Cadillac, Michigan (Traverse City, Greenville, Manistee: relocating, houses, income)

[east_tennessee_family]

We are considering relocating to Cadillac, Michigan. Any one know the area? Schools, taxes, crime rate, average pay scale with Bachelors Degree in Science, Home prices, general attitude or your impression of the town? All info is WELCOME. Thanks ahead of time

[east_tennessee_family]

Is there ANYONE at all out there that can answer this question?

[suydam]

I have family in East Tennessee.
Depending on where you are, Cadillac will feel very flat and boring geographically.
Schools are good enough.
Taxes in Michigan are likely higher (we have income tax, for example).
Cadillac is nice though....look toward the lakeshore too (Manistee) to see if you like that town better. It's commutable and would give you access to Lake MIchigan.

[TomsBrady]

Beware of Cadillac if you are afraid of diseases.

Cadillac is one of the top 3 "HOT SPOTS" of Lou Gehrig's Disease.

I believe it's 100 times more than the average cases.

Scary

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by TomsBrady

Beware of Cadillac if you are afraid of diseases.

Cadillac is one of the top 3 "HOT SPOTS" of Lou Gehrig's Disease.

I believe it's 100 times more than the average cases.

Scary

In a study done that included 20 cases in Cadillac and surrounding area. No other city in Michigan was studied and even the researcher himself said

Disease rates in Greenville, Cadillac puzzle scientists

This paucity of information has sometimes led ALS patients in a community to conclude that the rate is far above average in their community, when there is no way of telling whether this is true, said McGee.

"When someone with a rare disease meets someone else in the community with the same disease, the immediate assumption is that the area where they live in is a risk factor for the disease," McGee said.

"The problem is there is no basis of comparison," McGee said. "We don't know what the incidence in any other community is. There's no data out there."

There are many other factors that need to be examined as well before experts can safely conclude that an area has a far-higher-than-average rate of ALS, such as the respective lengths of time patients have lived there, said McGee.

If the person who leads the study says that there is no way to know if this really is a hot spot or not with out more information, I think it is irresponsible on anybodies part to make that conclusion. We do not have near the data he would have and we sure don't have the training and experience either.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Bydand

In a study done that included 20 cases in Cadillac and surrounding area. No other city in Michigan was studied and even the researcher himself said

If the person who leads the study says that there is no way to know if this really is a hot spot or not with out more information, I think it is irresponsible on anybodies part to make that conclusion. We do not have near the data he would have and we sure don't have the training and experience either.

Thank you Bydand. Plus, having a family member who has ALS, I can say there is nothing to show that ALS is contracted by any external agents, so it doesn't matter where you live and whether you will contract ALS or not.

Anyway, Cadillac is nice enough. It's really small, but it at least has a new Meijer superstore. If you need to shop for clothes other than at Wal-Mart, you'll have to drive to Traverse City, which is about 45 minutes North. There are a lot of lakes and outdoor activities in that area. Despite the fact that we drive past Cadillac at least a 1/2 dozen times a year in the Summer, now that the 131 bypass has been put in, we haven't been actually "in" Cadillac for a couple of years.

[snoshoewalkr]

We've lived in the Cadillac area for 18 years. Raised 3 children here. Previous posters have a pretty good assessment of the town, except for the ALS thing. If you like a small town feel, Cadillac and several other nearby towns would be good choices. Cadillac is conveniently located along US 131, a north-south route. Baker College of Cadillac offers several 4 yr and many 2year degrees, yet still is a nice small college. It might be a resource for your B.S. degree questions. There are several "cultural" choices, ranging from a community chorus to theatre productions to farmer's market. There are many homes for sale right now, all price ranges. Jobs are a bit hard to come by, but if you have a job lined up, it's a great place to live. (I do not personaly know anyone who is without a job). Crime relatively low. Yes, you will experience snow, but it is rare that things come to screeching halt when snow happens. You do get used to driving in it. The web address for the local paper is:

Cadillac News
Good luck with your decision!

[TaxBait]

I wouldn't assume your BS will get you much unless you have considerable manufacturing, quality, or environmental background. My BS is in Physics and I've got 12 years in aerospace engineering. I've been looking for something in the Traverse City area for 5 years. Cadillac is even more limited. Most tech related jobs are with small auto suppliers and they are usually looking for a very specific skill set. Cadillac has 4 Winns boat but that's as big as it gets up here. I met a young 4 Winns engineer here in TC and he wasn't making much. I think $40K/yr is optimistic in this area. I'd be happy to find something for $30K.
You can find probably find acceptable houses below 100K but expect to pay up to $200K for something nice and of decent quality. This may not be the best site since it's the Traverse Area Multiple Listing but it does show 209 homes in the city of Cadillac.TAAR // Listings Search 2.0

[magellan]

Originally Posted by TaxBait

I wouldn't assume your BS will get you much unless you have considerable manufacturing, quality, or environmental background. My BS is in Physics and I've got 12 years in aerospace engineering. I've been looking for something in the Traverse City area for 5 years. Cadillac is even more limited. Most tech related jobs are with small auto suppliers and they are usually looking for a very specific skill set. Cadillac has 4 Winns boat but that's as big as it gets up here. I met a young 4 Winns engineer here in TC and he wasn't making much. I think $40K/yr is optimistic in this area. I'd be happy to find something for $30K.
You can find probably find acceptable houses below 100K but expect to pay up to $200K for something nice and of decent quality. This may not be the best site since it's the Traverse Area Multiple Listing but it does show 209 homes in the city of Cadillac.TAAR // Listings Search 2.0

TaxBait,

Have you tried GR? GE Aviation (was Smiths) and Borisch Mfg are both hiring. Check it out.

GE - Smiths Aviation

MLive.com: Borisch to expand, add 150 jobs

Borisch went from $36 Million in 2005 to expected sales of $88 Million in 2008. They may not have anything on their websites right now, but I know GE (Smiths) is always looking for engineers, and Borisch's expansion might mean some opportunities.

You might also try L-3 Communications (Avionics):

L-3 Avionics Systems

[scottmi]

Bachelor's in Science?

If it's medical, I'm sure you can get a job at Mercy Hospital (which is owned by Munson in Traverse City I believe). Medical jobs up here are probably the best paying degree-requiring jobs in general and if you were, say, a nurse, expect a starting range in AT LEAST the 30k-40k range, with benefits.

However, if you aren't really set up for doing medical work, all I can say is GET A JOB FIRST before you come here because it might take you a year or two to get a decent paying job (and by decent, I mean 30k+ annually, WITH benefits). Just be safe, and cover your bases...that's all I'm saying.