Site condominium · Elk Run and Elk Ridge Drive · Elmwood Township
Cedar Creek Commons condos
Cedar Creek Commons is a site condominium of 78 homes, plus a 50-unit senior apartment building, off Cherry Bend Road in Elmwood Township, Leelanau County, with a Traverse City address. The homes are detached houses, duplexes, one three-plex and one five-plex on Elk Run and Elk Ridge Drive, and the homes that sold were built from 1994 to 2002. Owners share a community center with a pool. The bylaws ban transient rentals and allow leases of four months or more. There have been 12 sales since November 2023, from $325,000 to $570,000.
What the condo documents say
We read the Cedar Creek Commons master deed, its recorded amendments through the Eleventh Amendment (2013), the condominium bylaws, the association handbook (revised October 2019) and the association rules and regulations. The master deed was recorded December 16, 1994 (Leelanau County Condominium Subdivision Plan No. 54). The developer was Cedar Creek Commons, Inc.
This is a summary of the parts buyers ask about most. Associations can amend their documents, so get the current set before you write an offer.
Rentals
Article 7.4(s) of the bylaws says no residence may be used for transient rentals, and rentals for a minimum term of four months or more are allowed. An owner who wants to lease must tell the association in writing at least 10 days before presenting a lease to a tenant and give it a copy of the exact lease form. Every lease must say the tenant will follow the condominium documents. Article 13(d)(ii) of the master deed says the rental provisions can’t be changed without the consent of each affected owner.Source: Condominium Bylaws, Articles 7.4(s), 9.1 and 9.2; Master Deed, Article 13(d)(ii)
Pets
Owners can keep household pets under the board’s rules. Pets must be kept under restraint, can’t run loose, and can’t be tethered or penned outside and left alone. The association handbook limits each home to two dogs, two cats, or one of each. Tenants can’t keep pets of any kind.Source: Condominium Bylaws, Article 7.4(i) as amended by the Ninth Amendment, and Article 9.1; Association Handbook, Pets
No age restriction
A Tenth Amendment recorded in November 2007 would have limited occupancy to households with at least one person 55 or older. A notice recorded in January 2008 says that amendment is void because it did not get enough votes. The association handbook tells sellers to advise buyers that Cedar Creek Commons has no minimum age restriction.Source: Tenth Amendment to the Master Deed and Notice of Improper Recording (2008); Association Handbook, Sale of a Condominium
Senior apartment building
Unit 47 is a 50-unit senior apartment building, set up as its own condominium, and its owners are members of the Cedar Creek Commons Association. The Ninth Amendment (2002) allows those units to be leased, gives each one half a vote until it is sold for full market value, and does not let apartment tenants keep pets. The association plows the building’s parking lot and handles its trash pickup.Source: Ninth Amendment to the Master Deed
Who maintains and insures the house
This is a site condominium. Each owner owns the house within the unit boundaries and is responsible for maintaining, repairing and insuring it, and the association does not insure the units or anything built on them. The association handles lawn mowing, lawn and landscape care on the yards around each home, and snow removal on the roads, driveways and sidewalks. The owners of Units 19 to 24 maintain their own enclosed courtyards, and the handbook treats the courtyards of Units 60 to 64 the same way.Source: Master Deed, Articles 4(c) and 7(e); Condominium Bylaws, Article 6.2; Association Handbook
Exterior changes
Any exterior change, including repainting, re-siding, re-roofing, new decks, porches, fences or landscaping, needs written approval from the Design Control Committee first. Storage sheds and outbuildings are not allowed. The handbook sets the roof shingle, trim paint and front door color used throughout the community.Source: Condominium Bylaws, Articles 7.2, 7.3(a) and 7.4(n); Association Handbook
Boats, RVs and trailers
Boats, trailers and recreational vehicles can’t be kept outside a closed garage for more than 24 hours without written approval from the association. A visiting motor home can sit in a driveway for up to three days but can’t be used for overnight lodging. Commercial vehicles are allowed only for deliveries and pickups. The association handbook adds that boats, RVs and trailers must be stored in a garage.Source: Condominium Bylaws, Articles 7.4(j), (k) and (r); Association Handbook
Water and sewer
Water comes from a private system run by Cedar Creek Water Company, and private wells are not allowed. The master deed says Elmwood Township has the right to take over the water system under an agreement with the company. Every home must connect to Elmwood Township sewer, and each owner pays the township’s sewer charges.Source: Master Deed, Article 11; Condominium Bylaws, Article 7.5
Special assessments and reserves
Assessment increases beyond the reasons the bylaws allow count as a special assessment and need approval of 60 percent or more of owners, in number and in value. The association must keep a reserve fund for major repairs at 10 percent or more of the annual budget on a noncumulative basis.Source: Condominium Bylaws, Articles 4.5 and 5.2
Every sale since November 2023
Every Cedar Creek Commons sale recorded in the MLS since November 2023, newest first. Five were detached homes (Units 15, 16, 20, 34 and 64), five were duplex homes, and two were in the three-plex and five-plex buildings on Elk Ridge Drive. No unit sold twice. The three 2026 sales closed from $525,000 to $570,000.
| Unit | Beds / baths | Built | Sq ft | Sold for | Closed | Dues in listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 16 | 3 bed / 3.0 ba | 1995 | 2,125 | $542,000 | Jul 24, 2026 | $270/mo |
| Unit 40 | 3 bed / 3.0 ba | 1997 | 2,583 | $570,000 | Jun 30, 2026 | $270/mo |
| Unit 52 | 2 bed / 2.0 ba | 1998 | 1,464 | $525,000 | Jun 1, 2026 | $270/mo |
| Unit 4 | 2 bed / 2.0 ba | 1998 | 1,368 | $490,000 | Aug 20, 2025 | $255/mo |
| Unit 34 | 3 bed / 3.0 ba | 1999 | 2,374 | $525,000 | Aug 18, 2025 | $225/mo |
| Unit 15 | 2 bed / 3.0 ba | 1994 | 2,249 | $445,000 | Jun 11, 2025 | $255/mo |
| Unit 74 | 3 bed / 3.0 ba | 2002 | 2,365 | $485,000 | Jun 10, 2025 | $255/mo |
| Unit 64 | 3 bed / 2.0 ba | 1996 | 1,332 | $370,000 | Nov 20, 2024 | $255/mo |
| Unit 20 | 3 bed / 2.0 ba | 1995 | 1,326 | $325,000 | Oct 25, 2024 | $255/mo |
| Unit 87 | 3 bed / 2 full, 1 half | 2000 | 2,160 | $469,900 | Jul 3, 2024 | $255/mo |
| Unit 1 | 2 bed / 2.0 ba | 1998 | 1,248 | $395,500 | Mar 8, 2024 | $255/mo |
| Unit 3 | 2 bed / 2.0 ba | 1998 | 1,032 | $350,000 | Nov 8, 2023 | $255/mo |
Buying here: what to check
Cedar Creek Commons draws buyers who want a house-style condo with yard work and snow handled, close to Traverse City’s west side. These are the things we check before an offer.
Dues history
Monthly dues were listed at $255 on sales from November 2023 through August 2025, with one August 2025 sale listed at $225, and at $270 on every 2026 sale. Ask for the current budget and the last two years of financials.
What dues cover
Most listings say dues include water, trash, snow removal and lawn care, and a 2026 listing also names road maintenance. Two 2026 listings also list exterior maintenance, but the master deed makes each owner responsible for maintaining the house, so we ask the association exactly what exterior work, if any, the dues cover. The roads are private and the association maintains them. Sewer is not part of the dues. Each owner pays sewer charges separately.
Building type by unit number
The recorded documents set the building type for each unit number: detached homes on Units 15 to 24, 27, 33, 34, 58 to 65 and 67 to 69, a three-plex on Units 74 to 76, a five-plex on Units 86 to 90, the senior apartment building on Unit 47, and duplexes on the other units. Owners maintain their own homes, so in an attached building we ask how roof and siding work has been shared with the neighbors.
Unpaid assessments at closing
The bylaws entitle a buyer to a written statement of any unpaid assessments on the unit. A buyer who doesn’t request it at least five days before the sale can be liable for the seller’s unpaid assessments, so we request it early.
For sale signs
The only for sale sign allowed is a small association sign no larger than 6 by 24 inches. Standard real estate yard signs are not permitted.
Satellite dishes
Article 7.3(d) of the bylaws bans exterior antennas and satellite dishes, but the handbook has a procedure for a ground-mounted dish in the home’s own yard with Design Control Committee approval, not on the roof or the street side. Ask the board how it handles this before you count on one.
Cedar Creek Commons questions
What are the HOA dues at Cedar Creek Commons?
Every Cedar Creek Commons sale in 2026 listed dues of $270 a month. Sales from November 2023 through August 2025 listed $255 a month, except one that listed $225. Most listings say dues include water, trash, snow removal and lawn care. Confirm the current amount with the association before you buy.
Can you rent a Cedar Creek Commons condo short term?
No. Article 7.4(s) of the condominium bylaws bans transient rentals and allows rentals only for a minimum term of four months or more. The owner must notify the association in writing at least 10 days before presenting a lease and give it a copy of the lease form, and tenants can’t keep pets.
Are pets allowed at Cedar Creek Commons?
Yes, for owners. The bylaws allow household pets under the board’s rules, and the association handbook limits each home to two dogs, two cats, or one of each. Pets can’t run loose or be left tethered outside. Tenants can’t keep pets of any kind.
Is Cedar Creek Commons a 55 and older community?
No. A 2007 amendment that would have required a resident 55 or older was declared void by a notice recorded in January 2008 because it did not get enough votes. The association handbook says there is no minimum age restriction.
What do Cedar Creek Commons condos sell for?
There were 12 sales between November 2023 and October 17, 2026, from $325,000 to $570,000, with a median of $477,450. Two-bedroom homes sold from $350,000 to $525,000 and three-bedroom homes from $325,000 to $570,000.
How big are the homes at Cedar Creek Commons?
Homes that sold had two or three bedrooms, with listed sizes from 1,032 to 2,583 square feet, based on MLS records. Several of the larger figures include a finished lower level. The community has detached homes, duplexes, a three-plex and a five-plex building.
When was Cedar Creek Commons built and who developed it?
MLS records list the year built from 1994 to 2002. The master deed was recorded December 16, 1994, and the developer, Cedar Creek Commons, Inc., expanded the condominium in 1996 and 1999 and also intended to build the homes itself.
Who maintains and insures a Cedar Creek Commons home?
The owner. It is a site condominium, so each owner owns, maintains and insures the house on the unit, and the association does not insure the units. The association handles lawn mowing and landscape care on the yards around each home, except the enclosed courtyards on some patio units, and snow removal on the roads, driveways and sidewalks.
Is Cedar Creek Commons in Traverse City?
It has a Traverse City 49684 mailing address, but it sits in Elmwood Township, Leelanau County, at Cherry Bend Road and Lincoln Road. Township rules and Leelanau County taxes apply, not the City of Traverse City.
Looking at Cedar Creek Commons?
We have read the Cedar Creek Commons documents and track every sale there. Tell us if you want a detached home or a duplex and how soon you plan to move, and we will send new listings and check the rules for the exact unit.
Sales, dues and unit details come from Northern Great Lakes REALTORS® MLS records, checked October 17, 2026. Rules come from the Cedar Creek Commons master deed and its recorded amendments, the condominium bylaws, and the association handbook and rules. This page summarizes those documents and is not legal advice; read the full documents and current rules before you buy. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Reviewed by Taylor Brown, Realtor, Real Estate One, Traverse City.