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Ottawa County, Michigan

Mortgage Broker in Grand Haven, MI

A mortgage broker in Grand Haven, MI who reads the parcel record first, because a Grand Haven mailing address can sit in the city or in the township next door.

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What should you know before buying a home in Grand Haven?

Grand Haven, a city in Ottawa County, is home to about 10,996 residents in the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (11,011 in the 2020 census) across about 6 square miles of land. The City of Grand Haven is a separate unit of government from Grand Haven Township: the two share ZIP codes, but each has its own assessor and tax rates, so a Grand Haven mailing address alone does not say which one taxes the home. Downtown Grand Rapids is about 29 miles east in a straight line, and downtown Holland is about 19 miles south in a straight line.

By the numbers

What do the numbers say about Grand Haven housing?

Values move. Treat these as orientation and let us pull current figures for the address you are considering.

$250,000

Typical home value, from the market research on this page

+59%

Typical rise in taxable value the year after a home sells, 2026 Uncapping Study

2

Residential ZIP codes: 49417, 49456

What does financing look like in Grand Haven?

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median owner-occupied home value in the City of Grand Haven at $250,100, with a margin of about $18,365, across 3,765 owner-occupied homes. Median year built is 1961. Block groups run from $183,300 in the east to $559,600 along the lake, so one citywide number hides a wide spread, and at the high end the county loan limit lookup matters: the 2026 conforming limit is $832,750 and the FHA limit for the county is $541,287. The conforming limit is set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the FHA limit by HUD. A broker works with multiple wholesale lenders, which is useful when a lakeside price lands near a limit and a jumbo loan has to be compared with a conforming one.

Detached houses make up most of the city's homes, and they fit conventional, FHA and VA loans, which the Department of Veterans Affairs backs, and HomeReady is worth a look for moderate incomes. Census reports 6,075 housing units in the city, of which about 3,403 are detached houses, so attached homes and apartments are a real share. A condo has its own review, so read condominium financing and ask about non-warrantable condo loans before you write an offer. Michigan's down payment help is on the down payment assistance page, with the current limit of $566,355 and assistance of $10,000.

Three local items change the loan. First, city rental rules: a rental must be registered each year, and a first registration after a sale carries its own fee (details in the FAQ below). Second, flood: check the FEMA map for the address, and when it sits in a high-risk zone the lender requires flood insurance. Third, the year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill, as the taxable value guide explains. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301, plans with a conservative tax number so the bill does not surprise you. Run a budget review or start a conversation to see where a Grand Haven purchase lands. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also publishes a free guide to the Loan Estimate you will receive, and the Loan Estimate check reads one for you.

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The City of Grand Haven's 2025 homestead rate is 34.0702 mills, while Grand Haven Charter Township's is 25.8877, so two homes that both carry a Grand Haven 49417 mailing address can differ by about $1,227 a year per $150,000 of taxable value.

The market

What is the Grand Haven housing market like?

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median owner-occupied home value in Grand Haven near $250,100, across about 3,765 owner-occupied homes, with a median year built of 1961. The typical home value in Grand Haven is near $250,000. Homeowners pay a median of about $3,401 a year in property taxes, an effective rate of about 1.36% of the median value.

City or township

Which part of 49417 is the city?

The City of Grand Haven and Grand Haven Charter Township share ZIP 49417, and the parcel decides the tax bill, not the post office. The city's new resident page lists city departments, Grand Haven Township's assessor handles township parcels, and Spring Lake village, the Spring Lake Township page and the Norton Shores page cover the places nearby.

What does the ZIP code tell you here?

Census block data places 5,945 of the city's 6,066 homes in ZIP 49417 and 121 in 49456 on the northwest shore. ZIP 49417 also reaches the township, so the ZIP alone does not name the municipality. Grand Haven's own new resident page lists the city departments and the township is a separate government.

Who taxes a parcel?

The city taxes homes inside its line at 34.0702 mills for a principal residence in 2025, per Treasury. Grand Haven Township's assessor handles township parcels at 25.8877 mills. Ask which one before you compare listings.

What changes in the neighboring cities and villages?

Spring Lake village is 40.8556 mills and Ferrysburg is 29.5769 in the 2025 Treasury table.

Where to look

Which neighborhoods make up Grand Haven?

Downtown and Central Park

Census tract 209, block group 1 holds Central Park, the Loutit District Library, City Hall and Chinook Pier. The American Community Survey 2024 reports a median owner value of $500,000 with a margin near $227,538, a median year built of 1938 and 238 owner homes against 375 renter households, so treat the figure as a rough marker. Owner and renter households share these blocks, and the city's rental page names the Central Business District, Waterfront-2 and Dune Residential among the zoning districts, so read the zoning for the parcel.

Klaver and Johnston Park blocks

Census tract 209, block group 2 lies just west of the downtown core around Klaver Park and Johnston Park. The American Community Survey 2024 shows a median owner value of $422,500 with a margin of $80,218, median year built 1938, and 235 owner homes beside 115 renter households. With a 1938 median year built, ask for an inspection that covers older wiring and the sewer lateral.

Ferry School neighborhood

Census tract 209, block group 3 surrounds Ferry School east of downtown. The American Community Survey 2024 reports a median owner value of $221,200, a margin of about $14,729 that is narrow for a block group, median year built 1949, and 320 owner homes beside 28 renters. Of 398 housing units here, 298 are detached houses. Owners outnumber renters here by more than ten to one.

Bolt Park and Klempel Park

Census tract 209, block group 4 covers the eastern blocks around Bolt Park and Klempel Park. The American Community Survey 2024 puts the median owner value at $183,300 with a wide margin of $61,741, median year built at 1949, and counts 343 owner homes and 31 renter households in 374 units. With 327 detached houses, these are mostly detached house blocks, and the margin means a recent sale tells you more than the Census median.

Eastern Park and the river side

Census tract 209, block group 5 is the large river and harbor side block group that holds Eastern Park, Hatton Park, Robinson Park, Rix Robinson Park, Linear Park, Grand Isle Marina and Owashtanong Islands Sanctuary. The American Community Survey 2024 shows a median year built of 1951 and 155 owner homes beside 373 renters, but a median owner value of $292,600 with a margin of $257,718, which is too wide to lean on. Marina and shoreline homes here call for a flood zone check.

Dunes and the state park side

Census tract 210, block group 1 reaches from Grand Haven State Park and the Lighthouse Connector toward the lake, and includes Bicentennial Park, Duncan Park and the Coast Guard basin. The American Community Survey 2024 reports a median owner value of $559,600 with a margin of $120,217, a median year built of 1971, and 552 owner homes with no renter households among 754 units, all detached houses. It is the city's highest valued block group, and a dune or lake setting can bring its own permit questions.

Mulligan's Hollow and Lakeshore Middle School

Census tract 210, block group 2 sits south of downtown around Lakeshore Middle School, Veterans Memorial Park, Imagination Station and Mulligan's Hollow. The American Community Survey 2024 shows a median owner value of $484,500 with a margin of $93,239, 272 owner homes, no renter households and 290 units, 221 of them detached. A median year built of 1938 carries no margin in the data, so use it as a rough marker.

White Pines and Griffin School blocks

Census tract 210, block group 3 holds White Pines Intermediate, Griffin School and a Walgreens on Robbins Road. The American Community Survey 2024 reports a median owner value of $244,800 with a margin of $48,807, median year built 1967, and 392 owner homes against 395 renter households in 787 units. The mix of detached homes (430 units) and attached or multiunit buildings means some loans here involve a condo review and others do not.

Hospital and Sheldon Road blocks

Census tract 210, block group 4 includes the hospital at 1309 Sheldon Road and the Saint Johns School campus. The American Community Survey 2024 shows a median owner value of $237,600 with a margin of $57,350, median year built 1967, and 557 owner homes beside 108 renters in 683 units, 412 of them detached. Owner households outnumber renters about five to one, and a 1967 median year built points to mid century construction, so roofs and furnaces are worth a close look at inspection.

Sluka Park and Beechtree blocks

Census tract 210, block group 5 holds Sluka Park, the Christian Junior High campus and the Beechtree Party Store. The American Community Survey 2024 puts the median owner value at $255,600 with a narrow margin of $25,953, median year built 1958, and 373 owner homes with 63 renter households. All 477 housing units here are detached houses, the most uniform block group in the city, so comparable sales are easy to find.

Southeast corner

Census tract 212.04, block group 2 covers the city's southeast corner. The American Community Survey 2024 reports no median owner value at the block group level, a median year built of 1985 with a small margin of 6 years, and 593 owner homes beside 178 renters in 801 units. Only 127 of those units are detached houses, so attached homes, townhomes and apartments make up most of it. Ask whether an association exists and what its rules are before you write an offer.

North Shore and the dunes preserve

Census tract 206, block group 2 reaches the lake shore on the northwest edge, near North Shore Marina, Ship's Store and Kitchel Lindquist Dunes Preserve. Only 121 of the block group's 344 housing units fall inside the city in the 2020 census, and Census counts those 121 as ZIP 49456. The American Community Survey 2024 shows a median owner value of $223,000 with a wide margin of $57,950 and median year built of 1971, covering the whole block group, so most of it describes areas outside the city line.

Schools and commute

Schools

Michigan Treasury's 2025 millage table lists one school district for the City of Grand Haven, so no parcel in the city is split between districts. Treasury files it as Grand Haven City School District, code 70010, and the Census school district boundary for the same area is Grand Haven Area Public Schools. The 2025 total for a principal residence is 34.0702 mills and for any other property 52.0702 mills, an 18 mill gap that comes from the school operating levy a principal residence is exempt from. The district's own site at ghaps.org lists Ferry Elementary, Griffin Elementary, Mary A White Elementary, White Pines Intermediate, Lakeshore Middle School and Grand Haven High School among its buildings. Which building a home feeds is the district's call, so ask the district for the address instead of relying on a listing. One timing item: the district put a bond proposal on the November 2026 ballot, and its financial FAQ page estimates a first-year debt levy of 1.95 mills in 2027. Check the certified result before you estimate next year's bills. The Michigan property tax calculator takes an address and uses the exact published rate for it.

Commute

Grand Haven sits where the Grand River meets Lake Michigan, and US-31 (Beacon Boulevard) is the main north to south road through the city, with M-104 heading east toward Spring Lake and inland, according to OpenStreetMap road data. Measured by OSRM from City Hall at 519 Washington Ave, with no traffic, downtown Spring Lake is about 6 minutes and 2.5 miles away, Fruitport about 14 minutes and 8.6 miles, downtown Muskegon about 21 minutes and 14.7 miles, downtown Holland about 33 minutes and 20.6 miles, Zeeland about 35 minutes and 23.2 miles, downtown Grand Rapids about 44 minutes and 33.5 miles and Gerald R. Ford International Airport about 60 minutes and 46.9 miles. Rush hour adds to those. In the American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, Census counted 5,180 workers living in the city. About 3,948 of them, or 76.2%, drove alone, and 570, or 11.0%, worked from home. Of the 4,610 who commuted, about 2,562, or 55.6%, travelled under 15 minutes and about 996, or 21.6%, travelled 30 minutes or more. Harbor Transit runs buses for northwest Ottawa County, and the city transportation page points to it. Employers named on the city's own pages include the hospital at 1309 Sheldon Road, the Board of Light and Power, the school district and the city itself.

Day to day

Living in Grand Haven

Named places and dates from the city and local organizers, as listed on their own sites: the city parks list, the Michigan DNR, Visit Grand Haven, the Loutit District Library, the Coast Guard Festival, the Musical Fountain, the city's streets division and the National Weather Service Grand Rapids office.

Parks and places to go

The city parks list names Central Park, Bicentennial Park, Chinook Pier Park, Duncan Park, Harbor Island, Linear Park, Mulligan's Hollow, Veterans Memorial Park, William Hatton Park, the Lighthouse Connector Park (the boardwalk), Waterfront Stadium and more. Grand Haven State Park is run by the Michigan DNR. The Tri-Cities Historical Museum is downtown.

Errands close to home

Downtown has the Loutit District Library at 407 Columbus Street, 616-842-5560, and a post office. OpenStreetMap shows a D&W grocery and a Walgreens on Robbins Road in the south, and Meijer and Walmart on US-31 just outside the city line. The hospital is at 1309 Sheldon Road.

City-run events and farmers markets

Grand Haven Main Street's calendar on the city site lists Tote Club Days on November 14, Holiday Light Night on November 20 from 5 to 8 p.m., the Turkey Trot 5K on November 26 at 8 a.m. at Mulligan's Hollow and Santa in Centertown on December 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Coast Guard Festival site lists July 30 to August 8 for this year's main stage. The Musical Fountain plays nightly at dark from Memorial Day through Labor Day and on Fridays and Saturdays in May and September.

What each season means for a homeowner

Per the city's welcome page, Republic Services collects curbside yard waste April 1 to December 31, with spring and fall drop-offs on Harbor Island announced in March and September. The streets division plows and salts 21.99 miles of major and 37.20 miles of local street. Rental registrations are due February 15, and the municipal marina has 57 slips. The National Weather Service Grand Rapids office covers forecasts.

Which kind of home are you after?

Lakeside and dune homes cluster in tract 210 block group 1, where all 754 units are detached houses at a median of $559,600. Older in-town homes, built around 1938, sit in tract 209 near downtown. Mid century houses from 1958 to 1967 fill tract 210's eastern blocks at $237,600 to $255,600. Condos and townhomes are common in the southeast corner. New construction is small, with 101 units built since 2020. Water and sewer come from the city, so well and septic questions rarely apply, and a condo adds a review of the association.

Michigan property taxes

What will my property taxes be after I buy in Grand Haven?

The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill.

In the City of Grand Haven, our 2026 Uncapping Study found taxable value typically rises about 59% the year after a sale. On a $250,000 home, near the typical Grand Haven value, the first-year tax goes up roughly $1,580 at the Grand Haven schools rate. We build your payment on that post-sale number.

Looking at a Grand Haven address? Our Michigan property tax calculator finds that property's published 2025 millage and works out the tax to plan for after you buy.

How Michigan taxable value works

In Samantha's words

County alone does not tell you much. We would never say you are in a particular county so here are your taxes. It does not work like that. We need the actual property.

2025 millage

How the city compares with its neighbors

Treasury's 2025 total millage for a principal residence, as published by Michigan Treasury, with the city's own rate first. The Fruitport Township and Grand Haven Township pages show the other side, and the second home guide and transfer tax calculator cover the rest of a purchase.

What are the nearby homestead rates?

Grand Haven city 34.0702 mills, Grand Haven Township 25.8877, Ferrysburg 29.5769, Spring Lake village 40.8556, Spring Lake Township 24.1916 to 30.4956 depending on district, Norton Shores 34.1589 to 41.484, Fruitport Township 31.8888 to 32.5046. Source: Michigan Treasury total rates for 2025.

How much is the gap between city and township worth?

On $150,000 of taxable value, the 8.1825 mill difference between city and township is about $1,227 a year.

What is the 18 mill difference for a second home?

Non-homestead property here is 52.0702 mills against 34.0702 for a principal residence, an 18 mill gap. On $150,000 of taxable value that is $2,700 a year.

Local resources

Check Grand Haven records yourself

The official offices behind the tax and school details on this page.

What our clients say

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Grand Haven mortgage questions

If yours is not here, ask it on the call. There are no dumb questions.

Is a Grand Haven mailing address always inside the City of Grand Haven?

No. Census counts the city at 11,011 people in the 2020 census, and ZIP 49417 also serves Grand Haven Charter Township. The big stores along US-31 carry Grand Haven 49417 addresses, yet they sit outside the city line in Census boundary data. Within the city, Census tallies 5,945 of 6,066 homes in 49417 and 121 in 49456. Taxes follow the parcel, so look up the parcel on the city assessor page or call the assessor before you plan a bill. The Grand Haven Township page covers the other side.

Michigan Treasury’s 2025 table lists one district for the city, Grand Haven City School District, code 70010, which Census draws as Grand Haven Area Public Schools. Every city parcel carries 34.0702 mills on a principal residence and 52.0702 mills otherwise. Confirm a specific address with the district and read Treasury’s exemptions page for how the principal residence exemption lowers the school levy.

A mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. As a planning example, if a home sells for $300,000 and the assessor sets taxable value near half, $150,000, 34.0702 mills comes to about $5,111 a year for a principal residence, while 52.0702 mills for a non-owner-occupied home comes to about $7,811. This is arithmetic, not a quote, and the actual bill depends on the assessor. The property tax calculator runs your address.

Assessing is provided under contract by Ottawa County, and Ottawa County Equalization Director Brian Busscher serves as city assessor, according to the city assessor page. The county assessing office is at 616-846-8262 or assessing@miottawa.org. Assessing Division Manager Carla Hill is at City Hall on Wednesday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or by appointment. The city says the office sets values on over 6,000 properties.

Yes. The city utilities department reports 77.35 miles of water mains, 4,168 water services, 573 fire hydrants and 59.91 miles of sanitary sewer mains with 15 lift stations. Water comes from the Northwest Ottawa Water System plant at 30 Sherman St, which draws from Lake Michigan and is approved for 23.25 million gallons a day, per the city water filtration page. Sewage goes to the Grand Haven Spring Lake plant at 1525 Washington Ave. Electric service is from the Board of Light and Power, 616-846-6250.

Possibly, with city rules. Under city ordinance Chapter 9, every rental must be registered each year by February 15, at $115 per long term unit or $165 per short term unit, and a $50 late fee per month applies. A first registration, including after a sale, is $525 per unit and covers one inspection. New short term certificates are only possible in certain zoning districts, per the city rental housing page. Read short term rental regulations and ask about DSCR loans for investor files.

Look the address up on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask the lender early. When a home sits in a high-risk zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance, and the premium is part of the monthly cost. Buying in a flood zone walks through the steps. For homes near the lake or harbor, also ask the city planner about the zoning district, including the Dune Residential district.

It could affect later bills, depending on the result. The district’s financial FAQ estimates an initial debt levy of 1.95 mills in 2027 and a simple average of 1.15 mills over the life of the bond. These figures are the district’s estimate, and they apply only if voters approved it, so check the certified result with the district and the county clerk. At $150,000 of taxable value, 1.95 mills is about $293 a year.

Checklist

Things to settle on a Grand Haven house

Three checks that take a phone call each. The city's building and inspection division handles remodels, the waterfront guidance covers lakeshore and river homes, and the calculators page has tools for the monthly picture.

Is the home registered as a rental?

The city requires annual registration, and a first registration after a sale is $525 per unit. Ask the seller whether a certificate exists and the building and inspection division at 616-842-3460 if you plan a remodel.

Is it near the lake or the river?

Check the FEMA map and ask the planner about zoning. Lakeshore and river homes carry flood and permit questions that inland homes do not.

Which utilities and trash service apply?

City water and sewer are billed by the city, electric by the Board of Light and Power, and trash by Republic Services at 877-698-7274 according to the city's welcome page.

Communities near Grand Haven

Ottawa County overview

Guides for Grand Haven buyers

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Sources

Where do the Grand Haven figures on this page come from?

27 sources behind the Grand Haven figures above, every link checked November 2026.

Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Figures on this page are market research for orientation, not a quote. This page is for educational purposes only. It is not a credit decision, a preapproval, a commitment to lend, or an offer of credit.

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