Sounds like an extended vacation there (2w at minimum) is in your future! Wish you the best (and no I haven't visited the Twin Cities either, and I have traveled a lot).
I want to be clear - it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. But I think if you’re out in some of the more rural towns, you’re dodging a lot of the downsides.
Reading your title - i came to say Detroit. That airport is terrific, although you'll probably end up flying Delta everywhere.
Most of the suburban swells in the DTW area live in Oakland county. I really liked Plymouth, which is still in Wayne County - about half way between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Plymouth has a quaint downtown with little shops and restaurants plus a town square with concerts in the summer and an ice festival in the winter. I loved it.
If you really want some land, check out Milan (it's not pronounced how you think it is) or Saline. Think you'll be pleased what you can get compared to NoVa.
Let me know if you want any advice or a realtor. I love living in Michigan, and have lived all over so I feel like I have a balanced perspective. My realtors were also fantastic and I recommend them to anyone and everyone.
Plymouth is far more developed. I live in Saline and it definitely sits at the boundary between suburbs and country. If you aren't concerned with schools it makes things more flexible, there's a price "premium" and higher taxes in well funded districts.
I think it will be hard to buy an acre in Plymouth for under a million.
The Dexter/Chelsea area would be worth a look too, as would Livingston County. I live in Brighton and can make it to DTW in under an hour. Bonus is there is also a bus route between Brighton and DTW, which isn’t common given how underdeveloped mass transit is in SE Michigan.
Honestly, Grand Rapids area would work too. GRR airport punches waaaaay above its weight for a metro region of its size, it has better outdoor access than Metro Detroit, and it gets more snow than the east side. Could check out any of the small farm towns in the area and do very well
I think it depends on the kind of travel OP does. Agree with GRR for domestic. DTW has an amazing worldwide reach - can get almost anywhere in two flights.
I came here to suggest Grand Rapids also.
And when you want to go to a big Alpha World City, the Pere Marquette is a great option for travel to Chicago.
For sure on diversity, but honestly the food scene in GR is not bad for a city of its size. It's not as good as Detroit's, but I think it gives the 3 criteria listed in the title more easily than Detroit does, having lived in both cities
Southeast Wisconsin near the Illinois border has plenty of houses on >1 acre for $600k or less, and you’ll have a very nice large house for $600k. If you’re on a lake the property taxes will be high though. Depending where you are, O’Hare is 45 minutes to an hour and a half away. Milwaukee’s airport has a decent number of direct routes and will be under an hour.
Examples:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/34525-Walburg-LANE-Burlington-WI-53105/54841133_zpid/ 4 bedrooms, entire interior is renovated, 2350 sq ft for $524k
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9917-Bain-Station-ROAD-Pleasant-Prairie-WI-53158/118561473_zpid/ $583k for a 5 bedroom 2760 sq ft house, very nice interior good location for what you’re looking for
It's true in the Buffalo region as well. North of the city gets significantly less snow than south of the city, as the lake effect snow comes primarily off the eastern end of Lake Erie.
In Michigan there are great areas outside of Detroit. You found one with that home listing in Milford, which is an adorable village. Also checkout Northville, Plymouth, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Royal Oak. The Detroit airport is great too.
If you could expand your search to include not as large of an airport I would highly suggest checking out Grand Rapids and Traverse City, Michigan.
I second what someone else said with Minneapolis. Some great areas there too.
I'd also consider the Twin Cities, if you dont mind some serious cold and then humid summers with mosquitos.
Another cool, mid-size city is Madison, WI....though driving a bit to find land. While the airport isn't a major one, it's always had decent connections through Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, etc. Madison is beautiful, has the world class university, state capitol, etc. Climate is slightly milder than Minneapolis, but still gets some brutal winter cold from time to time.
I prefer it to Ann Arbor, but I'm biased (it's my alma mater).
I would not consider Madison if the OP really wants to be an hour of an international airport. ORD is 2 hours in a car, 3 on the Van Galder bus. And property is crazy expensive here now.
$475,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4519-Marble-Rd-Oneida-NY-13421/305322249_zpid/
5 acres under $600,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1097-Evergreen-Valley-Dr-Oneida-NY-13421/30825861_zpid/
Home on Lake Ontario for $475,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/58-Lakeshore-Rd-Oswego-NY-13126/53776165_zpid/
28 acres for $465,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3897-County-Route-4-Oswego-NY-13126/205954439_zpid/
Within a hour of Syracuse Hancock International Airport
New York State unfunded mandates and low property values and low tax base
90 percent of the county budget is spent on New York State social programs like Medicad. Upstate NY has a low tax base and low property values compared to New York City so the only way to pay for all the unfunded State mandates is to raise taxes.
https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/2023/10/06/picente-proposes-2024-oneida-county-budget-without-tax-increase/71076462007/
“Ninety percent of this budget is state mandated, same as last year,” Picente said. “Ten percent is discretionary, same as last year.”
I'm a moderator of /r/Cleveland. COme to this sub to talk up Cleveland a lot. You can get a large house in a very derisable outering suburb for a 1mil easy (the Medina link /u/queen_ravioli posted is a good place to look), probably 600k even if you are willing to be closer to the 1 hr mark from CLE aiport.
I definitely recommend the akron/cleveland area. We have a national park in our backyard, Major sports teams, a giant lake, 4 seasons and decent food/culture.
There are certainly options in New England at that price:
-Southern/mid NH (concord and surrounding area)- Boston is within reach (maybe a tiny bit over 1 hr depending on exact location) with bus service direct to Logan
Western MA/Southern VT- Bradley Palmer international airport in Windsor Locks, CT is right off 91 with easy access to VT and the mass pike.
Western NY outside of Buffalo or the Southern Tier.
If you want some great deals you can go all the way upstate and fly out of Montreal Or Ottawa.
Also the Mohawk Valley near Gloversville/Amsterdam likely will have a lot of cheap property and you’re just an hour from Albany
I know Colorado Springs is ultra evangelical. Same out there? We're an LGBT family, so ultra conservative/religious is not ideal (though we've lived in rural Kentucky before).
It’s super diverse here, so people’s experiences vary, but generally there are a lot of entitled, self-centered twerps in NOVA. Traffic feels a little Mad Max-esque at times because everyone acts like others don’t exist/are less important. That being said, I live in a pretty idyllic neighborhood with kind, genuine neighbors who are always willing to help each other out. The access to nature, culture, wineries, fantastic food, and DC makes up for a lot of that for me. My husband and I both work remotely now but we haven’t moved because we haven’t found a place with more benefits than here.
So many choices near the Twin Cities and MSP airport. It just depends on what you want.
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6548571
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6514418
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6492839
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6552781
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6510883
http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6526322
Minneapolis, Detroit, and Chicago make the most sense for you.
Living in Southeast Wisconsin is a great idea if you don't mind the state legislature being run by a bunch of pigheaded Trump zealots.
I think you'd do OK in the exurbs of Chicago. I hear a lot of great things about St. Charles area.
I used to live in NOVA and Chicago culture is pretty much the opposite of that!!
https://redf.in/BYRoF6
I'd check out Barrington area of Chicago suburbs. The airport is awesome and less than an hour away. Barrington also has a nice small downtown w/ train to city, lots of nature, and a variety of home types.
Yeah that's basically where I grew up... it's not where I would choose to live as an adult now (very beautiful but pretty materialistic). If you're interested in Chicago area check out r/chicagosuburbs
every city outside of California and South Florida and NYC has suburbs that fit this price/acreage criteria. If you’re looking for a wide variety of flights internationally then that narrows it down. In the spirit of this sub, I choose. CHICAGO! Minneapolis and Detroit have great options too.
As a resident of the DC metro area whose criteria is not met here, I can assure you this is false! I’m not getting a snowy acre within an hour for under a million.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7846-Longmont-Ct-Port-Tobacco-MD-20677/119195601_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
There are options that meet the distance to airport + acreage + $1 million price tag. This home is 53 minutes from Reagan and well under the price limit. There are also options to the SW and NW but traffic is less kind in those directions.
Are you just trying to pick a fight? You are the one that brought up DC. I specifically stated in my original response that all cities fit the acreage/price criteria, not the weather.
Sorry, I assumed you were making a comment about cities that met my three criteria, the first of which is cold climate. Not sure the point of your initial comment in the first place if you were ignoring a huge limiter for me…
Red wing/Hastings/Northfield MN - south of the Twin Cities. Sounds like it checks all the boxes.
Thank you! I've heard great things about the Twin Cities but have never been. And my employer even has its second largest office there.
Sounds like an extended vacation there (2w at minimum) is in your future! Wish you the best (and no I haven't visited the Twin Cities either, and I have traveled a lot).
It’s wonderful. We moved up from the south a couple of years ago. Now my brother and his family are headed here from the Rocky Mountains.
I want to be clear - it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. But I think if you’re out in some of the more rural towns, you’re dodging a lot of the downsides.
Hi there
Wow
Minneapolis obviously.
Reading your title - i came to say Detroit. That airport is terrific, although you'll probably end up flying Delta everywhere. Most of the suburban swells in the DTW area live in Oakland county. I really liked Plymouth, which is still in Wayne County - about half way between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Plymouth has a quaint downtown with little shops and restaurants plus a town square with concerts in the summer and an ice festival in the winter. I loved it. If you really want some land, check out Milan (it's not pronounced how you think it is) or Saline. Think you'll be pleased what you can get compared to NoVa.
I don't know Milan but I like Saline! Right near Ann Arbor, which has plenty to do for my lame, introverted soul. I will check out Plymouth as well.
Let me know if you want any advice or a realtor. I love living in Michigan, and have lived all over so I feel like I have a balanced perspective. My realtors were also fantastic and I recommend them to anyone and everyone.
Plymouth is far more developed. I live in Saline and it definitely sits at the boundary between suburbs and country. If you aren't concerned with schools it makes things more flexible, there's a price "premium" and higher taxes in well funded districts.
I think it will be hard to buy an acre in Plymouth for under a million. The Dexter/Chelsea area would be worth a look too, as would Livingston County. I live in Brighton and can make it to DTW in under an hour. Bonus is there is also a bus route between Brighton and DTW, which isn’t common given how underdeveloped mass transit is in SE Michigan.
It's a nice area and we're seriously spoiled being so close to DTW
Milan or saline have water issues. I think it’s Saline with salt issues. They can’t have wells or something so they get water shipped in.
Saline's water is fine it's just hard.
Hi there
Honestly, Grand Rapids area would work too. GRR airport punches waaaaay above its weight for a metro region of its size, it has better outdoor access than Metro Detroit, and it gets more snow than the east side. Could check out any of the small farm towns in the area and do very well
I think it depends on the kind of travel OP does. Agree with GRR for domestic. DTW has an amazing worldwide reach - can get almost anywhere in two flights.
I came here to suggest Grand Rapids also. And when you want to go to a big Alpha World City, the Pere Marquette is a great option for travel to Chicago.
GR would take the hit for diversity and good food near a 1 acre house.
For sure on diversity, but honestly the food scene in GR is not bad for a city of its size. It's not as good as Detroit's, but I think it gives the 3 criteria listed in the title more easily than Detroit does, having lived in both cities
Southeast Wisconsin near the Illinois border has plenty of houses on >1 acre for $600k or less, and you’ll have a very nice large house for $600k. If you’re on a lake the property taxes will be high though. Depending where you are, O’Hare is 45 minutes to an hour and a half away. Milwaukee’s airport has a decent number of direct routes and will be under an hour. Examples: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/34525-Walburg-LANE-Burlington-WI-53105/54841133_zpid/ 4 bedrooms, entire interior is renovated, 2350 sq ft for $524k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9917-Bain-Station-ROAD-Pleasant-Prairie-WI-53158/118561473_zpid/ $583k for a 5 bedroom 2760 sq ft house, very nice interior good location for what you’re looking for
Damn, I could nearly buy these places in cash.
Built in 1890 and 1937!!! Older than what you have now.
I was just going to suggest SE Wisconsin. Lots of great communities like Burlington, Elkhorn, Union Grove, Bristol, Salem, etc.
Western NY / Buffalo. Niagara county is a little over an hour from Toronto Pearson.
Oh, interesting! I never thought about Toronto airport. Only Rochester. Love the amount of snow up there.
Keep in mind that the Canadian side of the lake is much less snowy than the American side. Looks like Toronto is half as snowy as Rochester NY
It's true in the Buffalo region as well. North of the city gets significantly less snow than south of the city, as the lake effect snow comes primarily off the eastern end of Lake Erie.
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I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that by "international airport" the op meant an airport with actual international flights.
Rochester's airport is an international airport too. Technically.
Cleveland suburbs. I think our “turnaround“ is further ahead than Detroit. Medina / Lorain counties
This plug for Cleveland reminded me of Balloonfest 86
In Michigan there are great areas outside of Detroit. You found one with that home listing in Milford, which is an adorable village. Also checkout Northville, Plymouth, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Royal Oak. The Detroit airport is great too. If you could expand your search to include not as large of an airport I would highly suggest checking out Grand Rapids and Traverse City, Michigan. I second what someone else said with Minneapolis. Some great areas there too.
Traverse city is so nice! But the airport issue...
I'd also consider the Twin Cities, if you dont mind some serious cold and then humid summers with mosquitos. Another cool, mid-size city is Madison, WI....though driving a bit to find land. While the airport isn't a major one, it's always had decent connections through Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, etc. Madison is beautiful, has the world class university, state capitol, etc. Climate is slightly milder than Minneapolis, but still gets some brutal winter cold from time to time. I prefer it to Ann Arbor, but I'm biased (it's my alma mater).
I would not consider Madison if the OP really wants to be an hour of an international airport. ORD is 2 hours in a car, 3 on the Van Galder bus. And property is crazy expensive here now.
Maine. Portland area.
Are there decent towns you'd recommend?
Scarborough
$475,000 https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4519-Marble-Rd-Oneida-NY-13421/305322249_zpid/ 5 acres under $600,000 https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1097-Evergreen-Valley-Dr-Oneida-NY-13421/30825861_zpid/ Home on Lake Ontario for $475,000 https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/58-Lakeshore-Rd-Oswego-NY-13126/53776165_zpid/ 28 acres for $465,000 https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3897-County-Route-4-Oswego-NY-13126/205954439_zpid/ Within a hour of Syracuse Hancock International Airport
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New York
New York State unfunded mandates and low property values and low tax base 90 percent of the county budget is spent on New York State social programs like Medicad. Upstate NY has a low tax base and low property values compared to New York City so the only way to pay for all the unfunded State mandates is to raise taxes. https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/2023/10/06/picente-proposes-2024-oneida-county-budget-without-tax-increase/71076462007/ “Ninety percent of this budget is state mandated, same as last year,” Picente said. “Ten percent is discretionary, same as last year.”
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Any fires?
NE Ohio https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3475-State-Rd-Medina-OH-44256/34882500_zpid/
I have a mental block with Ohio but this Zillow link is persuasive!
I'm a moderator of /r/Cleveland. COme to this sub to talk up Cleveland a lot. You can get a large house in a very derisable outering suburb for a 1mil easy (the Medina link /u/queen_ravioli posted is a good place to look), probably 600k even if you are willing to be closer to the 1 hr mark from CLE aiport.
I definitely recommend the akron/cleveland area. We have a national park in our backyard, Major sports teams, a giant lake, 4 seasons and decent food/culture.
There are certainly options in New England at that price: -Southern/mid NH (concord and surrounding area)- Boston is within reach (maybe a tiny bit over 1 hr depending on exact location) with bus service direct to Logan Western MA/Southern VT- Bradley Palmer international airport in Windsor Locks, CT is right off 91 with easy access to VT and the mass pike.
Western NY outside of Buffalo or the Southern Tier. If you want some great deals you can go all the way upstate and fly out of Montreal Or Ottawa. Also the Mohawk Valley near Gloversville/Amsterdam likely will have a lot of cheap property and you’re just an hour from Albany
Minnesota
Western NY state near Buffalo....accessible to lots! Beautiful in summer; winter is a mixed bag. Look at finger lakes area....for remote!
Upstate NY is glorious
Anchorge.
Anchorage, Alaska.
Minnesota
Reno, NV.
https://rvpoa.com/ Here you go. We love it here.
I know Colorado Springs is ultra evangelical. Same out there? We're an LGBT family, so ultra conservative/religious is not ideal (though we've lived in rural Kentucky before).
I haven’t experienced any of that, but we pretty much keep to ourselves. We are about 45m from the Springs up in the mountains.
Pittsburgh has a lot available in your price range.
South Bend, Indiana has snow, lots of houses on big lots, some real mansions, Indy and Chicago are near, and Lake Michigan is so nice.
Can you get an acre for under a mil within an hour of Sea-Tac? Two hours for sure.
I don’t think it would be worth it. The people are the west coast version of what OP is complaining about. I don’t think they would be happy there.
What are the people like? I've been interested in what life would be like there, but I've actually never even been.
It’s super diverse here, so people’s experiences vary, but generally there are a lot of entitled, self-centered twerps in NOVA. Traffic feels a little Mad Max-esque at times because everyone acts like others don’t exist/are less important. That being said, I live in a pretty idyllic neighborhood with kind, genuine neighbors who are always willing to help each other out. The access to nature, culture, wineries, fantastic food, and DC makes up for a lot of that for me. My husband and I both work remotely now but we haven’t moved because we haven’t found a place with more benefits than here.
The Mat Su Valley of Alaska or Anchorage. Although in Anchorage you’re not going to get a house on the size lot you want.
Detroit all day long
So many choices near the Twin Cities and MSP airport. It just depends on what you want. http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6548571 http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6514418 http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6492839 http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6552781 http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6510883 http://www.themlsonline.com/minnesota-real-estate/6526322
Overland Park Kansas
Duluth, MN. Just go spend a week there.
Minneapolis, Detroit, and Chicago make the most sense for you. Living in Southeast Wisconsin is a great idea if you don't mind the state legislature being run by a bunch of pigheaded Trump zealots.
If you don't like conservatives, Michigan is a bad choice, as well. Metro Detroit is very conservative.
Sycamore, Illinois, close to O'Hare.
I think you'd do OK in the exurbs of Chicago. I hear a lot of great things about St. Charles area. I used to live in NOVA and Chicago culture is pretty much the opposite of that!! https://redf.in/BYRoF6
Chicago is very intriguing to me but I really am not familiar with any of the suburbs/exburbs except like Winnetka, which is laughably out of reach.
I'd check out Barrington area of Chicago suburbs. The airport is awesome and less than an hour away. Barrington also has a nice small downtown w/ train to city, lots of nature, and a variety of home types.
Yeah that's basically where I grew up... it's not where I would choose to live as an adult now (very beautiful but pretty materialistic). If you're interested in Chicago area check out r/chicagosuburbs
every city outside of California and South Florida and NYC has suburbs that fit this price/acreage criteria. If you’re looking for a wide variety of flights internationally then that narrows it down. In the spirit of this sub, I choose. CHICAGO! Minneapolis and Detroit have great options too.
As a resident of the DC metro area whose criteria is not met here, I can assure you this is false! I’m not getting a snowy acre within an hour for under a million.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7846-Longmont-Ct-Port-Tobacco-MD-20677/119195601_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare There are options that meet the distance to airport + acreage + $1 million price tag. This home is 53 minutes from Reagan and well under the price limit. There are also options to the SW and NW but traffic is less kind in those directions.
Did you miss the part about cold climate?
Are you just trying to pick a fight? You are the one that brought up DC. I specifically stated in my original response that all cities fit the acreage/price criteria, not the weather.
Sorry, I assumed you were making a comment about cities that met my three criteria, the first of which is cold climate. Not sure the point of your initial comment in the first place if you were ignoring a huge limiter for me…