Best Suburbs to Buy a House [[Long-Term Outlook)

**Gistok** · February-10-20, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Wow no love for Livonia? Good schools good city services. 20 minutes to downtown. Minimal traffic with plenty of shopping and restaurants. What more do you need?

On this forum ya gotta generate your own love....

**swingline** · February-10-20, 12:03 PM

Folks recommending Plymouth, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills, etc seem to be ignoring the OP's stated commuting tolerance. Plenty of nice neighborhoods in these places but it's 30-40 minutes minimum to downtown Detroit with no traffic. 45-60 minutes in winter weather or if there's a vehicle accident. For my two cents, if one does not want to take on the school issues presented by living in Detroit [[which has plenty of nice neighborhoods), the best combination of short[[ish) commute, good schools and nice neighborhoods is Grosse Pointe Park/City. Second is Berkley/Huntington Woods/Pleasant Ridge. Third is Dearborn. Home values in these areas will always be stable barring an economic meltdown. If the OP is looking for Sun Belt or Bay Area-like appreciation, it won't be found in SE Michigan.

**K-slice** · February-10-20, 01:37 PM

Certain areas of Detroit will be the biggest winners in the years to come. Evidence points to Generation Z's desire to move back into dense, walk-able, urban areas even more so than Millennials.

**byromania** · February-10-20, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

It's an interesting life-long process. Just for the helluvit, let me share my housing purchases over the last sixty-plus years.
Got married in 1958. First house purchase in 1959 was at 19940 Lindsay, in Detroit, for $12,500. Sold for $18,500 in 1971.

Bought 20001 Houghton, Detroit, for $23,000 in 1971. Sold in 1977 for $32,000.

Bought 15505 Warwick, Detroit, in 1977, for $54,000. Sold in 1984 for $64,000. Moved to Nevada.

Bought 4571 McMillan in Nevada for $100,000 in 1984. Sold in 2006 for [[get ready) $305,000.

Bought my present home in Henderson, NV, in 2006, for $285,000. Still here. Present value about $350,000.

Been mortgage free since I sold the Vegas house and moved to suburban Henderson in 2006, but that's life. I wish you all success in your moves throughout life. It's an adventure.

You lived in my old neighborhood. I attended Bow Elementary and IHM from the early to mid 70s. My parents decided to move us back to Los Angeles in 1977, but I will always miss Detroit and my neighborhood. It was certainly an amazing time to be young and have the freedom to ride my bike with friends!! Most of all, I remember the laughter and the summertime sun!

**byromania** · February-10-20, 01:56 PM

I'm sorry. I should've been more specific. My old house was near your first home on Lindsey. My family home was 19774 Prevost.

**bartocktoo** · February-10-20, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

The biggest risk you run settling on any of the inner ring suburbs closer to downtown is that they will most suspectible to flight from the adjacent neighborhoods in Detroit that are dealing with high crime, high poverty, poor schools and divestment.

I saw a recent projection from SEMCOG that the neighborhoods away from Detroit's core will continue to see a drastic decline in population in the coming years, and those people are all going to be moving into communities right outside the city's borders. You're already seeing this in Harper Woods, Southern Macomb County and even places like Southfield / Oak Park or Redford, and that trend shows no sign of reversing.

Umm it's 2020, not 1990. Southfield and Oak Park have increased in population since 2010.

The relatively small decrease in HW is due to a third of it being Kelly - Beaconsfield. I doubt you have a clue what I'm talking about.

Downtown's revival has absolutely sparked an inner-ring suburb boost. Hazel Park would be a good place to start if you were going to educate yourself

**Ray1936** · February-10-20, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by byromania

I'm sorry. I should've been more specific. My old house was near your first home on Lindsey. My family home was 19774 Prevost.

Yeah, that was close. My brother lived at 19940 Prevost. We chuckled at how we ended up with the same house number on different streets!

**313WX** · February-10-20, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by bartocktoo

Southfield and Oak Park have increased in population since 2010.

I was referring neighborhoods away from the core *IN* Detroit.

I.E. 48205, 48213, Warrendale, large swaths of NW Detroit, etc.

**poobert** · February-11-20, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by MicrosoftFan

If you want proximity to Downtown, you canÂ’t do better than Allen Park

There are literally a dozen ways to do better than Allen Park.

Some people here appear to be throwing out city names. Like I cannot fathom how Canton or Livonia would make the list, either. And Gratiot being a desirable main drag? I cannot think of any area along Gratiot that is desirable.

OP, I'd look into GP. I agree that while Ferndale and RO are desirable, they seem to be overheated. An overlooked gem is Huntington Woods - but I think it is often overlooked because it is so expensive.

GP is indeed sleepy but you're correct - you can go downtown, and there has actually been a few interesting restaurant additions to the Pointes in recent years. The relative lack of traffic and sprawl due to the lake is actually nice, I think.

I'd actually be more worried about buying in OC and having had prices hit a sort of natural ceiling. I'm part of the under-40 set and I have a few friends who bought into GP because while they weren't quiet the City of Detroit set they wanted the proximity with a high quality of life and housing stock. There's quite interest, I think, and the prices actually have comfortable room to climb. They're still high enough that riff raff are priced out by a large margin. Although, now living in A2, I am amazed by how relatively low they are given the housing stock, but that's Metro Detroit for you.

**ct_alum** · February-11-20, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

There are literally a dozen ways to do better than Allen Park.

Some people here appear to be throwing out city names. Like I cannot fathom how Canton or Livonia would make the list, either. And Gratiot being a desirable main drag? I cannot think of any area along Gratiot that is desirable.

OP, I'd look into GP. I agree that while Ferndale and RO are desirable, they seem to be overheated. An overlooked gem is Huntington Woods - but I think it is often overlooked because it is so expensive.

GP is indeed sleepy but you're correct - you can go downtown, and there has actually been a few interesting restaurant additions to the Pointes in recent years. The relative lack of traffic and sprawl due to the lake is actually nice, I think.

I'd actually be more worried about buying in OC and having had prices hit a sort of natural ceiling. I'm part of the under-40 set and I have a few friends who bought into GP because while they weren't quiet the City of Detroit set they wanted the proximity with a high quality of life and housing stock. There's quite interest, I think, and the prices actually have comfortable room to climb. They're still high enough that riff raff are priced out by a large margin. Although, now living in A2, I am amazed by how relatively low they are given the housing stock, but that's Metro Detroit for you.

I'm with you, Poobert. the only proximity Allen Park, Canton and Livonia have to downtown is that they are in the same State.
The Pointes are a good option for all of the reasons you mentioned, with what "riff raff" there is mostly being renters living in GPP the cabbage patch. Once you get past Somerset it's fine. Only concern is the speed traps on Mack, especially if you're DWB. Never get tired of driving along Lakeshore Drive and looking at the lake, especially in the summer.

**MicrosoftFan** · February-11-20, 10:29 AM

Allen Park is approximately the same driving time to Downtown as Ferndale and GPP. GPP is geographically closer but it’s further from freeways. Canton is certainly far. Livonia bear Middlebelt is only about 3 minutes further from Downtown than AP and GPP, maybe 5 more from Ferndale.

Only place I could see being closer to downtown that isn’t in the city limits would be far Southeast Dearborn [[Rotunda/Greenfield and near SW Detroit) not to mention Hamtramck

**bartocktoo** · February-11-20, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I was referring neighborhoods away from the core *IN* Detroit.

I.E. 48205, 48213, Warrendale, large swaths of NW Detroit, etc.

Oh...my apologies I misunderstood.

**bust** · February-11-20, 10:52 AM

I'll cast another vote in favor of Grosse Pointe.
I agree real estate in the Detroit metro area is limited by the economics of the entire region.
But were I to speculate for an investment I'd say the two best options are Grosse Pointe or Detroit.
Detroit has much more risk, and more potential reward.
Grosse Pointe is a safe bet.
And if schools are a factor, Grosse Pointe is the obvious choice.
If downtown continues to get better, even more so.
The commute from Grosse Pointe to downtown is shorter even than from some parts of Detroit.

**iheartthed** · February-11-20, 10:53 AM

The best suburbs to buy will be those that have either a walkable town center [[Farmington, Birmingham, Royal Oak, GP, Northville, etc.), or have easy access to Detroit [[Ferndale, GPs, Dearborn, etc.). I'm not bullish about McMansion suburbs over the next 20-30 years.

While school quality will probably remain a factor for some of the toniest suburbs, that won't be driving the most value appreciation in the future. As the rest of the country moves away from car dependency that will inevitably put pressure on Metro Detroit to follow suit. Transit and proximity to jobs will be a key metric to home value in ways that it hasn't been for the past 70 years.

**wazootyman** · February-11-20, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

Some people here appear to be throwing out city names. Like I cannot fathom how Canton or Livonia would make the list, either. And Gratiot being a desirable main drag? I cannot think of any area along Gratiot that is desirable.

Maybe - just maybe - there are different perspectives and priorities.

I've been a homeowner in Livonia for 15 years. We're very happy with sense of community, our neighborhood and the schools. The city itself is very well run. A good majority of what we need is close to the house - some of it we even walk to [[which may come as a shock to some).

You do realize that Livonia has had one of the top-two "hottest" zip codes, according to real estate metrics, over the last couple of years? Yes, I realize that these rankings are questionable at times, but the supporting data does suggest very positive things.

**313WX** · February-11-20, 12:22 PM

Here's my problem with the Grosse Pointes:

1. It's far away from all of the good shopping and restaurants.

If I were in the OP's position, it would be nice to have a plethora of options for going out to eat within the immediate area without having to plan a trip downtown.

As far as shopping, other than the basic big box stores in Roseville, you would have to go all the way to Hall Road [[at least) if you want to go shopping at any trendy places.

2. The taxes are ridiculously high.

Since it is an older established suburb with a ton of legacy costs, and it's not seeing any growth, they're soaking property owners for the expenses to pay for their amenities.

3. It's far away from most of the job centers.

It's nice if you work downtown now, but what if that job is eliminated or you want a better job? Dearborn, Southfield, Troy and Auburn Hills are all out of the question from a commuting standpoint [[unless you want to spend 1+ hours in the car every day).

As far as livability and location, the only perk GP has over other suburbs is its proximity to the water, IMO.

**bust** · February-11-20, 12:37 PM

Nah, you're the most reliable troll.

It's been many years since some great restaurants have opened in Grosse Pointe, besides downtown. Guess you haven't been to them.

There are no trendy stores on Hall road. Not one. Besides, it takes no less time to get from Grosse Pointe to Hall road than it does to get to Somerset. Look at a map.

More, there's this not-so-new thing called the internet. You should try it. I acknowledge it's bad for local retail, but if you want the latest trends, you can find them there. Delivered to your doorstep.

High taxes? Be glad you're not somewhere trendier. Taxes in Grosse Pointe are lower in comparison. And for those taxes you great city services, great schools, great parks, and great libraries. Not bad.

As for the commute, the OP said she works downtown. The commute there from Grosse Pointe is better than just about anywhere, except from downtown itself.

And who are you to complain about a commute, moving as you did to suburban Atlanta? Your own local newspaper says the traffic there is among the worst. How's yours?

Atlanta ranks among America’s ‘most congested’ cities
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/atlan...0M35mnP8r0TVK/

**iheartthed** · February-11-20, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by bust

And who are you to complain about a commute, moving as you did to suburban Atlanta?

Yeah, that one. lol.

**hybridy** · February-11-20, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Here's my problem with the Grosse Pointes:

1. It's far away from all of the good shopping and restaurants.

This is the real deal breaker for me and ultimately locating in Oakland county. Closest big box shopping for GP is Meijer on Little Mack.

**bust** · February-11-20, 01:08 PM

There's a Staples in Grosse Pointe and a Home Depot, a Lowe's, and an Office Depot in Harper Woods.
For groceries there are several Krogers, two Aldi's, Trader Joe's, and bakeries with real bread. Best yet: local markets with fresh fish and seasonal fruit and vegetables fresh from the farms.
And more I'm forgetting...
Besides, is big box shopping all that?

**Gistok** · February-11-20, 01:33 PM

Gotta agree with Bust... there's over 40K people living in the Pointes... and they aren't complaining. If they want to do high fashion shopping, they do go to Somerset, and there's Costco, Sam's Club, Best Buy and other outlets on Gratiot between 10-14 Mile. There are grocery stores/restaurants in the Pointes, and even a Nino Salvaggio's in SCS, which is a step up from Whole Foods.

Is it worth it to drive a long haul every few months for fashions/homewear [[stuff they won't be buying online), or do a daily long haul to downtown to work. Think about it....

**Gistok** · February-11-20, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

This is the real deal breaker for me and ultimately locating in Oakland county. Closest big box shopping for GP is Meijer on Little Mack.

No... that would be Costco at I-94/I-696/Gratiot at 11 Mile. Meijer's is at 13 1/2 Mile.

**rickbak** · February-11-20, 01:54 PM

I can get from west side of Dearborn to downtown in 15-20 minutes. It's a straight shot down Michigan Ave.

**hybridy** · February-11-20, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

No... that would be Costco at I-94/I-696/Gratiot at 11 Mile. Meijer's is at 13 1/2 Mile.

I guess I'm referring to a 'bigbox' as a store where groceries, auto, sporting goods, clothing, etc is all under 1 roof.

Costco requires a membership. I stick with my comment. And the 12 mile and Gratiot Wal-Mart isn't even worth suggesting. That place is atrocious.

**bust** · February-11-20, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

Costco requires a membership. I stick with my comment. And the 12 mile and Gratiot Wal-Mart isn't even worth suggesting. That place is atrocious.

There is no Walmart that is not atrocious, unless you're stocking up on basic unperishable necessities and have storage space to spare.
I was considering Salmon from a Sam's Club in Florida until I saw a worm squiggling under the plastic wrap.
You should try the much better shops in or very near Grosse Pointe.

Would you rather your tomatoes or corn come from a big box store or from Greenhouse Gardens, Village Market, or Nino Salvaggio's?
Your answer will indicate whether you've been to a local alternative.