Missing Metropolitan Detroit

**ordinary** · February-23-25, 04:17 PM

It's been quite a while since I posted anything. I'm not sure if this is the right spot.

In 2022, I moved to Wyoming, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids. I have some family here, and wanted to be closer to my daughter and one of my two sons. The other son is in Ferndale and is established there.
I don't exactly know what my thinking was at that time. I don't know if I was planning on spending the rest of my life here, or what. I guess I thought that I would just drive back often and spend time. Well, it's not that simple. This area is okay but it's just not home. Detroit winters are no picnic but the winters here are very gray and depressing. I think I read somewhere that this is one of the cloudiest places in the United States. I don't know if that's true but it seems right to me. I do have two brothers in this area. They are wonderful people. But I didn't realize that they had their own lives. Duh.One thing I did learn is that Metropolitan Detroit is my home and I sure miss it a lot.

My son and I are preparing to move back when the weather becomes a little more pleasant. My daughter and her husband won't be far behind.

I miss:

Belle Isle
John King Books
Lake St. Clair
The abundance of Mom and Pop Eateries
The Fancy Tea Store in Grosse Pointe
Lots of Other Things
My Son in Ferndale
Home

Okay, enough rambling.

**Maof** · February-24-25, 07:38 PM

Ramble on. Come on back. I have a condo for sale near Metro Beach if interested.

Close to everything you mentioned and the freeway too. It's a win/win!

**ordinary** · February-25-25, 01:06 PM

I appreciate the offer Maof. What I'm really looking to do is rent a house for now until I can become re-established in the area. I'm currently living in a mobile home. I like it okay but it's just not big enough, among other things. I look at the price of these houses and it shocks me. Yow!

**Maof** · February-25-25, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by ordinary

I appreciate the offer Maof. What I'm really looking to do is rent a house for now until I can become re-established in the area. I'm currently living in a mobile home. I like it okay but it's just not big enough, among other things. I look at the price of these houses and it shocks me. Yow!

I get it. But rent is high too. Just talked to a friend's daughter today. She's paying $2k to rent in SCS. 11 and Harper area. A small bungalow. Insane

**ordinary** · February-25-25, 08:39 PM

I know. I agree that renting is also insane.
That's interesting, I used to live in the 11 Mile and Little Mack area. I look at the prices of these regular houses in that area and I just can't do it. I would have to make a huge down payment just in order to have a somewhat reasonable monthly payment.
Everything I read or see about prices points to a housing shortage. That is most likely the main reason but I wonder what else is driving these prices.

**Lowell** · March-01-25, 01:44 PM

bump. Interesting thread posted in Chit Chat room moved to Discuss Detroit.

**Gistok** · March-01-25, 08:44 PM

I too live in 11 Mile & Little Mack area, and my new next door neighbor is paying nearly twice what I'm paying in property taxes [[identical house). Of course I've been here since 1990s. There are probably lots of people like me that would like to downsize to a smaller house or possibly apartment, but stay put because of Michigan's cheaper cost of living for staying put in a larger house due to favorable tax laws for long time homeowners.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-02-25, 12:10 AM

Wyoming? Not exactly the most appealing part of the Grand Rapids area.

I was actually born and raised in southeast Grand Rapids. Eastown, Ottawa Hills, or the southeast side close to downtown are where I’d be if ever I lived back there.

**ordinary** · March-02-25, 08:13 AM

I imagine that is one of the factors driving prices up. I rarely think it, but my property taxes were reasonable when I was in St. Clair Shores. So, it seems like the new owners are paying the price for that. Was that deal part of the Headlee Amendment deal?

**ordinary** · March-02-25, 08:24 AM

Yeah, Wyoming is lacking in charm in a lot of ways. It's kind of gritty. I am really amazed at the lack of individually run restaurants. There are mostly corporate-run places. I have come to find out that even some of the smaller places that I thought were individually run are not. The employees are wearing tee shirts or uniforms with "4GR8FOOD" on them. It's some kind of corporation.

**ordinary** · March-02-25, 08:26 AM

My one brother lives in Northeast. That is a vibrant area.

**Lowell** · March-02-25, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by ordinary

I imagine that is one of the factors driving prices up. I rarely think it, but my property taxes were reasonable when I was in St. Clair Shores. So, it seems like the new owners are paying the price for that. Was that deal part of the Headlee Amendment deal?

Yes. Headlee limits the amounts taxes can be raised to 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Also, any rate hikes have to be voter-approved. This was to prevent long-time, and particularly those on fixed incomes, property owners from being squeezed out of their homes when their valuations soar. However, when the property is sold, the sale price becomes the new taxation base.

That carries the effect of discouraging longtime property holders from moving. They might make money on the sale, but they'll likely need all of it to buy another place and then pay taxes at that new higher price point.

**ordinary** · March-02-25, 01:54 PM

That's another reason I'm looking to rent. The housing situation now is terrible. Two of my three kids could probably be considered working poor because of it. They're locked out.

**preserve** · March-02-25, 03:36 PM

Friends of mine recently rented a condo in Royal Oak, off
Woodward, check out that area too. Seemed reasonable.

**ordinary** · March-02-25, 09:08 PM

Thanks. I'll check next time I'm in the area.
I was actually in Ferndale this weekend. I'm still in the exploratory phase. I tend to spend too much time in that phase. But things were more or less what I expected. I was somewhat encouraged.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-03-25, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Yes. Headlee limits the amounts taxes can be raised to 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Also, any rate hikes have to be voter-approved. This was to prevent long-time, and particularly those on fixed incomes, property owners from being squeezed out of their homes when their valuations soar. However, when the property is sold, the sale price becomes the new taxation base.

That carries the effect of discouraging longtime property holders from moving. They might make money on the sale, but they'll likely need all of it to buy another place and then pay taxes at that new higher price point.

Exactly! That's why some home owners that probably want to move to a bigger or smaller home are staying put. Which in turn, makes it difficult for new buyers looking for a home. Not enough inventory. It also doesn't help that taxes and insurance are on the rise every year. I remember the old adage that your mortgage payment generally stays the same over the life of the loan. That's no longer the case. My daughter and her husband's payment jumped over $800.00 this past year. It's really putting a strain on their budget to add to all their other obligations.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-03-25, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by ordinary

That's another reason I'm looking to rent. The housing situation now is terrible. Two of my three kids could probably be considered working poor because of it. They're locked out.

Yup. It's a Catch 22.

**401don** · March-03-25, 11:06 AM

Reading this thread, I'm surprised at the affordability issue in Michigan. It appears rents are closer to the Toronto area, where they are generally about 22-2600. Young people move out of the greater Toronto area where prices are so high so they can get a much cheaper starter condo or townhome for about 500,000. Aren't there still homes for about 350-400,000 in the greater Detroit area?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-03-25, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

Reading this thread, I'm surprised at the affordability issue in Michigan. It appears rents are closer to the Toronto area, where they are generally about 22-2600. Young people move out of the greater Toronto area where prices are so high so they can get a much cheaper starter condo or townhome for about 500,000. Aren't there still homes for about 350-400,000 in the greater Detroit area?

That's the issue. Homes that are going for that amount were once going for 180-300 grand just 5 years ago. Clearly, values have increased and smaller homes that are in the 1,200 to 1,500 sq ft range, 2-3 bedrooms with maybe one or two bath's, unfinished basements, no garage or possibly a small one, with minimum updates done inside are occupying those price ranges now. These homes are severly overpriced.

**Maof** · March-03-25, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I too live in 11 Mile & Little Mack area, and my new next door neighbor is paying nearly twice what I'm paying in property taxes [[identical house). Of course I've been here since 1990s. There are probably lots of people like me that would like to downsize to a smaller house or possibly apartment, but stay put because of Michigan's cheaper cost of living for staying put in a larger house due to favorable tax laws for long time homeowners.

My current situation too. We're in a four bedroom colonial. Kids are grown and gone. Too much to take care of. I want to downsize and even considered moving back to the shores but geez, factor in home prices and taxes jumping, looks like we're staying put for a while.

**401don** · March-03-25, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

That's the issue. Homes that are going for that amount were once going for 180-300 grand just 5 years ago. Clearly, values have increased and smaller homes that are in the 1,200 to 1,500 sq ft range, 2-3 bedrooms with maybe one or two bath's, unfinished basements, no garage or possibly a small one, with minimum updates done inside are occupying those price ranges now. These homes are severly overpriced.

May be overpriced but the mid-west is still really cheap compared to the East Coast. Here in a Toronto burb, my 1600 sq. ft. 1970's townhome is 950,000.

**ordinary** · March-03-25, 08:24 PM

Overpriced is almost like an understatement.
But, I'm coming from a different place. Back when we bought the house in 1984, interest rates were around 16-17 %. We bought on a land contract with an 11% rate. and of course the houses were a lot cheaper.
When I see houses very similar to what I had in St. Clair Shores, going for $240,000, I just think to myself, "That house is just not worth that much money." It seems like some kind of bubble to me.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-04-25, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

May be overpriced but the mid-west is still really cheap compared to the East Coast. Here in a Toronto burb, my 1600 sq. ft. 1970's townhome is 950,000.

Looks like I won't be moving there anytime soon.

**313WX** · March-05-25, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

Reading this thread, I'm surprised at the affordability issue in Michigan. It appears rents are closer to the Toronto area, where they are generally about 22-2600. Young people move out of the greater Toronto area where prices are so high so they can get a much cheaper starter condo or townhome for about 500,000. Aren't there still homes for about 350-400,000 in the greater Detroit area?

The Detroit area never really saw a recovery in homebuilding after the Auto Industry collapse in 2008 - 2010. Even now, many homebuilders are still hesitant to gamble on the region because of the extent they got burned during that period.

It's led to a severe supply crunch despite the stagnant population.