  Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2008 |
We're looking for a place in Detroit, I'm leaning toward Indian Village. My husband, New Center. Any comments and/or advice? Thanks in advance. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11738 Registered: 10-2003 |
There are some steals in IV right now. Go to realestateone.com and use the search byt map feature. There are some of the 4K sq ft homes for under 100K that appear to be in decent shape. For New Center I like the area just west of the park along Woodward. Great homes and a nice park. Right now IV is a great deal for the money but it looks like there is a lot for sale cheap or foreclosed which means that the deal is there but makes me wonder about the future of the neighborhood. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11739 Registered: 10-2003 |
Here are some IV deals (depending upon how much work is required): http://www.realestateone.com/c ontent/PropertyDetail.asp?list ingNumber=e28023942 http://www.realestateone.com/c ontent/PropertyDetail.asp?list ingNumber=e28078690 http://www.realestateone.com/c ontent/PropertyDetail.asp?list ingNumber=e28072461 http://www.realestateone.com/c ontent/PropertyDetail.asp?list ingNumber=e28079141 http://reone.mapmuse.com/re1/r e32launch.php?idf=27220509&tpc =REONE&thm=REO&agt= http://reone.mapmuse.com/re1/r e32launch.php?idf=28005680&tpc =REONE&thm=REO&agt= Remember not to base your taxes on the sales price because the city's assessment may come in much higher. Hope this helps a little. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11740 Registered: 10-2003 |
Oh yeah, if you do buy one of these my commission will be a couple beers? I know, I drive a hard bargain but it is what it is. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 4 Registered: 05-2008 |
Thank you, jt1. I'd do better than that--I'll invite you for dinner (I'm an excellent cook). I'm looking at two properties in IV right now. Problem is, my husband is nervous about the neighborhood's future. Some of those homes going for such a low price drive everything down around it. There's a street in the New Center area, Pallister. It has a cute home for sale. My husband really likes it. I like New Center for the automotive history, but the homes in IV take my breath away. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11745 Registered: 10-2003 |
The Pallister area is what I was talking about. As for IV there are some IV residents that post here that would have much more insight than me. Some of them are probably foreclosures which every community is seeing and some are probably due to elderly residents leaving or people struggling with the cost of heating/cooling for a home that size. Any IV residents want to give LD some real info, not just my assumptions? (Message edited by jt1 on May 15, 2008) | ||
Brandon48202 Member Username: Brandon48202 Post Number: 222 Registered: 12-2004 |
There is something for every budget in the the New Center area: http://pub.realcomponline.com/ List/W/8/I/3AZ1HQEA4XKW8I.htm | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2008 |
Wow, thanks so much Brandon! We're looking at the home on the west end of the street on Saturday. The price dropped in the last day... | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1483 Registered: 10-2003 |
the area in new center you guys are talking about is the new center commons neighborhood. it was renovated/stabilized by GM in the early eighties to improve the area around their headquarters at the time. pallister sort-of forms the center, and the other streets are bethune and delaware. there is an active neighborhood association (private snow removal for alleyways, grass cutting for public areas, etc.). mrs. rsa and i recently completed a thorough search of historic neighborhoods in search of a home, including indian village. what we found there was a wonderful and vibrant community. often when we were looking at houses, neighbors would invite us over to introduce themselves and tell us about the neighborhood. also, they have "wandering parties" every month when a lot of people open their doors and you wander from neighbor to neighbor. there are also, obviously, some amazing houses that you can get for a steal. it's also within close proximity to downtown. the downside: it is fairly isolated from downtown and is a bit of a way off. we were looking for a walkable community or a viable way to one when we were looking (eg. not drive) and didn't find it in this area. there also has been a rash of crimes in the recent past; people driving thru and grabbing things, light b&e, wheel theft, etc. nothing serious, but still an annoyance. unfortunately, a lot of the "steals" right now are due to copper theft. many of these homes need extensive work that is not always visible to the naked eye. we saw several houses where they had tried to hide holes in the walls, new carpeting over ruined floors, painted over mold, etc. so just be extremely wary when going thru a lot of these. disclaimer; this is just my opinion based on what what we saw when looking (probably about a year ago), based upon comments from people in the neighborhood, and our own general impressions. we have not lived there, nor did we move there, so these could be mistaken impressions. to be continued... | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1484 Registered: 10-2003 |
where we eventually ended up buying is in the new center commons neighborhood. primarily because we got a phenomenal deal on a house, but it also fit what we were looking for. there is a small walkable community right there (including tastfest...errr...cityfest i mean), walking distance to the cultural center, and a short bus ride from downtown (the woodward line is very slick). plus, there's hopefully a chance of light rail in the near future. we've found that it is one of the most hidden gems in the city. it's out of the way, but not far away from things. it's still close to some amenities (including the recycling center on holden and lincoln, detroit hardware, etc.) and is very close to the lodge for others. the neighborhood is very close; this is the reason the housing stays so in tact. it's also very friendly and diverse. the neighborhood association is great. we have our own park. while not as nice as indian village, the houses have character and history. is this the house you're looking at lodge: http://www.century21town-count ry.com/property/property.asp?P RM_MLSNumber=30611910&PRM_MlsN ame=SouthEasternMI&VAR_AgentCo de=&VAR_OfficeCode= if so, it's owned by a judge who recently retired and wants to move to warmer climates. i've never been in it, but have heard it's been fully brought up to date. you'd also be my neighbor. feel free to contact me for more info about the neighborhood, if you like: rockstarchitect(at)aol(dot)com good luck! | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2008 |
I've been through many of the homes that have been vandalized. It breaks my heart. My husband seems to think New Center is more stable than IV. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2008 |
Rsa, that's the home we're looking at on Saturday! Could you tell me how the parking situation works when there are parties? There are two parking spaces next to the garage. That would give us a total of four. But, is there anywhere extra parking is available? | ||
Gogo Member Username: Gogo Post Number: 1418 Registered: 11-2003 |
quote: People complain when prices are too high, they complain when prices are too low. For starters the homes that are selling for such low prices in IV are mainly foreclosures. The banks are only selling them for what they are owed on the mortgage or a reduced price if they had over mortgaged the house. This is not a problem unique to IV, in case you have not read the papers it is a nation wide problem. The positive news for IV is that homes ARE selling unlike many areas in metro Detroit where people can't even give their homes away. These are home sales in IV in the last year... 1453 Iroquois ($629,000) 1438 Iroquois ($360,000) 1039 Seminole ($383,150) 3524 Burns ($340,000) 1503 Burns ($240,000) 2225 Seminole ($390,000) 1783 Iroquois (390,000) If you can find a house in a neighborhood where homes are currently selling for these prices at a price of $50k, then that would be a good deal. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 12 Registered: 05-2008 |
Gogo, that IS great news! Well, I have to give my husband a chance to look in the area he seems to like. I don't know why, but I favor IV. I'm sure we would be happy anywhere in Detroit (as long as we're living in a beautiful home with nice neighbors). I love this city. | ||
Pkbroch Member Username: Pkbroch Post Number: 24 Registered: 02-2008 |
Try Palmer Woods. Some great values right now. Right on Woodward bus line or surface rail if built. Fifteen minutes to DIA, Woodward bus to the Lion and Tiger games. One mile to Ferndale and Three miles to Royal Oak see www.palmerwoods.org | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1485 Registered: 10-2003 |
lodge; instead of parking on the street in front of your house, you simply have people park on adjacent streets and have them walk up pallister. there's typically plenty of parking along third or bethune court and it's not that far of a walk. as far as stability goes, i think most neighborhoods are in a little bit of flex right now. in the past, IV has always been very stable. but i think the size and the price point has made it a little more susceptible at the moment. the land and home values have historically always risen, so i think it would be safe to assume that it's a good investment in the long run. new center commons seems to be extremely stable, but again, it's a much smaller area and the prices are a little more mid-range making it less susceptible to the market right now. however, there are still a handful of homes that have fallen to the market. but the neighbors that are around me have all been there in excess of 12 years. there has also been an influx of new development in the past 10 years (seville row townhouses about 10 years ago and the new center lofts about 3 years ago). also, what was nice about our home was that even though it's a hundred years old much of the main infrastructure was replaced about 20 years ago thanks to GM. i know this is the case with the majority of the homes. those that weren't bought and renovated by GM, seed money was provided to upgrade services (electrical, plumbing, heating, roofing, etc.). what we're having to do is primarily cosmetic. what time is your appointment? i could introduce myself if you want (feel free to use my email address if you don't want it on the open forum). | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 14 Registered: 05-2008 |
I like the idea of a pedestrian street. We don't have children, but we have plenty of nieces and nephews. I wouldn't be so nervous when they visit if they were to play "in the street". | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1486 Registered: 10-2003 |
there's a lot of little kids that live on the street that do play often. the neighborhood also owns the park at the other end of pallister. | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1680 Registered: 11-2004 |
My fiancee and I almost bought a house in New Center, but RSA outbid us. Pallister is one of the most beautiful streets in the city and I am still jealous that RSA gets to live on it. One of the biggest things I like about the neighborhood is its potential. There is serious talk of creating a light rail line on Woodward between downtown and New Center. A commuter rail line between Detroit and Ann Arbor with a stop in New Center is supposed to come online within the next two years. If both projects come to fruition, New Center could become the epicenter of transit-oriented development, driving up prices. However, this is Detroit so rail-based mass transit is seemingly forever a couple of years away to out it nicely. An interesting story about New Center. When checking out the place RSA outbid us for I checked it out around 10ish on a Saturday night to get a better sense of the neighborhood. The place was quiet, well lit and tranquil. One of the residents came by with his dogs, introduced himself and I told him I was looking at buying the place. He proceeded to give me a tour of the neighborhood and telling me a lot of what's going on with it. He was quite friendly, accommodating and left a great impression overall. It wasn't long after that night that we put in an offer. In regards to IV. That is a great place. My fiancee and I have lots of friends who live there and in nearby Islandview Village (see the classified ads section). We love that place, the housing stock and the people who live there. It's not as walkable as we like, but we could easily be happy there. Best of luck with your search. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1488 Registered: 10-2003 |
ha ha; sorry about that hemmingway. well, not really actually, 'cuz we got a great deal and like the street quite a bit ourselves. i'm not sure if we actually outbid you or not, but here's some advice for others that are looking at a competitive bid on a foreclosure. i think the deciding factor the bank had for picking us was that we had a contractor walk thru the house with us and we included his preliminary bid with our offer. it showed that we knew what was wrong with the house and we likely wouldn't try and negotiate after the inspection came back. i second your recommendation to check out a prospective house at night to get a feel for the neighborhood. many change a bit after nightfall. i also agree with your assertions for the neighborhood. new center was once a very viable little city within a city. while it has remained fairly active, there's the potential for it to grow back into it's former self. it also seems to be the primary goal of transit in the city; to connect downtown with new center. and that the train station is right there. i can't wait to walk down to the station and hop the train for chicago one of these weekends, especially with gas prices the way they're going. hemmingway; you're more than welcome to stop by and see how the work is progressing on the house. you can get my contact info from SSport or use my email address listed above. |
