Entries by Tracy Willis

West Michigan Lakeshore Office Market Remains Stable

Compared to larger cities like Chicago or Detroit,  the West Michigan lakeshore office market has remained stable through the pandemic. Still, commercial clients are conservative. Some are downsizing their office footprint or relocating to a smaller downtown area, like Holland,  so they can still offer a physical business site with nearby amenities when they need […]

16% Jump in Foreclosures for February 2021

Despite foreclosure and Covid-19 relief measures for homeowners, foreclosures are actually on the rise. A report from ATTOM Data Solutions shows a 16% jump in foreclosures from January to February and notes an upward trend in 29 states. The government’s moratorium bans foreclosures on federally backed loans for homeowners and protects borrowers in the forbearance […]

Group Halts Work on Historic Mill Site

Rezoning of the historic Glen Arbor Mill faces opposition.  A group was able to successfully halt work on the site for 30 days while they collected signatures to add a referendum on the November ballot. The property owner intercepted an email in an effort to discredit the group. The rezoning of the historic property remain […]

To Buy or Not to Buy? That is the Question

In 15 of the 50 largest metro areas across the country, buying is still a better option than renting. The relative price of buying a home hasn’t changed much, even with the historic growth in home prices over the last year. This is due to incredibly low interest rates. Realtor.com looked at the median listing […]

Housing Counselors Prepare for Surge

Calls from homeowners concerned about foreclosure have fallen while interest from homebuyers has surged. The trend points to an uneven economic recovery and the hidden impact of lost jobs and lower income. When federal foreclosure and eviction protection ends, housing counselors aren’t sure what to expect, as they are currently just guessing at the financial […]

Hudson’s Site Tower Takes Shape

The Hudson’s site tower is finally showing above-ground signs of construction three years after the Bedrock Detroit real estate firm broke ground at the old J.L. Hudson building site at 1200 Woodward Avenue. The property will include 150 residential units, a 200-plus-hotel, 400,000 square feet of office space, a 1,200-person event space, and 18,000 square […]

Lawyer – No Light at the End of the Pandemic Tunnel for Property Owners

The future of real estate continues to be in a flux. At a federal level, GSEs have continued to extend foreclosure and eviction moratoriums through June 30, 2021. The Center for Disease Control issued its own eviction moratorium in September 2020, and the Biden administration has extended it through March 31, 2021. In Michigan, the […]

Lansing-Based Developer Contracts the Linda Dresner Building

Ron Boji, head of the Lansing-based Boji Group, has put the Linda Dresner Building in Birmingham under contract for an undisclosed amount. Boji has letters of intent from two national retailers. Although he isn’t disclosing who the retailers are, one of them will occupy the first floor of the Dresner building and the other will […]

Hard Rock Affiliated Hotel is Coming to Kalamazoo

The former Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing site is being redeveloped under the REVERB by Hard Rock brand. Plaza Corp. Realty Advisors, Inc. and Dora Hotel Co. are partnering to bring the new hotel to the site at 225 Parsons St. in Kalamazoo. With a long history of respecting historical elements during  its redevelopments and renovations, Plaza […]

A $150 Million Asking Price For Detroit Parcels . . . Stunning

Three properties on the Detroit Riverfront have been listed for a total of $150 million, 15 times the price the owner paid in 2015 and 2016 when he purchased them. Owner Michael Shaya arrived at the price based on the properties’ “potential,” stating that “The price is commensurate the scale and size that can be […]