Gay Couple Considering Relocating to Ann Arbor (Ypsilanti, Brighton: real estate, foreclosure)

[EastwardBound]

We are a gay male couple living in Los Angeles, but wanting out asap because of the common complaints-traffic, poor air quality, rude people and a lack of community, but most of all outrageous housing costs. We want to buy a house, but can't afford anything here with the prices starting around $500,000 to $700,000 for a fixer-upper.

I'm originally from the Midwest, so can deal with the cold and snow and also feel more at ease in the area. I also have a good friend who lives in the Chelsea area, who I have visited. She has provided a lot of valuable information, but I would like to get the opinions of others as well.

My questions are the same ones asked and pondered over and over on here and I have read through all of the threads both here and elsewhere collecting all the information I can before we make any leap. That said, any additional information or assistance that can be provided would be much appreciated.

First, about us. As I stated, we are a gay male couple around 30 years old. I work from home, so that isn't a problem and actually another reason we are looking to move to the eastern time zone is to benefit my online teaching business, where I would have an additional three hours to work during decent hours. Now my husband on the other hand is a Korean national, who just received his green card and his CPA license. Herein lies my first question. How realistic are his chances of finding work as a CPA in the Ann Arbor area? I've done some research for jobs related to the accounting field, but haven't come across too many. Does the economy seem to be improving?


Second, as stated, we are a gay couple, would living in a rural or semi-rural area outside of town be a problem for us? We aren't into a gay scene and aren't flamboyant in my opinion, but just want to live our own lives in comfort with friendly neighbors.

Third, one common theme on this board and elsewhere is concerning the increasing cost of living in the state. My research suggests it is significantly lower than LA however, especially with regards to home prices. We realize that could be offset by extreme heating bills in the winter and other factors. Certainly we would have a lower cost of living than compared to LA right?


Any answers to these questions and suggestions about possible places for us to locate are very welcome!

[teachbeach]

You would definitely have an overall lower cost of living in MI. Housing would be your biggest gain (more house for less money). Yes, you might possibly see higher heating bills in the winter, but there are many months where you would use neither heat or AC~so it offsets itself, especially if your home is heated with natural gas. Your partner would not have any trouble getting employment, there are many fields that are looking for people with an accounting background. It may take time but I'm confident that he'd find employment. You might be surprised at the traffic congestion in/around Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Brighton during rush hour and during the seasons of road repair (pretty much any time it isn't freezing or snowing they are working on road construction). Coming from California it might not be a huge difference for you, but to people in this area traffic is a big nightmare and frustration. I would trust the helpfulness of your friend, a good realtor in finding a suitable place to live. The Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Brighton area has all of the amenities of major cities, and within driving distance of easy getaway days or weekends.

[Chengdu Nanhai]

I second the general notion of the above poster, Ann Arbor would be a very good fit for you. Economically Ann Arbor is doing very well, your partner would have no problem working as a CPA here. While Ann Arbor is expensive in Midwestern standard, you'll still get better quality of life for your money compared to LA. While housing prices have gone up over the past several years, you can still purchase a pretty nice house for under $400k in Ann Arbor (or a nice townhouse for under $300k). Culturally it is very liberal and very gay-friendly. The winter here is a drag, but taking a couple of well-time vacations really help.

[chiroptera]

Mass-posting "considering relocating to...." threads on many different forums from Florida to Wisconsin. Apparently looking to move to just about anywhere, and just looking for feedback

https://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=9677899

[xfactor85]

Originally Posted by Chengdu Nanhai

I second the general notion of the above poster, Ann Arbor would be a very good fit for you. Economically Ann Arbor is doing very well, your partner would have no problem working as a CPA here. While Ann Arbor is expensive in Midwestern standard, you'll still get better quality of life for your money compared to LA. While housing prices have gone up over the past several years, you can still purchase a pretty nice house for under $400k in Ann Arbor (or a nice townhouse for under $300k). Culturally it is very liberal and very gay-friendly. The winter here is a drag, but taking a couple of well-time vacations really help.

I don't know.. I think you really get what you pay for. LA may be expensive, but you also get extras like weather, things to do.. ethnic restaraunts, shops, many downtowns to go to , hiking.. etc.

Ann Arbor has "city life" but it is no where near the city life in other cities, it could be considered a small downtown area. Ann Arbor may have some ethnic restaraunts or shops, but it is no where near what is offered in cities like LA. Therefore, you must be ready for a tradeoff.

Also, I hope you guys can handle cold weather... This winter has been brutal. Over 80 inches of snow plus MANY days below 0. Granted that this is one of the worst winters on record, winters in Ann Arbor can be pretty brutal. This is a tremendous change from living in LA. Ann Arbor can also get pretty hot and humid over the summer as well.

Jobwise I think it wouldnt be had to find a CPA job in Ann Arbor.

Why not move to Chicago? Better job market, bigger city A LOT more amenities but the cost is only slightly higher than Ann Arbor. Or maybe consider Houston, which has lower cost of living but better job market, and bigger city? Perhaps consider Portland as well. Liberal.. lower cost of living than LA.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by xfactor85

I don't know.. I think you really get what you pay for. LA may be expensive, but you also get extras like weather, things to do.. ethnic restaraunts, shops, many downtowns to go to , hiking.. etc.

Ann Arbor has "city life" but it is no where near the city life in other cities, it could be considered a small downtown area. Ann Arbor may have some ethnic restaraunts or shops, but it is no where near what is offered in cities like LA. Therefore, you must be ready for a tradeoff.

Also, I hope you guys can handle cold weather... This winter has been brutal. Over 80 inches of snow plus MANY days below 0. Granted that this is one of the worst winters on record, winters in Ann Arbor can be pretty brutal. This is a tremendous change from living in LA. Ann Arbor can also get pretty hot and humid over the summer as well.

Jobwise I think it wouldnt be had to find a CPA job in Ann Arbor.

Why not move to Chicago? Better job market, bigger city A LOT more amenities but the cost is only slightly higher than Ann Arbor. Or maybe consider Houston, which has lower cost of living but better job market, and bigger city? Perhaps consider Portland as well. Liberal.. lower cost of living than LA.

xfactor85: "Bound and determined to drive everyone away from Michigan"

[Chengdu Nanhai]

Originally Posted by magellan

xfactor85: "Bound and determined to drive everyone away from Michigan"

Yeah, I thought some of his/her comments were not exactly accurate.

Just a couple of main points, Chicago is a LOT more expensive than Ann Arbor in terms of real estate. If you are talking suburbs of Chicago, yeah, some areas are comparable to Ann Arbor CITY. The main difference here is that you can buy a pretty nice $350k house (3-4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, attached 2-car garage, newer construction) in Ann Arbor and still have a 10 minute drive to downtown AA, whereas you'd have to commute 30+ min in Chicago to find a comparable house, and you would still have to pay more.

As for the winter, the OP specifically mentioned he is fine with cold weather. Plus Chicago is equally cold as Ann Arbor, and the wind there actually makes the winter more brutal. Yeah this winter has been terrible in Ann Arbor, but it's the same all across the Midwest/Northeast. I've lived through 5 Michigan winters, and this is by far the worst, not even close.

[Cliffie]

The cost of living is lower in AA than in LA, but AA is still one of the most expensive places in Michigan to live. You might prefer to live in Ypsilanti -- it's less than 15 minutes from AA, there are some very nice houses there in all different conditions, and they are a lot more affordable than in AA proper. The price range you say you cannot afford is actually not that unusual in Ann Arbor, so some serious shopping (maybe on foreclosure lists) may be in order before you move.

I cannot imagine any reason a qualified Green Card holder would not be able to find work as a CPA -- anyone hiring CPAs would probably fall on your husband like a duck on a June bug if they knew he was any good at his job AND, for pete's sake, biligual.

[Chengdu Nanhai]

I am a licensed realtor in Michigan and did business in AA just last year, and I will have to say you can definitely find a very good house for under $350k in AA area, particularly look at the Scio Township area to the southwest of AA. I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy in Ypsilanti unless they have a sub-$200k budget.

[RockChester]

I have no idea what property taxes are like in L.A., or California for that matter, but the Ann Arbor area generally has around 45 mils for residential. That's pretty hefty compared to many areas in Oakland county that are around 32. If memory serves, the more rural areas near Ann Arbor have similar millage rates.

Taxes - Property Tax Estimator