More than 1,400 square feet of space make this Grand Rapids home a bargain at just $89,900.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lumberjacks took down many square miles of Michigan's hardwood forests to feed the numerous furniture makers of this city in the center of the lower peninsular. There are some furniture makers left, but they tend to use metal rather than golden oak.
There's been a gentle slope to population growth over the post-war years; the metro area gained about 5% during the past decade.That means low demand for housing and the median price of about $80,000 in early 2011 is down about 10% from the boom years. A tidy three-bedroom home can be bought for less than $90,000.
The 2010 Census revealed that lots of U.S. towns are losing population. What makes some different is that they're not rusting old industrial cities, but fine places to live and raise families. More
