[SweetBeth]

Question: Will we be miserable with a one car garage during winter? We would like to rent first, following the advice of so many. Even the nicest apartments only have a one car garage.

We did find a cute home with all the features we are looking for, however it only has a one car garage. We are planning to see it next Saturday. What do you all think? Your advice is very much appreciated! You all know the weather, we don't.

****Also, this may be a strange question, but can you cover your car at night and then remove the "snowy car cover" to drive to work? Does that exist or is it even realistic?

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by SweetBeth

Question: Will we be miserable with a one car garage during winter? We would like to rent first, following the advice of so many. Even the nicest apartments only have a one car garage.

We did find a cute home with all the features we are looking for, however it only has a one car garage. We are planning to see it next Saturday. What do you all think? Your advice is very much appreciated! You all know the weather, we don't.

****Also, this may be a strange question, but can you cover your car at night and then remove the "snowy car cover" to drive to work? Does that exist or is it even realistic?

Never seen a cover like you are talking about, but don't really see it working well if there is a heavy wet snow. The weight adds up in a hurry and it would be difficult to remove the cover. As for a 1 car garage, it is all a matter of what you are used to I guess. I have never had a garage at any house I have had. That is including the UP. It does get old after a bit, but nothing a couple of minutes extra in the morning can't take care of.

[suydam]

I agree with Bydand. That cover would weigh 100s of pounds with just a few inches of heavy-wet snow on it. I doubt it would work.

I never had a garage for years and years. Buy a nice high-quality snow brush and scraper and you'll be fine. Take the money you would have spent on that snow-cover and buy a remote-starter so you can warm the car up from within the house... that'll make scraping much easier too.

[benisjamin217]

My mom grew up in West Bloomfield, she loved it. I can tell you there's a very large jewish and chaldean community there. It's very diverse. High end shopping, great food. Birmingham is a lot less diverse, but it has a very pretty and sought after downtown area. It's more expensive and older. I don't know much about Novi, Commerce, Milford, or Walled Lake, I left 10 years ago and that was all farmland then. I hope I helped. There's great deals to be had everywhere in the Detroit area. It's a great place to live.

[One Thousand]

Originally Posted by SweetBeth

****Also, this may be a strange question, but can you cover your car at night and then remove the "snowy car cover" to drive to work? Does that exist or is it even realistic?

You could, but there's really no benefit. You'd have to brush the snow off anyway... then deal with folding, bagging and cleaning up the water that results.

Your best bet, if you're that averse, is a car starter with the heat left on the night before. Even when it's real cold out, the snow melts pretty fast.

[Jim_A]

I read the entire thread and had to laugh. I've been here in Austin for less than a year and can relate in a weird way to the anxiety caused by moving from one culture to another.

Let me just say that you have gotten some great information. You'll be fine.

You will survive a one car garage and learn to deal with snow on your car. Remember, your car might only be parked there while you are at home. If you go shopping or to work, you might find an inch of ice coating everything or 6" of snow on it. YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH IT LOL!

I would strongly recommend renting for the first year. You should be able to find 1000 people that will lease option their house to you in a one year contract.

[SweetBeth]

Thank you to everyone for all your advice. (I do have more questions)

We finished our "home hunting" trip this weekend with a lot of success.

I have fallen in love with Novi and all the surrounding areas! We did find a place and we left with the keys. I am so thankful. Now that I have seen the area and all that it has to offer, I feel so good about our relocation. I also must say, I love it!!

If anyone is looking for a relocation realtor, I can definitely recommend ours. She was incredible! Her name is Deborah Ronayne with Keller Williams. If you google that information, you will see her contact information.

I can honestly say I can't wait to move. Michigan is so beautiful and has so much to offer!!!! Also, everyone was super friendly.

[detshen]

Originally Posted by SweetBeth

Thank you to everyone for all your advice. (I do have more questions)

We finished our "home hunting" trip this weekend with a lot of success.

I have fallen in love with Novi and all the surrounding areas! We did find a place and we left with the keys. I am so thankful. Now that I have seen the area and all that it has to offer, I feel so good about our relocation. I also must say, I love it!!

If anyone is looking for a relocation realtor, I can definitely recommend ours. She was incredible! Her name is Deborah Ronayne with Keller Williams. If you google that information, you will see her contact information.

I can honestly say I can't wait to move. Michigan is so beautiful and has so much to offer!!!! Also, everyone was super friendly.

I'm happy to hear you had such a great experience and found a place you like. I grew up in MI then moved away for 12 years and I'm glad to be back, it really is a wonderful place. I wish you all the best in living here.

[PamfromLowell]

You will love Michigan's aquamarine water! But you have to go NORTH for that unique combination of sugar-sand and aqua water that is FRESH water, yet it looks like the caribbean! I was out west last summer and there was this resevoir outside Boise that the locals loved...we were appalled! We couldn't believe they called that a lake. Even the cleaner, more pristine lakes like in McCAll, Idaho were sOOOOO deep that you felt like you were in black water...can't see anything underneath...but upnorth Michigan lakes are just absolutely wonderful.

My absolutely favorite inland lake is Torch Lake...you must see it-just south of Charlevoix and Petoskey..and speaking of those towns, you must visit Charlevoix which is like a picture postcard town that has Lake Michigan to the west, small Round Lake surrounded by a hill covered with victorian homes that then leads to huge Lake Charlevoix...it is a stunning setting and I will miss it so...

Which leads me to tell you that the economy here in Michigan is bad. My husband who is a Master Electrician who owned his own small company doing residential and commercial installations had to fold up and has relocated to Bozeman, Montana where the billionaires are building their ski lodges like crazy. Meanwhile, the girls and I stay behind here in the Grand Rapids area (which is a great little city...very pretty downtown especially the view across the Grand River, from the lawn of the Gerald R. Ford Museum).

We are trying to sell our 9 yr old home on 9.52 acres for practically nothing just to join husband/daddy who has been in Montana since last August! He shows his new friends and co-workers out there our home and property and they just freak out on the low price we are asking...all of this on a paved road with woods surrounding the home! I don't want to leave...actually I want to live in Charlevoix but my husband said that there are thousands of unemployed or underemployed electricians here in Michigan, as is the situation for most in the construction field. I've called a few electrical companies in the Charlevoix area and some said they work mostly 1/2 days because they don't have enough work! The girls and I are taking one last trip up there to say good-bye to Charlevoix and the lake...we love collecting stones on the shores of Lake Michigan....and you realize, of course, that Lake Michigan shoreline is hundreds of miles long so there are lots of opportunities and pretty towns...and you don't have to worry about sharks and stingrays! Ha!

If anyone is reading this and has a good job offer for a Master Electrician in the Petoskey, Charlevoix area PLEASE let me know! And good luck to you SweetBeth...

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by SweetBeth

Thank you to everyone for all your advice. (I do have more questions)

We finished our "home hunting" trip this weekend with a lot of success.

I have fallen in love with Novi and all the surrounding areas! We did find a place and we left with the keys. I am so thankful. Now that I have seen the area and all that it has to offer, I feel so good about our relocation. I also must say, I love it!!

If anyone is looking for a relocation realtor, I can definitely recommend ours. She was incredible! Her name is Deborah Ronayne with Keller Williams. If you google that information, you will see her contact information.

I can honestly say I can't wait to move. Michigan is so beautiful and has so much to offer!!!! Also, everyone was super friendly.

Gotta hit the polar bear exhibit at the Detroit Zoo. That's in Royal Oak, BTW. Not far from y'all either.

Visit Kensington MetroPark inside of 20 miles northwest....right off of I-96.

The Green Lantern has the best pizza pie in your area, hit it.

Ifya like to fish, then you're in a good area.