Union Square Condos. The definition of cool. Located at 600 Broadway Ave NW and built in the old Union Square High School, these condos offer one, two and three bedroom configurations with many different floor plans and price ranges to choose from. Sales were brisk when they were first built but as with most real estate in Grand Rapids, things slowed down dramatically. However now that prices have dropped to meet the new realities, sales are slowly recovering.

There are currently sixteen active listings at Union Square and four condos have been sold there since last March. Many of the ground floor condos offer a private fenced yard in front. The upper level of the building feature beautiful Penthouse Condos. Union Square is one of a handful of downtown Grand Rapids condos that do offer Penthouse units. These are large, multi-level condos with private decks and many upgrades. One of my personal listings is one of these Penthouse condos and you can find out more about that listing here.

Union Square is a fun community that allows pets. Amenities include a large, well equipped fitness center, a lively outdoor pool and hot tub deck, small interior courtyards, a community room with pool table and flat screens, private parking and tax incentives. Union Square condos are located in one of downtown Grand Rapids’ Tax Free Zones, or Renaissance Zones. There is also a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone where property taxes are waived until 2019. This can save you several thousand dollars each year.

Learn more about these condos on our Union Square condo page or feel free to email or call me direct at 616-570-1871. You can also use this website to search online for all homes and condos throughout Grand Rapids and the entire West Michigan area.

This is a must see Union Square Penthouse Condo that we have just reduced to $215,000. And what a great price it is! This stunning downtown Grand Rapids condo located at 600 Broadway Ave NW #603, resides on the top floor and faces east, providing incredible views of the city. Many tasteful upgrades include Cherry Hardwood floors throughout the main level with a kitchen that is loaded with Granite counter tops and a snack bar and Cherry cabinets.

The upper level has been setup as the owner’s suite and it is simply incredible. This huge, bright and private retreat features large windows and an enormous walk-in closet with a separate shoe closet. The Master bathroom has dual vanity, a large Jacuzzi tub, stand-up shower and French doors.

The lower level features professionally installed built-ins and an office area. It is currently set up as a family room and is plumbed for another full bathroom. This room could easily be converted into a second bedroom. Renaissance Zone tax benefits as well as (NEZ) Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax benefits apply. This penthouse condo is truly one of the most incredible downtown spaces to be found and is a must see. 2 separate (side by side) garages are also included. This condo is being offered as a short sale. All offers are subject to bank approval and we have already received approval from the bank and do not expect the usual prolonged wait. You will not find a penthouse condo in Grand Rapids anywhere near this price!

Union Square Condos are one of Grand Rapids coolest downtown condo communities. With many floor plans to choose from and a vibrant collection of happy owners, Union Square is a great place to call home. Amenities include parking, pool and hot tub on a large open deck, a community room with flat screens and and a pool table and a very well equipped fitness center.

For more information on anything concerning Grand Rapids Real Estate, or if you would like a private tour of this condo, feel free to contact me anytime.

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Having said that, there are some condos that are FHA approved. This is important to many buyers, especially first time condo buyers looking to capitalize on the $8000 Tax credit. With an FHA loan, you need only pay a 3.5% downpayment on the loan. Much better than 10% or 20%!

Boardwalk condos are FHA approved! Just before last Christmas they were approved. Boardwalk is a great building with many amenities including a pool hot tub area, game room, theatre room, fitness center, roof top deck, salon and JD Reardon’s bar. These condos are loft style with exposed brick, exposed duct work, river views and tall ceilings. Many floor plans are available from studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms and there are two courtyards, one with the pool and the other with a peaceful, wooded area where the outdoor grills are located.

The Hillmount condos are FHA approved! The Hillmount condos offer a little different feel to the Boardwalk. The building itself is an older, solid brick buillding and it does offer a few amenities such as wireless (wifi) internet, fitness center and an awesome rooftop deck with grill. Many of these condos offer lovely hardwood floors and updated kitchens with stainless steel appliances. This is a great building located at the corner of College and cherry, minutes from the downtown core. Pets are allowed.

Union Square condos are FHA approved! Union Square is one of the coolest buildings in town. You have probably seen it while driving on the expressway at the junction of I-96 and US-131 highways. The building is the Union Square High School and there is a big mix of condos here from affordable 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms which also includes some incredible penthouse units. Amenites include a very nice fitness center and the  roof top deck, pool and hot tub. These condos are loft style similar to Boardwalk but with more floor plans and larger windows. Some of the old school features like chalk boards and lockers have been blended in with the modern condo features.

Fulton Street Flats are FHA approved! This is a new addition to the downtown condo scene and has just been approved. These are affordable 1 and 2 bedroom condos with some nice standard features accross the street from Davenport University and minutes to the downtown core. Some features include large balconies, hardwood floors and granite counters. I like the location here and for the money, you get a good sized condo with reasonable association fees, parking and laundry rooms in each unit.

Park Row Condos are FHA approved. This is a recent addition to this list as of 1/7/11. Park Row condos offer 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms and are new construction. They also offer a very reasonable association fee and underground parking. One of the features I like is their location close to the Medical Mile. Solidly built and quiet. o noise from your neighbors.

For more information on any of these Grand Rapids downtown condos, visit my website or contact me any time.

Union Square Penthouse Condo For sale – $315,000

 Work Downtown, Live Downtown. Rare, corner, downtown Grand Rapids Penthouse condo at Union Square, located not far from the Medical Mile at 600 Broadway Ave NW #620b. This stunning contemporary residence features 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. One of only 2 units on the 7th floor, this professionally designed penthouse has floor to ceiling windows, spectacular views and would make an ideal residence for the professional, retired couple or a cool second getaway anyone wanting the excitement of downtown Grand Rapids.

Grill out on your own private deck and watch the sunset overlooking the basilica. This unique floor plan offers ample living area with upgraded carpet and ceramic tile. The kitchen features lustrous, black granite counters, a snack bar, an upgraded kitchen cabinet package and premium stainless steel appliances. This condo also comes with a top of the line Bosch Washer/Dryer set and gated security entrance with your own private garage. Bathrooms have been upgraded with granite counter tops and tile flooring.

Union Square is a unique blend of an old and new. This historic, 100 year old high  school is now home to one of Grand Rapids’ coolest downtown condos and features a large deck with a pool and hot tub and grill and a fun common room with shuffle board, comfy couches and flat screens. Downstairs you will find a fully equipped fitness facility. One of the bonuses of living at Union Square is the Tax Free Living. Union Square sits in on of Grand Rapids’ Renaissance Zones. These zones offer home owners no City or State Income Tax and no Property Tax for a limited time. Income taxes start to phase in this year while you pay no property taxes until 2019.

This condo is easy to show and is definitely worth a look. Visit my Grand Rapids Real Estate website or contact me any time.

Stoney Creek Condos and Union Square Condos - Open House this weekend.

Saturday July 18th, 2009 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm.

 2965 Pebblestone Ave SW. This is a lovely condo in the Stoney Creek condos development in Hudsonville schools, with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms offered at $120,000. Impeccably maintained and agressively priced to sell, this condo is being offered as a short sale and is a terrific opportunity to purchase a great condo at a bargain price. Take advantage of low interest rates and the $8000 Tax Credit for first time home buyers. Excellent value in this condo in Hudsonville Schools. View our VFlyer of this listing for more information and pictures.

Sunday July 19th, 2009 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

 600 Broadway Ave NW #238 and #411. Join me this Sunday afternoon for a tour of Union Square condos. I will be showing #238 which is a very affordable 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo offered at $125,900 and unit #411, a gorgeous 2 bedroom – 2 bath with it’s own private balcony and 2nd floor master suite, which has just been reduced to $235,000. Union Square condos is one of the areas coolest downtown Grand Rapids condo developments with many different floorplans and price ranges. Many of the condos feature original hardwood floors, exposed brick and ductwork and stainless steek appliances. The building also offers a fitness center, pool and hot tub area and parking can be purchased or leased. View our VFlyer for more information and pictures. We also have an incredible 7th floor Penthouse unit that can be viewed by appointment. Union Square condos offer income tax savings until 2012 and property tax savings until 2019.

The Grand Rapids real estate market has been picking up of late. We have been receiving allot of inquiries for Grand Rapids homes AND condos. For more information, or to search for homes online, visit my website at GRRealEstateInfo.com or contact me any time.

JUNE 6TH, 2009 UPDATE:  —-> JUST REDUCED TO $235,000

600 Broadway Ave NW #411 - Union Square Condo Update

 I am pleased to introduce you to this wonderful condo for sale at Union Square condos. If you work downtown, why not live downtown too! Enjoy living at Union Square Condos at 600 Broadway Ave NW, in this contemporary space located not far from the Grand Rapids Medical Mile. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo features floor to ceiling windows and spectacular views from your large balcony. A graceful, winding staircase leads you upstairs to the loft and the owner’s master suite – complete with private bathroom. The main floor offers a bright and open living area with the original “refurbished” hardwood flooring and the kitchen is upgraded with a snack bar, gorgeous cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. Total finished living area on this one is 1293 sq/ft and the sales price is $235,000!

Union Square condos are a unique blend of an old and new. This historic, 100 year old high school is now home to the area’s coolest condos and features a large deck with a pool and hot tub and a fun common room with shuffle board, comfy couches and flat screens. Downstairs you will find a fully equipped fitness facility. Some of the fun features that the developer carried over from the old school are the old school chalk boards, those old big clocks that we all remember and in some of the condos, you can see the hardwood gym floors with the basketball lines still there! Stylish and classy, check this condo out. Tenant occupied, 24 hr notice preferred.

One of the benefits to living at Union Square condos is the Renaissance Zone Tax Benefits which includes paying zero property taxes until 2018. City and State income taxes will begin to phase in with your 2009 taxes but you will still enjoy some savings until 2012. If this is your first home, don’t forget the $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.

For more information on these or any other downtown Grand Rapids condos, please visit my website or contact me any time.

 UPDATE: BOTH OF THESE FORECLOSURES HAVE BEEN SOLD! That didn’t take long and I am not surprised.

I have been paying more attention to the Grand Rapids short sale and Grand Rapids Foreclosure markets of late. Particularly in the short sale market as my broker, the Platinum Realty Group, has formed a relationship with a local law firm to negotiate with the banks on our clients behalf. We also have an experienced Debt Mitigation Professional in the office.

There are several downtown condo foreclosures currently on the market. There are a couple at Union Square although I believe one of them is pending. There is one condo at Monroe Terrace and one condo at Cityview condos.

Click Here to preview downtown Grand Rapids Condo Foreclosures.

Renaissance Zone Condos

 Monroe Terrace is located at 600 Monroe NW. These are loft style condos in a Grand Rapids tax free Renaissance Zone. Monroe Terrace are nice lofts featuring exposed brick, hardwood, tile and cool layouts. The foreclosure listing here is going to definitely need a little work but someone willing to use a little elbow grease could have themselves a nice loft condo downtown. The drawback on this one is that there is a billboard on the outside of the building that covers some of the windows. Not the best place in the world for a billboard. Creativity would be required here.

Cityview Condos enjoy a terrific location at 60 Monroe Center NW, the

Monroe Center Condos

corner of Ionia and Monroe Center in the Select Bank building. These are pretty spectacular condos with tall ceilings, large windows, granite, tile, hardwood/bamboo, rooftop deck etc. The great attraction to these condos is the location and the fact that they are in an extended tax free zone (until 2017). I showed the foreclosure listing here. It needs to be thoroughly cleaned, fresh paint, appliances, carpet, but aside from that, it is a corner unit and has some nice finishes like hardwood, ceramic tile and granite counter tops. In my opinion, this is a good deal but you will need to do some work and spend some money.

If you have any questions about the Grand Rapids real estate market, please visit my website or contact me any time. To take a tour of any of these downtown condo foreclosures, call me direct at 616-570-1871.

Union Square Condos are located  at 600 Broadway NW in one of those old buildings that just exudes character and coolness. Union Square was once Grand Rapids’ primary high school and has been recently rehabbed into a cool downtown Grand Rapids condo development. The developer somehow managed to preserve a lot of the old features like the old gymnasium hardwood floors (where you can still see the old basketball paint), the old slate chalkboards and those large classic school clocks that we all remember can still be found in some of the condos.

Union Square condos have many unique floor plans with interesting use of space. These downtown condos have large windows, 12 to 16 ft ceilings, 12 inch oak window sills and original trophy cases are some of the features that can be found. Common areas included in the association fees are a really cool pool/hot tub area on the roof, over-looking the freeways. In fact, if you are from the Grand Rapids’ area, you have probably seen Union Square at the junction of US 131 and I-196. There is a well equipped fitness center and parking garages as well as a relaxing common room with some games and flat screens.

One of the benefits to the owners of a Union Square condo is the tax break. Union Square are in one of downtown Grand Rapids’ Renaissance Zones which means that city and state income taxes are waives as well as property taxes. That can mean a good savings to qualified buyers and if you are a first time buyer that qualifies, there is a $7500 tax credit if you purchase before June 2009. The tax free benefits begin to phase out this year, meaning that you are responsible for 25% of your taxes this year. 25% is added each year until you are back to paying all of your taxes.

Click Here my latest Union Square Condo Listing!

Union Square condos offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos with 3 story penthouse condos available. Some of the condos under the pool area have the option of adding a private deck with pool access. Most of the condos have nice packages of appliances, flooring and counters.

*Prices from $110k - 1, 2 and 3 Bedrooms including penthouse condos available
*From ~550 Sq/ft
*Association fee: depends on unit
*Coverage: Trash Pickup, Yard Care, Water, Sewer, Snow Removal, Insurance, Heat
*Features Incl: Secure entrance. Exposed Brick, Loft Style, In Unit Washer/Dryer Hookups, Fitness Center, Patio/Deck, Roof Top Deck, Pool, Hot Tub and Tax Free Living.

For more information on these or to search for homes or condos online, visit my website at GRRealEstateInfo.com or contact me any time.