924RACR

Only because of the economy! I love it here, and I'm a transplant from the NE (NY, specifically)... it truly is the #1 place in the country to be if you're a gearhead!!!

Did I mention the Woodward Dream Cruise??? I live right next to it...
http://woodwarddreamcruise.com/

Simply THE biggest impromptu car event in the world, hands-down. Even a 3-day BLACKOUT couldn't shut it down!

As mentioned, all those great tracks; if they're not enough, Road America, Blackhawk, Nelson Ledges, Mosport, etc etc...

Most people in town, even those not in the industry, are gearheads or at least can talk cars. Even all my in-laws!

No emissions testing. 'Nuff said.

Not one but TWO active PCA regions in Detroit alone.

A great housing market to buy in to! Even though we're selling, it's only to get into a bigger house with more room for the toys.

Is it any coincidence that 944Fest is usually held close by? I think not! Plenty of 924/944 racers in the area too.

Few poor things about Detroit; one of them is the local airline; good luck trying to fly out on anything but NorthWorst! Roads, as mentioned, but that's really just the commute. I don't think I'd try riding a motorcycle too much, though. Not much in the way of public transportation, for obvious reasons! Lots of good restaurants and local culture - not too homogenized yet!

alordofchaos

+1, it's not a good time to in the auto manufacturing sector. OTOH, the suspension repair/wheel places are having a great year (potholes) If you have a job/offer, like Tom and Michelle apparently do, it's a great time to move in... lots of houses for sale, good time for a real estate bargain - though I've heard some suggestions it hasn't bottomed out yet.

Tom R.

What part?

My job is very secure for the next five, maybe ten years. Now is the time for me to switch to a different division. I have to sell my house because the religious took over the school board and destroyed the infrastructure of the public schools.

The house is in contract and I have to move somewhere. The somewhere is a open ended statement. I applied for a job in Detroit and interviewed. Didnt get that opening, but may get another. I applied for jobs in a lot of other places.

If I stay in NY it will be close to where I am now (old parents). The house will be smaller which is no big deal because we dont use at least 500sf of it anyway. Problem is finding a smaller house (less mortgage) and a two car garage in the towns we are looking. nonexistant.

One house we looked at has a bedroom over the garage so raising the roof isnt going to happen. That makes stacking cars a problem.

If someone didnt just practiaclly give me a corolla with 32k miles on it I wouldnt be thinking this. I like variety. I also have to be practical.

Hence my trying to find the mysterious silver bullet.

FWIW I could get a house in the Bloomfield area of Michigan with less than 100k mortgage and if i transfer, I transfer retaining 99% of my salary!! A bigger house in a very good school district, about 7k a year less RE taxes..... but it is colder there.

924RACR

I came from upstate NY - Albany area, then Binghampton... also spent a couple of years in Boston area, and DC too...

It's not that much colder here - comparable to update NY, definitely. And we don't get the lake-effect snow like over in Ontario, or western NY, it's really not bad at all... hell, we had NO snow at Christmas! (though, admittedly, we made up for it at Easter!)

Again, it's a buyer's market here, BIG time, you can buy for pennies on the dollar...

Tom R.

Pennies on the dollar is an understatement.

When I found out I didnt get the first job my wife wanted to look local. I was like a pissy schoolgirl. I was so spoiled by the stuff I saw in bloomfield for under 450 that I couldnt accept the garbage over here for 700.

it took a few weeks to get back to reality over here.

Wormhole

You go through cars quicker then I go through women.
Michigan
Have you looked for a place up in the woods by me.

Tom R.

is that krylon or rustoleum? looks good!

Bethel/Candlewood lake is an option we will look into in the fall if the transfers dont happen.

924RACR

LOL... and those are just asking prices, and no-one's getting asking prices anymore!

ApexCars

One thing I don't understand. Why is it more PC to drive a Corolla (import car) than a Porsche (also import car) to your work in Detroit?

Tom R.

if i get the transfer i would be going into a new building in the higher pay brackets. it is more a porsche v toyota not domestic v import thing in my mind.

i wouldnt want to be perceived as the yankee with the porsche when other people in the office may have family members or relatives on the brink of eviction. a corolla makes a much quieter entrance i think.

i get lip from my neighbor about my two porsches and being a parent. I subtly reminded her that my three cars cost about the same as her one element. it wouldnt be any different there. a porsche is a porsche. it it is shiny it must have cost more than their new car.

Dan87951

People moving to Michigan thats rare? Are you ready for high property taxes? Michigan's property taxes are 30% higher than the national average. Oh and they are planning on raising the amount taxed on gas in the near future. Just needs to get passed. Hows that for great?
Current company I'm with as a Computer Analyst is slowly moving out of Lansing Michigan and moving to Annapolis MD. We have let go quite a few people as the new office in Annapolis is taking over there jobs here in Lansing. Taxes and the poor economey in Michigan is the reason for the move so I'm told... Good Luck with the move I know im looking for a move out of Michigan myself.

924RACR

I think you'll find that people in the Midwest are far less concerned with other people's lives than out east. With the exception of the Birmingham set and their crowd - but who wants to be a part of that?!? (snobs, all of them, what used to be called New Money - and, with glee, we note that those are the ones who've been living beyond their means and are now fighting foreclosures, etc).

500

Well, I hope you some how manage to keep a four-cylinder front-engine Porsche, so you will have reason to keep posting on this forum, as I find I always enjoy your posts!!

That said, a Corolla winter beater plus a nice 996 would be a pretty nice combo IMO.

Obviously you like to try different cars etc. and that may be the hardest issue of all. No matter how slick of a 996 you find, you may eventually want to try something different. No big deal when we are talking low-buck 944s, a whole other ball game when you have put serious coin into the car you are now wanting to sell (likely at a loss).

My personal sweet spot is three cars: (1) A beater that you don't worry about. (2) A nice driving car for general enjoyment, autocross, DE whatever and (3), a real special "Sunday" car to love and polish. More than that and I would not have the time to give adequate attention to each one! If you can store two cars in a garage space, then you could leave the beater outdoors.

JEC_31

I might as well chime in, being a Michigander also (in Grand Rapids, a large sluggish small town).

The cars are peripheral to the major life decisions of moving your family to another state.

Michigan is a contrarian investment right now - we're on the ropes. High taxes, ****ty roads (epidemic throughout the state), economy's major manufacturing base being lost to low-wage countries, housing market deep depression, the list goes on.

I don't know what kind of local culture you're used to in NY, but Detroit is the city where the weak are killed and eaten. Michigan is down, but Detroit has been dying since the race riots.

I work in the auto industry - where the dark clouds on the horizon keep getting closer and are showing more flashes of lightning - and I have been polishing and sharpening my resume... and my friends who transplanted to Seattle from Michigan keep raving about it.

Back to the cars: decide on moving first, then pare down the toys. Keep only one or sell all to buy one faster toy. Keep the Corolla for a DD.

V2Rocket

Get a 944 like mine. The shine all washed off.