[Harby]

Hi all,
Thanks for your input. I thought as much with regard to the hours and pay and the fact that I would probably have to start off full time.

With regard to your comments about Michigan Pharout we would indeed visit before committing to anything. I know Detroit is not a nice place to live, we'd probably be looking at living somewhere like Ann Arbor. I have heard from friends who have been there that it is very nice and have also heard that the countryside around Michigan with its proximity to the lakes and Canada mean that there are plenty of nice places to visit and things to do on the weekends? Main downside for me I think is that it's a bit cold in the winter!! Also, I guess it would be much harder to get a job somewhere like Ann Arbor compared to Detroit. There’s no way I’m working in Detroit.

I know Ann Arbor is probably more expensive than a lot of places around it but to be honest if I am going to make the move over there I would want to live in the nicest place I could afford, within reason. Coming from the UK we are used to paying stupidly high living costs. At the end of the day the house prices over there are still a steal compared to here. A $350,000 house in Ann Arbor would cost you about £400,000 minimum here for the same size in an equivalent area so you are talking about less than half the price! Rental prices however do seem to be much more similar. Having been to America a number of times I know everything is so much cheaper than here. I'd say day to day living costs must be in the region of 30% less.

Thanks for your advice guys and anyone else out there with some more words of wisdom or views on Michigan and nice areas to live in please post. We would have to be within a 1 hour commute of West Detroit.

Thanks