homestead in upper michigan?

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Just checked and his last post was for 5-19-08 and at that time he was STILL living in Wisconsin. Perhaps the "dream" is still alive......just delayed a bit?

To any others reading and considering......

I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said about the U.P. My only advice is to stay at least 45 minutes driving distance away from the city of Marquette which is the most expensive in the U.P.

Wow, this thread was brought back to life after nearly 5 years. I've since decided to stay in WI for the time being. I've got a small house in town on a good sized lot, doing the "urban homesteading" thing. Grow a big garden every year, and am considering adding some rabbits at the moment. Still interested in the country lifestyle and still do browse real estate listings from the u.p. I may go up there sometime this summer and look for some prospective homestead sites. Thanks again for the replies, and would of course welcome any additional info people may have about the u.p.

Nick

People leaving Michigan in large numbers is all the more reason to live in the UP :-) Yes, good jobs are hard to find, but if you're willing, there is always a way. Eastern UP is very much different than central and western UP and always has been.

There is a lot of building going on in the Marquette and Houghton areas - Lowes just opened in Marquette a couple of months ago - condos, townhomes, very $$$ along waterfront in those cities. Hard to tell what's going to happen in the coming months/years, but we've always been behind the times, and never really prosperous times. Mines, forests, and farming, lots of hard work. Spend three months of summer getting ready for 9 months of winter lol. Have a wood stove. Lots of people are successful gardeners. So we survive. I have to say that I love newcomers and I've lived here all my life. I think overall the UP is a very friendly place. In the small towns you can find reasonable little homes with a bit of acreage.

Don't know why I'm promoting it, since we're in the middle of a hard cold winter and I'm a little shack-happy ha! - but I just found out it's even colder south of us, in southern MN and WI... Snow is manageable in most areas, unless you're close to Lake Superior..

just some thoughts on a very cold night...

oops, correction - born in troll land but transplanted here at an early age ha :-)

If you can stand the isolation and the winters..... you won't regret it!

We lived up there for four years. Moved downstate last October to be closer to family..... didn't even make it a year. We knew within months we had made a serious mistake and in four days we'll be back up there to stay permanently!

I can't help with the livestock question tho...... except to say it likely depends on what area of the U.P. you are settling in. In Marquette County we rarely had a problem with the black flies. Other places I've traveled (for hiking) we wore netting and long sleeves to keep them at bay.

Wow... this thread came up on page 1... yet the last post was in 2006 (?)
did it go to the front because of an edit to a post maybe?

Curious on the OP's current plans. I love the UP... used to live in Crystal Falls.

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Jerngen;
I guess I'll be the 1st to say "Welcome Back!" Are you moving close to your previous address up here? Best wishes to you & your family. Maggie (who, along w/DH & 2 children, moved up here from SE Wisconsin 12 years ago next month!!)

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Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Thanks! Yes the job is located in Marquette so that's our "center of operations". When we buy the homestead it'll be further out tho.