[darstar]

Originally Posted by MissyAKATink

Well I have been in western NC for almost 3 years now and its not come close to 100 here, maybe 89 on a hot day...Heck i have been posting on here for a week now in search of a home in UP, MI and I dont wanna go and I don't do snow...you must really like the cold. I have heard horrible things about jobs, but great things about the people and food.

I am someone who spent 18 years in Western NC , at 4,000 feet. Lots of snow , Ice , power outages , and yes , did not need AC. No bugs .
Here in the UP , near lake Superior , bugs in spring , mostly 60-70 summer ,not as cold as NC Mts. but more constant ,teens to 25 winter, more snow constant . less ice , and , so far no power outages.

[Giesela]

Originally Posted by darstar

You are not far off to the truth here with that statement. The UP has suffered over the years much , by giving away its natural resources. All thats left now , in some places , are abandoned towns, poverty , and toxic waste.
We are ripe now , for exploitative investment , and a second or third round of extracting our most precious commodity , the natural beauty we hold so dear.
The recent move ( yesterday ), to declare the Pictured Rocks area a Wilderness zone , is a good step in preserving our UP. We need more of that. The UP is possibility the last stand in the lower 48 , for wilderness , as it is known today. Its going to be a hard battle , balancing the need for jobs , economy , and preserving the outback here in Upper Michigan , or , " the State of Superior " , as I call it.

Well said.

I was talking to a real estate agent in the Northern LP and he said that many many "rare" never before on the market large acreage's are for sale with more to come. These are huge tracts of 1000 acres or many feet of lake front on Lakes like Black lake that have been in the same family since the beginning - now being bought up by big money out of state investors looking for places to park their money. I'm terrified of what might come of that.
The short view, panic etc. is the enemy. Someone was giving me that - well we should sell the Great lakes water! Whoa. The lakes have already been down in the drought. And the need for water is only going to grow, you sell it now (if ever) and down the road when its really bad? Get a grip.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by Giesela

Well said.

I was talking to a real estate agent in the Northern LP and he said that many many "rare" never before on the market large acreage's are for sale with more to come. These are huge tracts of 1000 acres or many feet of lake front on Lakes like Black lake that have been in the same family since the beginning - now being bought up by big money out of state investors looking for places to park their money. I'm terrified of what might come of that.
The short view, panic etc. is the enemy. Someone was giving me that - well we should sell the Great lakes water! Whoa. The lakes have already been down in the drought. And the need for water is only going to grow, you sell it now (if ever) and down the road when its really bad? Get a grip.

Its an age old story repeating itself , when no one has any money , those of the manor born who are lucky to still tote the cash.......will have a field day !

[MonkeyButler7000]

I am thinking about moving back to Michigan once I am done with the military in about a year and a half. Hopefully things will be back on an upward swing by then, but home prices will still be low. There probably isn't a less expensive major metro area right now than Detroit.

SE Michigan is home for me. I know that people are flocking elsewhere for jobs, but I am willing to take my chances. Moving to greener pastures is never a sure thing. Things are competitive everywhere. There may be more jobs in the Carolinas, but everyone is flocking there to get them.

Jobs come and go. What matters most are the relationships we have with those closest to us. You can't find those anywhere else but home.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by MonkeyButler7000

I am thinking about moving back to Michigan once I am done with the military in about a year and a half. Hopefully things will be back on an upward swing by then, but home prices will still be low. There probably isn't a less expensive major metro area right now than Detroit.

SE Michigan is home for me. I know that people are flocking elsewhere for jobs, but I am willing to take my chances. Moving to greener pastures is never a sure thing. Things are competitive everywhere. There may be more jobs in the Carolinas, but everyone is flocking there to get them.

Jobs come and go. What matters most are the relationships we have with those closest to us. You can't find those anywhere else but home.

You might be better served , by looking for another place in Michigan , than the most depressed areas. The highest unemployment , foreclosures , and other bad things are in SE Michigan. Seems to me , coming back to such a depressing place would be counterproductive .

[just_sayin']

Originally Posted by darstar

The SE part of our country was one areas that has held up well during the early days of the down turn. This has not been the first time . Some areas seem to have been immune to the down economy in the past recessions . I contribute a lot of this to the booming in flux of retirees from the North , flocking to the mid South , instead of Florida. Those that tried Florida , are now moving north as well , they are called " half backs " , those that go north only so far as the Carolinas .
Now , the down turn has hit the SE hard , and , a lot of folks are surprised, thinking they were insulated.
The same goes for the UP of Michigan , only in another way scenario. The UP has always ( in quite a few years ) , had a limited amount of jobs. Shortage of employment up here is a way of life. We have a delicate balance economy , one that we would have a hard time handling in ether direction. Remember , we have a large area , off the beaten path for almost everyone else on the outside. Our largest City Marquette only has 32,000 people , and 70,000 in the County.
Don't look for the UP to change a lot , when compared to the rest of the Country , and , thats one of the reasons we like it here.... and , yes , were are not Michigan..only in name.

Stumbled upon this section of city-data and have to agree...the person who thinks that the carolina's have a "booming" economy is very wrong. The larger metros of NC are somewhat resilient and haven't been hit quite as hard as many other areas; but they are DEFINITELY not booming. South Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country...not too far behind Michigan in fact.