots more infos on Oklahoma.

 

[Firehand]

And if you can, you've GOT to hit the Tulsa Arms Show in October. As the guy said, it's bloody HUGE!

 

[Leanwolf]

Nothing to do with guns, but having moved a couple of times, I strongly suggest that you DO NOT buy a house on arriving in Oklahoma!!!!!

In my very strong opinion, you should either lease a house for a few months, or rent, and give yourself and your family the opportunity to "look around." Have a Real Estate person show you LOTS of houses in LOTS of different areas!!!

It is not at all unusual for a person to move to a new location, know very little about the real estate market, housing, especially locations and neighborhoods in that city (or outside it), buy a house immediately and in a short time ...... REGRETS! BIG TIME REGRETS!!

So, even though you'll pay out some money for rental/lease, overall, you very well may gain more by feeling out the location without rushing into something.

Just my opinion, but I know people who've entered "disaster" just because they didn't want to spend some $$$ for a rental/lease. They actually wasted more money by having to sell the first house and buy another one more suitable and likable in a different neighborhood.

Good luck.

L.W.

 

[Nazirite]

Thanks for all the comments, I was hoping to get out there sometime in mid June to look around. They’ re not going to rush me out there so I can take my time and fortunately it’s just me, no wife, kids or pets. There are some benefits to being single.

 

[Henry Bowman]

We'll miss you here in the Buckeye State.

 

[aguyindallas]

So nice to see another person moving closer to the free world. Good luck in your venture, and I also agree....dont jump in head first into a house. Rent, and spend some of your free time cruising neighborhoods to see what they are like. After you have personally narrowed it to a short list, THEN get a realtor to do some work for you in the areas you seem to like the most.

 

[bg]

You can contact John Burtt through this site and ask
him how he likes Ok. He just moved there a couple yrs
ago from here in So Cal. I'm sure you'll be interested
in his reply. He's a real nice guy and just got elected the
the NRA board..Oh if you have some time visit the
FCI site. Very informitive as well..

If you do decide to contact him, please say Bob from
SoCal says hello.

http://www.fiftycal.org/events.php
http://www.fiftycal.org/aboutjburtt.php

 

[gopguy]

Nazirite, I hope you got permission to move.....Ohio gun owners are all needed for voting out the anti gun rascals. Sadly we have plenty of anti gun rascals here in the land of Buckeyes . At least vote here in November so we can get Ken Blackwell in to replace that much despised RINO Bob Taft .

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I plan on buying a house when I get there.

I recommend you do what I did, viz., go ahead and make contact with a reputable real estate company right now. Stick with the better names. IIRC, Coldwell Banker, ERA, Keller Williams. I can't recommend any of these specifically, but you should avoid the smaller mom and pop companies, I think. At least here in OK.

Find a good associate. (They're not allowed to call themselves "agents" out here.) Don't commit to a contract yet. Just tell the associate what you're interested in. Be flexible.

The associate, if they're any good, will do research for you and email pics and specs. And should do all that without any kind of contractural commitment. Not signing a contract until you see some results will allow you to find another associate should yours not seem motivated.

You also might want to keep in mind that if you sign a contract with an associate, that person becomes your "single party broker." That means your associate will advise you, negotiate on your behalf, and, if you get a good one, will be your Doberman.

However, if you are interested in a house that is listed with your associate's company, then your associate can no longer advise you nor be your Doberman. If your associate works for the same company where the prospective house is listed, then said associate becomes merely a "transaction broker." Mostly an errand boy. And often this transition from "single party broker" to "transaction broker" will take place without your knowledge or consent.

This can be significant. I recently talked to a lady who was trying to buy a house and her salesperson wasn't very helpful. The lady was confused. But what happens, sometimes, is that a customer is trying to buy a house in the above scenario and doesn't realize their relationship with the salesman has changed.

Anyway, it'll all be in the literature they give you. Just be very careful to read it all.

Oh, BTW, you can save around 20% to 25% if you buy a house that's already built as opposed to having one built. Right now, it's pretty much a buyer's market.

Best of luck.

 

[Quo Vadis]

OOOOOOklahoma - where the wind....

The powers that be are moving me from Reynoldsburg, Ohio to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

List of Rules* The following list of rules applies to each person as they enter Oklahoma:

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Let's get this straight; it's called a "gravel road." I drive a pickup truck because I need to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.
3. There are pigs, cattle & oil wells. That's what they smell like to you. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-40 goes east and west, I-35 goes north and south. Pick one.
4. So you have an $80,000 dollar car. We're impressed. We have quarter-million dollar air conditioned tractors. We drive them 3 weeks a year.
5. So every person in every pickup waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.
6. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of doves is coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You had better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.
7. Yeah, we eat catfish & calf-fries. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.
8. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.
9. We open doors for women. That is applied to everyone, regardless of age .
10. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Order steak. Or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham & turkey.
11. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and Pace Picante Sauce.
12. You bring "coke" into my house, it better be brown, wet, served over ice. You bring "Mary Jane" into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.
13. High School Football is as important here as the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.
14. Yeah, we have golf courses. Don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.
15. Colleges? Try O.U. or O.S.U. (By the way yankees, OSU does not mean Ohio State ). They come outta there with an education, a love for God, country, and they still wave at passing pickups when they come home for the holidays.
16. We send more folks to the Navy, Army, Marines, & Air Force than any other state. " Don't Mess with Oklahoma." If you do, it will get your butt kicked by the best.
17. When folks in Oklahoma talk about having a PhD they're talking about their Post Hole Digger.
18. Always remember what our great governor E.W. Marland once said: "Oklahoma can make it without the United States, but the United States can't make it without Oklahoma."
GOD BLESS OKLAHOMA!!!!!
Sooner State Valkyrie Riders
http://www.okvalks.com/

 

[Flyboy]

I moved down here from Dayton a few years ago. I second the recommendation that you get the lay of the land before you make a final decision; there are a bunch of neat places to live. I like Norman, but there are several on the northwest side of OKC that are nice, too.

PM me for a referral to a real estate "associate," and a tour of the OKC Gun Club--nicest range in town.

 

[Nazirite]

Thanks for all the additional info. I’m originally from Tennessee, moved to Ohio back in October 2002. The folks I work for like mobility. The scary thing about this move is the next time I move it will be to the Washington D.C. area.

I wish I could get out to OK and visit next week but I’m going to be very busy for the next several days with work. Oh, I actually own a truck but I’m planning on selling it before I move, it’s gets horrendous gas mileage and I could use the extra money.

 

[hillbilly]

I've made a few trips to OKC this spring and summer.

I like Bricktown.

My wife and I like Zio's Italian restaurant in Bricktown, and yesterday, we ate at Chelino's, where they very best tortillas and sopapilla's in the world are located....handmade fresh every day with love.

We've even visited the botanical gardens just a bit further downtown from Bricktown.

We could both see ourselves eventually living there someday.

Oh yeah, a Bass Pro is located right down there near Bricktown, too.

Inside that Bass Pro they've got a display of an entire taxidermied herd of bison chased by a pack of wolves.........That's right, a whole herd of bison chased by a pack of wolves....as a retail display.

Wow.

I like what I've seen of OKC so far.

hillbilly

 

[bratch]

Working downtown really gives you options. You can live in just about any of the surrounding suburbs; Moore, MidWest City, Yukon, Edmond, etc.

House prices are very reasonable I just bought a house for $63/sq ft around $70-75 is about the norm for a nice older home. A buddy bought a brand new house in a gated community for a little under $100/sq ft.

 

[spooney]

It's too hot here for my tastes but the gun ownership situation is pretty fair. Concealed carry requires a training course, fingerprinting and a background check.

 

[abdrdude]

Hi Nazirite. Welcome to Oklahoma. I've lived in Okla all of my life except for the time I spent in the military. I have been in the OKC area the past 21 years and work at Tinker AFB as a civilian aircraft mechanic.

I can't help you much on housing, as I live in an apartment, but our housing probably cost on average less than most other states. The suburbs should cost a little less than OKC. Get out further to say some nearby town like Shawnee and you could save more if you don't mind comuting 30 minutes. Gas prices are $2.55 per gallon where I get mine. Roads are kind of tricky, but not as bad as some cities. People here are very friendly.

Our weather goes from real hot to real cold with lots of wind. We are the tornado capitol. Moore,Okla is the worst. They had that May 3 1999 F-5 twister with 318 MPH winds. We DO have one of the worlds best forecast systems, so we usually get plenty of warning time to duck into the shelters before they hit.

As far as gun laws go, welcome to the free world. Our governor just signed into law the new "stand your ground" self-defense law. Here in Okla, you are almost expected to own several firearms. CCW's are easy to get as long as you are not a felon and pay the fees. There is no waiting times to purchase guns nor are there any limits on how many you can get.

Personally, I do most all of my gun business at H&H Gun Range/Store (I'm also a member of the range. Indoor), Outdoor America and Brigadoon Military Surplus.

There is also great hunting and fishing here too. Lots of lakes, mostly on the eastern side of the state.

Again, welcome to Oklahoma.

Scott

 

[Zen21Tao]

Oklahoma has a Brady Campain report card rating of D-.

Rating based on the following:

- Juvenile Possession Law A- YES, must be 18 all firearms
- Juvenile Sale/Transfer Law A- YES, must be 18 all firearms
- Child Access Prevention Law F NONE
- Gun Safety Locks and Safer Design Standards F NO
- Allow Cities To Regulate Guns (Non-Preempt) F NO
- Secondary "Private" Sales Background Checks F NO
- Carrying Concealed Weapons Law D- No police discretion, training required, reciprocity

Extra Credit Demerits
No Extra Credit Awarded
- First state in nation to pass a law to force businesses to allow guns in the workplace via cars in company parking lots.

Any state the Brady folks don't like is fine by me.

 

[gopguy]

If they move you to the DC area try to find a place in Virginia. I lived in Greenbelt Maryland back in the 80s when MD was just starting to ban certain types of handguns they dubbed Saturday Night Specials. They had not yet passed their assault weapons bill at that point. Maryland is very unfriendly to gun owners today. Virginia has their silly one gun a month law, but they have CCW, with reciprocity with other states, like Ohio. They also still allow private ownership of guns deemed assault weapons by Maryland. Washington DC is of course a no handgun zone and has been since 1976....one of the reasons crime is out of control there. Best of luck in your travels.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I suggest you also find a good shrink. You will need help in handling all your new found freedoms. It will be such a shock after living in Ohio To realize you really have rights and their is a REAL America out their. You won't miss OHIO and you will love OK. I have spent a lot of time in area. Great people . I escaped OHIO years ago Helped rest of my family and even my present wife to escape also.

 

[olyeller]

you are going to be one happy man with a happy family.
Ive been in state for 4.5 years, and after coming from cook county, IlL, I feel like Neo from the matrix after he got unplugged.

 

[another okie]

I live in the northeast corner of the state, a long way from OKC, but I have shot IPSC at the OKC gun club, which is actually in Arcadia, east of Edmond, which is an upscale suburb of OKC on the north side. The reason I'm posting is to say that you could probably find a house in the Arcadia area and be near the gun club, which is an excellent club, with shotgun sports, action pistol, cowboy action, etc.

 

[Nazirite]

Thanks for all the further comments

How are the taxes out there? I’ve spent some time looking at houses on realtor.com and Moore seems to have a lot of new builds. Might be because of that F-5 that went through a few years ago.

The CCW laws sound great, I’ve been holding off on getting one here in Ohio. The vehicle carry restriction is completely ridiculous and I can’t carry where I work. Oh and how’s the traffic, I’ll need get to work just before seven in the morning.