Ex-Southerners: Mistake to go back up North? (Chicago, Madison: real estate market, houses)

[BennettJ]

As someone who hasn't lived "home" for the past 12 years (mine would be PA), I'm going to be the voice of going with your heart. My kids are teenagers - don't really know their cousins, aunts, uncles. It's not the way I wanted to bring them up, but we went with my husband's job. I think they missed out on a lot. However, they don't. So maybe my dream of moving to be closer to family is just that - MY dream & not theirs.

[west336]

Go to Minnesota (Minneapolis, specifically)......much stronger economy, still close to home!

[cubssoxfan]

Yeah, quit job in Atlanta, move to Minneapolis and still be 5+ hour car ride away. Might as well stay in Atlanta.

[west336]

It's a lovely drive though....JK, it was meant as a little joke, but also not completely outrageous either. BTW, I can't get to Chicago in less than 6 hours anymore, thanks to the WI county sherriffs!!!

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Yeah, quit job in Atlanta, move to Minneapolis and still be 5+ hour car ride away. Might as well stay in Atlanta.

But at least the Mpls economy will be stronger.

[linicx]

When I was a kid we drove from central Illinois to Mpls on two lane roads. It was an all day trip with stops for gas and food. A six hours drive is a lot closer than 1200 mile flight with layovers and plane changes. Home is where the heart is. Get a job, sell the house and let a management company take care of the other.

[chicagojlo]

An all day trip to drive each way pretty much eliminates any weekend trips, a 3 hour flight each way is much more realistic. Especially given that the OP is a teacher who can't just take off for a 4 day weekend whenever they feel like it.

I say make an agreement with the family to consciously make more effort to save for flights and look for can't pass em up deals. Air Tran often does great prices to/from Atlanta as it's their main hub, and they fly to Midway and Milwaukee.

Keep looking for jobs in the area in the meantime and if the opportunity comes along make the decision then. Right now you are trying to make a decision you can't really make since I assume you wouldn't move your whole family across the country without a job to move to. There's no harm in looking, you aren't committing to anything.

[Coming_from_Hotlanta]

Originally Posted by west336

Go to Minnesota (Minneapolis, specifically)......much stronger economy, still close to home!

Good recommendation but that still puts too far away from my parent's lakehouse in lower Michigan where we'd be going a lot. I used to drive 5 hours to and from college on a weekend so that length of a drive is nothing for us. It's just anything greater than 7 or 8...Minneapolis would be almost 12 hours from the lake.

[Coming_from_Hotlanta]

Originally Posted by linicx

When I was a kid we drove from central Illinois to Mpls on two lane roads. It was an all day trip with stops for gas and food. A six hours drive is a lot closer than 1200 mile flight with layovers and plane changes. Home is where the heart is. Get a job, sell the house and let a management company take care of the other.

Thanks linicx, I agree that a drive is much easier and cheaper than flying. I get the "just fly home to visit" all the time but with two adults and two kids, that's just not feasible on a teacher salary.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

But at least the Mpls economy will be stronger.

I get what you're saying but would you suggest to someone wanting to be closer to Atalanta to move to Orlando,or Louisville, or Jackson MS. or Raleigh Durham because it's "only" 5-6 hours away? Minneapolis-Chciago is 408 according to Rand Mc Nally and towns I listed are 380-440 miles away. If you had suggested Indy or Milwaukee or Madison I wouldn't be as critical because you can truly visit over a 2 day weekend from these cities. Good economy or not, stay in Atlanta with an existing job. If you are going to move, wait until a job in Chicago or the Metro area is found.