Located just west of Northville and Novi, Grenelefe in Lyon Township’ Tanglewood neighborhood offers newer construction amenities in an attractive 4 bedroom/2.1 Bath Cape Cod home. And if you like golf, this location is ideal with 5 golf clubs located within a 3 mile radius! Congratulations to the new owners and their return back to Michigan
We are pleased to announce our latest Plymouth sale with the completed closing of Fuller Court in Plymouth Commons. This home offers 3300 sqft of living space and there’s an additional fully finished walk-out lower level leading to rear yard and pool. Located deep within the neighborhood backing to commons, Fuller Court sits on a cul-de-sac 2/3 acre lot – an immensely livable home with an ideal location.
If you are seeking to buy a home in Plymouth or Northville, please visit our Plymouth and Northville Real Estate homepage at www.bobbake.com or simply contact Carrie, Associate Broker, at (734) 788-2398 – carrie@bobbake.com, Patrick, Associate Broker,at (734) 272-8375 – patrick@bobbake.com, or Stephanie, REALTOR, at (734) 620-4536 – stephanie@bobbake.com. We are experts in the local area and would be happy to assist you with your home search or sale.
We are pleased to announce the completed sale of 1064 William in downtown Plymouth. This home sold immediately and is further evidence that highly desirable homes in the City remain in demand. Located within easy walking distance to downtown and schools, the welcoming, covered front porch exemplifies Plymouth curb appeal. From there, you enter an updated and expanded home with charming vintage details and modern amenities commensurate with a home of this calibre. Generously appointed with spacious bedrooms and bathrooms, a new mudroom, updated windows, 2 high efficiency furnaces and central air, electrical, the features and updates are many. Additional noteworthy items include built-in cabinetry and crafted millwork throughout, updated maple and granite kitchen with stainless steel appliances (2011), large breakfast area and adjacent open dining room, gas fireplace in great room, upstairs loft style family room with wet bar and skylights, abundant storage space including pull-down attic access in both garage & main house, 1st floor master suite and another full bedroom with a full bathroom on main level and 2 bedrooms with one large bathroom upstairs make it versatile for many household configurations. A main floor office, laundry and bonus room are practical as well. A private fenced-in rear yard with deck for pets or kids to play. This is the Plymouth downtown experience and location that so many desire! See the virtual tour at http://www.bobbake.com.
For those of you new to the Plymouth area and for long time residents alike, here’s an interesting film that was shot in 1969 (the year of my birth) on Super 8 (that’s a size of movie film) thanks to Rene Litalien, who was an 11th grader at Plymouth High School that year when he shot the video. It shows a lot of the local businesses, cars, and beverages of the era – some of which are still around (ex. Box Bar, Wiltse’s Pharmacy). And Patrick, my car guy husband, noticed what appears to be a new Plymouth Superbird on a dealer lot! We should definitely add that song, “Small Town”, by John Mellencamp, to go with the video…
Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, my dad makes a journey to a farm/greenhouse in Belleville. He comes back with wreaths, and 50 or so feet of beautiful roping made of cedar and pine. He always goes by himself. He prides himself on finding hard-working people who produce excellent products or services that might not be well-known to the general public. This year, I asked him if I could join him in the venture, as we needed some extra greens for the office. It was a cold, yet clear day – the perfect “Black Friday” for some greens shopping!
I let my dad navigate by memory rather than programming my GPS, as I would normally do to get to somewhere in an area I am unfamiliar with. He pointed out landmarks to help me remember where to go in the future (though I’m not really planning to go without him). It was a windy path we took through small towns that I’d never before seen, although it only took about 20 minutes from Plymouth.
We found a driveway down which there were several greenhouses and warehouse buildings behind a house. There wasn’t a sign anywhere that I saw. I understand from my dad that they do a lot of business at the Royal Oak and Ann Arbor Farmer’s Markets. We saw a few trucks with shelves of wreaths, swags, greens and hanging kissing balls. We entered a warehouse with more of the same. Everything smelled delightful of cedar & pine, some of my favorite winter fragrances.
Bessie, who had most of my dad’s greens already to go, greeted us. She is the second-generation owner. Now even her son is involved in the business while he attends college, as well. We then entered a second greenhouse where about 5 more women were assembling wreaths. There were two family dogs – a black and a yellow lab that were happy to get some more attention from us. Dolores, the original founder of the business, greeted us and posed for a few photos. She told us how the business started. When she was pregnant with Bessie, her oldest child, she had just gotten married. As Christmas approached, she wanted to buy her husband a Christmas present with her own money but she had none, so she started the company – selling greens to farmer’s markets. And she was able to buy him a gift!
We are pleased to announce Stephanie Brown is joining the BAKE Real Estate Group at Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel in Plymouth as an Associate REALTOR.
Previously, Stephanie led Front Desk duties at Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel in Plymouth supporting one of the area’s most productive Real Estate Brokerages. Now, she will be applying her Real Estate experience and recently earned Real Estate Salesperson license, to residential sales in the Plymouth-Canton, Northville & Novi Markets.
Stephanie is a 2009 graduate of Salem High School, in Canton, Michigan. She has proven to be very detail-oriented, calm under pressure, and hard-working – essential qualities for a successful career in real estate.
Stephanie will be training and working alongside 45-year industry veteran Bob Bake (Associate Broker), Bob’s daughter Carrie Bake (Associate Broker), and son-in-law, Patrick Wong (REALTOR), as she expands her Real Estate career. You will be seeing more of Stephanie around town showing houses, joining us at client meetings, and our Open Houses in the future. Please join us in welcoming Stephanie to our team.
Stephanie can be contacted via email at stephanie@bobbake.com or on her cell phone at 734-620-4536.
The BAKE Real Estate Group, at Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel was founded by Associate Broker Bob Bake. Robert Bake Realtors, Inc. (established 1967) in downtown Plymouth, dominated the Plymouth/Northville real estate market between 1970 and 1996. In 1996, Robert Bake Realtors merged with Coldwell Banker Schweitzer to create Coldwell Banker Schweitzer-Bake, located at 177 N. Main Street in downtown Plymouth. In 2009, Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel acquired Schweitzer-Bake and currently operates at the same Main Street office.
Pastoral Salem Township, located between Plymouth/Northville and Ann Arbor, is one of our region’s hidden treasures. This month, I’ll be featuring information about Salem Township’s horse farms, recreational facilities, and real estate. If you’re seeking gently rolling meadows, country roads, estate sized properties with woods and ponds, and convenient access to local towns and amenities, Salem Township is definitely worthy of consideration.
Located in Washtenaw County, Salem Township is quite large at approximately 34 square miles, but the population is sparse at about 5,600. When searching for real estate, it can be a bit tricky as the area includes six different zip codes – two in Northville, and one each in Plymouth, Ann Arbor, Salem, and South Lyon. It also comprises four different school districts – South Lyon, Plymouth-Canton, Northville and Ann Arbor.
When I think of Salem Township, I always think of the horse farms! You can see the horses grazing in the meadows, and many of my friends have their kids in riding lessons in Salem Township. There are several horse farms, which specialize in different things and many offer boarding and riding lessons for children and adults. Here are links to a few of them: Aberdeen Farm, Constantine Farms, Great Escape Stables, Willowbrooke Farm.
The last time I had seen a yak was when my husband and I traveled to Tibet 13 years ago for an out-of-the-way kind of adventure trip. Tibet has many yaks grazing in the Himalayas, and yak meat is a common food used in a few different dishes, and the butter is used for yak butter tea. I digress…Anyway, you might imagine my surprise when I found that there is a yak farm right here in Salem Township! Michigan Yakkers, LLC, is the only yak meat producing farm in Michigan. Yak meat is more like grass-fed beef and has great flavor and health benefits. The yak farm is located at Currie Road, just South of Six Mile Road. They also have sheep and ducks and I believe they sell their yak meat to Hillers Markets and Karl’s Cabin Restaurant. You can find them on Facebook.
Look for Salem Township Part II coming soon!
The 2013 Plymouth Ice Festival is coming January 18th through 20th in Downtown Plymouth centered around Kellogg Park. You’ll be able to see amazing ice sculptures throughout downtown – plenty of fun for the whole family. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we’ll get some colder temps for the ice sculptors! For more information, go to www.plymouthicefestival.org.
The Ice Festival is one of several street festivals in Downtown Plymouth throughout the year. The area is very walkable with plenty of parks, shops, restaurants, and entertainment – along with plenty of parking. Plymouth also has beautiful residential tree-lined streets with lots of gorgeous historic homes making it one of the area’s prettiest small towns. If you want to learn more about buying or selling a home in Plymouth, please visit our official homepage at www.bobbake.com.
The Plymouth and Northville Real Estate markets have done better than most over the past several years. And now with the local Automotive industry recording robust profits and paying out bonuses, combined with a more diversified local economic base, the residential Real Estate market has further strengthened in value.
Newly listed properties are often selling quickly while some properties are even receiving multiple offers. As usual, the homes with best locations, amenities, and updates will not only appeal to the most people, but also sell for the highest prices in the least amount of time.
Why is the recovery in Real Estate prices happening? Low inventory and more buyers seems to be the answer or simply less supply and more demand. There just aren’t enough properties on the market to satisfy buyers who feel more financially secure or are moving to the area. Here’s how Plymouth and Northville active real estate listings in February compare to the same time last year.
There are clearly fewer homes available and we don’t see the trend changing appreciably in the near future. The mild Winter kept buying traffic strong through the winter months and now with the Spring selling season kicking off, inventory is likely to remain limited.
So have Real Estate values really increased? Many of you have seen your 2012 Tax assessment increase for the second year in a row. This is a direct result of rising home prices. Keep in mind that these Tax assessments are a ‘lagging indicator’ of your home’s value as the assessment period ended approximately 5 months prior to when you received your new assessment. Here’s the year over year change (increase) in Real Estate prices for the month of February:
What does this mean for Plymouth and Northville Real Estate buyers and sellers?
For Buyers: We recommend finding a local buyer’s agent who can identify new homes just listed or soon to be listed. You should also get a pre-approval letter from a lender. And then you should educated yourself about the local market by seeing houses as they come on the market. You may need to act quickly so the more you know now, the faster you’ll be able to make a decision when the right house does come along.
For Sellers: If you’ve delayed putting your home on the market, this may be the time to sell. While other areas of Southeast Michigan may not be as strong as ours and prices were lower a couple of years ago, things have definitely changed. It’s a good time to sell right now in Plymouth and Northville. Of course, you’ll want the advice and assistance of an experienced local REALTOR since selling a home in today’s market can be a complicated and time-consuming process.
If you are planning to buy or sell a home in the Plymouth or Northville area and would like a private consultation, please feel free to contact us to discuss your needs in confidence. We are specialists in the local area with the experience and knowledge to assist you throughout your home buying and selling process. You can reach me at 734-788-2398 or carrie@bobbake.com.
Formerly the Great Pumpkin Caper, Pumpkin Palooza is a great family Halloween Party event with games & contests in Kellogg Park, Candy Stations and Photo Cut-outs on each street and a ‘Haunted’ Alley in the alley from Fleet St. to Main St. For more information about this event and other, visit the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Website.
As we get closer to Halloween, more and more pumpkins along with other seasonal decorations are appearing on front porches and lawns all over town. This year, you might even win an award! The Wicked Halloween Run comes to Plymouth with a Home Decoration Contest. Homes in Plymouth located on the 10K or 5K race course routes are eligible for Halloween Decoration Contest with winners receiving a Recognition Award Sign and/or Gift Card. Winners are selected and notified on Wednesday, October 26th. So if you’re a runner and enjoy costuming up for Halloween, this is a great opportunity to have some fun. See the run website page under Race Info for more information: http://www.wickedhalloweenrun.com/
The American Association of University Women is holding their 2011 Northville and Novi Home Tour the weekend of September 24th, 2011. The self-guided tour includes 5 Northville area homes and costs $20.00 per person. The beautiful downtown Northville home pictured above is just one example of what you will see on this home tour. Tickets are available at: Gardenviews, Pear-aphernalia, Starring the Gallery, Northville Chamber of Commerce or at the house day of event. To charge tickets please call 734-420-0206.
For more information about this wonderful opportunity, click here.
