The Variety of West Michigan

I have lived in West Michigan all of my life. I enjoy the changing weather and the varied topography.

Sometimes in the summer time, it gets up to 100 degrees and is usually very humid. It makes a trip to the lake almost a necessity. It seems the Big Storms form further west and, a lot of the time, they approach Lake Michigan latter in the day. That usually cools them off a bit so we seldom get tornadoes.

Lake Michigan is about 80 miles across where I live. It is so far that you can not see either side when you are in the middle of the lake. It warms up to 70 to 80 degrees and we have some of the nicest beaches on Earth! We also have numerous inland lakes and rivers. Some are navigable from Lake Michigan. Usually good for a cruise or just to explore.

We get a lot of snow in the winter. The average for Muskegon is about 120 inches a year. Seems like we have been cheated the last few years but I am sure that will change also. We seldom have more than 1 1/2 or 2 feet of snow on the ground at any given time. We are also one of the cloudiest places on earth. Sometimes we don't see sunshine for weeks. Some get depressed but I guess I am used to it. The Weather At My House link is a direct link to the weather station I have set up at home. There are also links to other weather stations from Grand Haven, Norton Shores, North Muskegon, Twin Lake, Whitehall and Montague.Check it out!

I mentioned our beaches. We have the nicest sandy beaches you could ask for. It is all sand in this area on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. From about Muskegon south to the state line it is mostly nice clean sand! A ways north there is some clay now and then. Further north you will find some rocks mixed in but still mostly sand.

The Muskegon River is Michigan's longest River. It starts at Houghton Lake about 150 miles to the NorthEast. It was instrumental in making Muskegon the Lumber Capitol of the world back in the 1800's. Michigan used to be covered with massive White Pine trees. These were cut down and loggers floated their logs down the rivers to the sawmills. There were several sawmills on the shores of Muskegon Lake. The boards were shipped out from here. Many trees that floated down the Muskegon river were sawn into boards to re-build Chicago after the big fire destroyed most of the city. the first Millionaire in Michigan made his fortune owning sawmills in Muskegon.

There are many smaller inland lakes. Some just a few acres in size and some that are many miles long. We also have many small streams and creeks. When you are in Michigan, you are never more than 6 miles from a river, stream, or lake. 

Our terrain on this side of the state has nice hills and valleys, forests and a few prairies. My wife is from the Saginaw Valley on the east side of the state. She enjoys having hills and valleys. 

I know the lakes and rivers since I have canoed or power boated many of them. This gives me an advantage selling real estate whether it is lakefront, riverfront, or hunting property. Muskegon is in the process of completely rebuilding downtown. Now is the best time to invest in Muskegon. You can't go wrong whether it is commercial or residential real estate. Give me a call. I would be happy to discuss the potential of this great area.