Michigan Vacation home/STR

[Arvin Chan]

Hello, I am new here. I live in Indiana bordering Chicago. I am looking for my first investment in a vacation home that I can turn into a STR when I am not using it. Originally I decided on an area near the smoky mountains, but real estate near that area is so expensive and it's a very long drive. So I decided to look to my northern neighbor Michigan. I hear great things about Michigan from family and friends. I went through old posts on this website in my research, and cities such as Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Saugatuck...etc were mentioned. Saugatuck seems on the more expensive side. In a vacation home, I am looking for access to streams and rivers cause I love fishing, I also want to be somewhere in a less crowded area but close to amenities with a car. I have also been using my limited access to airdna to acquire info. But I am still clueless on location, I am looking for properties preferably under 300k. Any comments and ideas will be appreciated. Thanks for your time.