Facing demolition, family's California-style dream home saved by city of Muskegon | MLive.com

Facing demolition, family's California-style dream home saved by city of Muskegon | MLive.com:

"In all, the city invested nearly $220,000 into the home.

"It was unlikely the private sector would have been able to renovate the house like we did," said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson. "It probably would have ended up like a lot of houses like this do -- it probably would have ended up on the demo list."

Instead, there were doctors and lawyers who clambered to buy the renovated home. But terms of the federal funding obligated the city to sell it to someone of more modest means.

"We had tons of people who wanted the house," Bailey said. "We had to say 'no' to a lot of buyers."

Meanwhile, Grissom had spent a year searching for the perfect home for her and her children, 11-year-old Amari Smith and 16-year-old Keyaira Smith. Then she saw the home on Leahy Street.

"I showed it to my kids first," Grissom said. "They loved it. They called it the mini mansion."

Grissom, who had been pre-approved for a mortgage by a local bank, offered $70,000 in February 2014, and the city quickly accepted."