[TiggerDog]

Anyone considering getting out of large urban areas and moving to the country? Any good places to consider with acreage for a single woman in her late 30s to start a small homestead?

I live in the Detroit metro region and between the covid, the lockdowns, the riots and the movement to eliminate police departments. Rural Life is starting to have an appeal. My parents already live in rural northern Michigan. Thinking I should follow and buy some property with acreage. Good chance my full time job could be permanetly wfh or majority work from home (wfh).

[Coldjensens]

Rural acreage is a lot of work to maintain. Also large acreage will attract hunters. Sometimes they miss the deer and hit your house. Sometimes they hit the deer and dress it right there on your property and leave the remains for you to bury. Coyotes or other animals will kill your pets if they are allowed outside. Mosquitoes come in great clouds that darken the air. You are much more susceptible to ticks/Lymes disease. If you are alone and have a health crises, there is no one around to help. You just die. Some people have problems with the frogs, turtles rickets and other wild things at night. Even with your windows closed, you may be surprised how loud it can get. You will need to buy and learn to use safely many new tools. Chainsaw, tractor, possibly a brush hog, rotor tiller, very large snow blower or plow, trailer sprayer, etc. Depending on how rural you go, you may not have cellphone service, cable TV internet. You power may go out with some frequency. You may have to have a propane tank in your yard, or ahve heating oil trucked in, septic tanks pumped out, well maintenance, water softener re-fill and upkeep (and replacement eventually). It can be difficult to get anyoen to come fix something or they may charge a premium for the drive. You may have to haul your trash to the dump yourself. Emergency services are likely to arrive too late to help you (learn to put out fires yourself).



Not saying your should not do it, but you should be aware there are added risks and problems. It is not nirvana. It is especially risky if you live alone.

[DTWflyer]

I mean we all think the "grass is always greener" but I would really consider the pros and cons before making such a big decision.

The reasons you say for wanting to flee Metro Detroit aren't really good reasons in the sense that they are pretty brief duration events. The whole country had to deal with covid & lockdowns. Northern Michigan had the same restrictions, grocery store stock-outs, everything closed. People were scared up there too.

We didn't have riots in Detroit. Yes we had protesters but that didn't really impact anyone negatively and everything has been mostly peaceful. No one eliminating police departments. Again, you really need to think why do you want to go move to a rural area and just homestead?

Now, if you want the lifestyle than my all means and again know the good and bad aspects of it.
I would also caution about the job situation. Is your remote/WFH job rock-solid? Or is it at risk of elimination? What if you need to find another job, options in rural areas can be far more limited. Just something to consider.

There are tons of areas out state that have land and acreage available. You'll need to be more specific on what region, and towns you might want to be near, you want/mind being in lake effect snowbelt areas, lake/woods/farm, etc. Dp you want to be near any towns with amenities and the ability to meet others, or are you just a home body? Do mind being near some of the more touristy areas along near Lake Michigan, or want to be on the quieter east side of the state?

A lot to consider.

[Nattering Heights]

As the cost of electricity rises, the loss of electricity as waste heat over many miles of steel wire will reduce the range. If you want to continue working by internet, you need to be close to an urban center. Expect more blackouts in rural locations, until the last blackout becomes permanent.

[DTWflyer]

I know a guy who did something similar and left Metro Detroit suburbs, lives in rural Jackson County.

He has about 40 acres with a gentlemen's farm and like said above it is a lot of work.
Its a lifestyle and literally all he does other that go to his job is work on his property, his truck, or his farm equipment.
While the land and the house itself may have been cheap he has a lot of money tied-up in tractors, mowers, power equipment. Then there are big ticket items that have to be replaces like when a new well needs to be drilled, or the propane tank needs replaced.

He lives alone. He has guns. He's a long way from town and always tries to time running errands for getting stuff on his way home from work. He has a generator since if the power goes out, it goes out for days. Cell service is poor. Internet is slow.

Nice dude, but literally all he does is go to work at his engineering job for an auto supplier, then work on his property all evening and weekend, and occasionally watch sports on TV.

[TiggerDog]

Haha maybe I have been watching to many baby goats videos.

[08grad]

Originally Posted by DTWflyer

The reasons you say for wanting to flee Metro Detroit aren't really good reasons in the sense that they are pretty brief duration events.

Interesting how liberals always try to tell others how they should think.

[DTWflyer]

What does that mean? You have no idea whether I am liberal or conservative or anything in-between.

I just wanted to provide a common sense response to think through all the pros and cons and not to suddenly make a rash impulsive decision based on recent events without thinking through the long-term consequences.

(FWIW I find both sides to be ridiculous and uncompromising in their opinions and beliefs. This are a lot more complex than just red vs. blue.)
Beside that, the best thing that people can do is stop letting the media spoon-feed them their agenda and let people do their own critical thinking. Turn off the TV/cable news, ignore the hysterical ranting on social media, and do what you can to help that are closest around you in your life family/friends/community.

[phoebesmom]

Come upstate! We live in Wexford county but do all our shopping in Grand Traverse County. There is plenty to do in Traverse City, if you still want to be "in town." Beautiful area, and a pleasant way of life!

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Originally Posted by TiggerDog

Anyone considering getting out of large urban areas and moving to the country? Any good places to consider with acreage for a single woman in her late 30s to start a small homestead?

I live in the Detroit metro region and between the covid, the lockdowns, the riots and the movement to eliminate police departments. Rural Life is starting to have an appeal. My parents already live in rural northern Michigan. Thinking I should follow and buy some property with acreage. Good chance my full time job could be permanetly wfh or majority work from home (wfh).

Isn't all of Northern Michigan considered rural?

It seems peaceful and idyllic, but there are a lot of problems beneath the surface in rural Michigan. Poverty and drug abuse are big ones with there being very few job opportunities outside of seasonal tourism.