this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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A little while ago, I read an argument that Traverse City, MI will be the next Portland. I think that's right. There's a lot of outdooring within a day drive, and it's pretty affordable.
Your main downsides are summer wildfire smoke will presumably be a regular thing going forward, and winters are cold with lots of snow thanks to lake effect. Michigan politics are interesting, and Traverse City is in a historically red part of the state - but I think that's changing.
500k will definitely get you a good house unless you want something extremely new or right downtown. That particular listing is also one block away from one of my favorite breweries of all time.
Ironically my wife mentioned Traverse. We’re thinking of a lake house situation and I like the Michigan weather with climate change in mind. Thanks!
If you go with this option and haven’t lived in a cold climate before, do your research! A lot of the lake towns up there clear out during the winter because it can be pretty rough. That also means a fair amount of property maintenance every Spring (weather damage etc). If you’re new there will be a bit of a learning curve (taking in docks, potentially a septic tank, etc). I would seriously consider visiting in the winter before you commit, and also looking up when spring typically kicks in (they have long winters).
It is gorgeous and would be a lovely environment to sit on your computer.
I would not say the area feels blue even though parts are— you’ll see more trump signs than in socal (still for some reason), and fishing, beer, and hunting are quite common hobbies which makes it feel a bit like living in a southern state imo. (I’ve lived in the east, west, Midwest, and south—can’t speak to southwest or northwest). I actually think I’d choose Minneapolis suburbs if I was in your boat and didn’t mind winter.
Why Minneapolis? The house upkeep is a great tip, wasn’t thinking about that. We don’t need much, maybe 1500-2000 sq ft 3 bedrooms. I’ve always liked the idea of living on a lake. I’ve been in NJ, FL and Southern CA, so hoping for something different for the last stretch of life
Are you older? My parents moved near Traverse City to retire, since my family has done summer vacations up there for 70+ years. The year-round population in Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties now skews heavily older due to all the retirees, and also due to gentrification pricing a lot of families out.
This has mixed effects on health care in particular. On one side, a higher proportion of medical professionals work every day with the specific problems of an older population, and there are lots of relevant specialists. On the other side, availability of primary care can be difficult.