Michigan teachers making a move! (Raleigh: for sale, renting, mortgage)

[sandycat]

But in my opinion, the quality of life in NC is better than in MI. Some things can't be measured by money. I have a friend who won't leave her job in Detroit because she's making 80K but she lives in, well, Detroit. Her seasonal affective disorder is getting to her, but hey, who cares, she's got a boat load of money.

[Lisalrenee]

I'm also a recent MI transplant, here since August, from the Ann Arbor area. Teaching salaries ARE significantly less, especially if you're coming from a public school. I came from a charter school, so am feeling it less - but still took a cut. The improved working environment is worth it!

I'm renting, so can't speak hugely to home prices, but rents are definitely less than they were in Washtenaw county. Groceries are all comparable, for the most part, except milk -- can't figure that one out.

I'm only a few months in, but at this point, I'm quite happy with my decision. I'll miss the very first snowfall (one of my favorite days in the year!), but other than that, won't miss the ice and salt and shoveling. I'm still weirded out by Christmas decorations next to pansies -- it just seems somehow wrong, but I'm sure that will come with time.

Oh - and if you're a U of M fan, and in the Wake County area, I know where THEY hang out in Morrisville and Wake Forest.

:-)

[jjg39069]

ha ha Lisa Glad someone got the humor! Are you going through Meijer withdrawl yet though?

I will say, the best farmers market I've been to in my life is in Ann Arbor....so the town isn't all bad

PS - Go Green

[Moving From Michigan]

I, too, enjoy a good Meijer as much as any Michigander, but if there is a Costco within a 30 minute drive, I think I'll make it.

[roxors]

You would probably have trouble finding a home that size, with that lot size at that price in the Asheville area. Homes here are very expensive, especially in respect to the area's generally lower wages.

[HappyNCGirl]

My advice is to decide on the county you think you want to live in, and then rent for at least a year. The temptation is great to buy a house right away, to avoid a double move. This is not a good idea unless you know exactly where your jobs will be (so that you can accurately gauge the commute time and distance).

Unfortunately, it can take only weeks after moving into a home you just bought, to discover you can't live with the commute (my family had this sad dilemma), or that the school you heard rave reviews about isn't right for your situation, etc. If you were wise and decided to rent first, you are only stuck for the term of your lease.

My family has discovered that for us, commute time is first and foremost on the "no compromise" list of must-haves. We learned this the hard way. After living in a convenient neighborhood in south Cary, near access to HWY 1, we moved to Sunset Ridge in Holly Springs because we thought we wanted the larger lot and a basement.

Holly Springs is actually a very nice community, and Sunset Ridge is just lovely. However, after one week of commuting to magnet schools in downtown Raleigh, then on to RTP, my husband announced that we had in fact made a huge error in judgement. The commute was brutal for him. We stayed two years and moved back to east Cary/west Raleigh area. This puts us sort of in the center of Wake County and only a quarter mile off on I-40. The commute time is cut to less than half, which is saving him and the kids hours in the car. Our homesite is small, we don't have a basement, but boy are we much happier :-)

[MI-Roger]

I am surprised to see how many of the postings to this original message are from people/families who moved out of Washtenaw County! The greater Ann Arbor MI area is thought to be one of the few spots remaining in MI with any hope of economic revival.

As you may have guessed, my wife and I also currently live in the shadow of the "Big House".

I could live without a Meijers. I have nothing against the store chain, (a member of our former church was the daughter of the founder!), but I enjoy shopping at the Lowe's Foods and Harris Teeter grocery stores in Raleigh. These two chains, as well as the single Whole Foods and single Trader Joe's in the triangle area, are among the few places you can buy healthier food.

Bar-B-Que tofu is not yet popular at Smithfields!

[raleightransplant]

^^
If you're interested--there are currently about 4 Whole Foods stores in the Triangle scattered btwn Cary, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The one in Cary will be a monster after the upcoming renovation. There is a new Trader Joe's opening up in Chapel Hill this weekend (in addition to the existing Cary location) and there's one planned right off the 440 Beltline in Raleigh.

[MI-Roger]

My mistake! I checked the Trader Joe's web site recently and did not notice any new store announcment for Chapel Hill. As for Whole Foods, I have no excuse for my error. Sorry.

[Calvitts]

Originally Posted by MI-Roger

I am surprised to see how many of the postings to this original message are from people/families who moved out of Washtenaw County! The greater Ann Arbor MI area is thought to be one of the few spots remaining in MI with any hope of economic revival.

As you may have guessed, my wife and I also currently live in the shadow of the "Big House".

I could live without a Meijers. I have nothing against the store chain, (a member of our former church was the daughter of the founder!), but I enjoy shopping at the Lowe's Foods and Harris Teeter grocery stores in Raleigh. These two chains, as well as the single Whole Foods and single Trader Joe's in the triangle area, are among the few places you can buy healthier food.

Bar-B-Que tofu is not yet popular at Smithfields!

Roger, have you been reading the economic news out of Michigan? We were a Pfizer family -- need I say more? For all of you non-Michiganders, Pfizer, Ann Arbor's largest private employer, is closing its Ann Arbor research facility, which dealt a huge blow to the economy of an otherwise terrific college town. In addition to the 2500 to 3000 employees and contractors that Pfizer employed at this facility, the impact of the closing may eventually cost the area another additional 3000 jobs. This in addition to the dismal economic woes of the automotive industry.

We've been in NC for two months now and feel we are adjusting well, but oh how we miss our friends and church in Michigan! On the plus side, after 20 years in Michigan, we sure are looking forward to the NC winters!