Now I am Scared to move to Michigan (Detroit, Wyandotte: relocation, real estate)

[TigerDan]

Utica is a nice area. It is an area that is really growing. You will be away from the major problems of Detroit (except traffic), but still be close enough to go to the city whenever you wanted to.
I saw some people posting negatives about Detroit. I want to be clear on one thing, comparing whether to live within the city limits of Detroit and living in the suburbs and visiting Detroit are two entirely different things. I would not recommend living within city limits. However, don't get to worried about visiting Detroit - I actually love downtown. Greektown is alot of fun, and who doesn't enjoy a Tigers or Red Wings game?
Depending on the type of setting you are looking for, you can find just about anything you are looking for near Utica. South of there, the suburbs become a little more established, north of there, you will find country living only a few miles away.
For something a little different once you get settled, come check out Port Huron in the summertime. Take a river tour on the Huron Lady. While you're at it check out Lexington on Lake Huron - it's a cool little town in the summer. If you are into boating, check these areas out, as you will find far more water, depth and room to do whatever you want than you will on the inland lakes or even Lake St. Clair.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by diamondgirl45

Everyone has been incredible. It is making my decision easier. My husband had a good job here but found a better one there. This job will give him more time at home with the family. He works in the IT field and therefore he is not worried about his career. In fact he is in high demand...lucky guy.
I have to say I am very impressed with the work ethics at his company. It is much more family oriented than we have had before.
Now all that is left to do is sell our house and move. Luckily houses are selling here...and quickly. That is why I needed to be sure before putting it on the market. I am a graphic artist and as such can also get a visa to work in the states, and better yet from home.
I am impressed by the research I have done on the schools in the area...we would most likely settle in Utica so he is closer to work...did I mention the incredible shopping in the area yet? LOL.
Thanks again everyone for all your advice!!

Even if things get quite bad for many people, they won't be bad for all people. Even in the Great Depression there was only about a 30% unemployment rate -- many people worked through the entire period.

I think everyone has to look at their own situation -- what's right for one person may be completely wrong for another. And you can't act on fear --- it's always good to ask "What would I do if I were not afraid" and then go from there.

[diamondgirl45]

Originally Posted by malamute

And you can't act on fear --- it's always good to ask "What would I do if I were not afraid" and then go from there.

Awesome advise!! Words to live by.

[diamondgirl45]

Originally Posted by TigerDan

Utica is a nice area. It is an area that is really growing. You will be away from the major problems of Detroit (except traffic), but still be close enough to go to the city whenever you wanted to.
I saw some people posting negatives about Detroit. I want to be clear on one thing, comparing whether to live within the city limits of Detroit and living in the suburbs and visiting Detroit are two entirely different things. I would not recommend living within city limits. However, don't get to worried about visiting Detroit - I actually love downtown. Greektown is alot of fun, and who doesn't enjoy a Tigers or Red Wings game?
Depending on the type of setting you are looking for, you can find just about anything you are looking for near Utica. South of there, the suburbs become a little more established, north of there, you will find country living only a few miles away.
For something a little different once you get settled, come check out Port Huron in the summertime. Take a river tour on the Huron Lady. While you're at it check out Lexington on Lake Huron - it's a cool little town in the summer. If you are into boating, check these areas out, as you will find far more water, depth and room to do whatever you want than you will on the inland lakes or even Lake St. Clair.

I really appreciate hearing this. I have not ventured into Detroit on my visits, but would really like to. It is important to know where the safe areas are since I would be taking small children, but it would be a wonderful experience no doubt.

Now a quick story about our first trip to Lake Erie. My husband had only been there a month when we came to visit. He couldn't wait to explore the area and he took us to "Lake Erie". Well, I took lots of photos and posted them on line with the heading "Lake Erie". I thought it was rather small for a great lake...but what did I know since it was my first time seeing one.
Well, it wasn't Lake Erie....it was Lake St Clair. We still laugh over that one.
I have yet to see Lake Erie, lol.
We travelled through Port Huron tho...Oh My Gosh..I have never seen such blue water. It was amazing. The city is beautifu! I can't wait to go back.

[4WD Greg]

And they've all been wrong, every single time. One absolute truth in Michigan is that we are totally dependant upon the auto industry. Whenever the country, or even regions of it start to have an economic "dip" the first thing they stop doing is making large purchases like automobiles. One bit of irony is that General Motors is pretty much financially healthy right now, and it's because they're selling so many vehicles in China, of all places. Ford is working it's way out of management problems that have probably done more to hurt that company financially than the national economy has.
That being said, it's still been said that when the nation gets a cold, Michigan gets the flu. And it's not just the big auto manufacturers who suffer, it's also the local suppliers and other related industries. And when all of them are suffering, the service industries take a hit too, so the perma-recession we always seem to be in hits just about everywhere. There are certain areas that seem to be "recession resistent" if not "recession proof". Ann Arbor comes to mind. The unemployment rate in Washtenaw Co. is always way below the state, and probably even the national average. I'm sure it's because of the university, but there are other areas that don't take the big hits during downturns in the auto induatry.
Oakland County has so many businesses in so many industries that there's always major economic activity there. Of course, their roads are parking lots and everything else is either concrete or asphalt. Detroit nearly died in the 1970's, but it's been on the comback in a big way in the last 15 years or so.
It still has a LONG way to go, but the new developments/re-developments in the downtown area and along the waterfront are so exciting to watch, especially if you were around when Detroit was bottoming out.
The newer younger generation is pumping life in to downtown Detroit in the sense that they are the ones who buy homes and condos in the downtown area. The older generation just seems too prejudiced against the city. You can buy a condo in the currently being remodeled Book-Cadillac Hotel. Of course, you'd better hurry because there's only a couple left, and the place won't open until late this year.

[Bydand]

Would love to see the report you have that shows that the Michigan economy is 75% Automotive. Maybe the SE corner, but not the majority of the State. Facts need references to hold any weight, without links and proof, they are just numbers picked out of thin air and have no meaning.

[TigerDan]

People like Zales love to doom & gloom it for you, but the truth is - it's not that bad. In fact, because housing prices never really boomed in Michigan, they aren't getting hit nearly as badly as in many other states. Most of the East coast and West coast have had much larger percentage drops in housing costs, with Florida and California seeing the worst of it. Additionally, because those places cost much more to begin with, people are taking a beating. Someone here may be mad about buying a $160K house 3 years ago and having it only be worth 150K now. That's a $10K loss, and will bounce back in time. By comparison, the same house in CA costs 5 times as much to begin with (800K) and has taken twice the percentage loss (700K). The person in CA, who is hocked to their eyeballs, just took a 100K bloodbath - much better than the 10K in MI, which will come back more quickly.

Additionally, 7% unemployment means that 93% of people that want to work still have a job. Michigan is actually the BEST place in America to live when you compare average salary (including those that are unemployed) to housing costs.
check out the following:
Most affordable housing markets - Aug. 22, 2006

Or, you can just look at how housing trends are analyzed by Forbes, where Detroit was ranked third the third most affordable metro area when comparing income to housing cost:
"Affordable markets are in a better position for a strong recovery, because more buyers can come in once prices fall," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "In markets that rely more on credit, any recovery will be more muted if lending standards remain tight or tighten."

The bottom line is this:
If you can get a job here, take it and move here - you will NOT find a better place given all of the wonderful things about Michigan and the affordability to boot.

[Bydand]

Rep points for you Tiger Dan! Very good post and echo's what I and many others have been saying all along. Now is the time to come to Michigan if you have a job. For both my wife and I, it means an average wage increase of $12 an hour each ($14 an hour for her, $10 an hour for me). With housing prices that are lower than they are where we are now. Electricity cost is half what we pay, Property tax is about 2/3 what we pay now, State Income tax is less than half what we have now, and the Schools are WAY better. It is a move that there is really no arguments against making, plus it gets us back home where we belong.

[malamute]

Those that can and want to move to Michigan certainly should.

But to defend Zales, when someone is in financial straits, they have no reason to be optimistic -- I've known people who went everywhere for a job, spend a lot of time and money, got to the point where they picked up and left home -- and they have an entirely different perspective than someone who doesn't need to worry about his next meal or how he's going to pay the fuel bill.

For some -- moving to Michigan would be the right decision, for others moving out would be. It all depends on someone's own situation.

[Outdoors_Man]

Also, 5% unemployment is considered full employment in today's time. Frictional and structual unemployment are figured into this, and anything over 5 is cyclical unemployment, and is considered bad. So around 5% is healthy for our economy!