What it costs a month to own at Alta Vista.
Site rent looks big next to a condo’s dues until you add the condo’s property tax back in. Here’s the side-by-side, before any loan payment, with where every number comes from.
a month before a loan
$650 site rent (the $3 state tax on the home is included), $70 required cable and about $65 a month in property tax on a two-car garage (estimated; it varies by home).
a month before a loan
$325 to $400 in association dues, plus property tax on a condo priced around $335,000 to $360,000.
So before the loan, Alta Vista lands inside the condo range, and the difference is the price: $206 a square foot at 2111 Vista View Dr and $183 a square foot at 2148 Alta Vista Dr, against a median of $269 a square foot for condos and site condos that sold nearby in the past year.
Who pays for what.
The condo fee buys you out of exterior work. Site rent buys you out of buying land.
| Item | Alta Vista | Typical nearby condo |
|---|---|---|
| Land under the home | Leased homesite | A share of the land, owned |
| Roof, siding and exterior repairs | You | The association, through dues and assessments |
| Mowing and driveway snow | You, or pay the community’s contractor | Usually included |
| Street plowing and upkeep | Included | Included |
| Clubhouse, pool and courts | Lodge, pool, pickleball and fitness room | Clubhouse and pool |
| Big repairs to shared buildings | Alta Vista, as the community owner | Owners pay, sometimes by special assessment |
| Property tax on the home | None billed; the $3 a month specific tax is in the site rent. A garage or deck is taxed separately | Full property tax on the unit |
| Cable TV and internet | Spectrum bulk package, $70 a month, required | Your choice |
About the loan payment
We left the loan out on purpose. A home here is usually financed with a chattel loan, and those often carry a higher rate and a shorter term than a 30-year mortgage on a condo. A payment calculated at mortgage rates would make Alta Vista look cheaper than it is. Get a real quote from a lender that writes these loans, and we’ll plug it into this table with you.
The flip side is the price. A lower price means a smaller loan, and that often makes up the difference in rate. Run both.
The fine print on these numbers
Sources. MCL 125.1041: the $3 a month specific tax. Condo dues: Hammond Place ($395 to $400) and Garfield Condominiums ($325 to $360), MLS listings and association documents, October 2026. Condo property tax: 2025 Garfield Township homestead rate of 26.69 mills on half the price, a common estimate for a new buyer’s taxable value. Garage tax: estimate. 2229 Vista View Dr’s garage has a 2026 taxable value of $29,000 (MLS); at East Bay Township’s 2025 homestead rate of 26.79 mills that’s about $777 a year. Garages and decks here are only now being assessed, so bills vary by home and are higher without a homestead exemption. Price per square foot: median of 12 months of sales in five nearby condo and site-condo communities, Northern Great Lakes REALTORS MLS, October 2026.
Want this run for a specific home?
Send us the home and your down payment and we’ll put the real numbers side by side.