Latest news with #ScottWhitcomb
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
You can buy your own waterfront land at this state-led auction in the Midwest
Have you ever wanted to own an island or waterfront property? Well, pretty soon, you might just be able to in this Great Lakes state. Hundreds of plots of land are soon to be up for sale by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in a series of auctions, with land ranging from a less-than-one-acre island to plots of land hundreds of acres in size. The auctions are hosted annually by the department, local news station Fox 2 Detroit reported. "Before parcels ever get to public auction – a management tool the department has used for several decades – we've already evaluated all other options, whether it's a land exchange for land that's a better fit, or perhaps a situation where it makes more sense for another governmental agency or conservation group to hold the property," Scott Whitcomb, director of DNR's office of public lands, said in a news release. The auctions are on a staggered schedule for bidding. More details on Michigan land auctions: Where does the money go? What type of land is available? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a list of locations set to be auctioned. A full list can be found here, but here are some of the highlights: Remote lakefront property Lot #10050: A remote piece of property, this roughly two-acre plot of land is located on the shores of Duck Lake in Gogebic County, part of the state's Upper Peninsula. The parcel includes approximately 100 feet of frontage on the lake, according to the property listing. Bidding for this remote getaway starts at $15,000. 80-acre plot meets zoning requirements to build Lot #10099: If you're looking to build, this property, which meets zoning requirements do so, is better suited than other parcels up for grabs. Listed at 80 acres in Oceana County, bidding starts at $180,000. Mini island starts at $3,750 Lot # 10049: This plot of land, less than an acre in size, offers a peculiar location: the middle of a lake some 3.5 miles northwest of Fenton, Michigan. For any prospective buyer, the land is too small to legally build on, but bidding starts at $3,750. Note: land plot does not appear in the Google Maps embed below. Riverfront parcel listed at $55,000 Lot #10076: A plot more than 14 acres in size, this lot is placed alongside the Thunder Bay River, with riverfront property up for grabs. Located in Montmorency County in Northeast Michigan, bidding for this property starts at $55,000. 700 feet of lakefront property Lot #10080: Bidding for this parcel along John Ford Lake in Newaygo County starts at $42,000. Michigan DNR says roughly 10 of the property's 18 acres are under the lake, with no legal access road. When are auctions for Michigan land open? According to the state DNR, the first auctions are set to begin Aug. 1, with land in Kent and Oceana counties opening the bidding. Here are all the auction dates: Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
An island, waterfront property and landlocked parcels are listed in Michigan's surplus property sale
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is listing over 120 state-owned properties for sale via online auction through the surplus land auction program, and among the properties up for sale is an island. The series of 11 online auctions will take place between Aug. 1 and Sept. 5, the agency announced in a press release Monday. The designated DNR properties are located in Alger, Allegan, Barry, Genesee, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Luce, Manistee, Marquette, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw, and Wexford Counties. The sites include an island in Genesee County, frontage on Long Lake in Barry County, and several sites that are 20 acres or more. Much of the land that the DNR placed on this list came to the state due to nonpayment of taxes, said Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR's Office of Public Lands. Once it is determined that a property is better suited for private use than public use, it can be added to the auction list. Once it gets to this point, state officials have already considered land exchange or making the site available to a government agency. The state notes that some properties are considered landlocked in that there is no public road access, and permission of the adjacent property owners are needed to get on the site. All locations are also subject to local zoning or building ordinances, and there are notes in some cases that a zoning variance would need to be requested for development. For example, a 4.25-acre property in Schoolcraft County's Doyle Township, along the Manistique River, includes the note that "there is no road frontage/access and the only way to access the parcel is via floating the river." And an island offered for auction is in Lake Ponemah in Genesee County's Fenton Township. It has .7 acre, but is in an area that requires 1 acre for building because of R-3 Single Family Residential zoning. Those who wish to bid on a listed property need to register in advance and can make absentee bids as early as 30 days before the bidding opens. "All parcels are sold as is where is and there are NO REFUNDS," the state's notice said.
