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Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, named by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top 50 travel destinations, is a luxury resort that is just up the road from Traverse City.  Here gorgeous condominiums and single-family homes overlooking the water and/or the Arnold Palmer-designed and Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole, championship golf courses start in the mid-$400,0000 range and rise significantly from there.  LochenHeath is a private, gated community with home sites from $200,000 and custom villas from $1 million.

Apartments for rent do not appear to be plentiful, but the average rent is roughly $635 for a one bedroom unit and $805 for a two-bedroom unit.   Arbors of Traverse Apartment Homes are upscale apartments with one, two and three bedroom units and many amenities, including in-unit washers and dryers, a putting green and maple cabinetry.  Rents begin at $665 and cats are welcome.  Call (866) 899-5745 for information.

Traverse City has ten manufactured/mobile home communities, and homes are for sale starting at $15,000.   None of these appear to be seniors-only communities, although there are a  few 55+ parks located in surrounding towns.

Property taxes are charged at a rate of $36 per $1,000 value of the home, and homes are assessed at 50% of market value.  There is a $1,200 homestead exemption for homeowners with less than $82,000 yearly income.  The tax on a $200,000 home, including the exemption, would be $3,556 annually.  Overall, Michigan ranks right near the middle of the states when it comes to its overall tax burden, which includes state and local income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes and fuel taxes.  

While outdoor activities are the primary focus here, Traverse City is also home to sculptors, painters and woodworkers, many of whom have their work displayed in one of twenty-one local art galleries.   There are also thirteen museums, in town and in close proximity, including the Bellaire Historical Museum, the Grand Traverse Art Center & Gallery and the Grand Traverse Heritage Center, as well as numerous performing arts companies, such as the Encore Society of Music, which presents 35 concerts a year, and the Dennos Museum Center Concert Series, which presents another 25 concerts a year.  Wonderful Interlochen Center for the Arts, one of the country's premier training enters for young musicians, is 13 miles down the road and presents 750 concerts and theater and dance productions annually.  The Old Town Playhouse, offering community theater, has been in business for four decades, and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra presents seven concerts each season.

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