Twenty-four years ago, this week to be exact, I bought my first home and haven’t left since. I live in the Lakes Area of Oakland County, Michigan – not on the lake but across the street with an amazing view of our area’s largest private lake.
There’s really no place like home at my home sweet home – alternatively phrased, my sanctuary, my happy place, my safe haven, or as I affectionately call it, my Zen space – my home is truly where the heart is.
While I have no desire to move out of Oakland County, over the years, there has been some talk about it and serious consideration of possibly doing so. However, every time I start looking at other homes, none of them seem to measure up to or even come close to my home sweet home.
When my oldest son (who will be twenty-one this weekend) was a toddler, my ex-husband and I put our home on the market with our realtor and began seeking other homes in neighborhoods with sidewalks.
As our realtor was walking through our home, creating the listing, he ended up selling it back to us! Not literally, but after we looked at other homes and our realtor started talking about all the wonderful features of our home, we changed our minds, realizing we loved it here and did not want to move.
Another time we considered moving was when our youngest son was about nine years old, and our oldest was thirteen. We had been sharing a dock with our neighbors on the lake, and they were talking about moving out of state.
No longer did we have to go to the launch to put our boat in for the day, only to take it out again at dusk. Plus, I could take my boys out on the boat without having to wait for their dad to help do all the heavy lifting, so to speak.
We had grown so accustomed to having access to a boat dock that we began seeking to buy a home on the lake. Unfortunately, not only would we have had to seriously downsize our home’s square footage, but we would also have had much less property, no fence for our dogs, and close neighbors on both sides, with zero privacy.
My home sweet home features:
- Three large bedrooms (two with views of woods and nature – the master has a stunning view of the lake as well as a multitude of trees)
- Two and a half bathrooms (two full baths have showers and bathtubs, with the master bath recently being beautifully renovated)
- Three-season sunroom porch
- Large deck attached to the sunroom and surrounded by trees
- Attached two and a half car garage
- Stunning views and privileges of our township’s largest, private lake
- Cozy front porch overlooking the lake
- Large fenced-in backyard for my furry family members to safely run and play in
- Fully finished basement with a gas fireplace, lots of storage space and closets, as well as a large laundry room (With room to add a small bathroom with a stand-up shower at a later date)
- The house is less than thirty-two years old
- Extra-large kitchen with a large pantry and plenty of counter space
- Spacious living room with a large front room window overlooking the lake
- Central air conditioning
- ¾ of an acre of property on a corner lot
- Privacy fence between my closest neighbor
- Half-moon humongous rock driveway
- Hardwood floors in a spacious living room
- Tile floors in the kitchen and entryway
To date, I have yet to find a home around here that can even compare to my home’s features!
Reasons why people move from one place to another
While I have yet to find a reason to move from my safe haven to another place, there are others who have. Let’s see what the experts have to say.
According to the official government U.S. Census Bureau, people move from one place to another because they are, “Wanting a newer, better or larger house or apartment was the most common specific reason cited for moves in 2022 and in 2021 (followed by establishing one’s own household). Despite that, the percentage of movers reporting housing unit upgrades declined.
This decline suggests reversal of a boom in housing demand that happened in 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
As people spent more time at home, home remodeling and improvement projects surged but movers also became more eager to move into nicer housing units.
The share of movers who reported wanting a better neighborhood or less crime experienced a similar decline following a surge early in the pandemic.
The marriage drop-off is also reflected in the share of people who cited marital status as a reason for moving.
The most common type of move was within the same county, followed by moves between counties within the same state, then moves between states, and then lastly moves from abroad,”.
The most recent time I considered moving was during the brutal divorce with my sons’ father. We both wanted to stay in the home, so we had to fight it out in court. Thankfully, I won that battle, as it would have broken my heart to leave. Since then, I have made many changes and upgrades.
Best places to live in Michigan
Personally, I think that my area of Southeast Michigan is the best place to live. The Lakes Area of Oakland County is known as a four-season playground with hundreds of inland lakes, three state parks, seven county parks, peaceful, family-friendly, serene, scenic living, and top-rated schools. It is a quiet, suburban-rural mix with convenient access to shopping, a low crime rate, and a close-knit community atmosphere.
Other top-rated places to live in Michigan include the following, but are not limited to:
- Ann Arbor
- Rochester Hills
- Royal Oak
- Grand Rapids
- Traverse City
- Downtown Detroit
- Troy
- Plymouth-Canton
- Gross Pointe
- Birmingham
- Holland
- Okemos
- Midland
- Kalamazoo
- Ferndale
- Saugatuck
- Benton Harbor
The list could literally go on! Really, living anywhere in Pure Michigan is amazing. I see no need to move out of this fantastic peninsula with many nicknames:
- The Mitten State
- Motown
- The Motor City
- Pure Michigan
- Wolverine State
- The Great Lake State
- Water Wonderland
Home sweet home alternative phrase
In conclusion, whether you call it a sanctuary, safe haven, or Zen space, home is where your heart belongs — and mine will always be right here in Michigan.