[stock66]

Mack is the border street to Detroit which makes the proximity to the city undesirable to some. The same things could be said of Pemberton, Barrington, or Wayburn. Some people only consider the first few blocks off Cadieux acceptable (Bishop, Grayton, Harvard) others will tell you those are not good streets because they have smaller lots. It is pretty crazy but it seems everyone from the area has an opinion and often those opinions are different.
Michigan has high property taxes and the Pointes are higher than most. For that you are getting city services, better schools and private city parks that most people could only dream of. Here are current city tax rolls for the winter and summer for the Park. You can look up an address and see what the break down is:
www.grossepointepark.org (broken link)/PDF/GPP-SROLLS07.pdf
www.grossepointepark.org (broken link)/PDF/GPP-WROLLS06.pdf
I don't know what the current ratio of taxable value to SEV is but any decent local Realtor should be able to give that info.
Also I would see if the area south of Jefferson is still considered a flood plain. It NEVER floods but flood insurance can be a killer.

[movingtoSEMi]

So, are the swimming, tennis, fitness/gym portions of the parks included in these taxes...or do you pay extra for those as well? And, what is considered a small lot? I grew up on a few acres - and I am currently living on .15 of an acre (however, a gorgeous view of spectacular mountains!). So, what is considered a small lot?

Thank you for taking the time to post!

[stock66]

About 115' deep is considered small for that area. 160'-175' is more typical until you get down to the "cabbage patch."

[princessemichigan]

Originally Posted by movingtoSEMi

thank you so much for all your posts! Although, I will be taking some of them with grain a of salt. We are taking a trip in the next few weeks to just scout out the area soon & we will feel the area out. We have looked at homes on Barrington & Pemberton - so, it was nice to see a post about those 2 streets in particular. However, I also found one on corner of Jefferson/Yorkshire that was in our price range only to find out that the taxes were over $20k ... what is that all about?! It was on a double lot so I figured that was the reason...wow.

princessemichigan - so sorry to hear that you wouldnt consider going back. however, I, too would not go back to where I grew up (Annapolis, MD) either...those feelings you get while so young/impressionable are hard to shake. We are going to be living in the southeast Michigan area...where would you want to raise your children & why?

And, in regards to the 1400 block off of Mack - why is that? Is Mack a busy, icky road? I have never even been to Michigan so I am clueless & am certain once I visit - I will be much easier! Again - thank you all for helping me with this huge decision!

I currently live in Canton, Southeast, Mi. I love Canton and my children do also, although my children attend private school, I've heard the public schools here are wonderful. I would love to live in Northville or Novi, but they are right next to me so I can shop and eat at non chain restaurants. We will be relocating soon, if my DH doesn't find another job here.

BTW, I grew up on Pemberton, we moved on 3 Mile Drive when I was about 15. Despite the problems I had in the schools, I really miss the neighborhood and visit often as I have a lot of friends that still live there. I really miss the beautiful parks.

[Tholm]

We live in GP Park and love it. We just bought another house there (actually the house at Yorkshire & Jefferson that you looked at!). Our current house is below Jefferson near Windmill Pointe Park (it's for sale and is a great house!). I have two young children and I have never worried about their safety. We walk and ride our bikes everywhere - another great benefit to living in GP. In answer to your question about the parks - GP Park has two residents only parks. There is no extra fee to visit them. They offer swimming, tennis, playgrounds, splash pad, marina, community center, movie theater, ice skating, picnic areas, and a beautiful view of Lake St. Clair. The only thing you have to pay extra for is to join the gym. It is reasonable priced compared to other options, and where else can you work out and look out to a gorgeous view of the water!

[movingtoSEMi]

Tholm -

Thank you for your message! We are heading out this week & working with a realtor (from CB Sweitzer) to show us the area. We have seen some great homes online & you just never know what they will be like for real.

I would love to hear more about your home for sale - you can pm me (should be able to click on my screen name & send from there). The house you bought looks gorgeous from what I can see. The main thing that caught my eye was the bedrooms/bath over garage (for my in-laws!) My husband & I are purchasing our home based solely on his income which means we MUST take those taxes into consideration! However, both my girls will start kindergarten in the next year so, I will be able to start working and have add'l disposable income.

Thanks again for all who have post - those who actually live in the GP area have been very kind and helpful!

[Coldjensens]

We are old house/old community buffs as well. After restoring an 1893 house in Santa Ana CA we decided to move back to MI. For business and family reasons we must remain in the metro Detroit area. We did a lot of research on locations.

If you can be located in the middle of nowhere and like fishing or bowling, Marshall Michigan is probably the best choice. Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo also offer lots of historic properties and good schools in the right areas. Ann Arbor is one of the best cities anywhere with lots of historic properties, but it is expensive and it is a city (busy and noisy).

In the suburban Detroit area, consider the Pointes, some Detroit neighborhoods (if your kids are smart enough to get into the better schools like Renaissance High), Birmingham has a nice downtown, but it is mostly surrounded by subdivisions of McMansions and it seemed a bit pretentious for our tastes. We like a lot of people who live in that area, but it was not a place where we felt we would fit in well.

We looked at the Pointes very closely. Their schools are absolutely fantastic and the historic housing stock is very appealing although somewhat limited. We decided against that location due to the comparatively high price of homes (especially in sight of the water), and the atmosphere (a bit too urban and a bit too ritzy for our tastes). One thing about the Pointes is that you are surrounded by some very bad areas of Detroit. That did not bother us however as we were considering homes in downtown Detroit as well.

We eventually narrowed our choices down to Plymouth and Grosse Ile. Plymouth is awesome, clean, nicely located and very historic and quaint. It is located near Ann Arbor, and not too far from Detroit and metro airport. Plymouth has excellent schools, but their high schools are very large, more like a college campus. It is a cute historic town and the residents appreciate the history. We elected against Plymouth because we had already lived in a city and wanted to get away from small lots and a semi-urban environment. We were looking for a larger property and a rural or semi-rural environment.

We chose Grosse Ile. Grosse Ile has awesome schools and lots of history/historic homes. The schools are very small and somewhat old fashioned. The high school has around 700 kids in all four grades. The middle school is the gem of the system, but both elementary schools are very good as well. Almost everyone attends the high school football games and cheers madly despite the fact that we always seem to lose (by a lot). Crime is negligible. The cops are bored. The community is close knit and friendly with lots of community events. The town (more like a shopping/business district on a single street) is homey, but not much of it is old. Still, it has vestiges of Mayberry. Most of the businesses are independently owned and very friendly. A considerable number of residents meet every morning at the local bakery and discuss - anything. The members of the group change through the morning. There is a very nice independent grocery store (as well as Krogers) and a fabulous independent hardware where everyone is friendly and helpful. We have been there two years and I cannot go to any store or restaurant without meeting someone that I know. Best of all Grosse Ile is an island (actually about 14 islands). If you do not have a boat, you will know people who do. The island is heavily wooded and has a lot of open space. Despite a fairly significant population, deer, hawks, foxes, rabbits, coyotes, waterfowl, (swans geese ducks) smaller woodland birds, and occasionally eagles abound. The community has some nice amenities. The township has a sledding hill, a farm, a country club (golf and swimming at extremely affordable rates), several soccer fields and about 700 acres of open space. There is also a nature conservancy, a small hobbiest airport, a tennis club, an Alpaca farm, four golf clubs and three yacht clubs. Housing prices run from HUD homes up to old and new mansions in the tens of millions with everything in between. The architecture is a wonderful mix of very old (early 1800s), Victorian, Arts movement and modern. Nothing is selling and there are some amazing bargains to be found, even waterfront homes are affordable right now. Basically there is something for everyone. On the down side, Grosse Ile is a little bit secluded (hard to convince people to come visit) and has limited shopping and entertainment options on the island. Property taxes are significant, but not as high as some comparable places. A large portion of the population is over the age of 60 and significant numbers leave for Florida in the winter (some people might see this as a negative).

[happypointer]

Regarding neighborhoods to avoid.... I lived south of Jefferson for 8 years in the 'coveted' Windmill Pointe subdivision. That was a great area. Due to a divorce, my now ex and I sold our house and I wanted to stay in the Pointe's so my son could finish high school. I looked in the Park, the City and Farms. The Shores were too expensive and the Woods mean North high school. I ended up in the 1300 block of houses in the Park and have found my new neighborhood to be wonderful. The neighbors are friendly, there are plenty of kids, everyone keeps their houses up, and the services are exactly like they were in my old neighborhood.

If you are looking to buy, there are more renters on Maryland, Somerset, Beaconsfield, & Lakepointe north of Jefferson. South of Jefferson avoid Nottingham and the other rental streets.

In the city you may want to steer clear of Neff and St. Clair & Notre Dame up near Kercheval - too busy.

I wouldn't live in the Woods anywhere, especially because North is having a lot more problems then South high school and their scores are lower.

You can't go wrong anywhere in the Shores or Farms.

A competent real estate agent should be able to make sure you find the right house and neighborhood. Make sure you work with Grosse Pointe agent if you are shopping in the Pointes.

[happypointer]

Originally Posted by stock66

Mack is the border street to Detroit which makes the proximity to the city undesirable to some. The same things could be said of Pemberton, Barrington, or Wayburn. Some people only consider the first few blocks off Cadieux acceptable (Bishop, Grayton, Harvard) others will tell you those are not good streets because they have smaller lots. It is pretty crazy but it seems everyone from the area has an opinion and often those opinions are different.
Michigan has high property taxes and the Pointes are higher than most. For that you are getting city services, better schools and private city parks that most people could only dream of. Here are current city tax rolls for the winter and summer for the Park. You can look up an address and see what the break down is:
www.grossepointepark.org/PDF/GPP-SROLLS07.pdf
www.grossepointepark.org/PDF/GPP-WROLLS06.pdf
I don't know what the current ratio of taxable value to SEV is but any decent local Realtor should be able to give that info.
Also I would see if the area south of Jefferson is still considered a flood plain. It NEVER floods but flood insurance can be a killer.

The area south of Jefferson is not a flood plain - that designation was removed about 7 years ago when the city put in all new sewers. We were able to cancel our flood insurance.

[movingtoSEMi]

Thank you for your help - happy pointer! We are slowly narrowing down our choices of possible homes. We have been once to GP (of course, it snowed a ton while we were there & had a difficult time seeing!). We will be going again to (hopefully) make an offer on a home. We are selling our home right now & taking a huge hit. But, b/c of that...we do plan on (or hoping) to buy a home for a lot less (and someone else will be taking a huge hit like us). Most of the homes we are really liking are in in Windmill Pointe. There are so many homes that I have fallen in love with & have only come to find out that the home only has 1 full bathroom - ugh!

I was hoping to send a private message to you happy pointer but it says it wont let me ...if you get back to reading this & have an opportunity (and want to help) - can you click to email me?

Thanks again for all those who are being so helpful!