- A new-construction housing development in Sturgeon Bay offers homes for people who work full-time in Door County
- The City of Sturgeon Bay is offering land to home buyers for free, with conditions detailed below
- A 3-bed, 1-bath home starts at about $270,000
The Sturgeon Bay home search dragged on for Lindsay Draz and her family.
"We did a lot of showings, offers, and just would always get outbid or there'd be multiple offers before we could even go look at the house," said Draz, who moved back to northeast Wisconsin with her husband and children.
She and her family have now found what they are looking for, thanks to a new housing option in Sturgeon Bay called Geneva Ridge.
It is a new-construction development with 24 home sites where the city will give the land for free to home buyers, with conditions:
-The homebuyer has to work full-time in Door County,
-Short-term rentals are not allowed, and
-A fee could have to be paid if a buyer doesn't keep the home for six years
That fee comes in the form of a deferred assessment of $37,200 (the city's stated cost of developing the utilities and streets), which is forgiven in equal amounts each year until reaching zero after six years.
The idea behind the development is to provide workforce housing, which is in high demand in the city, said Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward.
Four of the home packages at Geneva Ridge have already sold, Ward said.
Mayor Ward said the land cost for the development was $50,000, or about $2,000 per lot.
PortSide Builders, where Paul Shefchik is president, is the general contractor for the project.
"I felt [the development] was a good thing for our community, and I really wanted to be a part of it," Shefchik said.
Buyers can choose one of six home plans.
A 3-bed, 1-bath starts at about $270,000.
A 3-bed, 2-bath starts at about $295,000.
For buyers who cannot afford those prices, the project could still have a positive effect, said Heather Smith of Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Smith is part of the team working to sell the homes at Geneva Ridge.
"We're seeing a lot of people moving up [to Geneva Ridge]," Smith said.
"So... the other homes [where new Geneva Ridge residents used to live]... are even more affordable than Geneva Ridge become available for those home buyers."
For Draz, who works for a non-profit, Geneva Ridge means she found not only the home her family was looking for, but also a particular way of life.
"[I want] my children to be able to go outside and be safe and have their own yard to be in," Draz said.
