[dojilynn]

My husband may be getting a job in Traverse City in January. We have some family in the area, and have been there a few times. However, I know that is not the same as actually living in the area. Can anyone give me any information on Traverse City itself? Are the schools good? How are the housing prices? Are there any areas to avoid when purchasing a home? I work in the accounting field, how is the job market in that arena? How are the taxes? In reading the other threads in the Michigan forum, I've become very aware of the problems that Michigan as a whole is experiencing. How are these effecting Traverse City?

Those are just a few of my questions, but any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[akapaso]

I don't actually live in Traverse City but as far as the area look for a Buyers Agent (Associate Broker) who has worked in the area for several years. They will give you all the info you need or direct you to a place where you can find out. Most of the questions you asked a Realtor would have the answers to. Retirees don't know about the schools or job situation and most locals favor one area over the other doesn't make it the area your looking for.

[Nick1978]

I literally just came back from spending a week in Traverse City and have spent time there regularly for a number of years. It's just lovely in the summer.

My husband grew up spending summers at the music camp, and his parents owned a home near Interlochen. While I don't know about the schools, I assume they're fine as the next door neighbors who are doctors send their children to the public rather than to a private school.

That said, I learned on this trip that Michigan's economy is extremely depressed, that the current unemployment rate hovers around 7%, which is considerably higher than that of the rest of the country. Further, I also learned that Michigan spends more money on prisons than they do on schools - so who knows?

On the surface though, Traverse City, though small and rather desolate for my taste, is beautiful. And for a small town, it has a lot of culture perhaps because of nearby Interlochen, and the shopping is decent for a small city.

Traverse and nearby Charlevoix and Petoskey are just gorgeous. I can see why people from the Midwest like going there.

[scottmi]

I'll try to be positive and helpful for once, so bear with me

If you're POSITIVE you're moving to Traverse City, I'd recommend that you try to avoid buying a house right in T.C., unless you can afford it. Obviously, the ideal place to live is in the city but I know that the housing prices are quite expensive compared to surrounding areas (Kalkaska, Grawn, Acme, etc.). So do your homework first - you may even want to rent for the first 12-months until you can decide exactly where you want to live. If that's the case, I recommend the Arbor's in T.C. - you're only 2 miles away from the Grand Traverse Mall/Sam's Club etc. and these apartment complexes are super nice and really not anymore than you'd be paying elsewhere.

Here's the link: Traverse City, Michigan Apartment Arbors of Traverse Apartments

BTW - If youa re moving into TC, I'd avoid moving to the area near Munson and the downtown area. The prices are ridiculous and not worth it. Live 10 minutes out and then commute in.


The schools are good in TC and there are options w/ Charter School and Catholic/Christian schools. However, the public schools are Class-A which means you'll have better teachers/books/buildings/programs/etc. than surrounding towns.

As for how Traverse City is growing, honestly, it isn't. It'll probably be the same as it is now in terms of businesses/people/etc. that it will be in 5-10 years. There's just nothing in the area that is drawing people here. No big corporations, no big natural attraction (in fact, the bay water line dropped a foot or two in the late 90s/early 00s and it looks kinda crummy). If you come up here, don't expect things to get any better - what you see is what you get.

[Peter B]

I live 10 miles out on Old Mission Peninsula. We moved here from Long Island 3 years ago and cannot be happier. Wife is a legal secretary and I work in marketing. Cannot imagine living in a more beautiful area. Winters are awesome as are the summers.

[Jswee]

Dojilynn -

I'm a native of Traverse City and have also owned an Exclusive Buyer's Agency here since 1991. I'd be happy to answer any question that you have about this area.

Schools -
Generally the public schools have a very good reputation in Traverse City. It depends somewhat on what specific part of town you are talking about. There are 16 different public elementary schools and as with everything, some are great, some are good and some are not so good. The school system is currently going through a consolidation and recently announced the closure of 1 elementary school and may close up to 2 more in the next several years. We are also switching from a junior high/senior high system to a middle school/high school system, that change occurring at the start of the 2009 school year. There are east side and west side junior/senior high schools and both have good reputations. There is also a public charter school and a public Montessori program, in addition to a number of excellent private school opportunities.

Different areas. -
As with any city, there are some areas which are more popular than others. To some degree this is tied to which elementary school services a given area. Generally speaking, I would look west and north instead of south and east of town but understand that this is a gross generalization and that there are nice neighborhoods in all directions. The Old Mission Peninsula is one of the nicer areas surrounding Traverse City but you will pay a premium for living there. Housing prices are relative, of course but as an example, a typical 2,000 sq. ft. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a decent neighborhood will be somewhere around the $200K range.

Taxes -
Some townships like Peninsula and Garfield Townships and the City of Traverse City have slightly higher tax rates than some of the other surrounding areas but generally taxes in Grand Traverse County are not too bad.

Employment -
Traverse City is doing better than a lot of Michigan cities but we are still feeling the general economic malaise that has hit this state in recent years. There are a few local business's that are doing extremely well and white collar employment is fairly stable. Salaries are not competitive with what you would find in other major metropolitan areas. The local adage is " A view of the Bay is half your pay" and while things have gotten slightly better in recent years, this is sadly still true in many cases. If you can make a living it's a great place to live and raise a family.

Feel free to PM me or drop me an E-mail if you have any other questions about the Traverse City area, I'd be happy to answer them if I can.

Regards,
Jswee

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by scottmi

(in fact, the bay water line dropped a foot or two in the late 90s/early 00s and it looks kinda crummy).

Does anyone ELSE know if this is true? My in-laws just visited TC a couple of weeks ago and positively RAVED about the beauty of the bay and the water.

[Jswee]

The water level in the great lakes is cyclical. It is currently pretty low but is still a foot above it's lowest point in this century, which occurred in 1962-1963. In the late 80's the water level was so high that many folks who lived on the water were worried about their homes being flooded, so it's all kind of relative. It makes it a pain to launch a boat at some of the boat launches, though.

What the other poster was referring to was all of the vegetation that has grown up along the waters edge, in areas that were previously submerged. The DNR has decided that these are ecologically sensitive areas so private owners are limited in what they can do, in terms of removing vegetation. Many areas, though still have plenty of sugar sand beach going right down to the water. Wait a few years and the water levels will come up and all of that vegetation will be under water.

The bays are still beautiful to look at. In fact, with the advent of Zebra mussels, the water clarity has increased dramatically over the last 10 -15 years and it tends to be crystal clear.

[dojilynn]

You guys are awesome! I thought this thread was dead, then I look, and there's a ton of information on it.

At this point, our move is only speculation, but we are very excited about the possibility. I miss all of the trees and lakes! The majority of the trees in our area are so small Michigan people would most likely not consider them trees!

Anyways, all of the information is greatly appreciated! Keep it coming!

[jrmontag]

Originally Posted by Peter B

I live 10 miles out on Old Mission Peninsula. We moved here from Long Island 3 years ago and cannot be happier. Wife is a legal secretary and I work in marketing. Cannot imagine living in a more beautiful area. Winters are awesome as are the summers.Attachment 5865

Attachment 5866

I've lived here for 25 years and visited TC at least once a year to visit family while I was growing up and only finally this summer trekked out to Old Mission. It was pretty sweet and I'm glad I took the extra time to do it. One day when I have more time and money I'd love to actually visit the wineries.