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Old 08-27-2013, 09:09 PM
 
2 posts, read 10,046 times
Reputation: 10

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Get ready for a book. lol. You've been warned, so leave now if you're not interested. But I am looking for another place to live and it would be a huge move for me. I need to figure out if it would be a good decision or not.

I am 25-year-old single female who has lived in Saginaw, Michigan my entire life. I have no children, and will not have any until I am at least 30. My mother and I live together as she is single, disabled, and on social security so she needs help with things around the house and bills. She would move with me. She will be 56 in October. She is healthy enough to make a move and is optimistic about leaving. However, I would like to move someplace that her having to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter would not hinder her TOO much. Right now, she has no issues doing some grocery shopping on her own and she can still get out some places with the help of her cane, wheelchair, and scooter. I would like her to still have some of these options.

I didn't hate living in Saginaw until the last few years. I don't necessarily hate it now. However, the crime rate is consuming the city making it a dangerous place to live. I live in safe area currently but I believe within a few years, there will not be any safe areas left. Ever since the economy got bad, jobs are few and far between. It used to be that the good jobs in Michigan were manufacturing jobs but even those are on their way out now. I'm currently working on my bachelor's degree in health information management and will be done within the next couple years. Even when I finish that, I will probably not make a lot of money here if I can even find a job. You hit walls here no matter how far you go in your education. There's only so far you can go here. Then there are smaller things that make living here difficult. I have horrible allergies problems and Michigan makes them impossible to deal with. I take allergy meds everyday and still suffer from sometimes crippling headaches. I get a monster cold everytime the seasons change. I've had more sinus infections than I can count. There's just a lot of things that make me think staying here is not what is best for my future.

I want to stay in the US but I really have no preference for where I'm going. I want to go somewhere I will be able to get a decent job. I want to go somewhere there are opportunities. I want to go somewhere my mother will also be comfortable. Anything too far west is not something I want as I don't want to go somewhere crazy expensive and I do like having four seasons. I can't remember how I ended up settling on the Fort Collins area. I think I was looking up "best places to live" lists. I am strongly considering either Fort Collins or Loveland. I read Colorado is a good place if you suffer from allergy/sinus issues.

We do not know anyone in Colorado and neither of us has ever lived anywhere other than Saginaw. I have only ever been south of Michigan and east; never anywhere west. I haven't even gone as far as Wisconsin! I would not move until I finished school, and my mother's income is steady because she is on social security disability. I would most likely secure a job in the area before we moved. I would We would take at least a 2 week vacation in the area to make sure it's a place we like and want to be.

I have a few questions regarding the areas I look at. A home where I live in a decent area costs 80-90 thousand dollars which is doable for us, but the cost of living is lower here and I believe people make less money. Would I be able to make enough money with my bachelor's degree to be able to live in a safe area and not be constantly broke? Would somewhere else in Colorado be better for us?

Have you ever made a huge move out of state? How did it work out? Did you regret it? I wouldn't have even considered this a couple years ago but I'm getting a lot bolder and I feel like it's what I need to do if I'm going to get anywhere in life.

Any info you can give me or if you can correct any misconceptions I have, that would be great. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any advice/information you give. It is greatly appreciated.
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Old 08-27-2013, 09:40 PM
 
26,152 posts, read 48,836,610 times
Reputation: 31614
A lot of people with allergies do better in COLO but some don't.

The 'best places' lists are not something to hang your hat on.

Fort Collins is not the cheapest place to live. It's a huge college town. Wages are said to be low there.

Parts of the Denver metro area may be better for you. Lots of hospitals there that may need your skills.

Your mom would be able to use the light rail system.

Look at rental prices on padmapper.com to get an idea of what it takes in the way of rent. Denver rents have gone up some lately and most are snapped up quickly.

Colorado Springs is cheaper for housing costs, has 4 main hospitals, but no transit to speak of.
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Old 08-27-2013, 10:19 PM
 
2 posts, read 10,046 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike from back east View Post
A lot of people with allergies do better in COLO but some don't.

The 'best places' lists are not something to hang your hat on.

Fort Collins is not the cheapest place to live. It's a huge college town. Wages are said to be low there.

Parts of the Denver metro area may be better for you. Lots of hospitals there that may need your skills.

Your mom would be able to use the light rail system.

Look at rental prices on padmapper.com to get an idea of what it takes in the way of rent. Denver rents have gone up some lately and most are snapped up quickly.

Colorado Springs is cheaper for housing costs, has 4 main hospitals, but no transit to speak of.
Thank you very much for your reply. I will keep those places in mind when I'm looking.
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Old 08-28-2013, 01:00 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,644 posts, read 57,702,312 times
Reputation: 46095
I concur with Colo Spr as having better options for your situation than Ft Collins.
Loveland is a great choice, and a little less $$ than Ft C, and much less busy and more 'retiree friendly'. (but no housing in major areas of CO will be $80k). Very small towns on the prairie can be that cheap (Akron, Yuma, Haxtun...), but must drive for health care. People are VERY nice and some services are available.

If you can stand humidity, consider inexpensive places like Ark. Okla has lowest cost of eldercare. (And very nice people).
NM (yet a different climate) has some quite nice areas to retire and not too expensive (My mom is in Las Cruces).

I have moved a few times, and sometimes good, sometimes painfully tough, but still good. (I learn a lot each time + I was a caregiver for an ill parent for 30+ yrs, from the day I turned age 18). Realize that moving will take a HUGE chunk of a year to complete and be done with transition. Prepare yourself and Mom for that and really think it over. There are MANY great areas in USA, and understand you might have a closer option than across a few states. Definitely get first hand info on others with your allergies BEFORE starting to shop for places. (Use the health forum here to inquire) be VERY explicit in your Topic heading for best results. i.e. Where to move to improve "xxx" allergies?.

Your BA / BS will provide a role / skillset you enjoy and can pay you the well (and avail you to work nights as NO-ONE like to do that . I worked nights for 30 yrs so I could care for my parent and homeschool my kids + run a farm. Nights is VERY enjoyable, less stress, less whiners, less bosses, less disruptions, less commuting hassle, and often pays better . It allowed me to prioritize my life by putting 'work' the LAST thing I did and thought about each day. I was totally BEAT when I showed up for work, but work is something you can do to REST up from being a caregiver / teacher / farmer! Home by daylight, and ready for another day! I had a very demanding / high skill / thinking job (mechanical design engineer) but it was 'therapy' from the daily 'tasks' of life. (and much easier than Dairy Farm Boarding School ages 3-16 !!)
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Old 08-31-2013, 07:23 AM
 
Location: Old Town
99 posts, read 225,405 times
Reputation: 130
I lived in Ann Arbor for four years and Detroit for another four. My family is from Detroit, but my dad joined the Air Force, so I grew up all over.

I had allergies in Michigan. I lived in San Francisco for awhile and didn't have any allergies there at all (though I had friends that had horrible allergies there). We're in Fort Collins now and my allergies are bad again. I think it all depends on what you're allergic to. This summer has been particularly bad for allergies. I can't remember having it this bad in ages.

I live in Old Town, Fort Collins. I know a guy that is confined to a wheel chair. He gets around pretty much anywhere in Old Town by riding his wheel chair down the bike lanes. So it's doable. But he moved to the area before house prices shot up. There are some areas in Fort Collins that are cheaper to live. Check out the Rogers Park area. I really like it over there, house prices are much cheaper, and there are stores close by as well as City Park and Rogers Park.

There are cheaper places to live than Fort Collins. My in-laws recently moved out of Southern Cal and despite looking to move here, they finally settled on Champa, Idaho. It had a much lower cost of living. I don't know what the job market is like out there, though. I'm not really sure how things are looking here either, to be honest.

Good luck!
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Old 09-18-2013, 02:24 AM
 
175 posts, read 405,182 times
Reputation: 235
I am from Ann Arbor also. After living in Saginaw you will LOVE Ft Collins! But it IS way more expensive! I have been coming/going to FC to look for a couple years now. Can't decide if I want North Carolina vs Co...
Used to live in Denver area (Happy Canyon).
Love university towns. Full of life!
Hard to decide...
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Old 02-28-2014, 05:36 PM
 
8 posts, read 17,836 times
Reputation: 11
I know this is from last year but just wanted to say that I grew up in Michigan and never had allergies or sinus problems. I have horrible allergies and sinus infections every 2 months in Colorado. I get weekly allergy shots and take a few things each day to help. I'm still miserable every day. I still love living in Colorado though!!!
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Old 03-11-2014, 07:41 PM
 
7 posts, read 24,775 times
Reputation: 16
I have a comment about waiting to move until you have finished your degree.

Many schools have a network that can help you land a job. You may fare better if you move before you complete your studies.

Also, depending on whether your mom could do without you for a month or two (help from a neighbor?) visiting for one school term, one month or semester, might be a nice way to test the waters and make some connections.

You can do it! Good luck!
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Old 03-19-2014, 07:59 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,148 times
Reputation: 10
Default ft collins

I've lived in Fort Collins for about a year and a half now and it is terrible. the train Blair's its worn all hours of night as it goes to town because of the students that have been killed in the past. the traffic noise pollution is very high as well. the main roads seemingly are shut down due to construction all summer long it seems like. you can't park your car on the road for more than 2 days or they will tow it anywhere in Fort Collins that is a town law.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ErinxKay View Post
Get ready for a book. lol. You've been warned, so leave now if you're not interested. But I am looking for another place to live and it would be a huge move for me. I need to figure out if it would be a good decision or not.

I am 25-year-old single female who has lived in Saginaw, Michigan my entire life. I have no children, and will not have any until I am at least 30. My mother and I live together as she is single, disabled, and on social security so she needs help with things around the house and bills. She would move with me. She will be 56 in October. She is healthy enough to make a move and is optimistic about leaving. However, I would like to move someplace that her having to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter would not hinder her TOO much. Right now, she has no issues doing some grocery shopping on her own and she can still get out some places with the help of her cane, wheelchair, and scooter. I would like her to still have some of these options.

I didn't hate living in Saginaw until the last few years. I don't necessarily hate it now. However, the crime rate is consuming the city making it a dangerous place to live. I live in safe area currently but I believe within a few years, there will not be any safe areas left. Ever since the economy got bad, jobs are few and far between. It used to be that the good jobs in Michigan were manufacturing jobs but even those are on their way out now. I'm currently working on my bachelor's degree in health information management and will be done within the next couple years. Even when I finish that, I will probably not make a lot of money here if I can even find a job. You hit walls here no matter how far you go in your education. There's only so far you can go here. Then there are smaller things that make living here difficult. I have horrible allergies problems and Michigan makes them impossible to deal with. I take allergy meds everyday and still suffer from sometimes crippling headaches. I get a monster cold everytime the seasons change. I've had more sinus infections than I can count. There's just a lot of things that make me think staying here is not what is best for my future.

I want to stay in the US but I really have no preference for where I'm going. I want to go somewhere I will be able to get a decent job. I want to go somewhere there are opportunities. I want to go somewhere my mother will also be comfortable. Anything too far west is not something I want as I don't want to go somewhere crazy expensive and I do like having four seasons. I can't remember how I ended up settling on the Fort Collins area. I think I was looking up "best places to live" lists. I am strongly considering either Fort Collins or Loveland. I read Colorado is a good place if you suffer from allergy/sinus issues.

We do not know anyone in Colorado and neither of us has ever lived anywhere other than Saginaw. I have only ever been south of Michigan and east; never anywhere west. I haven't even gone as far as Wisconsin! I would not move until I finished school, and my mother's income is steady because she is on social security disability. I would most likely secure a job in the area before we moved. I would We would take at least a 2 week vacation in the area to make sure it's a place we like and want to be.

I have a few questions regarding the areas I look at. A home where I live in a decent area costs 80-90 thousand dollars which is doable for us, but the cost of living is lower here and I believe people make less money. Would I be able to make enough money with my bachelor's degree to be able to live in a safe area and not be constantly broke? Would somewhere else in Colorado be better for us?

Have you ever made a huge move out of state? How did it work out? Did you regret it? I wouldn't have even considered this a couple years ago but I'm getting a lot bolder and I feel like it's what I need to do if I'm going to get anywhere in life.

Any info you can give me or if you can correct any misconceptions I have, that would be great. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any advice/information you give. It is greatly appreciated.
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Old 03-19-2014, 08:43 AM
 
Location: Old Town
99 posts, read 225,405 times
Reputation: 130
I regularly park my car in front of my house for longer than 2 days at a time. I've never gotten a ticket nor had my car towed. Nor have the neighbors who leave their truck out front for days at a time as well.

The train blows its horn because of federal law. The rules on when they blow, how long they blow, and what pattern they use all has to do with federal standards and has absolutely nothing to do with anything that has happened locally. The city council has petitioned the feds to allow less blowing of the horn through downtown, but I haven't heard anything new on that in a few months.

As far as road construction, there are some places where the Arthur ditch is being redone and some bridges are being replaced. I suspect the purpose of the construction has more to do with making Fort Collins safer than an underhanded plot to block Fort Collins residents from getting around.
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