Originally Posted by Michael1

Well, if he can get a place that looks like yours (see pictures above), maybe it would be pretty good.

I just think anyone that moves to an area should know what they are getting into. It's easy to visit an area, and it looks great. Living there can be an entirely different matter, especially after a few years. It's a huge change going from DC to Michigan. If I HAD to move to Michigan again, I would try to get something outside the city, where you could get some affordable land. That to me is the attraction of Michigan.

SoCal definitely has it problems, too (smog, traffic, expensive housing, high taxes, small lots, a legislature that doesn't know when to quit, etc.), but there is more variety, so you can tailor the negatives a little better to what you especially don't like. I drive further, but have virtually no smog where I live.

Formula1, now listen closely, because this is going to be the deal breaker for Michigan. MICHIGAN HAS A 55 MPH SPEED LIMIT ON ALL INLAND LAKES!

Michael

Originally Posted by Michael1

formula1,

I lived in Michigan for six years. I grew up in California. I decided working for the auto industry was more important than weather, and moved to Ann Arbor to get my Masters degree, and then Troy and Rochester while I worked for GM (just north of Detroit). I'm now back in California.

My recommendation is to think this through. Unless you have some great job lined up that you just can't live without, I don't think you'll be happy.

The winters are so cold, even my Dad was cold when he visited. He's the type of guy that will wear short sleeves, when everyone else has a jacket on. It is a humid cold that goes right through you. It actually hurts to be outside.

They don't get much sun in the winter. A statistic I saw from the National Weather Service showed the Detroit area got less sun than Seattle. A friend of mine who still lives there, emailed me in December, and said they were "entering the dark days". I remember going an entire week without one bit of sunshine. Depressing.

It costs a lot to heat a house in Michigan. So that cuts into the cost of living.

The summers are very humid and hot. You'll sweat like a pig outside. It rains all summer. You can't plan outdoor activities without a weather clause, because it rains all summer.

It costs a lot to air condition the house in Michigan, because of the humidity. More cost of living expense.

The mosquitos will attack you like the birds in Alfred Hitchcock's movie.

You better think about a winter car, because anything nice is completely beat up during the winter. Salt trucks will throw rock salt on it just driving down the street. They rarely plow. They just use salt. You can't keep your car clean during the summer either, because it rains all the time. The bugs will be plastered all over the front. Everyone owns a winter beater. Factor that into your cost of living.

It's too flat for any decent skiing. My first and last ski venture in Michigan consisted of pointing my skis straight down the hill. It was so flat I never needed to turn to slow down.

The terrain is boring. You have the winter snow, with no mountains. All the hiking is boring, because it is so flat.

It's too cold to exercise outside during the winter. Snow starts in about mid-November, and ends in May. That's a long time to be indoors. The people are fat, because they get no exercise. There is nothing to do.

About the only season I liked was Fall - low rainfall, and decent temperatures. Do you want to live in a place with one usable season, though?

Housing is not as cheap as it was when I was there either, so that attraction is gone.

I heard the roads were in excellent condition in the early 70's. I wouldn't know. They weren't when I was there. Add thirty five years and you'll get the idea of the condition.

The great lakes are nice, but they can be VERY rough, so again not usable many times. You don't want to be out there in a thunderstorm either, which is what you get during any months worth boating.

Don't forget the time you'll spend in the basement during the tornado alerts.

There are lots of nice places to live, where the life is easier, and cost of living is still low. I would look elsewhere. Life's hard enough.

Michael

Originally Posted by MitchStellin

You are going to the wrong side. The sand and clean lake are on the west coast of MI. Here in Holland we have a strict social standard and you need to pass a vigorous 10 part test before you can live here. I have the answers and will give them to you if needed.