grand river realty Archives | Grand River Realty

Grand Rapids on All the Lists

Updated January 2025, Originally Published 2021

[2024]

National Association of Realtors® Unveils 10 Top Housing Hot Spots for 2025
– Most of these markets outperform the national average in at least six of NAR’s 10 criteria

10 Best Towns to visit in 2024 by CNN

Best “Right-Size” City by Forbes

[2023]

Best Places to live in the US (#20, quality of life, value) by US News & World Report

#1 City in US for Millennial Homeownership (63%) by Apartment List

10 Best Cities to See Amazing Art by 10 Best

The Ten Best Real Estate Markets of 2023 by USA Today

The 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-2023 by US News

US Cities Offering the Most Bang for Your Buck in 2023, GoBankingRates

Most Beautiful & Affordable Cities to Live in the U.S., Travel + Leisure

Top 10 Cities for Young Female Professionals, Pheabs

The Best Places to Live in the U.S., U.S. News & World Report

Best Places to Retire in the U.S., U.S. News & World Report

Best Place to Live in Michigan, U.S. News & World Report

Best Places to Live for Quality of Life, U.S. News & World Report

Best Cities for Young Professionals in America, Niche

America’s Best Cities, World’s Best Cities

America’s Best Run Cities, Wallethub

Best Cities for Wallet Fitness, Wallethub

Healthiest Cities in America, Wallethub

Best Cities to Start a Career, Wallethub

Best Places to Find a Job, Wallethub

Best Cities to Work for a Small Business, Wallethub

Best Cities in Michigan to Live and Visit, Touropia

Best Suburbs to Buy a House in Michigan – Hudsonville and Forest Hills, Niche

Best Place to Raise a Family in Michigan – Forest hills and East Grand Rapids, Niche

Best Neighborhoods to Buy a House in America – Eastgate, Grand Rapids, Niche

Best Business Climate (Mid-Sized), Business Facilities

#1 – Best Manufacturing Hubs (Large) – Grand Rapids–Kentwood, Business Facilities

Where GR fits into Niche.com + anonymous reviews

[2022]

Rocket Mortage Names Grand Rapids #1 Place to Raise a Family

USA Today Reader Voting Awards Best Beer, Best Label 2021

SmartAsset: Grand Rapids #1 on Top 40 Cities for First-Time Buyers (Fall 2020)

Reuters: Grand Rapids named ‘Superstar’ City

Business Facilities: Grand Rapids ranked #1 Mid-size City for Economic Growth Potential

Fox Business: Best US Cities for Early Retirement (highest-ranked Midwestern city)

Realtor.com: Hottest Zip Codes in US – #1 is 49505

Cities Most Dependent on Small Businesses, Global Trade Magazine

Reuters: Grand Rapids MI Recognized as “Superstar” City

Wallethub: Grand Rapids among Best Cities to Buy a Home in 2019

Realtor.com: #1 Safest, Affordable Metro

Business Insider: The top 10 cities to buy a house in 2019, where jobs are plentiful, construction is booming, and young people are moving in

Realtor.com: The 10 Surprising Housing Markets Poised to Rule in 2019

Trulia: So Long Silicon Valley, Hello Heartland: Top 10 Markets in 2019

MLive: Millennials put down roots

Lending Tree: #3 for first time buyers

Forbes: Americas Fastest Growing Cities

Forbes: Where to Invest in Housing in 2018

Realtor.com Market Hotness Index

Realtor.com: The New Boomtowns

Rentcafe: August Rents Rose at Fastest Pace in 18 Months

USA Today: Top 10 US Housing Markets

US News: #12 Best Places to Live in USA

Wallethub: Fastest Growing Cities in America

Wall Street Journal: #2 Best Place to live in USA

Global Trade Magazine: Top 10 Emerging Cities

Forbes: Best City for Raising a Family

Wallethub: Best Cities to Flip Houses

Rightplace.org: Why West Michigan?

Best Convention Cities and Centers Global Trade Magazine

Amazon’s Giant Leap to Grand Rapids, Global Trade Magazine

Top Cities for Global Trade (2018) Top 5 Best Cities to Start or Relocate a Business, Global Trade Magazine

December 16, 2024/by Pete Bruinsma

Michigan Investors: File your Gast Act

Blog, News

It was hot news in 1976, but today who knows about Michigan’s Mathieu-Gast Act?

If you’ve ever put a considerable amount of capital into rental maintenance in a single year, this is worth checking out. As long as a simple form is filed by the end of the year in which the work was completed, the typical increase on property taxes through an increase in Assessed Value can be halted until the next time the home is sold.

The Mathieu-Gast Home Improvement Act of 1976 was co-sponsored by state Sen. Harry Gast, R-St. Joseph, and state Rep. Thomas Mathieu around the concept that homeowners and landlords should not be penalized with higher taxes for making home improvements that benefit the community around them.

Certain stipulations do exist; for example, work conducted without necessary permits does not qualify. The Mathieu-Gast Act only applies to “normal maintenance.” According to Michigan.gov Bulletin 7 of 2014, the following repairs are considered “normal maintenance” if they are not part of a structural addition or completion:

(a) Outside painting.
(b) Repairing or replacing siding, roof, porches, steps, sidewalks, or drives.
(c) Repainting, repairing, or replacing existing masonry.
(d) Replacing awnings.
(e) Adding or replacing gutters and downspouts.
(f) Replacing storm windows or doors.
(g) Insulating or weather stripping.
(h) Complete rewiring.
(i) Replacing plumbing and light fixtures.
(j) Replacing a furnace with a new furnace of the same type or replacing an oil or gas burner.
(k) Repairing plaster, inside painting, or other redecorating.
(l) New ceiling, wall, or floor surfacing.
(m) Removing partitions to enlarge rooms.
(n) Replacing an automatic hot water heater.
(o) Replacing dated interior woodwork.

The Michigan.gov form complete with instructions & guidelines for filing are hosted HERE.

– Pete Bruinsma, Broker, Grand River Realty & Life Cycle Property Management

sources: Harold-Palladium, John Dobberstein, Jun 26, 1999, RPOAonline.org, GRcity.us

December 3, 2024/by Pete Bruinsma

[Sold] great house.

Recently Sold

Congrats Joel Potrykus and Ashley Young for picking up this adorable West Side home at the top of the hill!

“Welcome to this adorable 3 bd, 1 bath home on the popular NW side of Grand Rapids! This home has more space than you might think at first glance! As you walk in, you’ll love the hardwood floors, open living/dining area with lots of light and a great view of the backyard, very functional kitchen with plenty of storage space, an updated bathroom with beautiful tile work and two bedrooms. Upstairs is the master bedroom with adjacent office area and walk in closet. Downstairs is a walk-out basement with family room, large utility/storage room with a bar. Brick paver patio out back with a private yard! One-stall garage here too!” – Keller Williams listing

September 15, 2017/by petedrover

[Sold Again] Grandville 4 BR 2 BA Ranch

Recently Sold

Helped buyers purchase in 2013 for 117,000 with $7000 in grants and closing costs. Resold in 2017 for $164,000.

September 15, 2017/by petedrover

[Sold] 5744 Rodney

Recently Sold

New 4 bedroom 3 bath home walkout ranch home with 9′ ceilings thru out the home in Grandville Schools by RDI Homes. Home has main floor laundry, solid surface tops in the kitchen, fireplace with 10′ tall trey ceiling in the family room and much more.Lower level has 2 bedroom and 1 full bath. Large family rec room that walks out to 12’X12′ concrete patio. Large 2 1/2 car garage, with a large front porch. Landscaping, underground sprinkling and hydroseedin are included.

September 15, 2017/by petedrover

[Sold] 333 Washington SE, Heritage Hill 4 Unit

Recently Sold

We were able to procure this home for an investor, and Life Cycle Property Management will be in charge of prepping it and leasing it out. Check here for this and other listings for lease!

Life Cycle Property Management provides investment consulting and cash flow analysis services through Pete at Grand River Realty, and full service project management through Kory at Emerald Advantage. We keep our managed properties healthy, clean and aesthetically pleasing for landlords, tenants and the community around them.