I wish I could have watched this episode. What was their budget?
My parents have a house on Lake Michigan (well about 2 small dunes back) in Manistique in the U.P. It is gorgeous up there, but the beach is really only good for June/July/August. You can walk on it when it is colder, but it can get bitter cold and the winds and storms beat up the house.
They also have a house in the lower peninsula near Grand Haven with neighborhood beach access to Lake Michigan. You can still only swim during June/July/August and maybe early September and late May if you like a really cold swim.
And lake front property isn't "cheap" in Michigan, all the homes with actual lake front that are near my parents neighborhood in the lower peninsula are $1 million + as far as I know. And the homes in the U.P. are somewhat more affordable but still not cheap.
My parent's house in Michigan is on a small lake that you can have motorized boats on, and its never too cold to swim in or too warm to swim in. We have a summer house on Lake Huron way up near the bridge to the UP. The water is freezing there year round.
Western Michigan is gorgeous. Lake Michigan is amazing. If we didn't live so far away now, H and I would buy a lake house in Saugatuck. A lot of wealthy Chicago folks buy homes on Lake Michigan. The coast is full of mansions. Holland, Grand Haven, Spring Lake, etc. are great places to have a lake house if you can afford the 1 million+ price tag.
There a million lakes in Michigan. Depending on how far up the state you go, you won't be freezing and you won't need a sweater in August.
Midland, where the HH couple bought, is not anywhere I would want to live.
It's so funny you say this. We live in the Chicago burbs and when my sister in laws parents come to visit her mom is always going shopping lol.
Every "vacation" we went on growing up revolved around what malls we would go to. The nearest decent mall (and by decent I mean had stores like the Gap and Express) was about 3.5 hours away.
shell24 How old is your SIL? Marquette is an everybody knows everybody kind of town, I may know her.
@mjmksb04 When was your H at Tech? I graduated in 2002
Yay for all the yoopers!
He was there from 2006-2007ish. Even though we don't live in the UP, our trips "downstate" always involve hitting up the mall and different restaurants we don't have up here. Its pretty awesome.
So wait. The premise of this episode is that they can't afford to live beachfront in FL so instead, they decide on...Michigan? Like, as the next best thing?
No. The guy is getting moved for his job and the his wife's deal with him for agreeing to move to MI from Fl was to get a house on the lake so that they could still enjoy living on/near the water.
Ok, well this makes sense! The OP made it sound like they were choosing MI as a cheaper alternative to living in the Keys or something!
I'm about 30 min away from st Augustine. Dh and I are looking for a house in that county.
It's not that expensive to live there... I mean. If you are oceanfront sure... But there are houses for $150 like 2 blocks from the ocean...
I apparently need to move just a wee bit south if houses are that "cheap" there. I can't find a house here (Jax) for under $150 unless it's in the bad areas.
I'm in Jax too! The world golf village has plenty of decent houses for around $150k. Especially foreclosures. There are lots of older houses around a1a that are cheaper too. We don't want to be that close to the water, but they exist.
I apparently need to move just a wee bit south if houses are that "cheap" there. I can't find a house here (Jax) for under $150 unless it's in the bad areas.
I'm in Jax too! The world golf village has plenty of decent houses for around $150k. Especially foreclosures. There are lots of older houses around a1a that are cheaper too. We don't want to be that close to the water, but they exist.
We haven't looked towards there. Maybe I should. I don't know much about that area. We have always stayed closer to the main part of the city. I like where we live now, but the HOA here, well they are asshole and we only rent. I didn't realize there were a few so close to here. I've been lurking forever, never really have much to add.
Yeah, no. My inlaws have a home on Lake Michigan. I visited them there, from Florida, for the first time when H and I were first engaged. I had to borrow a sweater. In August.
This isn't fair since those of you from Florida think 60 is cold weather. August is typically the hottest month in the summer. Last year we had a lot of 90 degree weather.
More like 100+ on some days. I've never been so hot up north in my life.
This isn't fair since those of you from Florida think 60 is cold weather. August is typically the hottest month in the summer. Last year we had a lot of 90 degree weather.
More like 100+ on some days. I've never been so hot up north in my life.
Last summer was brutal. I have never been hot being right on the water up north but I was last summer.
My mom's family is from Engadine/Curtis/Gould City right off US-2. I lived in Sault Ste. Marie for 4 years and graduated from high school there. Now I live bellow the bridge. Better shopping, not as pretty.
When you're from the UP all you care about is the better shopping lol. I live in the burbs of Atlanta now, no snow and malls galore My mom was just here visiting and the southerners are amazed by her accent.
My H is from the UP, too. Everyone looks forward to shopping in Green Bay, haha.
I remember I was excited to go to Marquette one time because there was a Target (I'm from Chicago so it was a little bit of a shock that there was nothing).
I'm in Jax too! The world golf village has plenty of decent houses for around $150k. Especially foreclosures. There are lots of older houses around a1a that are cheaper too. We don't want to be that close to the water, but they exist.
We haven't looked towards there. Maybe I should. I don't know much about that area. We have always stayed closer to the main part of the city. I like where we live now, but the HOA here, well they are asshole and we only rent. I didn't realize there were a few so close to here. I've been lurking forever, never really have much to add.
It's not that bad of a drive. St. John's county has alot of great properties and the schools are AMAZING.
My parent's house in Michigan is on a small lake that you can have motorized boats on, and its never too cold to swim in or too warm to swim in. We have a summer house on Lake Huron way up near the bridge to the UP. The water is freezing there year round.
Western Michigan is gorgeous. Lake Michigan is amazing. If we didn't live so far away now, H and I would buy a lake house in Saugatuck. A lot of wealthy Chicago folks buy homes on Lake Michigan. The coast is full of mansions. Holland, Grand Haven, Spring Lake, etc. are great places to have a lake house if you can afford the 1 million+ price tag.
There a million lakes in Michigan. Depending on how far up the state you go, you won't be freezing and you won't need a sweater in August.
Midland, where the HH couple bought, is not anywhere I would want to live.
Midland?? How are they living on a lake in Midland??
We haven't looked towards there. Maybe I should. I don't know much about that area. We have always stayed closer to the main part of the city. I like where we live now, but the HOA here, well they are asshole and we only rent. I didn't realize there were a few so close to here. I've been lurking forever, never really have much to add.
It's not that bad of a drive. St. John's county has alot of great properties and the schools are AMAZING.
I've heard about the schools, which isn't much of an issue for us, my kids are grown and his daughter lives with her mom. I've also heard that taxes and whatnot are cheaper there. (meaning property) I've not checked into it. I'll have to talk to DH about this when he gets home. Maybe do some research. It's still close enough to here that he may go for it. I'd love to get away from the horrid traffic in this city, LOL.
It's not that bad of a drive. St. John's county has alot of great properties and the schools are AMAZING.
I've heard about the schools, which isn't much of an issue for us, my kids are grown and his daughter lives with her mom. I've also heard that taxes and whatnot are cheaper there. (meaning property) I've not checked into it. I'll have to talk to DH about this when he gets home. Maybe do some research. It's still close enough to here that he may go for it. I'd love to get away from the horrid traffic in this city, LOL.
Yeah. We are right in the thick of the traffic now too.
Check out the developments on cr 210 or world golf village. Or palencia. Or Nocatee! Lol. I like that area and we really hope to end up somewhere over there.
LOL, I don't have a clue. It's something stupid I found online and I was checking to see if I could even get my avatar to work and just never changed it.
Yeah. We are right in the thick of the traffic now too.
Check out the developments on cr 210 or world golf village. Or palencia. Or Nocatee! Lol. I like that area and we really hope to end up somewhere over there.
We currently live in St. Johns County, but if we were to move I would go to Nocatee/Palencia assuming H wouldn't mind the extra driving. We are right off San Jose Blvd now and really like it. Prices have dropped since we bought a few years ago too.
I grew up near San Jose! In mandarin.
Holy cow there are alot of us here!
@tambcat
I lived in tally for 1 1/2 years. I will never go back. Plus, I married a huge gator fan, so I'm not allowed. Lol.