Rachel Watson

2 weeks ago | crainsgrandrapids.com | Rachel Watson

A West Michigan plastics injection molding manufacturer and a business network service provider have received state funding to provide housing assistance to their employees. Cascade Township-based Cascade Engineering and Wyoming-based Spectrum Enterprise jointly pledged $100,000 to create a down payment assistance program and will receive a matching grant from the state’s Employer-Assisted Housing Fund. The down payment assistance will support homeownership for up to 27 income-eligible employees.

2 weeks ago | crainsgrandrapids.com | Rachel Watson

Bidders will have the rare opportunity to acquire an estate overlooking Lake Michigan in the tony Bay Harbor community near Petoskey when the property hits the auction block next month. After trying unsuccessfully for nearly a year to sell their estate in the Preserve community of Bay Harbor along Little Traverse Bay, Joseph and Sandra Lee engaged Charlotte, N.C.-based Interluxe Auctions to sell their property in an online auction that will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, June 2.

2 weeks ago | crainsgrandrapids.com | Rachel Watson

A longtime Lowell resident and Realtor got state backing for her plan to build apartments in a 115-year-old building downtown, marking the latest housing investment in the eastern Kent County city. A $210,999 state grant announced Tuesday supports Amanda Rogers’ project to turn the upper floor of a two-story, 4,135 square-foot commercial building at 317 E. Main St. in downtown Lowell into two apartments. The structure dates back to 1910, according to Lowell property records.

2 weeks ago | crainsgrandrapids.com | Rachel Watson

A growing lakeshore community south of Holland wants to limit short-term rentals out of concern that outside investors are snatching away its housing stock from year-round residents. The Laketown Township Board of Trustees on May 14 unanimously passed a six-month pause on the processing of any new short-term rental permits for “freestanding” homes, or full single-family homes.

2 weeks ago | crainsgrandrapids.com | Rachel Watson

Domestic travel over this Memorial Day weekend is expected to set new records, and Up North tourism leaders say their hotels and attractions can draw cost-conscious consumers who may be choosing to forgo international travel amid economic uncertainty. A new AAA forecast projects 45.1 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from May 22-26, with 87.4% of those households traveling by car, 8% by air and 4.6% by some other means.