Grand Rapids MI ~ Watermark Residences Market Report ~ January 2009

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

The Residences at Watermark are located on Watermark

Golf Course just south of Cascade Road. If you don’t like golf,

get defensive when a stray golf ball rolls into your “yard” you probably

would be better off not buying a home or condoat Watermark.

Of course you would be missing out on thebest golf course in

Grand Rapids (no prejudice here, just the facts, folks)

Yes, I play Watermark golf course every chance I get.

Watermark is a premier course with a friendly group of players.

We have anexcellent grounds staff and a great pro shop staff.

Watermark single family homes and condos make this

a very attractiveplace to live. Quality built homes with access

off Cascade Road andSpaulding Drive, you are close to the

airport, 28th Street shopping,I96 expressway and close to

Cascade, Ada, and Forest Hillsschools and shopping areas.

Watermark Residences

January 2009 Real Estate Market Report

For Sale: 7

7 active Watermark Homes currently on the market.

Watermark Homes current active price: $ 809,743

Watermark Homes current price/sq ft is $ 240.39

Watermark Homes average days on market : 109

Sold: 7

There have been 7 Watermark Sold Homes since Jan ’08.

Watermark Sold Homes average price: $ 500,333.

Watermark Sold Homes average price/sq ft: $191.68.

Watermark Sold Homes average days on market: 71

Pending: 1

Expired: 17

Average expired price: $538,047

Average expired price/sqft: $210.49

At the current rate of sales, we have a 12 month supply of homes on

the market at the Watermark Residences. Until active prices start to

align with sold prices, we don’t expect to see much activity in this area.

If you would like further information about Watermark,Cascade

or Forest Hills Homes, please contact me directly.

Watermark Residences December 2008 Market Report

Watermark Residences November 2008 Market Report

Watermark Residences October 2008 Market Report

Watermark Residences September 2008 Market Report

Watermark Country Club ~ Pool Time

Grand Rapids Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

photo of Watermark Residences Entrance by Bonnie Westbrook

Opportunity Knocks for Film Set Training

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Grand Rapids Community College Offers Film Training

Michigan is one of the few states courting the film industry with

rebates and tax incentives. This should bring more film makers

to Michigan in 2009. In anticipation of the films and film crews

that will be needed to bring these projects to completion,

Grand Rapids Community College is offering 4 different courses

in training for film production.

These classes run from $125 to $1750 for tuition fees and some

require some technical knowledge and expertise.

TicTock Studios in Holland MI is co-sponsoring the Basic Film Set

Training to supply needed expertise to film makers here. These

programs are state approved and might qualify for No Worker Left

Behind funding to participate in the film training program.

Henry Ford Community College is also offering classes.

The classes at GRCC start in March, so check out the links and

you could be working on a movie set this year!

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Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate Five Star Real Estate LLC

Forest Hills MI ~ Absorption Report Jan 26, 2009

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Forest Hills is actually a school district in Ada Cascade MI. This market

is always active. These Grand Rapids suburban communities have

wonderful neighborhoods, some new and some older with prestigious

Forest Hills Public Schools, and private schools, such as Ada Christian

that attract many home owners.

This report will cover the Sept 1 to Jan 26, 2009 real estate market activity.

Forest Hills Eastern High school Ada Township MI

Forest Hills MI Listings over $300,000

The absorption rate for Forest Hills MI is 16.23 months, which means

if no new listings come on the market, it will take 16.23 months to sell

the existing homes at the current rate of sale. This rate is up from last

month, sold prices are about the same. Fewer listings and sales this

month, the average list price is lower for this upper end category.

There is still a disconnect between average listed price/sqft and average

sold price/sqft of about $40/sqft.

There are 211 Active Forest Hills Listings in the over $300,000 category

with an average price of $649,207. The Average price per square foot of

Active Listings is $200.70 with a low price of $300,000 & a high price of

$2,700,000.

There have been 54 Sold Forest Hills Listings in the over $300,000

category with an Average price of $478,126. The Average Sold price

per square foot is $ 161.09. The lowest sold price is $309,900 & the

highest sold price is $850,000.

There are 11 Pending Forest Hills Listings in this category.

Forest Hills Listings $100,000 to $300,000

The Absorption rate for Forest Hills homes in this price range is 8.2

months, which means that if no new homes enter the market, at the

current rate of sales, it will take 8.2 months to sell all current inventory.

There are 192 Forest Hills Active Listings in Ada -Cascade with an

Average Price of $212,186. The Average Active Price/SqFt is $120.63

and the Average Active Days on the Market are 119. The High Active

Price is $300,000 and the Low Active Price is $101,800.

There have been 90 Sold Forest Hills Listings in the last 5 months. The

Average Sold Price is $197,706 with the Average Sold Price per square foot

at $105.87. Average Sold Days on the Market is 121 Days. The high Sold

price is $299,900 & the low sold price is $104,500. There are 27 Pending

Sales in this category.

Market Synopsis: Although the absorption rate is one of the lowest in

the area, for the under 300K homes, this market area seems to be

similar to last month. Fewer active listings, and average list prices are

inching slightly downward. Average sold price has stayed almost the

same although more homes sold this month than last.

Ada Cascade Market Report December 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report October 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report Sept 2008

If you would like specific information about an Ada Cascade or

Forest Hills MI Home, please contact me directly.

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Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate Five Star Real Estate LLC

Photo of Forest Hills Eastern High School by Bonnie Westbrook

Kent County "BEST HIGH SCHOOLS ~ 2009"

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

The U.S. News and World Report has published their annual survey of the

best public high schools across the country.

These top open enrollment schools were placed into gold, silver,

bronze, and honorable mention categories.

Six public schools in Kent County were mentioned. Two Grand Rapids

inner city schools and 4 Grand Rapids suburban schools were named

in Best High Schools Kent County 2009.

City Middle/ High School, East Grand Rapids High School, Forest Hills

Central High School, Lee High School, Lowell High School, and Ottawa

Montessori School all received Silver or Bronze awards.

Schools are an important consideration when buying and

selling a home. Public schools in the Grand Rapids area

are some of the best in the country.

Grand Rapids Ada MI Real Estate ~ Five Star Realty

Photo of Forest Hills Central High School by Bonnie Westbrook

East Grand Rapids MI Absorption Report ~ Jan 2009

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Current Real Estate Market Report For East Grand Rapids Michigan

East Grand Rapids MI Public Library

Absorption rate for East Grand Rapids MI housing market is currently

at 9.9 months, which means if no new listings come on the

East Grand Rapids market, it will take 9.9 months for the existing

home inventory to sell.

There are 140 active listings on the East Grand Rapids market now,

ranging from $50,900 to $4,000,000.

12 Pending Home Sales w/ prices ranging from $ 48,000 to $ 369,000.

87 Sold Homes with sold prices ranging from $ 52,000 to $ 680,000

since July 1, 2008 in the East Grand Rapids housing inventory.

The lower end of this market (under $300K) has been 2/3 of the sales

in the last seven months.

East Grand Rapids December 2008 Absorption Report

If you have any questions about the value of your East GR home,

please contact me directly.

Grand Rapids Ada MI Real Estate ~ Five Star Realty

Photo of East Grand Rapids Public Library by Bonnie Westbrook

Caledonia MI Absorption Rate ~ Jan 2009

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Current Caledonia MI Real Estate Market Report

Thornapple River at Ruehs Park

Absorption rate for Caledonia MI Market is currently 9.6 months,

which means if no other homes come on the market, it will take

9.6 months for the current inventory to sell at the current

sales rate.

There are 133 current active listings, from $60,900 to $1,100,000 in

Caledonia MI.

20 Pending Home Sales, and 77 Sold Homes since July 1, 2008.

The current average Caledonia home listed price is much higher

(about $130K) than the average selling price. This shows me

that the upper end of the Caledonia market is slow and the

lower end (under $200K) is selling. Sold price per square foot

continues to slide downward. There are some excellent buys

in Caledonia, don’t wait until they are gone.

Caledonia December 2008 Absorption Report

If you have any questions about Caledonia or Grand Rapids MI

homes, please contact me directly through my website.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Photo of Thornapple River at Ruehs Park by Bonnie Westbrook

Warning: Change Your Thermostat Batteries Before This Happens To You!

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Warning: Change Your Thermostat Batteries Before This Happens To You!

We have a vacant home listed. It is a nice house, clean, neat, 4 bedroom

two story home that I showed last Saturday. It was a changed house

when I showed it again on Monday. We had record setting low

temperatures here over last weekend and the batteries failed in the

thermostat.

NO HEAT!

Frozen pipes.

Needless to say, I rushed to the store, bought batteries, and got the

furnace going again. I also turned off the water to try and eliminate

as much damage as possible. When the house warmed up, sure enough,

a water pipe broke between the kitchen ceiling and the upstairs bathroom,

according to the plumber.

So, the moral of the story is: If you have a vacant home,

change the batteries in that thermostat—don’t take chances!

This home had a 2 year old furnace and thermostat, so I

didn’t have a thought that the batteries in the thermostat

could fail. Remember this tip is you are planning on an extended

vacation or going south for a month or longer. Replace

those batteries before you go. It doesn’t take long in below zero

weather for your home to incur substantial damage.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate

Hidden Hills ~ Cascade Township MI Absorption Report ~ January 2009

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Hidden Hills is an established neighborhood of homes off Cascade Road

and 30th Street in Cascade Township, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.

Home construction started here in the 1960’s housing boom in the Forest

Hills School District and has continued through to today. There are new

homes still being built in this neighborhood.

Mid-size homes with quality construction are the rule, this suburban sub-

division area has been a desirable place to live in the Grand Rapids home

market for many years.

Hidden Hills, Cascade Township

Residential Real Estate Market Report

~ January 2009 ~

9 For Sale, 6 SOLD, 2 Expired

Hidden Hills Active Listings

Hidden Hills Average Active Price: $ 278,244

Hidden Hills Average Active Price Per Sq Ft: $ 114.64

Hidden Hills Active Average Days on Market: 121

Hidden Hills Sold Homes

Hidden Hills Average SOLD Price: $ 223,667

Hidden Hills Average SOLD Price Per Sq Ft: $ 104.00

Hidden Hills Average SOLD Days on the Market: 65

Hidden Hills Expired Homes

Hidden Hills Average Expired Price: $ 291,900

Hidden Hills Average Expired Price Per Sq Ft: $104.50

Hidden Hills Average Expired Days on the Market: 183

The current absorption rate is 13.5, which means we have a 13.5

month supply of homes in the Hidden Hills market, IF no new homes

enter the market and homes sell at the rate for the past 9 months.

MARKET SYNOPSIS: Hidden Hills average SOLD home price has

dropped about $46K and about $12 /SqFt in the last 9 months.

Time on the market has increased and will probably continue to do so

for the winter months. No new homes have come on the market and

many of the over priced homes in Hidden Hills have decided to not sell

in this market. Price and condition are the two items buyers will

compare. You can’t get top price if your condition is vintage 1980’s.

Today’s buyers have too many choices to settle.

Forest Hills School District Average Sold Home Prices last 5 years:

2008 – $ 279,709

2007 – $ 269,445

2006 – $ 300,691

2005 – $ 282,173

2004 – $ 268,072

Hidden Hills Market Report July 2008

Hidden Hills Market Report June 2008

Hidden Hills Market Report Oct 2008

Hidden Hills Market Report Nov 2008

If you would like further information about Cascade Homes or

Forest Hills homes, please contact me directly.

Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate

photo of Fall Crab Apple Tree by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate Market Report

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Cascade Neighborhood Absorption Report

Caravelle Village is an established subdivision built in the late 1960’s

and 1970’s just south of Burton Street, east of Kraft Avenue and west

of Cascade Road in Cascade Township. These Grand Rapids Homes

have the traditional mix of two stories, tri-levels and ranches. A desirable

place to live with median priced homes, Forest Hills Schools, and close to

28th shopping and restaurants. Originally built by a variety of builders, the

homes here are quality construction in a safe neighborhood and close to

the historic village of Cascade and 28th Street shopping.

town hall gardens cascade mi

Caravelle Village Residential Real Estate

January 2009 Market Report

4 For Sale, 7 SOLD, 4 Expired

Caravelle Village Active Listings: 4

Caravelle Village Average Active Price – $ 188,675

Caravelle Village Average Active Price/Sq Ft – $ 131.17

Caravelle Village Average Days on the Market – 141

Caravelle Village SOLD Listings: 7

Caravelle Village Average Sold Price – $ 183,071

Caravelle Village Average Sold price/SqFt – $ 128.21

Caravelle Village Average Sold Days on the Market – 62

Caravelle Village Expired Listings: 4

Caravelle Village Average Expired Price – $191,125

Caravelle Village Average Expired Price/SqFt – $124.08

Caravelle Village Average Expired Days on the market – 124

At the current rate of sales, we have a 6.4 month supply of homes in

Caravelle Village, if no new homes come on the market.

MARKET SYNOPSIS: Not much new activity for Caravelle Village since

November of last year. The average listed price has remained constant,

but buyers are reluctant.

This is a popular area for home buyers, but your home must be in top

notch condition and priced to sell in today’s market.

Caravelle Village Market Report August 2008

Forest Hills Schools Market Report Sept 2008

Caravelle Village Market Report Oct 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report Nov 2008

Grand Rapids -Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate

photo of Cascade Town Hall Gardens by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate Market Report ~ Tamarron Estates ~ January 2009

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Cascade Neighborhood Absorption Report

Tamarron Estates is an upscale suburban development with large

wooded lots, walking access to Thornapple Elementary School and

the Thornapple River Backwaters. It is located just off of

Thornapple River Drive and Cascade Road in Cascade Township.

The house styles vary from large, comfortable ranches, traditional

two stories, to contemporary homes. Many of the homes were built

in the late 1970’s to the mid 1980’s, though there is a new street

that has much newer homes on acreage settings. Some houses close

to and surrounding this development are in the upper price brackets

in the Grand Rapids real estate market.

Tamarron Residential Real Estate

January 2009 Market Report

5 Sold, 3 For Sale, 11 Expired

Tamarron Active Listings: 3

Tamarron Average Active Price – $ 361,300

Tamarron Average Active Price/SqFt – $ 107.93

Tamarron Average Active Days on Market – 153

Tamarron SOLD Listings: 5

Tamarron Average Sold Price – $ 339,480

Tamarron Average Active Price/SqFt – $ 98.11

Tamarron Average Sold Days on Market – 63

Tamarron Expired Listings: 11

Tamarron Average Expired Price – $ 388,891

Tamarron Average Expired Price/SqFt – $ 129.65

Tamarron Average Expired Days on Market – 137

At the current selling rate, we have a 4.2 month supply of homes on the

market in Tamarron in Cascade Township.

MARKET SYNOPSIS: Tamarron homes are selling but not at the prices that

some sellers would like to see. Today’s market is accepting homes under

$100.00 a sq ft. This is a price reduction for this area. As you can see,

the remaining sellers think their homes will sell at $ 107 a sq ft. This isn’t

happening.

The expired listings are even further out of sync at $ 129 a sq ft. If you have to

sell your Tamarron Estates home now, the market place is telling you that

you need to be at $ 100 a sq ft or less to see your home sell.

Cascade Township has seen tremendous growth in the last fifty

years, though the growth rate has slowed considerably since 2000.

The majority (82%)live in a single family home, and the median

value is $220,00. Household incomes in Cascade Township are the

highest among surrounding Grand Rapids areas at $ 87,290. Most

people in Cascade Township prefer to live here because of the quality

housing, safe areas, and quality schools.

Tamarron Estates Market Report August 2008

Forest Hills Market Report Sept 2008

Tamarron Estates Market Report Oct 2008

Ada Cascade Market Report Nov 2008

If you have questions about the value of your Cascade or Forest Hills

Home, please contact me directly.

Photo of Leslie Tassell Park by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Monthly Archives: January 2009

Grand Rapids MI ~ Watermark Residences Market Report ~ January 2009

Opportunity Knocks for Film Set Training

Grand Rapids Community College Offers Film Training

Forest Hills MI ~ Absorption Report Jan 26, 2009

Kent County "BEST HIGH SCHOOLS ~ 2009"

East Grand Rapids MI Absorption Report ~ Jan 2009

Current Real Estate Market Report For East Grand Rapids Michigan

Caledonia MI Absorption Rate ~ Jan 2009

Warning: Change Your Thermostat Batteries Before This Happens To You!

NO HEAT!

Frozen pipes.

Hidden Hills ~ Cascade Township MI Absorption Report ~ January 2009

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate Market Report

Cascade Neighborhood Absorption Report

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate Market Report ~ Tamarron Estates ~ January 2009

Cascade Neighborhood Absorption Report