Michigan Real Estate News

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Utility Companies Seek Land For Solar Farms

Michigan utility companies are securing real estate to expand their solar energy generation capabilities as consumer demand accelerates. DTE Energy Co. needs 20,000 to 35,000 acres of southern-facing flat land to erect solar arrays over the next 10-15 years. Consumers Energy Co. currently generates 40 megawatts of electricity from solar and plans to be at 8,000 megawatts by 2040. That will require between 40,000-56,000 acres of land. Customer demand and land usage is a balancing act that Lansing policymakers haven’t yet addressed. Industry leaders anticipate some community resistance.

 

 

Michigan’s Foreclosure Numbers Highest in the Country

Michigan has the highest number of foreclosures than anywhere in the country, according RealtyTrac. However, experts say this isn’t a sign of a worsening housing market. Michigan’s 2022 January figures represent a 622 percent increase over the totals in January 2021. The big leaps are due to the ending of moratoriums that kept foreclosures from moving forward. Wayne County had the bulk of foreclosure activity, and most of those were old foreclosures that were in the process a long time. According to the vice president of RealtyTrac, Michigan’s backlog is moving faster than in other states. He expects that it could take several months before the backlog is cleared out, but that the figures are not a cause for concern.

 

 

Michigan’s Last Kmart Store Has New Owner

The site of Michigan’s last Kmart store near Battle Creek has a new owner. B. Riley Real Estate bought the former Kmart for an undisclosed amount. Prior to the store’s closing, it was a strong retail performer. That, coupled with the future growth of Marshall’s market and the planned Megasite development initiative attracted the buyer. The 86,479 square-foot building is in the Marshall Plaza shopping center and less than three miles away from Marshall Megasite, an industrial development. The developer plans to bring a mix of national retail tenants to the site.