Why Michigan tops the nation for lifestyle properties
At Michigan Lifestyle Properties Network we strive to be the most comprehensive resource of its kind for property owners, agents, and brokers who are interested in buying, selling, trading or building lifestyle properties in Michigan.
While the vast majority of the real estate world categorizes real estate by city, town, county and zip code, each of our websites is dedicated to a specific property type. For buyers, we offer a comprehensive knowledge of the wide variety of Michigan properties that draw people to Michigan.
But we’ve never argued our case for coming to Michigan, over all other states that can offer lake houses, acreage and country properties, and equestrian homes and more.
So here are our top reasons to pick Michigan for your lifestyle property:
We’re at the crossroads of America
Michigan is only 500 miles, or a day’s drive, from half of the population of the U.S. Whether you’re looking for a 2nd home within a day’s drive, or want to stay centrally located for family and friends, we’re a great destination.
Our whole state is a playground
Few states can boast that they offer spectacular natural beauty, world-class cultural resources, vibrant cities and diverse recreational opportunities.
Want a lakefront condo in a vibrant downtown area? We have that.
Looking to escape to a log cabin in the remote woods? Check.
Dreaming of a home in the country where you can board horses or run your own hobby farm? Yep! And you’d probably even be a fairly short drive to some great farmers markets to sell your produce.
Come visit our epic sand dunes on long freshwater coasts and enjoy a salt-free swim in one of our lakes. Travel trout streams and bike trails that wind through immense forests. Play a round of golf at any one of our public golf courses, the most in the US. Or get lost in the over 2.8 million acres of state forest (the largest state forest system in the nation!). In fact, just over half of Michigan is forested, which means there are almost endless opportunities for hunting, hiking, birding and so much more.
If a cultural experience is more your style, try Detroit’s Institute of Arts, Motown Museum, Henry Ford Museum, and historical Greenfield Village in Dearborn. Grand Rapids offers the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, and the Windmill Island Gardens in Holland are bursting with tulips in the spring.
Tour the wine regions from St. Joseph to Kalamazoo in the Southwest corner of the state, or go north to try Traverse City’s signature cherry wines. Breweries abound across the state.
And history buffs will love walking Mackinac Island, the University of Michigan’s LSA Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor, visiting a replica logging camp near Grayling, or shipwreck tours off Alpena.
Agriculture is big here, too. In addition to being known for asparagus, blueberries, apples, beans, cherries and lots more, Michigan is 3rd in the nation for farmers markets.
So whether you are wanting to make a go of a hobby farm for your own little slice of paradise, or just love the idea of fresh-to-market produce being easily available at local farm stands and U-pick farms, just know that agriculture is the second largest industry in the state and growing.
We offer an affordable cost of living for a high quality of life
All these amazing resources don’t come at a steep cost, either. Michigan offers a cost of living that is 10% lower than the national average, making it the fourth most affordable state in the country. Several communities, like Detroit and Grand Rapids, also rank at the top of the list internationally for housing affordability. And Moneyrates.com named Michigan the fourth-best state to live in nationwide.