Entries by Tracy Willis

Boyne City Approves Short-Term Rental Ordinance

Boyne City City Commission approved a short-term rental ordinance on December 13. Boyne City officials started in July 2021 to create an ordinance that would be tailor-made for their community. Several special meetings were held to identify the impacts and issues of short-term rentals. The ordinance was created in an attempt to address those impacts […]

South Lyon Golf Course Proposed for Single-Family Development

Developers presented a conceptual plan to put 182 single-family homes the site of the 160-acre Cattails Golf Club in Lyon Township. The golf course has been a part of the community for more than 30 years. Brothers Mario, Frank and Tony Moscone owned and operated the golf course. With Mario and Frank’s deaths, Tony Moscone […]

$5.8 Million in Grants Awarded to Detroit Projects

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) awarded brownfield grants and loans to the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (DBRA), the Southwest Housing Solutions Corp., the American Indian Health and Family Services, and Detroit’s Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED). Brownfields are areas where reuse is complicated by contamination issues. DBRA will […]

Pending Home Sales in Steep Decline

Pending home sales are often considered as a leading indicator of existing-home purchases. For the sixth month, U.S. pending home sales fell in November to the second-lowest on record. Higher borrowing costs and economic uncertainties continue to exclude many potential buyers out of the market. The National Association of Realtors index of contract signings to […]

Metro Detroit Tops Most Expensive Home Sales in 2022

Metro Detroit had some of the most expensive home sales in 2022. The Bloomfield Hills home at 780 Vaughn Road features classic French chateau design. It sold for $6.125 million. Its location on more than 3 acres by Cranbrook was a selling point. The property at 4890 Birchway Drive in Orchard Lake Village boasts more […]

The RenCen Comprises Over Half of Downtown’s Vacant Office Space

Downtown Detroit is home to some of the biggest empty office spaces in the state. Over half the of the vacancy across Detroit’s best office buildings is inside the Renaissance Center. Six RenCen office towers, four of which are owned by General Motors Company and two that are owned by a publicly-traded utility from New […]

Detroit’s Hotel Boom Is Just The Beginning

Detroit’s hotel market is showing signs of revitalization. Operators and developers are investing millions in new and renovated properties. Hotel occupancy is coming back to pre-pandemic levels after a lean-to-starvation year in 2020. Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown is expected to open in February. Corktown’s Godfrey Hotel, west of downtown, is slated to open in the […]

Developer Plans 250-Unit Project For Grand Rapids’ Celebration Village

Victory Development Group is planning a 250-unit mixed use project in Grand Rapids’ Celebration Village. The developer is seeking a planned redevelopment district amendment for Celebration Apartments, a mixed-use apartment project it is proposing. The Grand Rapids City Planning Commission will hear the request on January 12. Victory Development group will ask for a change […]

Michigan’s Residential Real Estate Market Is Stabilizing

The 2023 real estate market is finally starting to look like it might normalize. Seasonality is back in the resale market, and rent increases and high supply costs have mostly stabilized. However, interest rates will remain high, pricing some buyers out of home ownership. Some materials costs continue to be issues. While materials costs have […]