Market intelligence, property strategy and perspective for buyers, sellers, investors and distinctive-property owners throughout West Michigan.
Buying or selling a home with a shared well in West Michigan? Here’s what lenders, appraisers, and title work typically require, plus a closing-safe checklist for shared-well agreements a...
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Knob-and-tube wiring isn’t always a deal-killer in West Michigan, but insurance and insulation issues can stop a closing. A 2026 playbook for buyers and sellers: permits, underwriting, an...
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Old oil heat can leave buried tanks behind. Here’s a West Michigan real estate checklist to spot underground heating oil tanks, understand Michigan closure basics, document removals, and ...
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A West Michigan real estate reality check on Michigan Part 91 soil erosion (SESC) permits: the 1-acre and 500-foot triggers, who enforces in Kent/Ottawa/Allegan, and a closing-safe checkl...
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A closing-safe West Michigan guide to home standby generators: permits and inspections, transfer switches, placement clearances, CO safety, and what buyers and sellers should verify befor...
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A West Michigan real estate checklist for finding municipal special assessments early, understanding how they show up on tax bills, and negotiating payoffs or credits to prevent closing s...
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Buying or selling a manufactured home on land in West Michigan? Use this 2026 checklist to verify Michigan title status, Affidavit of Affixture recording, HUD data plate/tags, and foundat...
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Buying or selling near farms in West Michigan? Here’s how Michigan’s Right to Farm Act and GAAMPs affect nuisance complaints, zoning expectations, and your real estate due diligence in 2026.
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A West Michigan real estate checklist for fireplaces, wood stoves, and outdoor wood boilers: Michigan permit basics, Level 2 chimney inspections, township ordinance risk, and pre-listing ...
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Buying or selling waterfront in West Michigan? Shoreline work like seawalls, riprap, and bioengineering often requires EGLE permits. Learn what triggers permitting, realistic timelines, a...
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A West Michigan real estate playbook for private-well testing: arsenic and nitrate/nitrite thresholds, timing, labs, and negotiation strategies to protect your closing.
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A West Michigan real estate due diligence guide to driveway permits, culverts, and right-of-way rules (Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, and MDOT). Learn what can trigger permits, what can delay clo...
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A broker-level playbook for radon in West Michigan real estate: where to test, closed-house rules, how to read results, mitigation cost ranges, and negotiation paths that protect the clos...
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Buying or selling a West Michigan home on a private well? A practical PFAS due diligence checklist: how to screen sites, when to test, how to write contingencies, and how to keep your clo...
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Buying a rental in West Michigan? Here’s how Grand Rapids rental certification, mechanical safety inspections, and Holland/Grand Haven registration programs affect your budget, timeline, ...
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A West Michigan guide to Michigan’s real estate transfer tax: current state + county rates, the $500 rounding rule, who is liable, common exemptions, and how to avoid closing delays in Ke...
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Thinking of selling or buying with an assumable FHA or VA loan in West Michigan? Here’s what “assumable” really means, the cash-gap problem, timelines, and VA entitlement risks.
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Buying or selling Lake Michigan property in West Michigan? Here’s what “Critical Dune Area” means in 2026, how to check maps, what triggers EGLE permits, timelines, fees, and the buildabi...
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In West Michigan, unpermitted updates can trigger appraisal, underwriting, insurance, or municipal enforcement surprises. A practical pre-check checklist for buyers and sellers, including...
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In West Michigan, wetlands don’t always look obvious, and rules can involve EGLE, local ordinances, and federal review. Here’s the due diligence checklist buyers and sellers should use be...
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In 2026, West Michigan closings can derail when insurers flag roofs via aerial imagery or enforce roof settlement limits. Here’s a practical pre-check plan for buyers and sellers to avoid...
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Solar can help a sale or quietly complicate it. A West Michigan broker’s checklist for owned vs leased solar, Consumers Energy DG transfers, financing, appraisals, and paperwork that prev...
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A dry basement at a showing doesn’t prove you’re safe. Here’s how sewer backups happen in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, how insurance and Public Act 222 claims work, and what to verify ...
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A West Michigan broker’s reality check on Grand Rapids historic districts: National Register vs local rules, when a Certificate of Appropriateness is required, timeline risks, and a due d...
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A practical 2026 guide for Grand Rapids and West Michigan buyers and sellers: how to verify lead service lines, understand public vs. private costs, and avoid closing delays.
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A West Michigan real estate guide to floodplain due diligence: how to read FEMA flood maps, when flood insurance is required, how Risk Rating 2.0 affects pricing, and when EGLE Part 31 pe...
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A West Michigan (2026) guide to well and septic evaluations, including what Ottawa, Kent, and Allegan Counties require, timelines, and deal-saving strategies.
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A practical West Michigan vacant land checklist for zoning, well and septic suitability, wetlands and EGLE permits, access, survey, and split rights. Includes what Public Act 58 of 2025 c...
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A West Michigan broker’s condo due diligence checklist for 2026: reserve studies, special assessments, insurance, delinquencies, and the 1076 questionnaire. Reduce financing surprises bef...
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Buying or selling on a private road in West Michigan? Use this due diligence checklist for easements, road maintenance agreements, lender rules, and county approach permits.
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A 2026, address-level due diligence guide to short-term rental legality in West Michigan, including what’s allowed in Grand Rapids (one-room licenses), Holland (owner-occupied vs investor...
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A 2026 reality check on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the City of Grand Rapids: zoning basics, size and rental limits, permits, water and sewer connections, building-code triggers, a...
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Why a Michigan seller’s current property tax bill may not predict a buyer’s future taxes, including taxable value uncapping, SEV and PRE considerations.
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In West Michigan, buyer-agent compensation can’t be posted in the MLS like it used to. Here’s how sellers can plan for negotiations, keep compensation and concessions distinct, and evalua...
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What West Michigan waterfront buyers should investigate before making an offer, from frontage and site conditions to utilities and due diligence.
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