Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Blog

Grand Rapids Michigan November 2011 Sales Stats

The November home sales statistics are in and the news looks good.

Sales are up in November across the board in all price ranges.

The price range that has seen the most activity is $100,00 – $ 139,999;

almost 1 in 5 homes sold in November 2011 were in this price category,

with overall highs ranging over $1 million and lows under $ 19,000.

The Grand Rapids housing market has 24.6% fewer listings year-to-date

than last year.  This means shrinking inventory for buyers and good news for

sellers. 

The Average Home Sales Price is up from 2010 by about 3%; from $ 118,217

to $121,920.  In our opinion, this increase is caused by the REO’s and foreclosure

sales numbers are down and more banks are embracing short sales.

Please note these prices are averages for the whole Grand Rapids market.

If you would like to know what prices are in your neighborhood, give Terry a call.

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Forest Hills and East Grand Rapids Schools on AP District Honor Roll

East Grand Rapids and Forest Hills Public Schools merited placement on

College Board’s second annual report.  This report names schools that have

had significant gains in advanced placement access and student performance.

Nationwide, only 367 public schools were on the list this year.  To earn a

place, schools must increase the student count enrolled in advance placement

coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students

earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams.

Since 2009, East Grand Rapids High School has increased their student

participation in AP classes from 183 to 257, offering 13 different AP classes

to high school students.  Forest Hills District increased their number of students

from 630 in 2009, to 774 in 2011. 

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East Grand Rapids Photos

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Forest Hills Schools Photos

Roselle Park Improvement Plans Announced

Future improvements to the popular Roselle Park in Ada Township

have been set.  The Master Plan calls for a new main entrance,

a Resource Center that will hold 75 people for meetings, a kitchen,

a veranda, restrooms, and adjacent parking.  Trails and boardwalk

would be extended into the park from this new building near the

new entrance across from Michigan Street.  Additional future

enhancements will be an Adventure Playground and a Picnic Area

for large groups. 

Most of these future improvements are waiting for funding through

grants, memorial gifts, and donations by local individuals and service

groups.  If you are interested in donating funds, a tree or bench in

memorandum, contact Mark Fitzpatrick, Ada Director of Parks at

            616-676-9520       or email him at mfitzpatrick@adatownshipmi.com.

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Roselle Park Photos

Grand Rapids Michigan Oct 2011 Best Buy Suburban Real Estate Market Reports

Every month we search the West Michigan MLS for the best buys in each of 

the suburban areas we cover extensively.  These reports are based on cost 

per square foot, a logical way to approach the cost of home buying.

Lowell Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011 

East Grand Rapids Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Forest Hills Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Kentwood Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Caledonia Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

 Rockford Michigan Top Best Home Buys Oct 2011

If you have an interest in a Top Best Buy Home, please contact me.

Foto Friday: Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club Arcadia Michigan

This photo slideshow takes you on a little trip to northern Michigan 

on a gorgeous fall day in early October.  The spectacular scenic links at

Arcadia Bluffs was our challenge for the day.  

Thanks for going on a trip to Arcadia Bluffs with us.  Michigan and golf

are great companions, as you can see.

Grand Rapids Michigan Third Quarter 2011 Suburban Real Estate Market Reports

The following suburban market reports cover the third quarter real estate

activity in each Grand Rapids area.  Some local areas are holding their value

better than others.  All areas are still seeing some price erosion, though a

small percentage.

If you are considering selling your home, we recommend listing as soon as

possible.  The nation's largest banks still have foreclosure inventory

that has not hit the marketplace.  These estimated 4 million homes will be 

put on the market starting in January of 2012. 

We would be happy to give you an idea of what your home is worth today.

Give Terry a call at 1-888-240-1968 ext 0.

Caledonia Michigan Real Estate Report

East Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate Report

Forest Hills Michigan Real Estate Report

Kentwood Michigan Real Estate Report

Lowell Michigan Real Estate Report

Rockford Michigan Real Estate Report

Ada Michigan  Roselle Park Fall Festival  Oct 1 2011

Saturday, October 1st, 2011 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m  
1010 Grand River Drive, Ada MI 49301

A free day of fall festivities in a natural nature preserve.

All are invited to one of Ada Townships favorite parks –a free event!!

Come out to enjoy live music, good food, exhibitors’ tent, a native

plant sale, family activities, games, live birds of prey and much more!

More Ada Michigan Articles….

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Grand Rapids ArtPrize 2011 in Full Swing

What do encyclopedia pages, twine, horsehair, firecrackers,

paper-cuts and aged bronze all have in common?  ArtPrize 2011, of course.

We previewed a few of the ArtPrize 2011 installations at the Grand

Rapids Art Museum last Sunday and have included a few photos of the

diverse entries displayed.

This piece is made from steel and encyclopedia pages.  I knew I shouldn’t

have got rid of that old set of World Books.

This unusual piece is made from twine. Ditto above statement.

Even bronze woman and I have a pose in common.

Many unusual materials were used to recreate this replica

of a war rug.  Did you guess firecrackers?

Horsehair, grapevine, and a hand hewn wheel comprise

the elements of this entry. 

The depth and intricacy of these paper sheets has to be seen to

be appreciated.  I had difficulty with paper snowflakes!

Don’t miss ArtPrize 2011 this year!  It started on Wed Sept 21

and runs through October 9th.  These and about 1500 other pieces

that will stretch your imagination are waiting for you to view and vote.

 Wyoming Michigan 2011 Classic Car Show

If you are of a certain age, these classic cars shown at the Classic Car Show

in Wyoming Michigan on July 24, 2011 at the Resurrection Life Church will

bring back lots of memories.

I really appreciated the details on this classic car from the 1950’s.  I recall

those white interiors and the fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

The drive in restaurant tray with the food really brought back our younger

days.  We used to get strawberry pie from Big Boy’s on Pearl St

delivered by car hop!  Can you remember those days??

If you would like to see more photos from the Classic Car Show in Wyoming,

check out our Flickr Set.

 Forest Hills Michigan Schools Rank Top in Nation 2011

The new school rankings are out and several local schools made

the best of the best list.  Forest Hills had 3 schools in the top 99th % of

schools, Ada Elementary, 5/6 Central Woodlands and Goodwillie

Environmental.

Grand Rapids also had 3 schools  place in the ranking, City Middle High,

John Ball Park Zoo School and  Blandford Nature Center School. 

East Grand Rapids had K-5 Wealthy place in the ranking.

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