Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Blog

Grand Rapids Community College Offers Film Training

Michigan is one of the few states courting the film industry with

rebates and tax incentives.  This should bring more film makers

to Michigan in 2009.  In anticipation of the films and film crews

that will be needed to bring these projects to completion,

Grand Rapids Community College is offering 4 different courses

in training for film production.

• Basic Film Set Training
• Film Camera Loader Workshop
• Introduction to Technical Labor: Electrical
• Introduction to Technical Labor: The Film Grip

These classes run from $125 to $1750 for tuition fees and some may

require some technical knowledge and expertise.

 

TicTock Studios in Holland MI is co-sponsoring the Basic Film Set

Training to supply needed expertise to film makers here.  These

programs are state approved and might qualify for No Worker Left

Behind funding to participate in the film training program.

 

Michigan Film Office lists 14 films that were made in Michigan last year,

including Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino, which has Oscar nominations.

(We saw this one last week - a very powerful film)

 

West Michigan Tourist Assoc. has opened a West Michigan Film Office in

anticipation of the need for coordination of West Michigan sources for

film crews and production.

 

Henry Ford Community College is also offering classes.

 

The classes at GRCC start in March, so check out the links and

you could be working on a movie set this year!

 

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Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate  Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2009  All rights reserved

The U.S. News and World Report has published their annual survey of  the

best public high schools across the country.

These top open enrollment schools were placed into gold, silver,

 bronze, and honorable mention categories.

Six public schools in Kent County were mentioned. Two Grand Rapids

inner city schools and  4 Grand Rapids suburban schools were named

in Best High Schools Kent County 2009, all received Silver or Bronze awards.

• City High/Middle School
• East Grand Rapids High School
• Forest Hills Central High School
• Lee High School
• Lowell High School
• Ottawa Montessori School 

   

 

Schools are an important consideration when buying and

selling a home.  Public schools in the Grand Rapids area

are some of the best in the country.

 

If you are looking for a home in the Grand Rapids area,

please contact me directly for further information.

 

Grand Rapids Ada MI Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Photo of Forest Hills Central High School by Bonnie Westbrook

Forest Hills is actually a school district in Ada Cascade MI. This market

 is always active. These Grand Rapids suburban communities have wonderful

neighborhoods, some new and some older with Top Ranked Forest Hills Public

 Schools, and private schools, such as Ada Christian & St Roberts that attract

 many home owners. 

 This report will cover the Sept 1, 2008  to Jan 26, 2009 real estate

market activity.

 

 

             Forest Hills MI Listings over $300,000

The absorption rate for Forest Hills MI is 16.23 months, which means if no

new listings come on the market, it will take 16.23 months to sell the existing

homes at the current rate of sale.  This rate is up from last month, sold

prices are about the same. Fewer listings and sales this month, the average

 list price is lower for this upper end category. There is still a disconnect

 between average listed price/sqft and average sold price/sqft of about

 $40/sqft.

 

There are 211 Active Forest Hills Listings in the over $300,000 category with

an average price of $649,207.   The Average price per square foot of Active

Listings is $200.70 with a low price of $300,000 & a high price of $2,700,000.

 

There have been 54 Sold Forest Hills Listings in the over $300,000 category

with an Average price of $478,126.  The Average Sold price per square foot is

$ 161.09. The lowest sold price is $309,900 & the highest sold price is

$850,000.  There are 11 Pending Forest Hills Listings in this category.

 

 

             Forest Hills Listings  $100,000 to $300,000

The Absorption rate for Forest Hills homes in this price range is 8.2

months, which means that if no new homes enter the market, at the

current rate of sales, it will take 8.2 months to sell all current inventory.

 

There are 192 Forest Hills Active Listings in Ada -Cascade with an Average

 Price of  $212,186.  The Average Active Price/SqFt is $120.63 and the

Average Active Days on the Market are 119.  The High Active Price is

$300,000 and the Low Active Price is $101,800.

 

There have been 90 Sold Forest Hills Listings in the last 5 months.  The

Average Sold Price is $197,706 with the Average Sold Price per square foot

at $105.87.  Average Sold Days on the Market is 121 Days.  The high Sold

 price is $299,900 & the low sold price is $104,500.  There are 27 Pending

Sales in this category.

 

Market Synopsis: Although the absorption rate is one of the lowest in the area,

for the under 300K homes, this market area seems to be similar to last

month. Fewer active listings, and average list prices are inching slightly

downward. Average sold price has stayed almost the same although

more homes sold this month than last.

 

Ada Cascade Market Report December 2008 

Ada Cascade Market Report October 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report Sept 2008

 

If you would like specific information about an Ada Cascade or

Forest Hills MI Homes, please contact me directly.

 

 

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Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate  Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2009  All rights reserved

Photo of Forest Hills Eastern High School by Bonnie Westbrook

Current Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report

Absorption rate for Caledonia MI Market is  currently 9.6 months,

which means if no other homes come on the market, it will take

9.6 months for the current inventory to sell at the current

sales rate.

 

There are 133 current active listings, from $60,900 to $1,100,000 in

Caledonia MI.

20 Pending Home Sales, and 77 Sold Homes since July 1, 2008.

 

The current average Caledonia home listed price is much higher

(about $130K) than the average selling price.  This shows

that the upper end of the Caledonia  market is slow and the

lower end (under $200K) is selling.  Sold price per square foot

continues to slide downward. There are some excellent buys

in Caledonia, don't wait until they are gone.

 

Caledonia December 2008 Absorption Report

 

If you have any questions about Caledonia or Grand Rapids MI

homes,please contact me directly.

Grand Rapids  Ada Real Estate  ~ Westbrook Realty

Copyright  2009 All rights Reserved

Photo of Thornapple River at Ruehs Park by Bonnie Westbrook

Current Real Estate Market Report For East Grand Rapids Michigan

Absorption rate for East Grand Rapids MI housing market is currently

at 11.29 months, which means if no new listings come on the

East Grand Rapids market, it will take 11.29 months for the existing

home inventory to sell.

 

There are 140 active listings on the East Grand Rapids market now,

ranging from $50,900 to $4,000,000.

 

12 Pending Home Sales w/ prices ranging from $ 48,000 to $ 369,000.

 

87 Sold Homes with sold prices ranging from $ 52,000 to $ 680,000

since July 1, 2008 in the East Grand Rapids housing inventory.

The lower end of this market (under $300K) has seen 2/3 of the sales

in the last seven months.

 

East Grand Rapids December 2008 Absorption Report

 

If you have any questions about the value of your East GR home,

please contact me directly. 

 

Grand Rapids Ada MI Real Estate ~Westbrook Realty

copyright 2008 All rights reserved

Photo of East Grand Rapids Public Library by Bonnie Westbrook

East Grand Rapids Michigan 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with updated amenities,

decorated in a soft color palette, with many upgrades and extras could be the

elegant home you return to after your work day. 

 

 

 

This East Grand Rapids all brick home  has been lovingly maintained and kept

up to date in numerous ways. 

A new recreation room with  fireplace, two lower level bedrooms with daylight

 windows and a newer full bath have been added to the lower level. 

 

 

 An extensive deck addition with pergola makes the yard a wonderful place

 to entertain friends and family in East Grand Rapids.

 

 

 

 A large enclosed porch with a slate floor, solar window blinds, and a ceiling

fan could be a fabulous place to spend your evenings or weekends.

 

 

A large formal living room with fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen with central

island, a large laundry or craft room, a family room, a small den or office, a

 half bath, and 2 bedrooms and a full bath are all on the main level.  Many

rooms have recessed lighting, custom window treatments and soft updated colors.

 

This home includes underground sprinkling, all appliances, and a one year home

warranty for buyers.  Take a look at 3000 Lake Drive SE, East Grand Rapids, you

 could decide to make elegant living your style.

 

Offered at $265,000                              MLS # 729311

 

More information about this home can be seen at:

Grand Rapids - Ada Real Estate  Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2009 all rights reserved

We have a vacant listing. It is a nice listing, clean, neat, 4 bedroom two story

home that I showed last Saturday.  It was a changed house when I showed it

again on Monday.  We had record setting low temperatures here over last

weekend and the batteries failed in the thermostat. 

                         NO HEAT! 

 

                        Frozen pipes.

 

 

Needless to say, I sprinted to the store, bought batteries, and got the furnace

going again.  I also turned off the water to try and eliminate as much damage

as possible.  When the house warmed up, sure enough, a water pipe broke

between the kitchen ceiling and the upstairs bathroom, according to the

plumber. 

 So, the morale of the story is: If you have a vacant home listed,

change the batteries in that thermostat---don't take chances!  Even a

weekend trip could put your home in danger!

This story has a fairly decent ending, we have 2 offers on the home 

and the sellers insurance company will cover the majority of the repairs.

 

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr stream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/osde-info/2514938367/