[Jay_F]

I'm retired at 50, and want to settle in a low cost of living area with abundant nature, forests, not crowded, yet still close enough to medical care, basic shopping, and able to continue my volunteer activities. It seems Newaygo county has these features, but I know nothing of the area, and would appreciate your input and suggestions.

One hurtle I see is housing. I think I would want to rent a home first, before potentially buying, but it seems home rentals are very hard to find. Can anyone put me in contact with a reputable rental broker? One reason I am drawn to the area, is it seems real estate prices are more reasonable, with better availability than my current situation. I also notice more homes that fit what I want; modest home/cabin/cottage, on a few acres, where the land is flat... Seems there are many listings for these type of homes, where there are very few/none where I am now.

ACA insurance cost is a factor, and as I leaned in another thread, auto insurance is pretty steep, as is car registration. Thanks for your help.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Jay_F

I'm retired at 50, and want to settle in a low cost of living area with abundant nature, forests, not crowded, yet still close enough to medical care, basic shopping, and able to continue my volunteer activities. It seems Newaygo county has these features, but I know nothing of the area, and would appreciate your input and suggestions.

One hurtle I see is housing. I think I would want to rent a home first, before potentially buying, but it seems home rentals are very hard to find. Can anyone put me in contact with a reputable rental broker? One reason I am drawn to the area, is it seems real estate prices are more reasonable, with better availability than my current situation. I also notice more homes that fit what I want; modest home/cabin/cottage, on a few acres, where the land is flat... Seems there are many listings for these type of homes, where there are very few/none where I am now.

ACA insurance cost is a factor, and as I leaned in another thread, auto insurance is pretty steep, as is car registration. Thanks for your help.

Newaygo County is pretty sparsely populated so there's not a big market for rental homes. I tried Zillow's rental site and it returned 0 listings, which is very unusual.

Maybe try Craigslist? Be careful though because it's gotten a reputation for being chocked full of housing scams.

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/s...labilityMode=0

I just drove through Newaygo on they way back from TC the other day and I have to say Newaygo is looking great! So many towns along M37 look to have gotten hit hard by the recession and haven't recovered (like Baldwin and White Cloud), but Newaygo was hopping, the downtown looks really cool now, and there was a lot of new commercial construction going on.

Good luck!

[Jay_F]

Thanks a lot for the help Magellan.

Glad to hear Newaygo is doing great... Wish the others were doing better. Thinking I may take a trip up to the area for a look around, but super bummed rental housing is so hard to find. Can't do apartments/duplexes anymore, and don't think it wise to buy before I spend enough time in the area.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Jay_F

Thanks a lot for the help Magellan.

Glad to hear Newaygo is doing great... Wish the others were doing better. Thinking I may take a trip up to the area for a look around, but super bummed rental housing is so hard to find. Can't do apartments/duplexes anymore, and don't think it wise to buy before I spend enough time in the area.

Try further South, maybe Sparta or Kent City?

[Coldjensens]

In a lot of small communities, the way to find a rental is to drive around and look for signs, or go to church and ask around. Maybe there is a local paper or the neighbors thing on Facebook or wherever it is based. In many small towns the little houses for rent are usually on the market a very short time and snapped up by someone who hears about it from a friend or relative.

[Jay_F]

Originally Posted by magellan

Try further South, maybe Sparta or Kent City?

I'll look into them, thanks.

Thanks Coldjensens, anymore getting a rental house is like looking for a home to buy - I know folks who list rental homes who receive so many calls, they just do open houses on weekends... Crazy anymore.