New York Times comes to Leelanau

The New York Times seems to have a thing for Leelanau lately. In For Mario Batali, It’s Molto Michigan a few weeks ago, they took a visit to the renown chef’s Leelanau vacation home (complete with video slideshow with photos by Gary Howe and a tasty pizza recipe).

Then last week they looked at the tourism and real estate market in Leland in A Lower Peninsula Spot Draws a Wider Crowd.

Mark Carlson, a real estate agent and manager of the Leland office of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, said Leland essentially has four types of properties, with varying degrees of cost and no set architectural style.

First in price and demand are beachfront and waterfront houses and lots; whether they are on Lake Leelanau or Lake Michigan, price per frontage foot remains basically the same, with a range of $2,500 to $12,500 and total prices from $1 million to $5 million, Mr. Carlson said. Then there are houses with water or sunset views, followed by inland properties that contain small farms or vineyards, which start at around $4,000 per acre, though vineyards can bring as much as $10,000. Last, there are the houses and bungalows within Leland itself, not on the water or in view of it but a short walk away, which start at around $250,000.

My first suspicion was one writer trying to justify a vacation home but that’s apparently not the case. Thanks to all who passed these links along!

Photo credit: ‘Janice Sue’ by John Levanen