From Europe to Detroit area (Warren, Farmington Hills: middle-class, apartments, rental)

[Jarno]

Hello all. My wife and I will move soon from Europe to US. We are 27years old, no child, no dog (for the moment). The company where I will work is placed in Farmington Hills. On January we were visiting the area and trying to find a suitable apartment, but in one week it was really difficult. We saw some apartments that we liked, but we are worried about the area and also about the cost of living in US.
- We are looking for an 2-bedrooms apartment in a quite area. We think on spend up to 1200$/month, or would you spend more? Do you think we could find something nice near FH with this budget? Recomendations? Difference between areas?
- We saw in internet that some single houses were cheaper than apartments. Why?
- And also, we are from Europe with a different clima and not used to snow. What we should take into account when we choose an apartment?
- As I said, we are also worried about the cost of living in US. Thus, how expensive is to leave in this area? TV, electricity, water, gas,...
Thank you very much!

[urbanliving99]

Welcome to Detroit. One of the most popular ways to find an apartment in Michigan is using a website called Craigslist. If you search by the town you're working in "Farmington Hills" there are hundreds of apartments available in your price range.

It might be a little harder to rent from a "management company" unless you have a work letter etc because you're from Europe and wouldn't have credit in the US. It might be easier to find someone who owns a 2 bedroom condo or something and is renting it.

But either way - good luck!
detroit metro apts/housing for rent classifieds "farmington hills" - craigslist=

[animatedmartian]

Typically, apartments in Metro Detroit are either built very cheaply aimed for lower income folks, or very expensive for the higher income folks. Not a lot of choices in between.

Detroit is primarily a middle-class single-family home dominated area and that's usually what's been in demand. I'm not sure if it's the exact reason to why houses would be cheaper, but it's my best guess.

[jonnynonos]

You will have a huge choice of apartments for $1200 a month. Just look around on the web. Actually I'll direct message you a really nice choice.

Safety isn't an issue anywhere outside of the city of Detroit limits, really. (Cue cyber mob attack.)

[zthatzmanz28]

ACtually, WELCOME to Farmington...as you know you will be about 25 miles outside of Detroit proper.
You should be able to find apartments within your budget in the Farmington / Farmington Hills area. Be aware that a while back Farmington was in the news more than Detroit for variious crimes. I think things have settled when the chief of police went on to oversee the Warren police...
Southfield would be a distant third or fourth consideration. Look around Farmington area.
There is always the PINK FLAMINGO!!

[jonnynonos]

Why would you bring up crime in Farmington? He is moving here from Europe. Farmington has had a rate of 0 murders and 0 rapes per 100,000 people for the last 10 years. And you are implying they should look over their shoulders there? REALLY? THAT strikes you as good advice?

[zthatzmanz28]

Good advice or HONEST? There was a point not long ago where theres seemed to be headline news once or twice a week...
But, hey, come on out because we dont' want to mention there is crime? Why say there is NO crime outside of Detroit?
I lived in Detroit for years and never was a victim..
Crime is and always has been one of opportunity. Farmington and or Hills is not exempt from crime. There are other acts besides murder that constitute a crime..

I belive the chart shows 10 rapes in the past since 2002 (doesn't have stats after 2008)

Farmington CRIME

[Coldjensens]

For $1200 you can probably also ent a small house. This is more private, but you have to keep up the yard , driveway and sidewalks. That means shoveling snow and watering/mowing the grass, or paying a niehgborhood kid to do it.

Some apartments include heat and/or hot water in the rental price, some do not. Some provide covered parking, some do not. Some provide covered barking for only one car. If you do not have covered parking, you will have to scrape snow, ice or frost off the windshield in the morning before you leave for work.

Lookat the windows. If they are not well sealed, yu will ahve drafts in the winter and can be uncomfrtable. Also outdoor stairs leading to an apartment ca be a safety hazard.

Some apartment buildings have flat roofs. Those tend to leak if not extremely well maintained. Any roof can leak, flat roofs leak more often.

It is better to not have a long walk to where you will park your car. Long walks are not fun in the extreme cold. Bst of all is a garage that opens into your apartment. You also are better off if you do nto park under or near trees. Somteims limbs break off under the weight of snow or ice.



In farmington hills area is Famrington, Farminton hills, Novi, West Bloomfield. Northville is a really neat litle town that is pretty close. Also Milford, South Lyon, Walled Lake are nearby. It is a generally nice area. There are no terrible places in the immediate area.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Safety isn't an issue anywhere outside of the city of Detroit limits, really. (Cue cyber mob attack.)

Close to true. Safety is a concern in many suburbs including Inkster, Ecorse river Rouge. To a lesser extent romulus, Taylor. Others will probably add another dozen places to this list.

Place like Farmington/Hills it is a minor concern. That is not a high crime or even a medium crime area. THen you get out to places like some part of Northville, South Lyon, and Milford and you will find hundreds of people who never bother to lock their doors and who just leave their keys in their car in the driveway so they never have to look for their keys.

[jonnynonos]

It's all relative. I'm sure River Rouge isn't the nicest place in the world but there was only 1 murder in 2010. So I wouldn't really sweat it. Inkster had 6. Ecorse had 2.

So you may not want to leave your car window open there when you go shopping, but I don't think I would necessarily be knock-kneed hanging out there either.