MUSKEGON, MI – Builders have been working swiftly over the last month, building foundations for homes on empty lots in Muskegon’s Jackson Hill neighborhood.
Green Rabbit Home Builders have constructed two of the at least 30 homes they have planned for the east side of Muskegon.
The new homes are located at 460 Langley and 608 Jackson.
The properties have come together in about a month and are almost ready to be shown.
The homes will be sold at “accessible price points” – between $225,000 and $290,000, said Ellyn Olney, one of the three co-owners of Green Rabbit.
One 90,000 square-foot lot has been split into two parcels, each containing an 11,000 to 14,000 square-foot home.
They each have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and basements, with the ability to complete a bedroom and full bathroom. They come with all new appliances except for washer and dryer.
The inside of one of the new homes in the Jackson Hill Neighborhood by Green Rabbit Home Builders.Kayla Tucker
One of them has a garage.
The modular homes are made of a wood and drywall internal structure and vinyl exterior.
The pre-built homes are hauled to the lot and placed on the foundation spots, built of metal and cement.
Olney and another owner, Bryant Mitchell, both realtors, said they noticed a specific client base.
These clients were getting approved in that price range but struggled to find new homes or ones that didn’t need significant repairs. Often, they found themselves in competitive bidding situations.
“If those people saved up paycheck to paycheck to get that down payment in the first place, or figured it out, they don’t have the money to go put on a brand-new roof or gut the house and redo the whole thing,” said Jenifer Jackson, another co-owner.
“That’s what feels good about this, is they’re getting something that’s brand new and they can hit the ground running, efficiently.”
Jackson came to the group with nonprofit experience and having gone through the homebuying process with her sister.
New homeowners will also benefit from the already granted Neighborhood Enterprise Zone, giving them a 50% property tax abatement for 15 years.
Developers said the city of Muskegon’s new zoning laws have helped their cause, allowing for more density by way of smaller houses on smaller lots and more housing styles.
“Muskegon is probably one of the more progressive cities,” Mitchell said. “What they’re trying to do is create a tighter density … These have been vacant lots for a long time, and the city can’t make revenue off of a vacant lot, so we’re going to provide them taxes from both of these houses.”
Green Rabbit has staked out several other lots in the neighborhood, including on McLaren Street, Jackson Avenue and a few in the neighborhood across Marquette Avenue.
They previously purchased the lots from the city.
Green Rabbit is working with a large-scale company that is building many houses around the country, therefore able to purchase parts at a cheaper, bulk rate.
The new projects will feature modern and energy-efficient designs that “blend seamlessly with the neighborhood’s character while meeting the needs of today’s homeowners,” a press release from the developer stated.
Not all houses will be the same – there are a variety of floor plans that developers are working with, all between two to three bedrooms each.
Some of the lots have been vacant for 30 to 40 years.
“I think we’re really changing the face of this neighborhood,” Olney said. “In a two-block area, in the next year, we’ll have 15 new houses on the ground.”
“We’re not just building houses — we’re building futures,” Mitchell said. “Our goal is to create homes where families can thrive for generations.”
Green Rabbit has a focus on sustainability, craftsmanship, and community engagement.
Before building, they said they met with the Jackson Hill neighborhood association, local nonprofits and the Muskegon County Community Foundation.
The developers said they have had interest from potential buyers and plan to host a series of open houses for the two new Muskegon homes in the coming weeks.
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