That was my dream but it would have made me a divorcée lol. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in this endeavor.

 

Being a person who has moved a few times to different regions. Living in a remote is awesome sometimes... Until you need things. One thing I would be concerned with is employment. I understand you work from home now, however if you leave your company for some reason, what is the next steps? What happens for your next gig? Does the next gig require travel? If travel is it air travel? Running through traverse city airport could get old, especially if your final destination isn't Detroit or Chicago. On a positive note this is in our 5 year plan, however I am several years older than you, and figure if we move north it would be a retirement home and would keep our current home. What do you do for employment if you care to disclose?

 

Who has done it? What is life like? Would you do it again?

1, We have...
2, ...set up a life you don't need a vacation from
3, absolutely!

We bought a house in the E UP in Jan 2014 , started spending weekends, then summers, finally moved up here full time about 2 yrs ago. I used to work in GRR also, lived about 40 miles NW of there. Then 2008-2009 hit and things changed..... I travel for my job now, 40-45 wks a year, mostly driving (35k-40k yr) with the occasional flight here & there. My wife used to work for the school but left when we moved, worked for Sheplers a couple yrs and now works for a local dentist. It works for us. She's happier up here.

 

My dream too. I say go for it, you are young.

 

I am currently going thru the transition to moving up to my places in the Northern LP. Born and raised in GR, still own a house there. Been coming up to the Tippy Dan area for 15 years,I bought 2 cabins up here three years ago, spent weekends and vacations. Then Covid happened and I was off work for 8 months, which I spent all of it up here. I had always wanted to move up but figured it would be for when I retire. However after being up here so much, I don't want to leave, so I don't!
I live about a mile outside of Brethren, close to Tippy Dam, trails, hunting property and everything else you want up north. 20 minutes to Manistee, 35 to Cadillac and 45 to TC.

I make my living as a crane operator, so I have to travel regardless of where I live, and I get paid for mileage and meals depending on distance. My self imposed limit is 2.5 hours each way for work. Any longer, I get a hotel room, otherwise I make the drive, or stay at my place in GR if it is close. Getting a hotel room for a night or two usually ends up about free after I take into account what I get paid for gas and meals, so it isn't a huge hit to the pocket book.
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Thanks for the responses.

I am a software engineer by trade so I have a ton of freedom. I can work for companies all around the US without leaving the house. The only real requirement is a really solid internet connection so I cannot stray too far from the city.

I would make fairly regular trips down to GR to see my parents and the rest of my family so I don't want to get too far away either - Traverse City/Gaylord would put me at the maximum tolerable distance.

Thanks again for the input.

 

There are plenty of options in and around Traverse City and the best part is that you have all the amenities of a bigger city such as shopping and Excellent Healthcare. I have lived in Charlevoix pretty much my whole life and I always extol the virtues of TC. Good luck with your decision! ✌🏻👊🏻🇺🇸

 

I was raised in Grand Rapids, moved to Florida and lived there for 30 years. Three years ago I bought a second home and last year moved into it full time. My wife and I live on the outskirts of Boyne City with a panoramic view of Lake Charlevoix. We couldn’t be happier. We hike Avalanche Park, ride our bikes on trails almost everyday in the summer, we bought a boat and spend many days on the lake. In the winter, we have two Polaris Pro-S 600cc machines and the Jordan River Trail is a 10 minute drive from home. We also ski as much as we can and Boyne Mountain is 6 miles from our house.

Would I do it again? Hell yes, this is living in one of the most scenic outdoor environments you could find and the people here are amazing.

 

I was raised in Grand Rapids, moved to Florida and lived there for 30 years. Three years ago I bought a second home and last year moved into it full time. My wife and I live on the outskirts of Boyne City with a panoramic view of Lake Charlevoix. We couldn’t be happier. We hike Avalanche Park, ride our bikes on trails almost everyday in the summer, we bought a boat and spend many days on the lake. In the winter, we have two Polaris Pro-S 600cc machines and the Jordan River Trail is a 10 minute drive from home. We also ski as much as we can and Boyne Mountain is 6 miles from our house.

Would I do it again? Hell yes, this is living in one of the most scenic outdoor environments you could find and the people here are amazing.

Boyne City is an awesome small town...I’ve lived in Charlevoix most of my life but my daughter made some great friends in Boyne so she went to HS there and I used to ski at The Mountain all the time. The thing I really like about it is that the downtown reminds me of the way Charlevoixs downtown used to be.

 

I had the chance to take a fairly well paying job in the Gaylord area about 15 years ago. Obviously I didn’t but I still think, “What if..?”

Thankfully staying downstate here netted me a great woman and a great job so no real complaints these days. We still love to go to my in laws place in Johannesburg and we plan to take it over when my in laws are done with it. If all works out right, we will build new on that property and retire up there.

If it’s what you really want, you’ll end up there no matter what. 👍🏻

 

I have turned down several offers in the UP, most of them were just too much of a pay cut. The last one I got was about 4 years ago in Munising. The money was good(extremely good for the UP), but we just couldn't make it work with kids(not much for kids to do in Munising, they didn't even have a boys baseball team). With some recent changes with work, I am back to looking in the NWLP again. LOL

 

I have a 2nd home on Bear Lake in Kalkaska. We have natural gas and high speed internet here and the lake is absolutely gorgeous in the summer. Trails are awesome around here too and usually plenty of snow. I also work from home and spend a lot of time here in the winter.

 

Buying property and building isnt a test run more like a commitment. find something to rent for a test run

 

Not much to rent around these parts currently.

 

My biggest hang up I have found with moving to remote areas is job options. Now with today's society remote work is becoming more and more. However with remote work arrangements, that means it makes it even easier to ship jobs overseas. I personally think now is not a good time to move, I think the property up north is extremely over priced. If things get back to normal, and we are due for a correction in the market, I think property up north will be on a fire sale. People will find that back to a 40 hour week, it is hard to drive the 3-4 hours up north, and then the maintenance costs of a second home etc. One of the first things to go in a recession is vacation properties. Just look at the prices on some of the places up north in the 2009-2012 time frame. Many of the prices of places have doubled. We are wanting to find a place to retire, we are trying to poise our finances to have money ready to move when the correction happens. The challenge for us is balancing our investments to make some money, but not plummet in value when the correction happens.

Here is a suggested post with some relevant info.

Hardcore Sledder

www.hardcoresledder.com

 

My biggest hang up I have found with moving to remote areas is job options. Now with today's society remote work is becoming more and more. However with remote work arrangements, that means it makes it even easier to ship jobs overseas. I personally think now is not a good time to move, I think the property up north is extremely over priced. If things get back to normal, and we are due for a correction in the market, I think property up north will be on a fire sale. People will find that back to a 40 hour week, it is hard to drive the 3-4 hours up north, and then the maintenance costs of a second home etc. One of the first things to go in a recession is vacation properties. Just look at the prices on some of the places up north in the 2009-2012 time frame. Many of the prices of places have doubled. We are wanting to find a place to retire, we are trying to poise our finances to have money ready to move when the correction happens. The challenge for us is balancing our investments to make some money, but not plummet in value when the correction happens.

Here is a suggested post with some relevant info.

Hardcore Sledder

www.hardcoresledder.com

I agree 110% with you! I almost pulled the trigger on a place in Lakes of the North a few years back, but I decided I didn't want a mortgage on a 2nd home. I think things are WAY over priced up there right now and I think it will be a buyer's market within 24 months for sure. When the bottom falls out up there, I will be ready to pounce on the right deal!

 

I moved to Traverse City about 5 years ago and loved it! I was looking for a slower pace of life and more access to nature, and that's exactly what I found. I can easily drive into town for errands or socializing, but I don't have to deal with the hustle and bustle on a daily basis. Life up here is more relaxed, and I love being able to go on hikes or bike rides right from my doorstep. You can access (deleted link) if you need a moving company. I highly recommend making a move if you're looking for a change of pace!

 

Moved to a small town outside of Traverse City just over 30 years ago from the South Haven area though not originally from there. I was born in Saginaw. I lived a half mile from the snowmobile trail and a mile from the lake. I could fish and hunt and ride any day I wanted unless something else needed to be done. The kids loved the up north life and now it's in there blood. Made a decent living but I'll never be rich by the world's standards but there are many definitions of rich. I'd do it again if I was young. Sold the house a few years ago now that the kids are grown. Moved to Traverse City as it was closer to work. I hate it. Traverse City is just getting to big for me. The cost of housing is crazy. Traffic is terrible as the city really didn't plan for the growth they are experiencing. I know a lot of people love the town but for me it's time to go. My advice would be make the move but stick to a small town and commute to a larger town for work. I've got an off grid cabin in the U.P. and hope to be there permanently before the snow flies.

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Moved to a small town outside of Traverse City just over 30 years ago from the South Haven area though not originally from there. I was born in Saginaw. I lived a half mile from the snowmobile trail and a mile from the lake. I could fish and hunt and ride any day I wanted unless something else needed to be done. The kids loved the up north life and now it's in there blood. Made a decent living but I'll never be rich by the world's standards but there are many definitions of rich. I'd do it again if I was young. Sold the house a few years ago now that the kids are grown. Moved to Traverse City as it was closer to work. I hate it. Traverse City is just getting to big for me. The cost of housing is crazy. Traffic is terrible as the city really didn't plan for the growth they are experiencing. I know a lot of people love the town but for me it's time to go. My advice would be make the move but stick to a small town and commute to a larger town for work. I've got an off grid cabin in the U.P. and hope to be there permanently before the snow flies.

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What town outside of TC were you living in? I agree that TC is getting too big too fast.

 

If such a "slow life" suits you, I assure you that you won't regret this decision. One year ago, I moved to the north from a big city, and it was one of the best things I have ever done. I can list pros all day long because I'm obsessed with our new home and life here. My wife immediately fell in love with the beauty of nature, and now we go for a walk every day to see those amazing views. I can advise you on the company which helped us move; it's acelinemoving.com . Those guys are great specialists and perfectly did all the work without any delays. I hope you'll like this life and you'll be happy there.