[allistercrowly]

I have a friend in North Michigan who says that things are very bad in North Michigan for most everything but building in particular. He said that probuild who had over 35 employees has laid off all but 11. They are on a skeleton crew. My uncles old home I worked on years ago in the 70s was just sold at auction for 18k. It cost more than that for building materials when it was built. I can not believe what I am seeing in Michigan. Homes in Gaylord were up to 175k for an avg. middle of the road home. And now I can think of 20 people who have moved and let their homes go to the bank just off the top of my head. It is not looking good. Anyone else have similar stories?

[YAZ]

I have three great friends in Michigan.

All of 'em are out of work.

Two Brother's in law that are underemployed.

If I had the cash and the time, I'd buy some prime real estate in the northern lower.

[actinic]

Michigan is turning out to be a big urban experiment ... the state needs to shed 10% - 20% of its current population til some type of equilibrium is found. Obviously there's way too many people for the jobs available, something that's been going on for some time now.

Some would say fewer people is just fine as long as taxes don't get out of hand and unemployment benefits don't last to perpetuity to turn it into one big welfare state.

If jobs are available people will come. Til then they'll need to move and find employment elsewhere.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by allistercrowly

I have a friend in North Michigan who says that things are very bad in North Michigan for most everything but building in particular. He said that probuild who had over 35 employees has laid off all but 11. They are on a skeleton crew. My uncles old home I worked on years ago in the 70s was just sold at auction for 18k. It cost more than that for building materials when it was built. I can not believe what I am seeing in Michigan. Homes in Gaylord were up to 175k for an avg. middle of the road home. And now I can think of 20 people who have moved and let their homes go to the bank just off the top of my head. It is not looking good. Anyone else have similar stories?

That situation with the building industry hit West Michigan several years ago. Many builders who had been in business for 20 - 30 years just closed their doors (forget skeleton crews). Even the Home and Builders Association had to put their HQ up for sale and move out into leased space. It has been downright dreadful around here for years now in the housing and construction industry (going back to 06 probably).

The one good news recently is that home sales have been up in the last few months in Grand Rapids. Most of the homes sold have been foreclosures, but at least they're moving.

Home sales up 21 percent for Grand Rapids area; foreclosures remain majority of transactions - West Michigan Business News – MLive.com

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by allistercrowly

I have a friend in North Michigan who says that things are very bad in North Michigan for most everything but building in particular. He said that probuild who had over 35 employees has laid off all but 11. They are on a skeleton crew. My uncles old home I worked on years ago in the 70s was just sold at auction for 18k. It cost more than that for building materials when it was built. I can not believe what I am seeing in Michigan. Homes in Gaylord were up to 175k for an avg. middle of the road home. And now I can think of 20 people who have moved and let their homes go to the bank just off the top of my head. It is not looking good. Anyone else have similar stories?

I saw a whole town just about die...{Hillsdale MI} oddly not even stated in the paper there. Before I left in late 2006, 12-13 empty houses on the street corner, I stood there and counted them, down by my apt complex. Everyone unemployed, the lucky people had grocery store jobs or fast food. Knew people at my church, [church is now defunct because so many people left] having to do 2 hour commutes to work, and they ended up moving away.

I really think the economic system of "jobs" is failing...{no I am not a socialist} I just wonder if the system of there being a job for every person compared to the population is going to work as we go into the future.

[Peter B]

Things are pretty bleak up here but if you get yourself training in something to do with healthcare, you'd be all set and live well up here.

[Driller1]

In my area we do not want jobs. As soon as a plant is going to be built, we protest.

[nordwulf]

Things are not as good as they used to be but there are people that still have jobs and have a great life up here. You often only hear the doom and gloom but life in Northern Michigan goes on. We had to take a 10% pay cut and 10% of employees were let go but that means 90% are still doing great at 90% of pay. Business (manufacturing) was slow and tough at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The rest of 2009 is going to be much better.

[scolls]

Northern Michigan has been declining for more than a decade. I moved to Roscommon in 1999 and left in 2009. An entire block of downtown is vacant, the Dairy Queen is vacant, my parents live inside the village and the house across the street is vacant, 2 doors down is vacant, 2 houses behind them are vacant. Paid 31k for their house in 1999 and can't even get 50k for it. Been like this since at least 99.

[magellan]

I think actinic had it right. Michigan needs to find a way to maintain a good quality of life for a smaller population. The auto industry was so massive and so good to Michigan for so long, that it's going to be impossible to replace. But Michigan still has to make itself more business friendly in order to attract every kind of employer it can find. And it might mean Michigan has to consolidate governments, encourage people to live closer to cities (to save on infrastructure costs), and think of different ways to fund the state government. It would probably mean the continued decline (disappearance) of small towns around Michigan, but that's a national trend everywhere.

It would actually make Michigan stronger economically in the long run, because it is not dependent on unsustainable growth patterns. And by focusing on Michigan's strengths, like industrial design, healthcare, education, and automotive technologies, we could actually make Michigan a lot better state for the people who choose to call Michigan home. Less traffic, low cost of living, cleaner air, better mass transit, more greenspace, strong agricultural base, tourism, natural resources, etc..