Ann Arbor Area (Detroit, Grand Rapids, Canton: real estate, property taxes, for sale)

[infoplus]

Looking at taking a job in Ann Arbor. Housing and public schools are my biggest issues. Beside Ann Arbor what other areas should I look at; taking into consideration my issues & that financially I am hanging on the bottom rungs of the middle class. I was looking at Ypsilanti but was told they had alot of crime.

[Ruby1]

Lived Downriver 10 years ago, then moved South. But Ann Arbor was nice for cultural acivities but was getting too pricey and the taxes were out of hand. Unless they improved the school system I would defin. go private. Willow Run is nearby, there may be some open land left to build a home at a fair price. gOOD lUCK

[skip2milieu]

I live in Dexter, about 5-10 minutes W of Ann Arbor and think it is the perfect family community. close enough to Ann Arbor to benefit from all the cultural events and diversity it has to offer and still have the quiet and community of a small (ish ) town. Taxes and property in Ann Arbor are quite high but if you are single it is probably the best place to be. If you have a family and children and can't afford Ann Arbor I would suggest Dexter, Saline or Canton nearby - all have highly rated school systems.
good luck with your move!

[ChelseaMom]

I live in Chelsea. It's also a very nice community with a good school system and a really great community attitude. We're about 15-20 minutes to Ann Arbor, a pretty quick and easy commute.

Dexter, as already mentioned, is a very nice community too.

The great thing about both towns is that they are still small enough to have a good close feeling, plus the areas are very pretty. But you're still close enough to A2 to enjoy all the benefits of a large city.

[AnneSeelbach]

I lived all my life in Chelsea and would definitly recommend it. Its a very safe community, the schools are great, the community feel is awesome. The commute to Ann Arbor is not bad at all, about 20 mins. This is a community that really supports each other. Dexter is very simular to chelsea. Saline also is very simular although i would say a but more expensive. Hope this helps!

[Mi_Mom]

Another Chelsea resident here as well. We love it here. Bought a house in 2002 and love the community. It really prides itself on being a community.

[SusanC]

Try Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Manchester, Canton, Belleville, Plymouth. These towns are where a lot of people who work in Ann Arbor live and commute from.

I live in Ypsi, and parts do have crime. There are nicer parts of Ypsilanti, but you have to look for them - don't rely on what realtors say, please, please, please.

Ypsi is so close to Ann Arbor; in fact, sometimes you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. I've heard that A2 (what Ann Arbor is sometimes called) has really good schools, but I've also heard that they are pretty crowded.

If you truly are on the bottom rung of middle class, Ypsi is a good area to be because the housing market is excellent for buyers right now. I would recommend renting for a few months, though, so you can find the right area at your leisure.

[iamweasel]

Originally Posted by infoplus

Looking at taking a job in Ann Arbor. Housing and public schools are my biggest issues. Beside Ann Arbor what other areas should I look at; taking into consideration my issues & that financially I am hanging on the bottom rungs of the middle class. I was looking at Ypsilanti but was told they had alot of crime.

We live in Van Buren Township. It has a much lower cost of living than Ann Arbor yet we're only 10-15 minutes away. (My wife works in Downtown Ann Arbor and even in rush hour it only takes her 20 minutes or so.) Van Buren is the area just south of Canton and east of Ypsi, and surrounds the city of Belleville.

The property taxes here are very, very low (lowest in Wayne county) and there are many new neighborhoods to choose from. (Our house was built in 2002.) We can actually walk to downtown Belleville which we do frequently as they have a few nice restaurants on Main Street, etc. You'd be able to buy a house around 2000 square feet in our sub in the $225K range.

The schools are good, not great, but if you need a cheaper house then this is a good comprimise. Van Buren schools are rated significantly higher than Ypsi, and just above the state average in most areas.

[GRBound]

I live in South Lyon, about 15 miles north of Ann Arbor. I love it here. Great schools (we live directly behind one) in a wonderful, family oriently, sub. There's a nature/bike trail that we can jump right on in the back of our sub, and gas/groceries are just a hop, skip, and jump away. I have a job in Ann Arbor and the commute is painless. Wish we could stay but I just found out that my husband got a transfer to Grand Rapids so it looks like we'll be selling soon.

[NittanyLion]

I think you should consider Saline. Someone said that it is more expensive than Chelsea and Dexter, but houses go for about the same prices and many are affordable. Of course, some more than others. Here is a link to a website where you can find Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, and other area houses for sale.
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