My Family and I are moving to Houghton, need advice!"

Submitted by michiganmanj221 on
MGoBlog-family I ask for any help My wife has been offered a job in Houghton, MI but we currently live in Nebraska. We have never been to the UP and we don't have any contacts or any place to start looking for homes in or around Houghton to rent on a short term basis until we buy a home. I would appreciate any ideas or contacts that might be able to help or point us in the right direction. Things that would be helpful to know; 1. Homes or duplexes for rent. 2. Daycares 3. Jobs for myself (I have a BS in Park & Recreation Management) 4. Were not sure if we should live in or outside of Houghton. We're both from small town (2000 people or less) This is a huge move for my family (wife, 3 kids, 2 dogs, and myself)and ask for any help or suggestions you all have. My email is; [email protected] Thanks for your help

Naked Bootlegger

December 13th, 2016 at 11:10 PM ^

Houghton is an absolutely gorgeous place.  Michigan Tech is an anchor for the community and brings a vitality that is unique for such a small town.   Houghton schools are rated as excellent.  Winters are long, but abundant snowfall makes it easy to enjoy outdoor time. 

I'll contact you privately with some additional info. 

Zarniwoop

December 13th, 2016 at 11:44 PM ^

Get a REALLY good snow blower.

Learn to eat polar bear.

Other jokes about many feet of snow and temperatures well south of zero until July.

The three months of spring/summer/fall are gorgeous.

I'm kidding. It's four months.

As someone that has lived in 12 cities in the last 25 years I've learned the following:

1. Trust but verify. Feel free to get advice, but believe only what you verify with your eyes.

2. Make at least 2 trips to the area to which you're moving to scout, do school zones, meet with real estate agents, etc.. do this before you arrive with all your shit. This can be almost impossible if you have kids. Make at least one trip over a weekend.

3. There will be one house you dismiss because you hate the listing without ever going to see it. It's almost guaranteed that this will end up being the perfect house for you (assuming it's in the right school zone).

Yooper

December 13th, 2016 at 11:39 PM ^

Learn to love a pasty (with ketchup, not gravy). Take a vacation in February. Know that your neighbors are more than the people who live near you. When you are going to the central part of the city, you are going "uptown" not "downtown". Appreciate the colors in the fall but make sure you rake the leaves on your lawn before the snow comes. Lake Superior whitefish is the best-simply broil (skin on, never turn over during cooking process) with a little butter.
The rest comes easy. Good luck.