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1. I've been out here 3 years and still haven't gotten used to it. Wile I do enjoy a bike rider, the rude drivers and dryness no matter what time, makes it impossible to enjoy it here. I also would much rather swim in a nice freshwater lake than a disgusting chlorinated pool.
2. I have left teaching and switched to health care. Yes they are more driven there.That still doesn't fix all the problems that this place has and expecting teachers to be the sole motivation for kids is unrealistic.
3. I have met a few wonderful folks, but most are shut-ins who want to be left alone. Thats another problem here. Most of the time during the day, its not pleasant being outside. The sun is so intense it feels like your skin is going to burn off (even with a lot of sunscreen. People don't go outside or socialize with their neighbors. There is also very little to do that involves meeting other people my age unless it is on 4th avenue (10 miles) away. Because Tucson has horrible traffic, this equates to about 30-40 minutes.
4. 150K can buy me a condo on a beach in MI, or a house with 10 acres. I doubt there is a condo in Tucson that compares with that!
Some folks just don't like it here. It can be a tough adjustment for some. I'll admit that there are some things in MI that I miss, I just go back to visit once or twice per year.
All things considered, I've had a wonderful experience here in AZ.
[quote=mesha73;4114545]This could be a loaded question. I am 35 years old. I am going to be finishing college with an Associates in Applied Science with a Certificate in Surgical Technology. I am three children. I currently work in the health care field in Mental Health. I make pretty decent money around 35K a year with no degree currently. I want to move out of Michigan because the economy is horrible here. I am disappointed with our Governor. The housing market is definitely the buyers market which if you are in a buying position is good but if you are in a selling position not so good. Then there is the job market which is just as horrible as the mentioned above. Then there is all the people on welfare in this darn state. Give me a break it is ridiculous. [quote]
gosh, i am a single parent living in georgia making 5K less than you! and i HAVE a bachelor's degree. maybe i need to move back home to michigan. oh and my degree is in social work... got any openings there where you work?
If you look at those grads youll see theyre still seeking a job, there arent any here Its sad, college tuition here in michigan is the highest in the country, so anyone wanting to go gets scared about loans, etc and they end up not doing it at all. They raised the tuition more than double last year, and they say the students enrolled dropped by over half.
I don't blame them for not enrolling. Graduated from college 3 years ago and I'm still looking for a job. Went in on full scholarship/grants, tuition rose and I now owe Sallie Mae $30,000 (and the unemployment deferment period is almost up.) I shouldn't have went (sad that I even have to think that, considering I am the only one in my family so far to even complete college) to college right after high school. I can't even land a regular job because out of the few that are here, I think that most of them don't want to hire me because I may be overqualified, that or there are so few jobs and so many that need them. I love Michigan, but there are just not enough opportunities for people here to get started, and it sucks for the most for people that can't afford to leave for another state.
Well we tried to continue to make it here but three years ago we both lost good paying jobs. We jusy couldn't get jobs to replace those. My husband was working 3 jobs and it was insane. We had to start looking out of state. He went to Minnesota but then last week was offered a better job with better pay in Virginia. So he is on his way there right now and myself and my kids will join him in July. We hate leavig Michigan we were born here and have lived her all of our lives. Our older kids live here. But we still have children at home and need to make a living. We love Michigan just like many others do and had to leave. It will always be home to us.
Location: The Frenchie Farm, Where We Grow 'em Big!
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I did 19 years ago and never gave the thought of coming back. I have been around the world while in the military and I just can't see ever going back to MI. Don't get me wrong that I had a wonderful up-bringing and memories while growing up, but I have discovered a whole different world that was meant for me to take. And I took it like a mad dog on a piece of raw meat!!!
I live in Upper Michigan. and I hate it. there is nothing at all to do. I have a very small movie theater with only about 4 screens, a few bars, and a McDonalds in my town, that's it. and the closest city with civilization is Green Bay which is 3 hours away. and then Milwaukee is in 2nd place with being 5 hours away. then Chicago is about 7 hours away. and Detroit is 9 hours away (and it's actually in the state I live in!). we also get usually about 10 feet of snow every year. and are in "winter" from October to May. about half the year there is snow here, not even kidding, and I hate snow and cold! there's also not that great of job opportunities. I'm moving to NYC as soon as I possibly can. really, the Upper Peninsula = the middle of nowhere. with bad winters. it's horrible.
My family and I are moving to South Carolina in the middle of July. We took a chance and opened a business in Michigan but things have not worked out as we have hoped. I guess its hard to have a retail business in a tourist area when no one in the state can really afford to buy gifts while on vacation. I was offered a teaching position in S.C and my wife is an R.N so she can get a job at aby hospital. We are sad to be leaving Michigan but excited at the possibilities that are in front of us. I grew up in metro Det and have lived in Traverse City the last 5 years. I love it there but the job market is horrible. I wish you all luck and hope that Michigan can one day turn around
I don't blame them for not enrolling. Graduated from college 3 years ago and I'm still looking for a job. Went in on full scholarship/grants, tuition rose and I now owe Sallie Mae $30,000 (and the unemployment deferment period is almost up.) I shouldn't have went (sad that I even have to think that, considering I am the only one in my family so far to even complete college) to college right after high school. I can't even land a regular job because out of the few that are here, I think that most of them don't want to hire me because I may be overqualified, that or there are so few jobs and so many that need them. I love Michigan, but there are just not enough opportunities for people here to get started, and it sucks for the most for people that can't afford to leave for another state.
Just remember you can do a voluntary forebearance on your loans. I owe sallie mae twice what you do and couldn't afford to pay them with a good paying job. I used the voluntray forebearance until I got a better paying job. You get three years. I have heard that it resets after you consolidate too. hopefully the unemployement and forbearance options aren't on the same clock
There is also a hardship forebearance. If that is what you meant by the unemployent deferment you might be out of luck though. But I did not think there was a time limit with the hardship forebearance.
I don't blame them for not enrolling. Graduated from college 3 years ago and I'm still looking for a job. Went in on full scholarship/grants, tuition rose and I now owe Sallie Mae $30,000 (and the unemployment deferment period is almost up.) I shouldn't have went (sad that I even have to think that, considering I am the only one in my family so far to even complete college) to college right after high school. I can't even land a regular job because out of the few that are here, I think that most of them don't want to hire me because I may be overqualified, that or there are so few jobs and so many that need them. I love Michigan, but there are just not enough opportunities for people here to get started, and it sucks for the most for people that can't afford to leave for another state.
I'm not sure if you have yet...but consolidtion of your loans is possibly the next best thing...I had about 42K with sallie mae, although they don't offer consolidation directly anymore, but there are still companies out there that do. I saved roughly 250/month by doing this, the credit crunch is catching up to student loan holders and the results aren't going to be pretty. Most major banks in the past offered the same services, but no more.
I had the same issue with over-qualification, and this is something that will continue to worsen. Remember, in the pool of unemployed people, you have lots of displaced older workers, individuals with much more education than you and I, and everyone in between. If you really just want income at this point, getting a service industry job shouldn't be difficult, just indicate that your willing to take lesser pay than your degree screams for. Keep looking at other states, if you can find a company that will cover some of the relocal costs, then jump on the opportunity. After I fisnished my undergraduate work I waisted 3 years of my life (yes I said 3 years) searching for better paying employment, and I hold two degrees in very desirable fields, and have almost a decade experience. This story is all to common, and simply put...if you have the chance at a better paying job elsewhere....your degree will open doors that otherwise wouldn't have been there for you.
Or in our case....there is no grass, unless you irrigate
But seriously....
If you can get a good job elsewhere or you just have always dreamed of living in another area, I say go for it! But before you make the sacrifices needed in order to leave, really take a good look before you leave Michigan.
When construction went down, so did our bread and butter, which was a drywall contracting business. We were able to sell our home and we relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. Our house sold so fast (a miracle, really, as we did not underprice it) that we didn't even have a chance to find work. But we were told not to worry by people who had moved down here, that there were construction jobs and economic expansion, not to mention lots of sunshine and beautiful weather. We were able to rent a house from a relative, so off we went. Goodbye Michigan!!
I'm not saying that Arizona is a horrid place, not at all. There is a lot to like about it and there is a lot of natural beauty. But since Phoenix is where the jobs and action was supposed to be, let me tell you about our experience. The construction job market greatly tightened up between the few months when we researched the area and when we arrived there. Because so many were trying to get in they could be ultra-picky. Things had slowed down, but everyone was saying it was temporary and that so many people were moving to the southwest that any problems would be shortlived. Then the bottom totally fell out. The unsold new home and foreclosure problems here are serious and mounting. Home prices are plummeting, which is good for a buyers market, but they still don't know how this will effect the economy, which expanded right along with the housing boom. Where we are renting, they are predicting double digit drops in home values in the next few months. There are deserted homes all over the city due to overspeculation and foreclosure. I have been hearing that there is about a 16 month supply of new homes and that the number is rapidly growing. A healthy number is no more than 6 months. And that is not taking into consideration the foreclosures.
Cheaper houses mean living so far out that you're looking at a very long commute, like two hours. ("Drive until you qualify", was the saying here) The roads are very crowded and rush hour means crawling bumper to bumper for the two hour drive. The workmanship of the homes really lacks. They were thrown up in a hurry during the boom.
You'd better have a good opinion of HOA's because nearly every housing community has them. Many of them are very strict. You'll also find that the houses look pretty much alike. Brown. Stucco. Not much variety here. Each development has a matching strip mall for your convenience. Someone posted a funny one on the Phoenix board about needing a GPS to find their friends house and then still discovered they were at the wrong back yard pool party. I got a great laugh out of that one, because it was so on target!
Property taxes are lower here, but there is lots of talk about raising them in order to pay for the needed infrastructure. They whipped all those houses up in a big hurry, but they are still catching up to expand roadways and build medical facilities and schools. With the construction boom over down here, someone has to pay for these things.
License plates are much higher here than in Michigan. It's based on the year and worth of your car. My husbands new truck cost us over 400 dollars to plate for the year. I have heard of RV's costing $3000 a year for an Arizona plate.
Sales tax is almost the same, but add to that city or county sales tax. Some areas have tax on food.
Gas is cheaper, but you're going to drive so much that you end up buying more. It costs a couple hundred dollars a week for the workday drive.
Illegal immigration is a huge problem. I had no idea why the border states were so up in arms before I got here and figured it was racism. That is not the problem at all, although I'm sure there are racist people here just like anywhere. The trouble is that businesses love to hire illegals because they are cheap and expendable, and they don't have to offer them any kind of health insurance. They are a real drain on the tax system, because they have no health insurance but still need to have medical care. Many of them drive uninsured. And they have all the labor jobs in construction, landscaping, etc. If you want to be a foreman, you will need to speak Spanish in order to talk to your workers.
There are what they call "drop houses", even in the nicest neighborhoods, which are houses that are a place for the illegal workers to stay until they get established. You can have 30 people or more living in a house. Sadly, there is also a human trafficking problem as well. People are kidnapped over the border to be cheap labor here in the U.S. On the west side of the city there seems to be big busts every week.
Yes, the sun shines over 300 days a year here and right now the weather is awesome: mid 80's, no humidity. But just like you are feeling stuck in the house all winter in Michigan, you will feel the same way here in the summer. When the temperature soars over 110, it is not only hot, it is dangerous heat. You can die in it if you are not smart. There won't be a cloud in the sky, so that sun just bakes everything. The neighborhoods are quiet all day because everyone stays in the air conditioning. At 10:00 at night it will still be 101 degrees. During monsoon, there are big dirt storms, followed by major storms that cause flash flooding. You might end up waiting a long time to cross a roadway until the water clears. And if you get caught in a big dust storm you just pull over and turn out your lights so no one follows you.
And though we complain about the humidity in Michigan, after awhile you wish you had some here! When the humidity level is 3-5%, your skin stays dry, your sinuses hurt, and when you go grocery shopping you get big shocks everytime you touch a freezer door.
Phoenix has a lot of crime, actually. Yes, there are nice neighborhoods in the city and just outside, but they are higher priced. Or you live very far out and have that 2 hour commute to work. Car theft is very high. Identity theft is sky high, too. There are street businesses that arrange fake drivers licenses and social security numbers for illegal immigrants. Your number could be used no matter where you live.
Moving out of state isn't easy because of what you leave behind. We have met some nice people here, but we also left behind a lot of great friends and our families. It's something else to consider.
If you are in the medical or teaching fields, there is work for you in Phoenix. But wages are lower here. They like to point out that this is a right to work state, but those evil unions that are so popular to b*tch about right now really do keep wages more even. Add to that the illegal labor force being paid so much less, which drags everyones wages way down in many areas of work. I read this Sunday in the Arizona Republic that the states biggest employer is Walmart.
We're working, but it's not all that great. If we are going to just have to scratch out a living for awhile, we'd rather do it where we wish we were living and near those who mean so much to us. We came out here thinking we'd better ourselves. It has made us tougher, so I guess that's a good thing, lol!
I don't mean this as some anti-Phoenix rant, I'm illustrating that the grass might seem greener on the other side, no matter where you want to live, but it might not be the answer that you think it is. Don't jump as fast as we did. Do your homework thoroughly. We had a monkey wrench thrown into our plans because our house sold so shockingly fast: in one week! Our original plan was for my husband to stay with some friends in Phoenix and look for work, leaving me to hold things up in Michigan. Had he learned what we know now we would have found another way and saved Arizona for a possible winter retirement area one day. For everything we left Michigan for, there is something equally as frustrating or more in our new area.
Anyway.....we have been able to get a mortgage on an inexpensive older home on the west side of the state, where we always wanted to live anyway. We'll be there before the serious snow flies! We might not get rich, but we're pretty sure we'll be happy once we get ourselves up and working. I miss grass. And trees. And water. There are some serious water problems going on both south and southwest.....don't take Michigan's abundant resource for granted!
So...sorry so long, but that's our story.
Northernguys Other Half
I never saw a literal use for "grass is always greener" till now.....and keep in mind that 5 million people living cheek-to-jowl in the desert really IS mass insanity..
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Its sad, college tuition here in michigan is the highest in the country, so anyone wanting to go gets scared about loans, etc and they end up not doing it at all. They raised the tuition more than double last year, and they say the students enrolled dropped by over half.
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