Moving from Sacramento.. Need opinions on Suburbs of Southfield (Farmington Hills: relocating, property taxes)

[Abby2007]

My husband and I will be relocating from Sac, CA in summer/fall 2008 for his job in Southfield. He will be commuting back and forth until we relocate permanently. I would really appreciate some feedback on some of the areas we are thinking about moving to..

We love the Brighton area, but are concerned about the commute to Southfield.

We are thinking Northville, Plymouth, or Novi.

We are late 40's and our kids are now grown. We would like a well built home for upkeep and utility reasons, and with some wooded foliage for privacy. We are concerned about the market of course and buying, but nothing can be worse than CA for major loss!

Can anyone give me some insight on these areas for the housing market, growth, and general ameneties? I will be traveling there in Feb (I heard the worst month..)

Thanks!

[dmetro]

Originally Posted by Abby2007

My husband and I will be relocating from Sac, CA in summer/fall 2008 for his job in Southfield. He will be commuting back and forth until we relocate permanently. I would really appreciate some feedback on some of the areas we are thinking about moving to..

We love the Brighton area, but are concerned about the commute to Southfield.

We are thinking Northville, Plymouth, or Novi.

We are late 40's and our kids are now grown. We would like a well built home for upkeep and utility reasons, and with some wooded foliage for privacy. We are concerned about the market of course and buying, but nothing can be worse than CA for major loss!

Can anyone give me some insight on these areas for the housing market, growth, and general ameneties? I will be traveling there in Feb (I heard the worst month..)

Thanks!

Well, Southfield and the general area around it are more "urban." They're safe and beautiful, but the houses are closer together, which doesn't sound like something you want. The commute from Brighton wouldn't be too bad, and that's a beautiful area. Northville, Plymouth and Novi are also very nice as well. Also check out the North Oakland County area: Lake Orion, Oxford, Waterford, Rochester, Oakland Township, etc. My friend is a realtor, and he said that he thinks that the market is pretty much bottoming out. It can't get any worse, so now would be the time to buy when prices were low. It may take 2-4 years, but the market and economy will recover, so your home is a good long term investment. Hope I could help, and welcome to Michigan.

[stigay]

I'd recommend Farmington Hills, and West Bloomfield. They're closer to Southfield but have a much better reputation. Also, I think property taxes are very high in Southfield. However, this depends on your budget, too - Northville and Novi will find more affordable home prices.

[Coldjensens]

Look though the various threads on this site. There is a lot of discussion of various areas on other threads. Rent First!. You need to get to know the different places. The is a huge difference from place to place (except the bland suburbs that are pretty much the same). I think that Franklin Village is pretty close to Southfield.

[Coldjensens]

Oh based on your desire list. look at the houses in Milford right behind Kensington metro park. Bring your kayak and x-c skis.