Everyones leaving, Where you all going? (Flint, Ann Arbor: mortgage, relocate, debt)

[Avenue]

Originally Posted by JenM

This is my home. Yes the state is in bad condition, but I love it here. I am not afraid to go down with it. Would you abandon a family member when they were down and out? I hope not, so why would you abandon your state? I am not that self absorbed that I would leave for petty reasons. If that means living in a car with my 3 kids and hubby, while we finish school, then so be it. Besides, it might be an adventure and a heck of a thesis!

HA - I left Michigan for Seattle and doubled my salary, I work for Microsoft now. There's nothing even remotely like this company in Michigan.

Plus...the weather in Michigan absolutely sucks. I don't slap away giant bugs in summer while trying to fan myself to stay comfortable and I don't worry about breaking a hip due to slipping on ice in the winter.

[Great Lake Boy]

I am glad you moved to bright and sunny Seattle where it barely rains! ; )

[majic]

I would say,it barely snows in washington vs michigan where you get lake affect crap all winter long. and we do not have the japanese current that keeps us warm.
We get alburta clippers. snow belts, lake affect. and any number of things that suck.
washington, has a great economy, one of the richest and biggest employers in the country.
And people flock to seattle, and housing is soring because of this, vs michigan dropping like a rock and no end in sight.
Homes just sit on the market here. with no buyers. veery nice.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by majic

I would say,it barely snows in washington vs michigan where you get lake affect crap all winter long. and we do not have the japanese current that keeps us warm.
We get alburta clippers. snow belts, lake affect. and any number of things that suck.
washington, has a great economy, one of the richest and biggest employers in the country.
And people flock to seattle, and housing is soring because of this, vs michigan dropping like a rock and no end in sight.
Homes just sit on the market here. with no buyers. veery nice.

There's this little thing called the Housing Opportunity Index, which shows the percentage of homes that are "affordable" compared to a metro area's median household income. Seattle's HOI is about a 33, meaning only 1/3 of the people living there can truly afford a home. Most of Michigan's metro areas are in the 85% + category. Check it out.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by magellan

There's this little thing called the Housing Opportunity Index, which shows the percentage of homes that are "affordable" compared to a metro area's median household income. Seattle's HOI is about a 33, meaning only 1/3 of the people living there can truly afford a home. Most of Michigan's metro areas are in the 85% + category. Check it out.

Exactly - doesn't matter how much you make if you can't afford a house. Our house in SF went up 50% in a year after some renovations. We got out happily at that point.

Different strokes when it comes to weather. For all its perks, I still prefer the 4 seasons in the Midwest to the weather along the SF-Vancouver coast. In SF, the tempterature rarely got below zero in the winter, but it also was in the 60s all summer long with days without sun - gets old fast. I spent some time in Vancouver and the overcast, rainy days get old too.

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Avenue

HA - I left Michigan for Seattle and doubled my salary, I work for Microsoft now. There's nothing even remotely like this company in Michigan.

Plus...the weather in Michigan absolutely sucks. I don't slap away giant bugs in summer while trying to fan myself to stay comfortable and I don't worry about breaking a hip due to slipping on ice in the winter.

It's all about personal preference. I am originally from southern California and have some close friends to moved to Seattle for several years in the 1990's. They thought it was beautiful but eventually left because they hated the weather! The same goes for my wife and her parents, who lived in Bothell for 5 years when she was a kid.

I myself have lived in California in many different climes (in the desert, near the beach, several miles inland), southern Texas, northeastern Oklahoma, and Iowa. I have visited many other states at various times of the year. Guess what? I love Michigan's weather, and so does my wife, and her parents, and my parents...on and on! We are all California natives, with the exception of my mom (Oklahoma). We find the cool air refreshing, the snow invigorating, and the summers generally mild! It gets too hot for a couple of weeks, but since we are used to 4 months of sweltering heat (and more in OK and TX), we can handle it. The humidity gets bad sometimes, but nothing compared to Oklahoma or Texas. The winters we generally like. I would say that February and March suck, but guess what? The novel (to Californians) concept of 4 seasons kick in...and it changes!

Regarding Microsoft, I would venture to say there are not too many companies like it anywhere, not just Michigan. It's Microsoft!

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Regarding Microsoft, I would venture to say there are not too many companies like it anywhere, not just Michigan. It's Microsoft!

That's a very good point. Besides Microsoft and several other companies, the economy isn't that great in Seattle, especially for the cost of living driven up by all the rich nature geeks from NoCal that flock there and Portland. Seattle is no San Francisco or even San Jose or Chicago. I had two friends from Seattle graduate from a very good college in Philadelphia several years ago (when it was booming everywhere) and they couldn't find jobs in Seattle. One had to temp as a secretary and finally left for Chicago (just like Boeing!) when she got multiple offers. If you find a niche at Microsoft (or Domino's or GM), good for you. It doesn't mean that a place is a booming utopia.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

It's all about personal preference. I am originally from southern California and have some close friends to moved to Seattle for several years in the 1990's. They thought it was beautiful but eventually left because they hated the weather! The same goes for my wife and her parents, who lived in Bothell for 5 years when she was a kid.

I myself have lived in California in many different climes (in the desert, near the beach, several miles inland), southern Texas, northeastern Oklahoma, and Iowa. I have visited many other states at various times of the year. Guess what? I love Michigan's weather, and so does my wife, and her parents, and my parents...on and on! We are all California natives, with the exception of my mom (Oklahoma). We find the cool air refreshing, the snow invigorating, and the summers generally mild! It gets too hot for a couple of weeks, but since we are used to 4 months of sweltering heat (and more in OK and TX), we can handle it. The humidity gets bad sometimes, but nothing compared to Oklahoma or Texas. The winters we generally like. I would say that February and March suck, but guess what? The novel (to Californians) concept of 4 seasons kick in...and it changes!

Regarding Microsoft, I would venture to say there are not too many companies like it anywhere, not just Michigan. It's Microsoft!

The one thing about the weather here. It's not just the change of seasons that I enjoy. It's the way Michigan goes from a wintery wonderland with no leaves on any of the trees (except the beautiful pines around West Michigan) to almost tropical jungle foilage in the Summer. We have a wetland and lake area across the street from our house, that in the Winter you can almost see a 1/2 mile across it. In the Summer (today) I can sit on the front porch and barely see 10 feet into it because it's SO THICK and dense. It's amazing what the Great Lakes does for Michigan.

[enli]

As soon as possible, I will be moving to the Memphis, Tennessee area - about 20% less cost of living, nice housing available, plenty of jobs and for me, as a teacher, about the same rate of pay I'm at now and I'll have my pension from here as a nice cushion.

[enli]

JenM - you have the right to live any way you choose, but to say you'll put three kids in a car and force them to live that way due to your poor choices - that is little more than child abuse. Staying in a state because of some misplaced loyalty and putting your children in that kind of position - where are your priorities?