I lived in Midland for several years, and my first home cost less than either of my last two cars (and they aren't flashy rides by any means).

When moving to the thumb, bring pictures of some hills with you so you remember what they look like. The thing I remember about riding near Midland was that it was an event to have a curve in the road, much less a hill.

On the bright side, the people there are really agreeable and very friendly if you're ever in a jam/break down on the road. I'd like to get back that way someday, but they went and surrounded the whole state with big lakes.