Why West Michigan

• 57 Reasons to Live in West Michigan!
• Grand Rapids Rocks!
• Neighborhoods
• Local Government
• Area Schools
• Public School Rankings for Kent & Ottawa County
• Area Colleges & Universities
• Places of Worship
• Community Outreach
• Local Weather Conditions
• Contact GRAR

Local Real Estate News

• Grand Rapids tops Forbes list of the best cities for raising a family

  Apr 5, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI - If not on the fast track to a life of "glitz and glamour," at least Grand Rapids has a quick commute to "a solid job that lets you get home in time to see the kids." That's just one reason Forbes has named Grand Rapids...

• Fixes aimed at Kent County's leaking septic tanks

  Mar 13, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - A partnership with the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors and a public education campaign are the keystones of a recommendation approved Tuesday aimed at reducing the amount of septic tanks leaking sewage into drinking...

• Is the Grand Rapids downtown real estate market coming back to life?

  Feb 14, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - The commercial real estate market is starting to pick up steam downtown after spending several years in the doldrums, according to area agents. Stan Wisinski, of NAI Wisinski points to their recent sale of the West Michigan...

• Grand Rapids Association of Realtors reports housing prices were on the rise last month

  Feb 13, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - Housing sales in the greater Grand Rapids area picked up in January when compared to January sales one year earlier, according to the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors (GRAR). Pending sales were up 6.3 percent while...

• Grand Rapids real estate market showing signs of recovery

  Jan 11, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - West Michigan's housing market began making a comeback last year, according to early reports from local real estate and homebuilding groups. While foreclosures remained historically high, statistics show fewer homes went...

• Grand Rapids real estate market showing signs of recovery

  Jan 1, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - West Michigan's housing market began making a comeback last year, according to early reports from local real estate and homebuilding groups. While foreclosures remained historically high, statistics show fewer homes went...

• Pair arrested for Open House thefts

  Dec 2, 2011 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Two men are under arrest for allegedly stealing items from homes for sale during Open Houses. Matthew Donald Vanhouten, 27, and Jeffrey David Burdick, 31, face charges after an investigation by both the Kent...

• Police: Suspects in Kent County open house thefts arrested, property recovered

  Dec 2, 2011 - KENT COUNTY - Sheriff's detectives have arrested two suspects in thefts at open houses when real-estate agents are showing houses for sale. Matthew Donald VanHouten, 26, is charged with first-degree home invasion and larceny in a building....

• Thefts continuing at GR open houses

  Nov 18, 2011 - May 18, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The Grand Rapids Association of Realtors is warning residents about a continuation of thefts occurring at open houses. GRAR began receiving reports in March. The latest thefts occurred this past weekend. GRAR...

• Sunny days for home sales in Kent County

  Nov 11, 2011 - May 11, 2012 - It may have been snowing Thursday, but sunny weather for much of October pushed activity in the Kent County area housing market up 18 percent compared to a year ago. Five Star Real Estate agent James Goetzka said the good weather helped...

• RealtyTrac releases October foreclosure data: How did Michigan fare?

  Nov 10, 2011 - May 10, 2012 - The number of West Michigan homes receiving foreclosure filings last month surged over September, but for the most part remains below year-ago levels. The local data mirrors the state and national numbers, according to California-based...

• Kent County renters can access free legal information thanks to Cooley Law, area nonprofits

  Oct 19, 2011 - Apr 19, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS -- Renters in Kent County have access to free legal information about their rights and responsibilities thanks to a partnership between the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and area nonprofits. The Tenant Law Project taps specially...

• Lakeshore home sales down slightly in September, but average sale price surges over last year

  Oct 15, 2011 - Apr 15, 2012 - Lakeshore home sales from Saugatuck to Muskegon during the month of September were down slightly from a year ago, but the average sale price surged. See full article at the MLive website

• Home building in Ottawa, Muskegon counties on the rise

  Oct 13, 2011 - Apr 13, 2012 - More people are building homes in the Lakeshore region than a year ago. Housing starts through the third quarter in Ottawa and Muskegon counties grew more than 14 percent over last year, according to Ada-based Builder Track. In Ottawa...

• RealtyTrac: Foreclosure filings down for 12th month in a row, but will it last?

  Oct 13, 2011 - Apr 13, 2012 - For the 12th month in a row, nationwide foreclosure activity was down compared to the month prior and the year prior, and many West Michigan counties saw similar drops. However, signs indicate that decline may soon be over, according to...

• Grand Rapids area homes sales rise in September along with home prices

  Oct 10, 2011 - Apr 10, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS - Local home sales in September continued to outpace last year for both completed sales and purchase agreements. There were 711 homes sold in the Kent County area, up 13 percent from last year's 629, according to data released...

• Land contracts can help people with poor credit buy homes

  Oct 2, 2011 - Apr 2, 2012 - Long-term interest rates remain at record lows, and there are no indications they will rise anytime soon. But because of strict lending requirements, potential home buyers must have pristine credit to take advantage of those low rates. ...

• RealtyTrac: Number of Michigan homes receiving first notice of foreclosure increasing

  Sep 15, 2011 - Mar 15, 2012 - A nationwide surge in the number of homes receiving default notices means banks are starting to work through the log jam of paperwork, according to a national tracking firm. Default notices are typically the first step in a foreclosure...

• Grand Rapids Housing Market Tightens

  Sep 14, 2011 - Mar 14, 2012 - There are new signs that the housing market around Grand Rapids is tightening up. The Grand Rapids Association of Realtors says there are 35% fewer homes for sale this August compared to last. It means for the first time in a long time,...

• 7 schools in Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, East Grand Rapids ranked Michigan's best

  Aug 26, 2011 - Feb 26, 2012 - KENT COUNTY -- The Grand Rapids and Forest Hills school districts each have three schools ranked at the "best of the best" category in Michigan -- the 99th percentile, according to a new state list. See full story at the MLive website

• Newsweek/Daily Beast rank Michigan No. 1 for job creation potential. Huh?

  Aug 26, 2011 - Feb 26, 2012 - Newsweek and its affiliate web site The Daily Beast, in their never-ending stream of top-whatever lists, has just named Michigan as No. 1 on the list for booming states for business. It was rather alarming to click on the "Next" button...

• Report shows buyers getting huge discount on foreclosed homes in Michigan

  Aug 25, 2011 - Feb 25, 2012 - If you buy a bank-owned property in Michigan, you are paying about 46 percent less than you would for a traditional property. If the home is still in the process of foreclosure and you buy it through a short sale, you're paying about 14...

• Grand Rapids bucking national home sales trend

  Aug 23, 2011 - Feb 23, 2012 - (WZZM)- New home sales in 2011 are shaping up to be among the worst in 50 years. The Commerce Department says new home sales dropped nearly 1% last month to a seasonally adjusted rate od 298,000 homes. That is less than half of what...

• National Realtor Assocation tour stops in Grand Rapids: Tax changes and the impact on homeowers

  Aug 23, 2011 - Feb 23, 2012 - See photo coverage at the MLive website

• Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight against housing discrimination recalled as national memorial is dedicated

  Aug 20, 2011 - Feb 20, 2012 - As a Realtor, Pat Vredevoogd Combs credits Martin Luther King Jr. with sparking the changes that led to laws against housing discrimination. "There were so many things that were wrong with the system before he stood up and gave his speech...

• HOME OWNERSHIP MATTERS Press Conference coming to GRAR August 23

  Aug 19, 2011 - Feb 19, 2012 - Realtors Address Issues That Hit Home in Michigan WHAT: Home Ownership Matters Press Conference WHEN: August 23, 2011, 12:45 p.m. EDT WHERE: Grand Rapids Association of Realtors Auditorium ...

• Blue Star Trail will allow bicyclists to ride from South Haven to Saugatuck

  Aug 17, 2011 - Feb 17, 2012 - SOUTH HAVEN - When the Blue Star Trail is finished, bicyclists will be able to ride from Kalamazoo to South Haven and up the coast to Saugatuck. But completion of the route still is years away. Construction has begun on the paved, 10-foot...

• Sleeping Bear Dunes Voted 'Most Beautiful Place in America'

  Aug 17, 2011 - Feb 17, 2012 - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, tucked away in the northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, won the title of "Good Morning America's" Most Beautiful Place in America. Tens of thousands of viewers voted online for this...

• Grand Rapids area home sales surge in July along with average sale price

  Aug 12, 2011 - Feb 12, 2012 - Home sales in the Grand Rapids area spiked 27 percent in July when compared to last year, a bright spot of positive local news amid national economic turmoil. Throw in pending deals and activity was up 40 percent from a year ago. "On the...

• Kent County Land Bank program launches plans to buy, revitalize vacant homes

  Aug 8, 2011 - Feb 8, 2012 - Kent County's Land Bank Authority is advertising for an executive director and about to buy its first few vacant homes in an effort to revitalize abandoned real estate. This week, the county's Board of Commissioners is expected to purchase...

• Wyoming is solicited to become a Next Michigan Development Corp.

  Jul 25, 2011 - Jan 25, 2012 - WYOMING - As city officials work with developers to find a user for the former General Motors plant property on 36th Street SW, they might have an ally in a new state law that brings more tax incentives to the table. Wyoming is among...

• Report: GR 'Top 100 Places to Live'

  Jul 20, 2011 - Jan 20, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - It has made the Top 100 but could become a Top 10 nominee with your help. RelocateAmerica has named Grand Rapids as one of the Top 100 Places to Live in 2011. This is the organization's 14th annual listing of...

• US News: Spectrum Health one of best

  Jul 19, 2011 - Jan 19, 2012 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Spectrum Health has been ranked as one of the best hospitals in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The facility was nationally ranked as among the top 50 hospitals in diabetes and endocrinology...

• West Michigan cities find ways to help restore homeownership

  Jul 11, 2011 - Jan 11, 2012 - WYOMING - When a "For Rent" sign went up across the street from the Bluebird Avenue SW home they've lived in for 40 years, Tim and Merva Keena were curious. When the neglected and vacant two-bedroom home went into foreclosure, they were...

• Unemployed homeowners facing foreclosure may get more time under new federal requirements

  Jul 7, 2011 - Jan 7, 2012 - Unemployed homeowners with mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration may now be eligible for a 12-month forbearance on their loans instead of four months, the Obama administration announced today. The administration also...

• 16,600 more people in West Michigan have jobs this year than last year

  Jun 24, 2011 - Dec 24, 2011 - More than 700,000 people in West Michigan were gainfully employed last month, a boost of 16,600 over the same time last year. The bulk of those job gains came in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming area, where the number of employed people jumped by...

• West Michigan has 6 charter schools converting to Schools of Excellence

  Jun 22, 2011 - Dec 22, 2011 - GRAND RAPIDS - Six West Michigan charter schools were among 12 in the first round of schools to convert to Schools of Excellence, according to the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. The state's Schools of Excellence program...

• Cherry Park: Historic place to play

  Jun 20, 2011 - Dec 20, 2011 - GRAND RAPIDS - Darja Duke was full of energy as the Baxter neighborhood girl ran up the slide at Cherry Park, turned at the top and slid down again, giggling the whole time. Standing nearby, Andre Jones, 22, said he often brings his 5-year...

• West Michigan sees increase in foreclosure activity in May

  Jun 16, 2011 - Dec 16, 2011 - Foreclosure activity in West Michigan last month was higher than April, but lower than a year ago, according to data released today. Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Kalamazoo counties all registered gains in total filings from the month before,...

• Court ruling gives hope to homeowners facing foreclosure

  Jun 4, 2011 - Dec 4, 2011 - Brian Geister could see the end, and it was not pretty. In 2008, after having his pay cut nearly in half to $8 an hour, he was facing foreclosure on his Stanton home where he lived with his wife and two children. He tried desperately to...

• Grand Rapids named 'Person of the Week' on ABC's 'World News Tonight' for Rob Bliss' Lip Dub video

  Jun 3, 2011 - Dec 3, 2011 - GRAND RAPIDS - Grand Rapids and Rob Bliss' Lip Dub video are expected to be featured tonight on ABC-TV's "World News Tonight" with Diane Sawyer. Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell was interviewed by ABC-TV this morning while attending the...

• Falling condo prices in Grand Rapids draw wave of homeowners downtown

  May 29, 2011 - Nov 29, 2011 - GRAND RAPIDS - Eleven years ago, Paul Becker and Eve Rogus got married, raising their blended family of five children in a large house in East Grand Rapids. But those children grew up and moved out. And the couple, both in their 50s, no...

• Foreclosures still make up significant portion of West Michigan home sales, according to RealtyTrac

  May 26, 2011 - Nov 26, 2011 - Distressed properties continue to make up a significant portion of home sales in West Michigan. More than half of the Muskegon County homes sold in the first quarter were in some stage of foreclosure, and in most other West Michigan...

Subscribe | RSS Help | View Archived Local Real Estate News >

Local real estate news archive