New and need some advice

I second the suggestion that you rent - for at least six months. That gives you time to get to know the area and look for good deals. Clare County (north of Mount Pleasant) is an area with may Amish. Some parts of the county are awesome, others are awful.

__________________
Marvelous Madame
Be kind to others. You do not know what burdens they are carrying.

I would think that the short growing seasons and problems compounded by winters would cause me to look for something in the south (of the Country, not southern Michigan). All of what we call "Winter Texans" can't be that far off in their evaluations of the quality of life as they age and your tasks with developmentally disabled kids are just that much greater - why add climate to your problem??

Come to the southern part of Texas, where land is cheaper, the growing seasons are longer, and there are no state income taxes.