Areas to avoid in SE michigan? (Detroit, Livonia: real estate, property taxes, housing)

[jgmarie]

I would 2nd Farmington, also you may now find something small in Liviona for under 200k. Or you may want to look out toward Wixom (but, depending on where the job is, the drive can be tough).

[michiganirish]

The City of Farmington is nice! It sits entirely within Farmington Hills but is its own city. It has a downtown with stores, a few resturants, a movie theater and a great pub (Starbucks too.) You can get a small ranch house for around $175K.

Stay out of Farmington, it looks nice but the city is taking a down turn. In fact I own a business there and it has taken such a dive in the last year that we are closing in June.

Try South Lyon, it is a little further but it is more "small town". And at the moment you should be able to negotiate the housing price. Also as it is located in Livingston Co. the property taxes are lower. Oakland Co has some of the highest taxes in the SE Michigan Area.

[mhogan10010]

My oldest sister and her Husbane, and her daughter and her Husband and three kids all moved to Farmington about 4 years ago. We all grew up in the Western suburbs. Farmington is really safe, clean and good schools.
If I had to move back to Michigan, I would consider Farmington area, second only to Ann Arbor.

[CoffeeAddict]

I grew up in Southfield and I won't go near it now. Stay far away.

Farmington hills, West bloomfield, and Novi are very nice communities, and all very close to each other. But it'll be hard to find a nice house under 250k. Home prices are high in the neighborhoods where people actually want to live. You're treading on upper middle class and high class areas here. It's not uncommon to find million dollar homes in these areas.

Farmington (different from farmington hills) is probably more your price range. It bleeds into F. Hills but the home prices seem to be lower. It's more middle class from what I've seen but still decent and you don't have to worry about being mugged.

South Lyon, Brighton, Howell, are also nice cities. They have more of a small town feel but are pretty close to the bigger cities with easy freeway access. But again, the home prices are around the 200-300k range there unless you tread farther out into the country or settle for a small 2 bedroom ranch built in the fifties. Newer complexes with expensive houses are popping up all over and it won't be long before they start to rival Novi and Farmington Hills. In short, the folks with money are coming here too and they like their houses big.

Ann Arbor would be my pick but that might be too far away from Farmington for you, plus again, you've got the home price issue. They aren't cheap there either.

Plymouth is turning into a nice town and I think you should be able to find a reasonably priced house there. Not too far from F. Hills either. I haven't been down there in a few years though so who knows, I could be wrong.

Good luck, and if you want my honest opinon. Don't move here. The houses are too expensive, and it's too damn cold. Plus our enconomy sucks.

[burntstore]

Plymouth and Plymouth Township are very nice. So are Northville and Northville Township. And they are close to Farminton Hills.

[angelina1982]

i wonder if any part of lansing pretty good place to live or buy and how are the schools?

[Paula Wunder]

Originally Posted by 19hsm

So does anyone have any other suggestion of where to look?

I am moving to Royal Oak. I bought high last July but $30,000 less than the asking price. It is a charming little cottage. In some ways it reminds me of Georgetown. Close to Detroit which has some good things going on.
I think what Michigan needs is less complaints and more action from the people that live there. Once the Unions are out of there, the place might have a chance. I heard that there is BIG mis-management of money in Detroit. What are people doing about the economy? What do you think should be done to attrack new comers. I think MI is beautiful. The taxes are high and about the same as Northern VA.

[RedWingsFan]

Originally Posted by Paula Wunder

I think what Michigan needs is less complaints and more action from the people that live there. Once the Unions are out of there, the place might have a chance. I heard that there is BIG mis-management of money in Detroit. What are people doing about the economy? What do you think should be done to attrack new comers. I think MI is beautiful. The taxes are high and about the same as Northern VA.

I agree with you about the unions.

On another note... Michigan missed it's big chance to do something to turn that place around. They should have not voted for Granholm again. Yet they did... so I guess they will continue to get what they signed up for. They should have given her the boot when they had the chance.

[Paula Wunder]

I have been to Pontiac. I would think twice before going up there

[Paula Wunder]

I have done a little traveling around the neighborhood all that everyone has mentioned. Somebody has money. Every where I went there are new homes being built. Bloomfield has tons old and new. I have seen some beautiful home in Detroit that I would have loved to have had and would have bought if I would about 30 years younger. Very inexpensive and very beautiful. Old and charming, lots of detail. All you need is a acouple of develpers to come in buy it up and build expensive condos. They have torn down the slums in DC and big bucks. You would be surprised how the money surfaces when you put in these things. I don't know where the slumlords went but it is big time now.