Freeport, MI

Freeport is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Monroe County. The population was 21,827 at the 2010 census. The city is situated on the Grand River about northeast of Detroit and about south of Toledo, Ohio.

The area that would become Freeport was first settled in 1818 by members of the Holland Land Company who were looking for a place to establish a fur trading post. In 1825, John Ballou and his son-in-law Daniel Webster established a sawmill on the river near what is now downtown Freeport. In 1829, Webster built a gristmill on Mill Creek which led to increased settlement in the area around what are now Webster and Main Streets. By 1840, there were enough people living in Freeport to form a town government under Mayor David Miller with James Sibley as its first mayor.

In 1851, after Michigan became a state, Freeport became its capital because it was centrally located between Lansing and Detroit. However, when Lansing became the state's permanent capital in 1855, Freeport lost its status as capital and began to decline as an important commercial center. This decline was accelerated by fire destroyed much of downtown Freeport in 1865; however, rebuilding led to an increase in business activity which helped spur growth into the 20th century.

Today, Freeport is still an important commercial center with many businesses located along Main Street including two banks (First National Bank & Trust Company and Citizens State Bank), three restaurants (Taco Bell®, Pizza Hut®, and Subway®), two department stores (JCPenney® and Sears®, both closed), two movie theaters (Cinemark®and Regal Entertainment Group®), one hotel (Holiday Inn Express & Suites™) as well as several other small businesses including jewelers such as Kay Jewelers®, clothing stores such as American Eagle Outfitters®, hair salons such as JCPenney Salon Services™and more.

Real Estate
Freeport has experienced steady growth over recent years due to its location close to major metropolitan areas such as Detroit and Toledo.
Accordingly there has been strong demand for real estate within the city limits.
As recently reported by Forbes magazine , "the median home price within 30 miles of Detroit rose 23 percent from January through September 2016 while prices outside that radius grew just 5 percent."
This trend has continued into 2017 with "the median home price within 30 miles of Toledo rising 15 percent year-over-year" while prices outside that radius have grown only 4 percent.
This strong demand has driven up prices across all types of real estate within Freeport including single family homes (~$130K), condos (~$130K-$250K), townhomes (~$150K-$350K)and apartments (~$120K-$300K).
While there are some areas within FrePORT where prices are higher than others due to limited inventory availability or proximity to larger cities like Detroit or Toledo; overall prices have remained relatively stable over recent years.

Benefits

There are many benefits associated with living in or owning real estate within Freeport including:

• Low cost of living - compared to larger cities like Detroit or Toledo where housing costs can be high;
• Easy access to major highways - making it easy for residents to commute into nearby cities;
• Close proximity to shopping malls - providing residents with plenty of opportunities for entertainment;
• Proximity to nature - featuring beautiful lakes/rivers/forestry areas which can be enjoyed outdoors;