Royal Oak vs. Clawson? Young professional looking to buy (Troy: leasing, houses)

[248Resident]

Hi All,

I've been out of college and working for a year, and I'm currently leasing a small home in the Troy/Madison Heights area. After seeing how outrageous rents are pretty much everywhere in the surrounding area, I've saved up a down payment and decided to buy.

I'll probably be looking for a home in the $160-180K range, ideally a ranch/bungalow with a basement and 2 car garage. I've basically narrowed down my decision to Clawson or Royal Oak. I've spent a decent amount of time in both, and do enjoy the nightlife. Royal Oak has more going on but Clawson has more of the cheap/divey bars that I tend to enjoy. Additionally, for my price range I'll probably be in Northern Royal Oak rather than Downtown, which is close to Clawson anyway. Either way, it's a quick Uber to Downtown RO.

My main concern is twofold. First, I've heard that Clawson is more "family friendly" than RO. I'm potentially okay with this, but I'm curious if it would be a place that a 24-year-old single guy would enjoy living. Additionally, I'm curious about the resale prospects for both. Royal Oak is definitely more trendy and may be a safer bet, but Clawson seems to be a very stable and well-kept community that isn't going anywhere. Anyone have any thoughts on its future?

I can definitely get more for my money in Clawson and considering that Royal Oak is right next door, it doesn't seem like too much of a trade-off. Taxes are pretty high in both cities, I don't see too much of a difference there. Anyone have any perspective on what the better option would be in light of my circumstances?

[Geo-Aggie]

You'll get more in Clawson for your money, but schools aren't as good; However, if you don't have kids that's not a big deal. Royal Oak is more hip. Clawson has more families (read: stable). Also, I learned tonight that taxes in Clawson are going to run you about $1000 more per year than taxes on a similarly priced home in Royal Oak (~52 mill vs 42 mill). So while you can score a 900 square foot bungalow in RO for 170k, you may find an 1100 square foot ranch in Clawson for 170k, but your monthly payment will be $85 more per month due to taxes, so you you instead get an 1100 square foot ranch in Royal Oak for 180k but have the same monthly payment (obviously I'm just making up numbers here, but it's something to consider). Southeast Royal Oak (10-11 Mile and near Campbell) tends to be a bit cheaper too, probably in your price range. It's every-so-slightly less desirable than areas closer to Gardenia/Catalpa or closer to downtown, due to smaller houses and a moderate quality elementary school, but if you don't have a family that sounds like discount neighborhood and you'd be closer to downtown than if you lived off 13 Mile - plus overall it's still a pretty nice neighborhood.

Also, if this is your first house, consider home repairs. Clawson is newer (typically) and a newer home will likely need fewer repairs. I dunno man, I like both towns. I feel like you're trying to choose between Oberon or Summer Shandy - both are awesome, both are similar, and you're going to be happy either way if you pick a place that works for you and you love.

Also, don't count out Berkley, or even Ferndale if you want to go lower on your budget.

[JuliaMI]

I like Clawson personally and it probably doesn't really make a difference at your age either way since you aren't looking at schools. I wouldn't pay the premium for schools you aren't going to use anytime soon.

I'd go for Clawson or even Madison Heights or Berkley really.

[MI-Roger]

My son lives in Royal Oak and frequents Clawson as some of his favorite niche restaurants have Clawson addresses. Not sure either one is significantly different than the other. What is the dividing line between the two cities, 14 Mile Road?

[clawsondude]

Hi,

I'll give you my perspective as a Clawson resident. My now wife and I moved here ten years ago when I was 24 and she was 22. We've owned for 7 years.

We both really like it here. In some ways it has sort of a small town feel in the suburbs. We live in the northwest section of the city which is the best part in my opinion.

Nightlife is obviously not what Royal Oak is, but I've certainly seen the downtown area grow over the last decade. Development is ongoing and I expect this will continue. Every time I tell someone I live in Clawson it seems they mention going out to the bars here, or that they eat sushi from Noble Fish etc.

My neighborhood is a mix of older people who have lived here most of their adult lives and young families like us. I have noticed a lot more kids in our neighborhood (including ours) since we moved here. I don't know if the pppulation of children is actually growing or not. Schools do concern me somewhat, but they aren't terrible, just sort of average. I have heard school of choice had created some issues.

Taxes are a bit high but we do have good city services. It is very rare that's I wake up for work the morning after snowfall to find my street uncleared. The park is well maintained, the police regularly patrol, and I see street sweepers out pretty often. One morning I emailed the city to mention a pothole that had developed on my street; it was patched by the time I was driving home from work.

There are definitely more exciting or upscale places to live in the area. If you like a quiet well taken care of neighborhood with generally friendly people Clawson may be for you.

Edited to add:As I mentioned we were about your age when we moved here. As you mentioned Royal Oak is close so we used to go there often. Also used to spend time at the Clawson bars. We always had a good time. Nowadays we don't get out much because of our young kids.

[clawsondude]

Interestingly this story just came across my newsfeed today. It's about downtown Clawson's resurgence. How Clawson is making a quiet comeback with food, retail and a nod to history