Forested, riverfront, lakefront and even Great Lakes frontage and Beaver Island parcels are available in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ annual surplus land auction.
There are 101 surplus properties available via online auction from the DNR in 27 Michigan counties, from southern Michigan to the Upper Peninsula: Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Baraga, Berrien, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Houghton, Iosco, Jackson, Kalkaska, Lake, Lapeer, Livingston, Luce, Menominee, Oakland, Oceana, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon counties.
The DNR holds annual online auctions throughout the summer and fall to sell surplus public lands. The state routinely auctions off hundreds of properties that are smaller in size or landlocked by private property, which makes them less beneficial for public recreation. The DNR manages roughly 4.6 million acres, but evaluates properties to ensure they align with its mission of conservation, recreation, and economic development. Many of these surplus parcels are properties the state acquired through unpaid taxes rather than purposeful purchases. Proceeds from the surplus auctions are reinvested into the state’s Land Exchange Facilitation Fund, allowing the DNR to buy new, higher-priority public lands that improve recreational opportunities.
Parcels available in this summer’s auctions include:
The online auctions will start on different days for different counties beginning Aug. 4 and concluding Aug. 28. Those wishing to bid on a property must register before the auction date. Absentee bids can be made online up to 30 days before the auction. On the scheduled day of the auction, interactive bidding will open at 10 a.m. At that time, bidders will be able to see what the current high bid is for each property being offered. Bidders can continue to place bids on the property until 7 p.m. when bidding is closed, and a winning bidder is determined.
More information about the properties, auction setup, and registration can be found at https://www.tax-sale.info/.
Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: You can own Great Lakes waterfront property through Michigan DNR land auction
Reporting by Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
