Real Estate Directory - Michigan

Population: (10,112,620) (2004)
Capital city/population: Lansing 118,379 (all totals in this section 2003)
Largest cities/population:

  • Detroit - 911,402
  • Grand Rapids - 195,601
  • Warren - 136,016
  • Sterling Heights - 126,182

Michigan is the 11th largest state, with a total area of 96,705 square miles; of this total, 18,253,000 square acres are forested. The state has four well-defined seasons, which are tempered by its location to the Great Lakes. Michigan achieved statehood on January 26, 1837. Although Michigan is often called the “Wolverine State”, there are no longer any of them in the state. Michigan is also home to the third oldest remaining settlement in the United States; Sault Ste. Marie was founded by Father Jacques Marquette in 1668.

HOUSING

Detroit – On the eastern area of the city, there are almost 500 homes for sale, with an average price of $99,000; the prices range from $30,000 - $250,000. These homes are remaining on the market for an average of 70 days. Currently, the city is undergoing revitalization, especially in the historic district, which is especially appealing to some home buyers.

Grand Rapids – Currently, there are over 1,400 homes for sale with a median price of $122,670. These homes range in price from $24,900 - $849,000, providing a great selection for many home buyers. The average home is selling in 73 days for an average price of $116,000. The home market remains a bit sluggish, with an average appreciation in home values of 4% for the past year. This community strongly supports the arts, with several children’s, art, and history museums.

Warren – This community has many properties available, ranging in price from $66,500 for a smaller home to $230,000 for a newer home in a subdivision. Home buyers will find a nice assortment of places to live in Warren.

Sterling Heights – Home prices are remaining stable, with sales taking place in a reasonable amount of time. First time home buyers are finding an abundance of homes on the market, and coupled with low interest rates, these buyers are finding many great places to live.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Primary industries include manufacturing, services, tourism, agriculture, and mining. Manufactured goods are automobiles, transportation equipment, machinery, food products, plastics, and office furniture. Crops include corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, potatoes, sweet corn, and apples. Michigan is primarily known for its auto industry; however, the tourism industry is also strong, with popular destinations being Traverse City, Mackinac Island, and the entire Upper Peninsula. Hunting is a strong part of the economy, with over one million hunters contributing $2 billion annually to the economy. The Department of Natural Resources reports that Michigan manages the largest dedicated forest system in the nation, with this system contributing 200,000 jobs and $12 billion annually to the economy. The total state product for 2003 was $365 billion, with a per capita income for that year of $31,178.

SCHOOLS

The Michigan Department of Education has been involved in a study this past year, focusing on improving Michigan high schools. The panel has researched factors, identified the challenges students and districts faced, and developed a program whereby the requirements for graduation have been changed. These changes have improved the relevance and outcomes of Michigan high schools in order to prepare students to better succeed in post-secondary education. Affected curriculums include math, science, reading, and writing skills. Student-teacher ratios for 1994 were 20:1, with an average teachers’ salary for 1995 of $49,168.

Michigan State University was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first land-grant university. It was the first institution of higher learning in the nation to teach scientific agriculture, and served as the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions established later. The largest state-supported institutions are the University of Michigan, with locations in Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn; Michigan State University – East Lansing, Oakland University – Rochester, Wayne State University – Detroit, Western Michigan University – Kalamazoo, Eastern Michigan University – Ypsilanti, and Michigan Technological University – Houghton.

HISTORY

Michigan was settled by the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes when the French explorer Etienne Brule landed in Sault Ste. Marie in 1618. Later, French explorers, traders, and missionaries arrived, including Jean Nicolet, who was searching for the Northwest Passage. After several skirmishes, the Native Americans subsequently supported the British during the American Revolution. After passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, Michigan became part of the Northwest Territory.

As peace developed, pioneers moved into the area. Steamboat navigation on the Great Lakes and the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 encouraged this settlement. The Michigan electorate organized a government outside U.S. sanction in 1836, operating as a state. Southern states opposed admission of another free state, and the admission of Arkansas as a slaveholding state paved the way for Michigan to achieve statehood in 1837 as a free state.

With the invention of the automobile, industry in Michigan was radically changed. The Ford Motor Company was established in 1903, and conveyor-belt assembly lines followed in 1918. General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation came along shortly after Ford. In tandem with the mass-production methods came the growth of the labor movement. Conflicts between the laborers and the automotive industry continued from the 1930s into the 1940s.

World War II saw the production of tanks, airplanes, and other war materiel. Industrial production again expanded after the Korean War in 1950 and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 encouraged export trade by bringing vessels to the port of Detroit.

The state’s continued dependence on the auto industry was shaken during the recession of the early 1980s, when auto sales slumped, forcing factories to close and driving the unemployment rate to over 15%, the nation’s highest at that time.

RELIGION (2004)

  • Christian – 82%
    • Protestant – 58%
      • Baptist – 15%
      • Methodist – 10%
      • Pentecostal – 7%
      • Lutheran – 5%
      • Reformed – 4%
      • United Church of Christ – 3%
      • Church of Christ – 2%
      • Other Protestant – 12%
    • Roman Catholic – 23%
    • Other Christian – 1%
  • Muslim – 2%
  • Jewish – 1%
  • Other Religions – <1%
  • Non-Religious – 15%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2000)

The racial makeup of Michigan, according to the 2000 Census:

  • Caucasian - 80.2%
  • African American - 14.2%
  • Asian American - 1.8%
  • Native American - 0.6%
  • Mixed race - 1.9%