Fountain View Villas

Fountain View Villas shows its best face on a clear afternoon, when the light catches the fountains and the golf course spreads out green and manicured behind the stand-alone condos. These are low-maintenance units clustered around Stonewater Country Club's 7th, 8th, and 9th holes—you get the views without the upkeep, since the association handles lawn care, snow removal, and exterior painting every four years. The homes themselves are spacious, with full basements, tall ceilings, and open layouts that don't feel cramped, and the community sits on 18 acres in the larger Crystal Springs development, which has been going since 1989. Homes here run around $477K, and if golf matters to you, membership at Stonewater gets you the course plus a pool, restaurant, and fitness center. Pets are welcome, and there's a network of 72 restaurants and 18 grocery stores within a mile or two, with a coffee shop less than a mile away—downtown Grand Rapids is about 18 minutes off, and Gerald R. Ford airport about 14 minutes, so you're connected without feeling crowded into the city. Cross Creek Charter Academy serves the district, and Crystal Springs East Community Park is basically a walk away.