Real estate values in the City of Northville continue to climb in 2014 with strong demand and limited supply – especially in the under $500,000 price range. Average sales prices are up and approaching pre-recession highs. Desirable homes with good locations often sell in days with multiple offers – and oftentimes over asking price. Over the summer, there have been more homes coming on the market providing buyers with a few more options (and more leverage).
The City of Plymouth real estate market continues to see strong demand, limited supply, and consequently – steadily rising prices. Average sales prices are up again this year and have surpassed pre-recession highs with the market recovering just as quickly as it collapsed. Desirable homes with good locations often sell in days with multiple offers and oftentimes, over asking price. If you live in the City, I’m sure you’ve heard your friends and neighbors talk about the this or that house which sold instantly with multiple offers. Another interesting change in the market is the increase in the number of cash offers we are seeing. These might be well-heeled buyers downsizing from a larger home in the Township, or a buyer obtaining seller financing from a cash purchaser. If you are trying to buy in Plymouth, it’s not easy to say the least but the good news is that more homes continue to come on the market as sellers see what they can sell for.
The 2014 edition of Art in the Park is coming this weekend to downtown Plymouth. Summer is here and Art in the Park is one of Plymouth’s main attractions as the downtown transforms itself into a pedestrian friendly shopping smorgasbord. As usual, there will be plenty to see, do, and buy as long as the weather co-operates. One of the great things about Plymouth is how walkable the City is – not just the downtown. We see many visitors park in the neighborhoods and walk downtown to the fair. There are even plenty of garage sales timed to coincide with this event for extreme shopping nirvana. For more information about Art in the Park, you can visit their website at www.artinthepark.com.
We are also planning to hold an open house on Sunday, July 13th between 1-3pm at our listing at 1628 Gloucester in the City of Plymouth. This charming Ranch home is within walking distance to downtown and offers convenient single floor living within a modestly scaled home in a quiet neighborhood. For more information about this adorable brick Ranch, go to http://www.bobbake.com.
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.
We are pleased to announce that one of our clients just leased a beautifully appointed 1 bedroom condo in Daisy Lofts, located in Downtown Plymouth Michigan on the site of the former Daisy Air Rifle factory. This dramatically decorated unit was fully furnished with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, balcony and underground parking. Located within easy walking distance to downtown shops, restaurants, and events, Daisy Lofts are an excellent choice for someone who wants to be close to a thriving small town city center with the style and feel of a loft condo.
To see more homes for sale in Plymouth or Northville, please visit our homepage at www.bobbake.com. You can also call us at 734-453-8080 if you’d like to learn more about loft leasing options in Downtown Plymouth.
The rapidly evolving Plymouth restaurant landscape changes once again with Extreme Pizza taking over the premises of Simple Sandwich on Forest Ave. Founded in San Francisco and spreading across the country, Extreme Pizza is known for convenience and ‘cool’, a sophisticated online and mobile ordering system, exotic ingredients, and a freestyle extreme sports theme. We’ll miss Simple Sandwich with its Northern Michigan theme, quality ingredients, and friendly atmosphere. From simple to extreme…
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Loaded onto a flatbed truck this morning, Plymouth’s Kellogg Park snowman was hauled away – another sign that winter is over at last!
The Beacon Hill Neighborhood of Plymouth
Forever one of Plymouth’s most desired and sought after neighborhoods is Beacon Hill, sometimes referred to as “Beacon Estates”. There are 173 homes in total, mostly Ranch and Colonial styles that range in size from 2,000-4,500 square feet. While you’ll see a lot of brick exteriors, you’ll notice that no two homes look quite alike. The bulk of the neighborhood was built during the 1960s and 1970s with construction continuing up until 1991.
A Number of homes in the neighborhood are placed on cul-de-sacs and all have mature trees. All of the Courts and Circles in Beacon Hill provide some privacy from home to home and yard to yard. This location is valued for its easy accessibility to town and both Middle School West and Bird Elementary. Beacon Hill is nestled up against Plymouth’s Township Park on the west.
Beacon Hill was the creation of Loren W. Gould, a highly respected man with a likeable personality who dominated the building landscape in Plymouth during the 2nd half of the 20th century. Now deceased, but born and raised in Plymouth, he was the consummate entrepreneur of his day with gifted instincts and risk-taking boldness. The first section of Beacon Hill was a 24-lot section running south off N. Territorial with a 1-acre minimum size featuring sewer & water. This, in the early 1960’s, was a high-risk speculative venture fueled by 2 or 3 Plymouth citizens who, along with Mr. Gould, climbed the economic ladder and wanted to enjoy larger custom built homes with private settings. Many of the original buyers were City of Plymouth long-time residents who, in their 50’s, desired amenities that couldn’t be added to their older homes. This was the transformational in the mid 1960’s and it took at least 10 years to build out the first phase.
All of this pre-dated the creation of the M-14 expressway and Beck Road was still unpaved. No subdivisions existed West of Sheldon Road except for “Old Woodlore” on the Southeast corner of Beck and Ann Arbor roads. Mr. & Mrs. Gould’s home at 12500 Beacon Hill Drive was featured on the front page of the Detroit Free Press when, at that time, a 2250 square foot home was considered large. In the 70’s and 80’s there were new phases to Beacon Hill as larger parcels made available by aging owners provided access to Ann Arbor Trail and the cache of the Beacon Hill name became an important moniker for the marketing of these later phases. Bob Bake says “I remember clearly in the early 80’s when interest rates were in the mid to high teens, Mr. Gould told me he had borrowed from National Bank of Detroit a million dollars for the development of the larger and final plats. This was when a million dollars was very serious money. His carrying costs of that loan would have created serious problems if the sale of the lots to 3 builders had not occurred.”
Wander North, South, East or West to find entertainment, shopping, dining and events in Downtown Northville, Downtown Plymouth, Ann Arbor and Canton’s Cherry Hill Village (and theatre). Walk to downtown Plymouth down either Ann Arbor Trail or North Territorial and enjoy festivities and fun for all ages. Canton’s Village Theatre is always showcasing local talents. The proximity to these towns and central location between Ann Arbor and Detroit is another reason Beacon Hill is so popular.
Accordingly, the homes of Beacon Hill sell for premium prices. In July 2013 a 4 Bedroom, 4 ½ Bath Ranch in the 1st phase sold for the highest price recorded in the last few years in the neighborhood – $562,000! This home featured spacious rooms, main floor master bedroom, finished basement, wine cellar, expansive deck, wooded & private rear yard and an in-ground pool. The following homes sold in the past year in Beacon Estates:
Beacon Hill is in the Plymouth-Canton school district and individual school rankings are accessible by clicking here. Children from this particular neighborhood may attend Bird Elementary and West Middle Schools, which are both on Sheldon Road and within walking distance. All students in Plymouth-Canton’s district will go on to PCEP (Plymouth Canton Educational Park). The Park is comprised of all three high schools for the district and a lottery decides whether your child will go to Canton, Salem or Plymouth high school. There are many private and charter school in the area for you to select from.
The Bake Real Estate Group has worked with countless homeowners, both buyers and sellers, in Beacon Hill. In fact, we just recently connected with original owners on 12305 Beacon Hill Drive to sell their home. It’s currently under contract at a list price of $419,900 and you can get more information on this home and see the virtual tour by visiting our team’s website. Some other homes we’ve had the pleasure of working with include:
For more insights on homes in Beacon Hill or the surrounding area, please contact the Bake Real Estate Group. If you have a home to sell in Beacon Estates and would like a private consultation, please feel free to contact us to discuss your goals or concerns in confidence. We are specialists in the local area with the experience and knowledge to assist you throughout your home buying and selling process.
– Stephanie Brown and Bob Bake
A downtown Plymouth landmark, Doyle’s on Fralick is now the new Stella’s Black Dog Tavern. And that’s just one of the many changes happening right now in the City. The old Grecian Cafe at 413 N. Main is moving dramatically upscale re-opening soon as Aqua. Panache on Forest is now the Bamboo and the closed Rock Bar on Penniman has become the latest location for The Post Local Bistro. So the restaurant scene in Plymouth continues to show vitality as new and current business owners are investing in upgraded facilities, updated menus, and new branding. This kind of turnover is healthy in an industry that is constantly changing in order to attract and keep existing and new customers happy. The City of Plymouth continues to draw people from all over the metro Detroit area and around the country as people re-locate to Michigan for jobs. After a very long and cold winter here, these businesses are all well-timed to take advantage of the coming Spring season.
Plymouth’s Trailwood Neighborhood:
The second largest community in Plymouth is the neighborhood of Trailwood, comprised of 26 streets and 561 homes. When you travel through Trailwood, you’ll see timeless Colonials, Ranches and Split-Level homes ranging in size from 1,700 square feet up to 2,900 square feet. Residents of Trailwood enjoy mature trees on almost all lots, sidewalks throughout the entire subdivision and close proximity to downtown Plymouth. There are 20 acres of wooded commons area in 3 separate private parks for residents to enjoy. Trailwood is nestled between Ann Arbor Rd and Ann Arbor Trail just west of Sheldon Rd., with easy access to the amenities in the Downtown area, as well as walkability to the elementary and middle schools, and Red Bell Nursery/Daycare, which has been a fixture for Plymouth kids since the 1960’s (our associate Carrie, attended Red Bell and so did her son, Oscar).
Trailwood homes are to me, one of the best values in Plymouth. For buyers that want amenities such as an attached garage, a basement and often, a main floor laundry/mud room, as well as a nice-sized yard close to town, this neighborhood cannot be beat at today’s prices. It’s the “not-so-big house” that has regained favor in recent years with homeowners searching for simplicity and more efficient energy costs.
In the 1970s, when the neighborhood was being formed, the Trailwood Garden Club was established. It used to be a private club only open to residents of Trailwood and has now expanded to include anyone who’s interested. Every June for the past 18 years, the club has been doing a “Garden Walk”, which offers a tour of the lush and well-maintained gardens of the neighborhood and surrounding areas within Plymouth.
The interest in this particular subdivision has remained steady since construction began in 1971. Recent sales history has continued to be promising with the neighborhood’s 2013 average sales price being just above $292,000. The highest sale price currently recorded was in 2004 for a 4 bedroom colonial, which went for $375,000. In 2013 the highest sale price was $330,000.
Downtown Plymouth is one of Southeast Michigan’s most popular city centers and attracts people of all ages. There are festivities and events going on year-round and there’s plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment. Just a short distance along Ann Arbor Trail from “DTP”, Trailwood is close enough to walk, bike or drive into town. There are 2 elementary schools the neighborhood currently feeds to – Bird and Smith, both walking distance. Kids can move on to West Middle School, and eventually attend PCEP, Plymouth and Canton’s 3-high school campus. Of course there are also plenty of outstanding private schools in the area!
The Trailwood association’s website at www.trailwoodhomeowners.org, where you can view maps of the shared green spaces. On this site is also information regarding bylaws for the residents, homeowners’ meetings and much more pertaining to the community.
Since Trailwood was founded in the 1970’s, the Bake Real Estate Group has enjoyed selling dozens, if not hundreds, of homes in Trailwood. Our group’s most recent sale in Trailwood was to a relocating family who purchased 10029 Canton Center Road in 2013. In addition to that one, we have also sold these homes over the years:
For more information on homes in the neighborhood of Trailwood or the surrounding area, please contact the Bake Real Estate Group. If you have a home to sell or lease in Trailwood 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.
Trailwood sales in the last 4 months:
– Stephanie Brown, REALTOR
Ridgewood Hills, Plymouth Township:
One of the largest and most sought-after neighborhoods in Plymouth Township is Ridgewood Hills. Bounded by the East side of Ridge Rd. between Ann Arbor Rd. and Powell sits this well-established subdivision containing almost 400 homes, all varying in style and size. The styles you’ll see as you drive down the streets of Ridgewood Hills are classic Colonials, refined Cape Cods (1st Floor Master bedrooms), and spacious, single floor Ranches all on generous lots surrounded by mature trees. Popular features include sizable bedrooms, finished lower levels, rear yard deck spaces, cathedral ceilings, and formal dining & living spaces.
Back in the 1940’s before Ridgewood Hills Subdivision existed, the land was host to the Brinks Family Farm. The Farm was actually a heavily wooded expanse of land. The lots on Hillcrest Court West and Harvest Court sold for premium prices due to the fact that trees were removed sparingly for the construction of the homes we see today. Much of what’s left of the original farm and it’s woods still exist in the 6 common park areas that are available to all residents of Ridgewood Hills.
The demand for this neighborhood has been consistent. In fact, the highest sale price in Ridgewood Hills was a 4 bedroom, magnificently updated colonial for $412,000! It sold in November 2012 just before the market sprang back to life in Plymouth Township. In 2013, the average selling price in the neighborhood was just over $340,000. The first homes were built in 1978 and growth continued until the last went up in 1989.
Oh, the places you’ll go! With downtown Plymouth, Northville and Ann Arbor being just minutes down the road, the residents of Ridgewood Hills are always close to shopping, dining, and entertainment. Many people are drawn to Ridgewood Hills for this reason. There is plenty of space to play or walk the dog in the 6 vast parks throughout the neighborhood and even opportunities for side jobs that can be posted on the association website. Elementary-age kids going to public school will attend Bird Elementary and move on to West Middle School. The Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, or PCEP, is comprised of all 3 public high schools for the area and the school your child attends is based on a lottery. Of course there are also plenty of outstanding private schools in the area!
The neighborhood association also has an excellent website dedicated to the community and residents. If you’re looking for someone to cut your grass or shovel your snow, see the “RH Kids for Hire” tab for bios and contact info. Ordinance guidelines and common oversights are also provided as well as recommended contractors. Need to know about upcoming events or an update on a road assessment? You can find it all on the website. The link to the Ridgewood Homeowner’s Association is www.ridgewoodhills.org.
In the last 5 years, the Bake Real Estate Group has sold the following homes in the neighborhood:
For more information on homes in the Ridgewood Hills subdivision or the surrounding area, please contact the Bake Real Estate Group. If you have a home to sell in Ridgewood Hills 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.
As you can see, this neighborhood is one to watch!
Ridgewood Hills Sales in the last 4 months:
