To Move or Not to Move. - Macomb,MI

I live in MI, so I am aware of the economy. I would say the grass is not always greener on the other side. If I did not have a Job in place, a place to live and a good school system picked out near my new home for my kids, I would not be moving.

I feel like if you go, you are going to be so stressed looking for a job, finding a place to live, making the new place a home. Kids will be adjusting to a new house, state, no family (that you want them around) no friends, new school and so on. I would need a concrete plan in order to up and move my family.

I sort of feel like you are trying to run away and there is no promise of things being better, but they could be worse.

Start job hunting on line for somewhere like Texas, look for a house or Apartment, call the schools in the area and find out their ratings on-line AND then set a goal to move...maybe over the summer?

Good luck!

I would only move if you have a job offer. Texas still sucks in the economic department. I have lived here for 30 years and I see foreclosure signs everywhere. And the unemployment rate is terrible as well, I know many people who have been laid off or unemployed and my husband will be looking for new work soon. So, unless you are positive that you have a job in the bag and a start date, I would stay where you are.. no point in coming here and not be able to find work. Especially if you get a place in say North Dallas, then find a job in North Fort Worth... that is a long commute, know where you will end up before you buy/rent a house.

And also, I despise the heat, the farther south you go the more humid. I can't even go outside in the summer. I am okay with the Dallas/Fort Worth Dry heat, but am having a hard time in this Houston humid heat. Spring and fall are amazing, but sadly don't last very long.

However, Texas people are pretty friendly and there are a ton of things to do.

At this point, you are stable and in an area you enjoy and are comfortable. I really don't see why you would want to move.

In short, I would make a move for some of the reasons you suggested. I'm kind of spontaneous (not sure if that's quite the right word) like that. But you have a few sound reasons and yes, there will be things you miss about where you are, but life is about adventure!

Based on everything you've described, I personally would not move. I like the four seasons and Texas is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in this century. Although this recession has been serious and long and MI has been hit very hard, economic conditions are cyclical. As long as you have employment and a roof over your heads and seem to enjoy where you are I would stay put. Sounds like you have the support of the schools and friends where you are too. Based on your description, I don't fully understand what the economic benefits of moving would be. Good luck.

I don't understand why you would move. Your husband has a job, you have a home and it sounds like you're stable and your special needs child is getting the assistance he/she needs. Unless your husband already has a job in TX, I certainly would not suggest quitting the one he already has. You say he could easily get work in TX, but I don't know of anyone "easily" getting work anywhere! If I were you, in these uncertain economic times, I would not give up my stability! Good luck in the decision-making process.

The grass is always greener in TX...unless we're in a drought. But things are great here in TX. There is such a wide variety here depending on where you choose to live. I like the Dallas/Ft Worth area. My sisters/mom love living in San Antonio.

I think moving here is a great idea. I've moved every few years in my life (grew up in the military), so I rarely think about whether I should stay due to friends or not. I would do what logically makes sense, and we moved here in order to more easily afford a home. We moved from Portland, OR and the pay was the same, just the cost of living was much less.

We love that we moved here. Sure, the summers can get HOT and HUMID, but there are water parks and swimming pools in neighborhoods to keep you cool. You just have to plan to keep water going in the summer so you don't die from heat:-) It does snow a couple times a winter usually. There is sort of a Fall. There's definitely a spring.

Texas is a huge state. Depends on where you live for what you get. I personally am not a fan of west TX (no offense to my west TX friends!). Where we live it's pretty green, rolling hills, and very modern.

I vote that you move. It's what we did. It was before the economy was bad everywhere. We love it here. There's just something extra special about TX;-) It's always hard to say goodbye to a place that you love, but it's new and exciting to start somewhere new.

I am going to advocate for my State a minute, if you don't mind.
Texas is a very large state. You could fit several NE states inside Texas. We have desserts, lakes, streams, rivers, forrests, swamps, prairies, hill country, farm and ranchland, badlands, state parks and an ocean. The bottom of Texas is 14 hr drive from the top of Texas. The weather varies alot in between. We do have 4 seasons. Would it be fair to say the Minnesotta doesn't have 4 seasons because they have a long cold winter?
In the summer, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and along Lousisiana border are hot and humid. El Paso, Amarillo, Lubbock and Dallas are hot and dry. Winters are very mild. Spring is full storms and serious wind. Fall is very pleasant. The economy is down, but not nearly to the extent the rest of the country is. You can buy houses for very cheap, of course. There are a lot of jobs being created in DFW. Cost of living is fairly low and income fairly high. Entertainment and Professional Sports are plentiful - football, soccer, basketball, hockey. We are extremely friendly, prideful people. This is a good place to raise kids to be sure they have opportunites.
That being said, you have a support network built there. That's very important.

Where in TX? The tax property is more affordable, you will have a better quality life for the money. If you can handle the summer season all year long and if you can adjust easy, go for it. If it doesn't work out, you can always go back. I have two friends from florida ( beach area) moved to dallas Texas and they don't like it. Texas is beautiful, but not for everyone.

My husband and I walked away from a happy life and two good jobs to move to a new state. In many, many ways it was a perfect move. In so many ways, though, nothing turned out like we expected. In the end, I think we just transferred one happiness for another. That could just be that my husband, myself and my two sons would be happy anywhere because we're together...it's hard to know.

We thought our move would be a huge financial boon. It wasn't. We thought it would be great for our kids. It was. We hoped the move would allow my workaholic husband more time with family. Yes and no. It did for a while, then it didn't, now it does again.

Bottom line...we're living pretty much the same life for half the cost. We still have financial struggles, my husband still works too much, we still work jobs that we love. But, as I look back over the last 12 years in my adopted state, I know that there was much less stress than if we had stayed in our home state and our quality of life is better.

If moving to Texas will reduce your stress levels and increase your quality of life, I say GO FOR IT! If it doesn't (your sister doesn't sound at all "less stressful") or if you question whether your belief system will mesh with your new community, well, I'd reconsider the move.

All states have economic booms and busts. Keep that in mind. And, the bigger the boom, the bigger the bust. Take, for example, my county (Lyon County, NV). Three to five years ago, we were the 5th fastest growing county in the nation. Now, we are one of the hardest hit counties in one of the hardest hit states in the nation. Our community went from an average per capita income of nearly $50,000 to one with nearly 20% unemployment. I teach high school and I have kids whose families went from gainfully employed to relying on the local food bank faster than one can blink. Economic good times come and economic good times go. Make sure your move doesn't set you up to experience two "bust" times in a row!

Good luck!

We too live in Michigan. I have NEVER liked it here. I have good friends and all but I was raised in the ks, ok, tx areas. People are nicer first of all, second in this economy I WISH we would have moved years ago when our kids were younger. Now we're kinda stuck because they are so engrained in the school's. I haven't been able to get a job in 6 years due to my field being so narrowed and the economy having a direct effect on it. I say GET OUT while you can! I love Texas my mother lives in San Antonio and I visit whenever I get the chance! This state is not going to get better anytime soon. You think you need special stuff for your kids now wait til they get older it will get even more expensive. With all the school closing and budget cuts we'll be lucky to have our kids at a basic educational level let alone the one's that need special attention. Our community just had to cut our Alternative Ed. program. If you have an opportunity and your husband does too I say GO!!! Like I said I soooo wish we would have left years ago! Good Luck!

I have to agree with the job prospect. Make sure you have secured employment and schooling, it really seems like your child is doing well where they are why shake it up? If you are able to keep your home then stay put the economy will get better it just may take longer.

I'm still trying to understand why you would move to Texas. Your husband is employed, so really what is the push? I'm really struggling to understand this.

We have lived in Houston for six years. I like it alot. Its very hot in the summer so it will be a big shock to you and your family. However, winters are nice because its not too cold for a long time. Cost of living is not bad, the economy here in Houston has been a little shaky due to the layoffs at NASA. I don't know what type of work your husband does so he may not be able to find a job that pays like it does in Michigan. I would recommend that he find a job first before leaving Michigan. Leaving without securing employment is not a smart thing to do.

Again, I don't know why the push for Texas. You seem settled and stable in Michigan. I would think twice before moving.

Wow. I'm not sure that anyone can help you make this decision. It sounds like you're pretty comfortable in MI right now. In this economy, it always sounds risky to me to try to switch jobs, especially if you feel secure in your current position (your husband, in this case).

My concern with moving and finding a new job is that, even though TX is pretty stable right now compared, there's no telling what the next couple of years will bring. If you move and your husband is one of the last people hired, he will likely be one of the first hired. Keep in mind that TX is a right-to-work state.

I think you could probably give it a couple more years and move maybe when your oldest would be in 6th. He/she wouldn't know anyone, but it would be a new school regardless of where you lived. It's a good opportunity to allow your LO to choose again who he/she wants to be - the types of relationships he/she wants to have, etc.

Again, seems like six of one, half dozen of the other to me. And in those types of situations, my reaction is to stay put and stick to what I know. But that's me.