Tell me about Michigan (Northern and U.P.)

Super55 · #21 09/20/14, 06:58 AM

I live just outside Traverse City in Leelanau county. I was born and raised there and love the area but is definitely not the same area I grew up as kid in. Sleeping Bear national lakeshore was voted as the one of the most beautiful places by good morning america a few years back (personally I think everyone locally voted for it to boost tourism). TC is a nice city in that it does have everything you need but as others have said it really has become really touristy along with leelanau county. Land prices in leelanau county are considerably higher than the surrounding areas.

For the LP and to some extent the UP. Land prices generally go up the closer you are to the lakeshore of the Great Lakes or one of the larger towns that might have a walmart, Meijer, HD etc. If your willing to spare the convenience of these by spending at least 45 minutes to get to one the land gets very reasonable.

As for where to settle in Michigan.

What are you interests? farming, fishing, hunting, homesteading, horse backing? There is some truly incredible trout fishing to be had in the au sable and manistee rivers.

One of my favorite places is the keewanaw peninsula in the UP especially around Copper Harbor and Houghton. Back in the beginning of the 1900's the area was a boom town with mining but has since had all the mines abandoned but a lot of the old machinery, mills etc is still present. Beautiful place in the summer but you better be tough to handle the winter. Last year they held the title up there for the most consecutive days below zero and most amount of snowfall anywhere in the US if my memory serves me correctly.

What I have done in the past is go on sites like zillow and set my parameters of what I want in a place in acreage and key words such as barn, stream or something and than search. Than I will crop an area of where I want it to be. There are tons of nice homesteads at reasonable prices.

haypoint · #22 09/20/14, 07:18 AM

By Texas standards, it is very, vey cold. By MN standards, it is warm. The landscape is varied. Lots of forest, lots of crop land. Orchards and vinyards. Google Earth and take a look. More snow than KS, but about the same temps. Lots more lakes and rivers.

SLFarmMI · #23 09/20/14, 09:01 AM

I'm partial to southern Michigan myself. Not so outrageous in terms of snow amounts, more jobs, no tourist invasion that I know of. Our little bit of heaven is about 30 minutes from Monroe. Still land available although probably not as much as in the UP. (When we were taking DS #1 up to Houghton this time there was place after place for sale up there.)

haypoint · #24 09/20/14, 09:21 AM

Come on up in late March, when the 3 feet of snow is melting and the lakes have 4 feet of ice covering them. Do not come up in October when the grass is green, the forests full of color, air is fresh, the tourists are gone and the fishing is fantastic.
It is nothing but rock, trees and cold fresh streams up here. Black flies and snow. Oh. don't forget snow snakes, huge snakes hiding in snow banks.
Old homesteads growing up to brush for lack of farmers.

Jim-mi · #25 09/20/14, 10:13 AM

"Place after place for sale" (and abandoned). . . .Cause oh so many have fled for parts unknown seeking jobs.

Traverse City and Gaylord become painful to me because of the stupid tourists.
They bring their big city driving habits up here.----Tailgating 1/2 a car length behind you. Passing on yellow lines.
Oh ya, and with an attitude that their carp don't stink.

can you tell I love and adore the stupid tourists . . . ??

haypoint · #26 09/20/14, 10:39 AM

Moving to the wilderness is a desire that peaks twice in the lifespan of many people.
The first time is in their late 20s and into their 30s. Sick of dead end job, full of energy, idealistic. Their move is loaded with brush clearing, doing more with less, growing, building, unique uses for slab wood and blue tarps. Their city friends enjoy their visits. Takes about 10 years to realize making goat soap and feeding off what the farden pests and preditors leave behind becomes too ardous.
The next tim is around retirement age, especially an early retirement. Watch a few "green acres" TV shows. They have the money and at first, the energy to garden and raise a variety of animals. Ledgers of profit vs loss are imbarising and seldom used as a yardstick. Eventually lonelyness sets in and health issues demand access to a good medical facility. Takes about 10 years.
Many buy property with retirement plans to move there. A downturn in the economy requires that the motor cycle, speed boat, third car, motor home and that brushy 40 acres up north are shed first.
So, rural and wilderness properties change hands often.

hfuller · #27 09/20/14, 02:28 PM

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1411241283.389220.jpg

hfuller · #28 09/20/14, 02:33 PM

Just spent a week at my sisters place near mesick. 120 acres of hardwoods and an old Christmas tree farm. The only thing they're missing IMHO is a stream!

Kstornado11 · #29 09/20/14, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

By Texas standards, it is very, vey cold. By MN standards, it is warm. The landscape is varied. Lots of forest, lots of crop land. Orchards and vinyards. Google Earth and take a look. More snow than KS, but about the same temps. Lots more lakes and rivers.

Don't mind the cold, but the horrible, 100 degree heat in the Kansas summers are too much for me & the kids, we are all blond/pale & burn in 30 seconds flat.
Lakes,rivers , trees....ahhh sounds like Heaven to me! And anything less than the 6 hour drive we have to make to a decent hospital for our son works for us. Job situation not so great? Hubby is a blue collar kinda guy. We live in town, & I am able to grow enough food to feed our family and several friends ,neighbors & relatives just here in town. I know if I had more space & a greenhouse (& actually learn how to CAN, I now have all the supplies!

) we would do just fine.

Tricky Grama · #30 09/20/14, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim-mi

"Place after place for sale" (and abandoned). . . .Cause oh so many have fled for parts unknown seeking jobs.

Traverse City and Gaylord become painful to me because of the stupid tourists.
They bring their big city driving habits up here.----Tailgating 1/2 a car length behind you. Passing on yellow lines.
Oh ya, and with an attitude that their carp don't stink.

can you tell I love and adore the stupid tourists . . . ??

My DD has a store in a tourist area & she has certainly grown weary of them...sent her a sign: if it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?

unregistered358967 · #31 09/20/14, 03:52 PM

The up scenery-wise reminds a lot of Alaska. Lots of pines, birch. More Mosquitos than people.

I'd move there in a heartbeat.

.

Kstornado11 · #32 09/20/14, 03:57 PM

I was doing a search for info/books on our library's website & ran across this book, I though some here might enjoy it, I requested it so will let ya know if it's any good!

Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm

Quote:

It’s the summer of 2005, and Mardi Jo Link’s dream of living the simple life has unraveled into debt, heartbreak, and perpetually ragged cuticles. She and her husband of nineteen years have just called it quits, leaving her with serious cash-flow problems and a looming divorce. More broke than ever, Link makes a seemingly impossible resolution: to hang on to her century-old farmhouse in northern Michigan and continue to raise her three boys on well water and wood chopping and dirt. Armed with an unfailing sense of humor and three resolute accomplices, Link confronts blizzards and foxes, learns about Zen divorce and the best way to butcher a hog, dominates a zucchini-growing contest and wins a year’s supply of local bread, masters the art of bargain cooking, wrangles rampaging poultry, and withstands any blow to her pride in order to preserve the life she wants.

http://www.amazon.com/Bootstrapper-B.../dp/0307596915

unregistered358967 · #33 09/20/14, 04:04 PM

That looks good! I wonder which city it takes place in? I'll have to look for that book- thanks.

Forgot to add, there are larger towns in the up as well as smaller communities but there are definitely fewer people than the mitten.

Marquette is a nice city as is houghton- that area up toward it has awesome blueberry picking and in the fall... Amazing. I spent almost every summer in the up and really do plan to settle there when I can.

.

Kstornado11 · #34 09/20/14, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jax-mom

That looks good! I wonder which city it takes place in? I'll have to look for that book- thanks.

Forgot to add, there are larger towns in the up as well as smaller communities but there are definitely fewer people than the mitten.

Marquette is a nice city as is houghton- that area up toward it has awesome blueberry picking and in the fall... Amazing. I spent almost every summer in the up and really do plan to settle there when I can.

.

Yummm Blueberries....

! We are hoping to move up there, need to go visit as soon as we can. So great to have folks who know the area to help out w/ tips/experiences!

Kstornado11 · #35 09/20/14, 04:32 PM

Oh & it looks like that book takes place near Traverse City, Jax-mom!

unregistered358967 · #36 09/20/14, 05:32 PM

I would recommend visiting in winter too. Not sure if you were leaning toward the up, but they get a lot of snow, especially in the areas closer to l. Superior. We've had snow there as early as late sept/early October , as well as snow in May. Summer is fun and tons of festivals and activities to cram in. Good luck.

||Downhome|| · #37 09/20/14, 07:15 PM

Yup cold,wet,hot,muggy,dry,snow,sleet,rain and hail.

But that changes hourly...

Tricky Grama · #38 09/21/14, 06:49 AM

We took a short trip to UP early June, '11. It was cold! And beautiful. Stayed in a cabin on lake Manistique. Took the boat trip at Pictured Rocks Ntl Lakeshore. Cold! Had our 1st pasties.

LittleRedHen · #39 09/21/14, 12:23 PM

I have lived in Mason and Oceana Counties.... with familiar with Manistee and Muskegon. Counties are excellent for orchards and is actually considered 6a. I get 2-3 weeks more of gardening than a friend of Newaygo County. Sandy soil is common though and it makes some gardening harder. East sides of county is heavy clay. Oceana is mostly sand and has a lot of christmas trees instead of farms.

The Lake makes us warmer in winter, cooler in summer than some other parts of Michigan.

However I dont know where you are from but you might get sticker shock when you pay for car insurance and property taxes...

BaconandBakin · #40 09/22/14, 05:13 AM

The Traverse area is great, I lived in Traverse for about 12 years and then Kalkaska for about 3 more. Gorgeous area, incredibly unique and so many options in fairly short distances. Some areas have gotten very touristey and if you are ever trying to go through downtown Traverse in a hurry you will most likely pull your hair out, thats one of the biggest reason I moved away. There are areas where the land is cheap, but there are a lot of areas that are crazy overpriced as well. The winters can be harsh, but you get used to it and miss it when you're gone. Coincidentally enough, my dad has a house on 10 acres for sale in the Mancelona area. I personally like the area and the house but I would guess a lot of people would tell you not to move there as it is a lower income area. My overall advice is if you are thinking of moving to an area, find a rental and go stay for a month or so before moving, I wish I would have done that the last 2 or 3 times I moved...