Detroit Creates eBay for Abandoned Houses

http://www.frontpagemag.com ^ | april 19, 2014 | daniel greenfield

[lowbridge]

“Have you ever thought you’d see the mayor and council working together?,” says the voice on a Detroit radio ad.

No, we didn’t. But this ad, set to hit Detroit radio airwaves April 21st features both Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council President Brenda Jones.

The ad showcases the website buildingdetroit.org which features 12 city-owned properties in East English Village, each home waiting for an owner as long as they are willing to rehab the property and move in.

Mike Duggan: NOT REALLY. THIS IS MIKE DUGGAN AND IT IS A NEW DAY IN DETROIT. INSTEAD OF JUST KNOCKING DOWN OUR VACANT HOMES, WE’RE SAVING THE BEST. DETROIT LAND BANK IS SELLING THEM TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN DETROIT’S FUTURE AND OUR WEBSITE BUILDINGDETROIT.ORG

[wonkowasright]

” as long as they are willing to rehab the property and move in..... “

Which is the reason they have no buyers to start with. No one wants to live there.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Yep, how many of you want to go live in Detroit, even if you can get a house for some bargain price?????

[Darksheare]

I bid 1/1,000,000th of a [soviet equivalent to] a penny!
Who here will raise it to 1/999,999th?

[cripplecreek]

Some of these are actually pretty nice in outward appearance.

http://buildingdetroit.org/Home

[Antihero101607]

Driving on I75 a person can see a lot of potential fixer uppers in neighborhoods I wouldn’t live in unless I was was sharing the area with no less than 20 similar minded, well armed families. Shame. Some of the houses and buildings must have looked really nice about 40-50 years ago.

Clear out the vagrants, druggies, etc. Strip the abandoned houses of anything useful (I know copper wiring and pipes will likely have been stripped out, and tear them down. Fill the plots with grass or gravel. Less to fall to arson on Devil’s Night, and less places for scum to inhabit.

[wonkowasright]

And that course of action has been what Detroits been doing for a while. Its stunning to see some of the large areas that have been returned to vacant lots. It blew me away when I saw it.

[Moonman62]

Did they consider putting deeds in Crackerjack boxes?

[Antihero101607]

“And that course of action has been what Detroits been doing for a while”

Now that I think of it I have seen some lots sprout up around the Fort and Schafer area near the refinery and the Rouge plant. I will admit I don’t get back to Michigan that often nowadays, and even then not for very long.

[MDspinboyredux]

Maybe you’re on to something. “Group buy” neighborhoods and the city gives those owners wide latitude in rehabilitating the neighborhood.

Hmm...

[driftdiver]

I went and looked at a nicer one, they are asking $1000.

from the website “A 3 bedroom and 1.5 bath Tudor-style home. This one-of-a-kind house is spacious too, with 1,600 square feet. Property is missing furnace and water heater. Windows need replacement, but the roof is good.”

So they want you to pay money for a house you can’t live in, which is in a city you can’t live in, for a job they don’t have. The good news if you move there you’ll probably get murdered and the lack of a furnace or water heater just won’t matter all that much.

[jpsb]

Yes very nice and the price is right, but what are the property taxes? And what are the gun laws?

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Some of these are actually pretty nice in outward appearance.”

I’d love to have one of those Tudor style homes,,,,,,,but in my small township in Ohio!

[wonkowasright]

https://www.theblightauthority.com/

and

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/blog/2013/02/15/ariel-view-demolition-levels-10-block-area-of-east-side-clears-way-for-progress/

[goldstategop]

The most expensive upgrade would be the kitchen and the bathrooms - which are usually the really expensive rooms in the house. But if you have the money, you can turn a fixer-upper into your dream home.

Heck, the Property Brothers do it on their HGTV show. As Drew Scott always says, if you buy it turn key, it can cost you an arm and a leg. Upgrading run down property in conrast, puts equity in your pocket and a renovated fixer upper is always more than when you bought it.

[cripplecreek]

Detroit is open carry stand your ground. Taxes are high compared to the rest of the state but low compared to someplace like NY.

My neighbor's grandson transferred to Detroit from NY a bit over a year ago and he likes it. He said it was like tripling his wages overnight. He bought a house for 60 grand that he couldn't look at for less than a quarter million in the NY area. Lots of his coworkers are landing in the same neighborhood and have cleaned it up pretty good. Quicken is even paying for private security to back up Detroit police in the neighborhood where some 1200 of their employees live.

Fatal self-defense shootings running high in Detroit

The police chief has basically said to fire at will if you're truly feeling threatened.

[cripplecreek]

I live in a town of less than 150 people so Urban living isn’t my thing but I sure wouldn’t mind having one of those brick houses here.

[xp38]

They are based in Toronto and that is where those fixer uppers happen. A whole different kettle of wax compared to motown even though they are not far apart geographically they are light years apart in uh atmosphere.

[JRandomFreeper]

wide latitude in rehabilitating the neighborhood.

.50 BMG kind of latitude?

/johnny

[catnipman]

“Did they consider putting deeds in Crackerjack boxes?”

Or gas stations could award “deed-points” with the purchase of every gallon, and after a few fill-ups, you could trade them in for an actual deed on your abandoned property of choice.