[toadangel]

hi - I am living in the san francisco bay area (renting) and am a single woman around 40... I plan to adopt a kid or 2 and settle in somewhere where I can buy a single family house in a safe place with good schools & a solid medical research base, since that's my field (computer programming for clinical trials). I spent a couple of days in Ann Arbor in April and liked the general feel of it... I grew up in Columbus Ohio and would welcome a place like that, and A2 had a similar feel, though smaller.
However, with house prices so high in the city, I'd likely have to buy either in the dexter area or ypsilanti... I think I'd prefer dexter because it seems less populated but still a quick commute to the university. but it's hard to tell how the culture is there... is it still similar to the ann arbor type of attitudes? where it slants against the current washington politics? or is it far enough out of the mix of the city that it is more conservative?
also, I'd love any advice on the area... I'm more interested in making a nice home for my family & living where there are sidewalks & parks than in being in the middle of the activity of a city... I can't spend more than about 200K for a house, which prices me out of a lot of markets around the country.

any advice would be welcomed! thanks

[chiroptera]

Not sure about Dexter specifically. I have a friend a little further west (Michigan center/Grass Lake area, I think about 50 miles away, close to Jackson) and it's somewhat rural and provincial down that way. However, this was a blue state.
Very cheap real estate prices when you get away from the city - well I suppose just about anything would be compared to the Bay Area! I live in Flint currently, and to give you an idea of how cheap houses are here: I sold a car and paid cash for my house from the proceeds. Mind you, that's Flint....
If you are used to the dining/shopping/cultural amenities in the SF Bay area (I used to live there) then you might find it a tad quiet unless you're right in A2, but it's a short drive. A2 has a lot to offer.
The Waterloo state park is nice for hiking around, lots of cool little lakes and wildlife.
The commuting traffic is no big deal at all - though there's a saying here, there are two driving seasons - snow and construction. So, a 20 mile drive may honestly take you about 20 minutes, unlike more congested areas.
The Michigan forum here isn't terribly busy, but maybe someone who lives closer will chime in. I would say you are contemplating quite a big cultural shift, but if you grew up in Columbus, maybe not so much...

[michgirl]

Although I haven't lived in Michigan for eight years I grew up there. My family are all there. Dexter over Ypsilanti...no questions. Ypsilanti, although not as bad as Detroit has a lot of issues (I did homecare for seven years and was all over the metro Detroit/Ann Arbor area). I have family in Dexter and it is definitely a family town and a pretty small town...neighbors all get along and have barbecues...things like that. The schools are definitely way better in Dexter than in Ypsilanti or most other schools in the Ann Arbor area. I hope the information helped! (I still love New England over Michigan anyday )

[readyforchange]

A2 has always been good to me. However, a few things to note about A2 and the surrounding areas. Consider the fact that it's a campus town, lots and lots of students living in that area. A2 is a good size city but it doesn't hide the fact. Traffic can sometimes get a little congested, but I'm sure it's nothing compared to San Fran. And also anyone in the Health Occupations field has an amazing chance at work in this state. It's almost overwhelming how many people are in the medical field around these parts. Anyway just thought I'd contribute a bit.

[toadangel]

thanks everyone! I appreciate the info & advice. I don't think the student population would bother me much... I worked at ohio state for quite a few years and was a student there as well, so i learned how to be a part of a university without having to be a typical student

I've thought about new england, but the places i could work (boston, new york, dc) are way too expensive for housing... and i'm afraid the pace of life may be too much for me out east

one question sticks out for me at this point... I've read that A2 is getting to the point where pretty much only those with decent money can afford to buy there, so it's becoming a sort of "I got mine, too bad if you don't get yours" kind of mentality, rather than the liberal artsy open kind of place it used to be... and a lot of the people who work in the city can no longer afford to own a home there, so the diversity in homeowners is fading... much truth to that? I see that happening here in san Francisco, though on a grander scale I suppose, given the real estate out here. the middle class has essentially disappeared and those who have the money don't care enough to keep the diversity that makes it such a vibrant place to live.

thanks!
lisa

[mich2fla]

Have you considered Grand Rapids, Michigan? It's about little over 2 hrs west of Ann Arbor.

GR is building a 'medical mile' on Michigan avenue. Van Andel Institute started a while back and transformed the whole area into medical school/research area. Just google Van Andel Institute and go from there.

Housing in the GR area is much affordable than AA.

Good luck on your search!

[supersk]

I live in Dexter and love it. It is surrounded by parks that the whole family can visit and have fun. Plus it's close to Ann Arbor, so if you want to go into a bigger city you can. Or if you work at the University it's a quick drive.

There are all sorts of family activies during the year and I'd highly recommend it.

[creativewoodworking]

Dexter is like a peyton place. It's small town, everyone knows your business and they all jugde.
If your okay with that then it's a great place to raise kids. It's small, pretty, not much crime. Good schools, nice families.

[Ubish]

It is true that Ann Arbor is losing it's artsy appeal and unique feeling. The closest place to where Ann Arbor used to be right now is the depot town area of Ypsilanti. It's a small city within a city. The houses are a pretty good value for what you get and there are always festivals and art shows, and things of that nature in the downtown area of Depot town. Also, the area has 3 major parks 2 of which are on a river. Check out depottown.org for some general info about the area. Good luck on your search.

[MrCoffee]

Ann Arbor is a haven for yuppies, and it's hard for me to imagine how students can afford to live there. I'm in Pittsfield Township, and it's within a couple minutes from Ann Arbor. There are plenty of houses around here for less than $200,000.00. I am sure one can be found for roughly $150,000.00, which is significantly lower than anything available in the Bay area. Pittsfield is not as conservative as Ypsilanti, and has almost as much tolerance for diversity as Ann Arbor.

MrCoffee