[geenah03]

Thank you mom2jacksamnhenry & magellan I truly do appreciate both your inputs and will look into both of those schools. As you know, having children with special needs & education is our number 1 priority. If you can think of anymore info to give me; whether it be in schools, areas, etc... I am open to any of it... Thanks again! Truly appreciate it!

[geenah03]

just out of curiosity, can you elaborate on EGR and how they are really not open to new people moving in? is this a personal opinion or an experience? just wondering... would like to avoid "unfriendly" places if we can. just looking for a normal surrounding with friendly neighbors whom we can become friends with (hopefully).

[geenah03]

I was also wondering what homes are priced in Ada and EGR these days... also are there any rental communities available?

[HighlandsGal]

Northview Public Schools also have great special education programs. They house the Kent Intermediate School District program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing if that matters to you.

I always thought East was "stuck up" -- UNTIL I actually lived there. Our neighbors were great (okay, couple snobby moms up the block) and I would not hesitate to move back there.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by geenah03

I was also wondering what homes are priced in Ada and EGR these days... also are there any rental communities available?

Those are pretty broad questions. Neither of those communities has a great deal of rentals, but you can find some. Prices are all over the board. Just go here and punch in the school system you want (Ada is Forest Hills Schools - 49301 zip code, and EGR is East Grand Rapids Schools):

http://public.grar.com/public/pubsrch.mac/start

I would have to disagree on the EGR comments. I think it gives off the impression that it is "closed off" and "snobby", but I don't think it is that way at all. It has a wide variety of housing prices, styles and sizes (maybe the most diverse housing stock in the area). You can find 800 sf bungalows, and 10,000 sf lakefront historic homes all within a block of each other. If you like older neighborhoods on a grid pattern with lots of sidewalks and people walking and running everywhere (as opposed to wide boulevards, strip malls and cul-de-sacs), EGR is the way to go IMO.

[TaxBait]

To clarify a bit on income taxes, it depends heavily on your situation. Unlike CA, MI bases your income from federal AGI, not on the federal taxable. There are only personal exemptions ($3100/person + 600 extra for children) - no federal style itemized or standard deductions. There are some adjustments for seniors and a deduction for educational savings accounts, but no mortgage interest, charitable contributions, medical expenses, etc. A low income person could pay substantially more in MI than CA. If you have major medical bills and have to empty your retirement its tough luck in MI. You pay taxes on it. Likewise, if you count on big deductions for mortgage interest, forget it. The primary groups who would benefit under MI rules are pensioners (not taxable) and high incomes with limited itemized deductions.

On property taxes, I've found many local assessors are loathe to accept the reality of falling home prices. You cannot automatically assume they will set your assessment at the selling price. To quote one of the board members from my most recent appeal, "Just because someone's willing to sell it for that doesn't mean that's all its worth." My barber paid $80,000 less than the assessment and they refused to lower his. These were both normal transactions listed with Realtors and on the market for many months. Rates vary quite a bit by location but figure on at least 1.5% of selling price to be safe. Never go by the current taxes in the real estate listing. You will most likely pay more, and in many cases, substantially more.

[geenah03]

You are all so resourceful... thanks again for the info and clarity.

[Timeless_36]

Originally Posted by geenah03

Thank you all very much for your responses... I know it's hard to get the actual way of life in MI because the best thing to do is to see it for yourself. Everyone says that MI is family oriented and that's nice to hear. If you're from the GR area or close to it's proximity, can you tell me what the city is like? What surrounding areas are best to live in? How about the schools? Thanks!

Hi...I'm 20 minutes from GR ... at Gun Lake (GL). We have lived here for the last 10 years. All the schools from here are about 10 minutes away ... (15 if weather is kind of bad) in Wayland.

As for the special needs school, not to get personal, but what kind of special needs? I'm asking because if I know what kind of special needs, I could call my kids' schools and see if they know of any around here. In my kids' schools, those who have learning problems (reading, math, etc. get tested, then they are put in special classes to advance their abilities.)

The schools here are all broke up. I love that the kids are always with their own age group and the younger kids don't interact with the older kids much. So far we have really enjoyed all the teachers they have had. The schools consist of :
Kindergarten - 2nd Grades (Elementary)
3rd - 4th Grades (Elementary)
5th - 6th Grades (Elementary)
7th - 8th Grades (Middle School)
9th - 12th Grades (High School)

More information:
http://web.wayland.k12.mi.us/wus/

The GL area is very nice...out-doorsy, family oriented. In the summer we get tourism from Chicago and surrounding places, but other than that it's very nice. The regulars here friendly people. A small town with just about everything you need. And if you can't find what you need here, like I said GR is 20 minutes away, Kalamazoo is about 30 minutes away and Plainwell is about 20 minutes away, so your never too far for for back to school shopping, or whatever other shopping you need.

GL is doing alot of build up...new homes selling left and right here. There is a housing plot behind us, and they filled in very quickly. Other housing plots are being built as we speak. They are very affordable as well. There will be a Casino being built in Yankee Springs (20 minutes away, past all the rolling hills), so there will be some new jobs coming up in the area as well.

It is one of the safest places to live. Everyone watches out for eachother, but they aren't right up in your business all the time. Overall, GL is small, but what a great place to live and raise your children!

I don't know how you feel about storms, but I'm chicken of them My husband is a Journeyman Lineman, so during the storms me and my kids are alone. What is super nice for us living on/by the lake, when we get storms, usually we don't get 1/2 of the storm that the surrounding areas get. Most of it just kind of goes around us, so that is a big added bonus for me and people like me who don't like storm related weather!

Here is more information on the area if your interested (I know its for vacationers, but has good info) :

http://www.michiganvacations.com/regions/Gun-Lake-Michigan.html

[HotSauce]

Originally Posted by geenah03

I was also wondering what homes are priced in Ada and EGR these days... also are there any rental communities available?

Hi geenah03. If you are looking for an apartment and want to get into the Forest Hills School District, the north-east corner of Kentwood is the place. Here's the school district map: http://www.fhps.us/DistrictMap-3.swf That would be the lower left corner of the blue area (i.e., lower left corner of the Forest Hills Northern area).

Forest Hills Public Schools | Grand Rapids, Michigan

From Wikipedia

• Grand Rapids Magazine ranks Forest Hills Public Schools #1.
• In 2003, Forest Hills Central High School was named one of the best high schools in the nation according to Newsweek, ranking #726 out of the top 1,000. Forest Hills Northern High School was also ranked, at #937. There are over 27,000 high schools in the United States, putting both Central High School and Northern High School among the top 4%.

[geenah03]

Thank you I will look into it.