I'll be ready to go home to MI next summer. I just hope there's a job for my husband there. (Detroit: short sale, rental) - Michigan - City-Data Forum

sp1568 · 11-11-2009, 02:41 PM

We moved to NoVA last summer with my husband's job. We never would've moved here (or anywhere) if my husband's job wasn't being relocated, but we came here with a "let's see what happens" attitude.

Well, we know now. Now I want to go home to MI and so do our kids. It's not bad here, but it's really not "all that" either. All things being equal, I'd rather be home. (though the schools here aren't equal. I think the schools my kids attended in MI are better than the highly-touted schools here) We're just too stinkin' far from family and friends. (It's a 9 hour drive and we do okay, but not well enough to hop on a plane at a whim) My husband can't leave his company until next summer (unless we want to pay back some relocation costs), but I'll be ready to go whenever he can. I'm just hoping there's a job there for him. He's going to start looking in the spring.

Just venting a bit. Anyone else here who moved away from MI and wants to go back?

MTUCache · 11-11-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sp1568

Anyone else here who moved away from MI and wants to go back?

Already done that, and probably working on it again.

In 2007 my wife and I chased a job (for me) out to Colorado hoping for the best. Unfortunately it just didn't work out for us. Family concerns were near the top of the list, but there were other factors as well that led us back to Michigan.

Now we're doing it all over again, only this time to a place that's much closer (Chicago). Time will tell if we ever end up going back to MI, but for the time being there's just no option for staying around Detroit.

The only advice I can give, and I can't imagine you don't already know it, is to make sure your husband has a job here waiting for him before you move.

sp1568 · 11-11-2009, 03:26 PM

Oh, he absolutely has to have a job before we move. ABSOLUTELY. There's no question of that. The question is, how long will it take him to find one?

If our move had to been somewhere like to Chicago, I think there would have been a better chance of it working out. It's much closer to MI for visits than the DC suburbs we live in now, we have family in Chicagoland and we still would've had Lake Michigan. If it were just my husband and me, we'd consider at least just getting closer to MI than we are now in addition to Michigan-proper. However, if we're going to put our kids through a big move again, it will be back to Michigan (probably to the same area), not to somewhere new.

Good luck with your move!

Wingnatic · 11-11-2009, 04:01 PM

What kind of work does the hubby do ? Maybe someone could get some leads in here for you .

Chicago would be good too , Lake Michigan and all . Lake Michigan is ours you know or they woulda named it Lake Illinois/Lake Chicago

Good luck to you , we always have room here for a native Michigander

LeavingDetroit · 11-11-2009, 08:13 PM

I've boomeranged back to Michigan 4 times (6 if you count summer jobs while still in school) over the past 20 years. However, as my moniker notes, I'm now in the process of relocating yet again. This time though I am fairly certain we will be gone for good (other than visits to family). The job market is extremally tight, there's a lack of diversity (culturally and business-wise), and a real sense of hopelessness right now.

I will always consider Michigan to be my home state and wish it and the people who remain here the best. However, I would really think hard before bringing your family back here. The D.C. metro area, where we lived for 10 plus years) has so much going for it in terms of opportunity, culture, diversity, education etc. . . I'm curious what community you lived in here in Michigan and where you ended up in VA? I'm wondering if maybe you possibly just chose the wrong place for your family. We lived in DC and later in Montgomery County and loved it.

One quick thought to consider. What is the likelihood that your own children will one day choose to stay in Michigan vs a more dynamic place like DC?

One last comment. A neighbor moved to VA (Charlottesville I think) a couple of years ago but has since returned. They are not even native Michiganders but I think they liked our community very much. Her Hubbie was able to get a job with his old boss who had moved on to another company in metro Detroit. So, one possible avenue to explore is all of your H's former colleagues and business contacts.

I wish you the best of luck either way.

dlh016 · 11-11-2009, 08:48 PM

I understand your situation. We moved to NOVA from the Detroit area because of a lack of automotive jobs. I was unemployed since January and found a great job here in the DC area. We miss our family and friends, but extended unemployment would be worse. There are still very few jobs for mechanical automotive engineers. I wish you well and I sincerely hope you can find employment in MI - family and friends are important.

canudigit · 11-12-2009, 06:17 AM

We relocated to the Phoenix area earlier this year for my husband's job. At first we were all excited, but by the time it was time to go, I would have rather had root canal than go. I was missing my family before we even left! Fortunately for us, the job in AZ ended two months after we got there. His company made it sound like he would end up retiring out there and then they cut his position once we got there. In our case, we were renting a house that was a short sale property and the bank had only verbally accepted our offer. At the time that dh lost his job, we were just waiting on the bank to set a closing date. When he lost his job, since I couldn't find work there, even after applying at at least 25 places, we sure didn't want that closing to happen! Also, we own rental property here in NW Ohio that we were unable to sell, even though we had it on the market for months both before we left and while we were out there. All of those factors made it really easy for us to come home. We got back about a week before our kids started school here in MI, lived with dh's dad for a month until we could buy a house and move in, and now we are settled back here in MI and lovin', lovin', LOVIN' it! I have a job, and dh just got hired for more pay than he was making either here before we left or in AZ. It turned out to be a great thing for us, except for the expense of moving all the way across the country twice within one summer.

Oh, well...c'est la vie. It was worth it because it made me appreciate this wonderful state like I never did before. My daughter and I spent the entire day yesterday in and around Detroit, visiting the DIA, having lunch at The Somerset Collection in Troy (not that we can afford to shop there, but lunch was good, lol!) and just being happy to be back home. : )

Coldjensens · 11-12-2009, 06:48 AM

We moved to California in 1988 and moved back in 2005. My mother just died last week and while I am glad for the four great years we had since 2005 Ireally regret not moving back sooner. Although our kids got to know and love her well as teens, she did not see much of their chilhood. They did not get to share their growing up days with Grandma. Although I do not feel guilty, I do regret not coming back sooner. I hope that your husband finds a secure job here this summer. It is difficult, but there are still jobs out there. Just be careful to find one that is reasonably secure.

detshen · 11-13-2009, 01:45 PM

I lived in CA for 12 years then moved back to metro Detroit about 1 1/2 years ago. I'm happy to be back, Detroit has a lot to offer, people who say otherwise aren't looking very hard. Detroit has theatre, symphony, opera, restaurants, Greektown, Mexicantown, tons of sporting events, and plenty of nightlife in the city and suburbs like Royal Oak and Ferndale. I have my own business and doing great, my fiancee' works in the legal field and had a number of job offers with 6 weeks of moving back. The difficulty involved in finding a job really varies by industry, some companies are hiring people from out of state because they can't find the talent here, and they pay great, but other industries have a flood applicants and no jobs available.

People always ask me why I would move here after living in CA, why not? I like living here. The grass is not always greener. My only big complaint about MI is that people don't seem to feel any pride and don't appreciate what they have here. Mi is a beautiful state, the seasons are wonderful.

Coldjensens · 11-13-2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by detshen

I lived in CA for 12 years then moved back to metro Detroit about 1 1/2 years ago. I'm happy to be back, Detroit has a lot to offer, people who say otherwise aren't looking very hard. Detroit has theatre, symphony, opera, restaurants, Greektown, Mexicantown, tons of sporting events, and plenty of nightlife in the city and suburbs like Royal Oak and Ferndale. I have my own business and doing great, my fiancee' works in the legal field and had a number of job offers with 6 weeks of moving back. The difficulty involved in finding a job really varies by industry, some companies are hiring people from out of state because they can't find the talent here, and they pay great, but other industries have a flood applicants and no jobs available.

People always ask me why I would move here after living in CA, why not? I like living here. The grass is not always greener. My only big complaint about MI is that people don't seem to feel any pride and don't appreciate what they have here. Mi is a beautiful state, the seasons are wonderful.

Speaking literally, the grass is far far greener in Michigan. That is one of the things the we like here.