Habitat Open House in Kalkaska

Kalkaska: Habitat Court Street Station Open House

Saturday August 15, 2026 from 10:00am – 1:00pm

Habitat Grand Traverse Region’s Court Street Station project in Kalkaska is quickly becoming a reality. These townhomes are some of the most affordable houses we have built since Covid. A family with a combined income of about $24 an hour—or just over $4,150 a month gross—could qualify to purchase a new three-bedroom home in Kalkaska. In both scenarios, the monthly mortgage payment (including property taxes and homeowner’s insurance) will be roughly equal to a two-bedroom rental in Kalkaska, and a few hundred dollars less than a two-bedroom apartment in Grand Traverse County.

The Benefits of Homeownership
In addition to the quality of a brand-new house, there are significant long- and short-term benefits to being a Habitat homeowner. The Court Street Station homes all feature large, 490-square-foot garages, offering 50% more storage space than a standard one-car garage. Each home comes fully equipped with a new refrigerator, stove/range, microwave, dishwasher, washer, and dryer. These amenities are typically only offered in rentals priced much higher than a Habitat mortgage payment. Furthermore, all Habitat homes include a one-year warranty.

Habitat homes are not available to everyone, but the program breaks down the barriers that keep many working families from ever owning a home. For example, a working couple living paycheck to paycheck while meeting their bills might struggle to save for a down payment. To solve this, Habitat requires no down payment for a mortgage.

These homes are reserved for households with incomes from 60% up to 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Kalkaska. For instance, the 60–120% AMI range for a family of four is $51,960 to $$103,920. To qualify, candidates must show documentation of steady income for at least one year and carry low personal debt. While a traditional mortgage usually requires a credit score of 700 to 760 for a good rate, Habitat buyers can qualify with a credit score of 640 while still securing an affordable mortgage at highly competitive rates.

One reason Habitat can offer such attractive terms is that our houses are built with many hours of volunteer labor. Consequently, the other primary requirement for Habitat homeowners is a commitment to build alongside those volunteers. Each adult in the household must complete 200 hours of “Sweat Equity” within one year of program acceptance. This time can be spent building their own home, helping other Habitat homeowners build, or doing approved volunteer work in the community.  In addition to the pride of accomplishment gained through sweat equity, Habitat homeowners learn valuable information about the construction of their homes which helps them maintain their homes.

Long-term Financial Health
In the long run, homeownership serves as an excellent hedge against inflation. While rent prices continually rise, the base mortgage payment is locked in on closing day. Only the portion covering property taxes and insurance fluctuates over time. Furthermore, while the mortgage remains stable, wages generally increase over the years. Beyond providing a secure, stable place to live, homeownership helps families build generational wealth. While rent money is gone forever each month, a portion of every mortgage payment builds equity in your property.

Everyone's path to homeownership looks a little different. The Habitat team is ready to help interested candidates who thought they could never own a home find a way forward.

Anyone interested in exploring Habitat homeownership in Kalkaska should stop by our Open House on August 15 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Habitat Homeowner Services Manager Sallie Krepps will be on-site to speak with anyone interested in starting their journey.

Join us for the Open House
Saturday, August 15 -  10:00am to 1:00pm
313 Court Street
Kalkaska, MI 49646

To learn more on-line visit www.habitatgtr.org/interest

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In 2026 Habitat for Humanity-Grand Traverse Region is celebrating 40 years of building strong communities and providing stable, secure homeownership. Habitat for Humanity-Grand Traverse Region was founded in 1986. We serve Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Kalkaska Counties. Habitat for Humanity-Grand Traverse Region’s mission is to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build sustainable homes, communities and hope.