Grand Rapids Parade of Condos 2009 - June 12-14

 If you are in the market for a downtown Grand Rapids condo and you have an afternoon to spare, the Parade of Downtown Living  is a perfect opportunity to familiarize yourself with the various buildings and locations. Open houses will be held at the Riverhouse, Hillmount, Park Row, Fitzgerald, Boardwalk and Union Square.

Admission is $10.00 for all three days. You can purchase a wristband at any of the condos on the tour and ride the shuttle buses to and from each. Parking is free and is located at the following lots:

• City Lot Area 7 is south of Michigan and north of Pearl
• Northwest lot is behind Boardwalk Condominiums
• Northeast lot is located at the Park Row Condominiums on Union St

All buses will be marked Parade of Downtown Living and run every 20 minutes or so.

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 Volounteers are on board each bus to point out the various city landmarks. If you would like to volounteer and get a free weekend pass, call 616-459-3133.

For more information on the downtown condo market, visit my website at GRRealEstateInfo.com or contact me any time.

Riverhouse Condos Offer Up To $30,000 Towards Closing Costs

 I have been getting more inquires for information from my website on our downtown Grand Rapids condo market over the last month and I hope that is a sign of good things to come. While many inquiries are concerning the Grand Rapids short sale and foreclosure markets, people seem genuinely excited about condos. I have sold several in the last couple of weeks including 47 Lafayette condos, Front Row condos and Riverhouse condos. According to Nancy and Chuck at Riverhouse, they have been writing offers and closing on units. This is great news for them and for the whole Grand Rapids condo market.

One of the sales incentives that the Riverhouse condo team has come up with is to assist homeowners with closing costs if they have a home to sell. One of the stumbling blocks in this tough market is selling your current home or condo. Many homeowners, through no fault of their own, are upside down in their mortgage due to dropping house values. To help offset this, Riverhouse is offering up to $30,000 that homeowners can use to help pay for their closing costs. This offer is contingent on purchase at Riverhouse on select units for a limited time.

Riverhouse condos are located close to downtown Grand Rapids at 335 Bridge St NW. These are one of Grand Rapids’ newest and most visible condos built next to Bridgewater Place, across the street from Ah Nab Awen park and the Gerald R Ford Museum. The  condos come standard with Hardwood floors, Granite counters, spectacular views from any side and two parking spots. There are several different floor plans to choose from with prices starting at $199,900 for a two bedroom with ~1400 square feet. Amenities at Riverhouse condos include a well equipped fitness facility overlooking the park, pool with hot tub, a common room and secure entrance. Pets are allowed.

For more information on these or any other Grand Rapids condos and to search for homes online, visit my website or contact me any time.

Click Here to preview the available condos for sale at Riverhouse.

Which Condos Are Getting The Looks and Which Condos Are Invisible?

 The downtown Grand Rapids condo scene is moving right along these days and with good reason. There is a lot going on in Grand Rapidsand with summer right around the corner, people are getting out more, enjoying the sunny weather, strolling through town and checking out some of the condos. One of the bonuses in having a strong online presence is being able to track the different trends in the Grand Rapids real estate market. It’s actually quite interesting. My website ranks at the top of the search engines for many keywords so I get to see first hand what potential buyers are interested in looking at and what areas of town are attracting the most attention.

My stats tell me that downtown condos are quite attractive to relocating buyers, those looking for a second home, young professionals and students. People are curious to see what’s available. Of the various condos, the ones that get the most interest are Union Square condos, Plaza Towers condos, Cityview condos and 65 Monroe condos. Up next I would say that Boardwalk condos, 47 Lafayette condos, Brickway Residences and the Riverhouse condosalso get a lot of interest. In fact the Riverhouse condos have just introduced several new condos with substantially reduced prices. There are several great condos there for under $200,000 now and in my opinion, these are a very good deal!!! Let me know if you want to take a tour.

Union Square condos are on the NW side of town and not quite in the downtown core, but the building is very interesting and there are a lot of floor plans to choose from. I wasn’t really crazy about these at first but now that prices are dropping, they really should be on your list. The building itself is quite interesting and has some nice features including a great roof top deck with pool and hot tub and a well appointed fitness center. I know several of the owners and everyone I talk to is extremely happy to be living there. Check out my new listing at Union Square here.

 Cityview condos and 65 Monroe get some love from the online community and it is well deserved. These condos are in one of Grand Rapids Tax Free Renaissance Zones where you live tax free until 2017. No city or state income taxes and no property taxes until 2017. Surprisingly there are a couple of other condos right on that same strip that never get any inquiries. The Monroe Condos and Front Row Condos are lovely Grand Rapids Lofts and are also in the Renaissance Zone. Front Row in particular are gorgeous downtown Grand Rapids lofts with all of the bells and whistles like European Tile and Bamboo Floors, huge ceilings with large windows and exposed brick.

Right accross the street are Peck condos. These are cute affordable lofts and for some reason don’t get the attention they deserve. Another overlooked condo is Fulton Flats. Very affordable new condo conversion with 3 out of 14 units sold. These are spacious condos with a good location and a good value. For the longest time, Park Row condos didn’t get much activity but they have changed to a new listing agent who is doing a very good job marketing them. These condos will do well as the location is fantastic and perfect for someone working in the Medical Mile.

If you would like to take a tour of any of these condos, feel free to contact me any time.

Affordable Downtown Grand Rapids Condos – Today’s Showings

 It really is a great time to buy a downtown condo, or any home in West Michigan for that matter. Grand Rapids’ condo prices have been adjusting downwards and interest rates are at record lows. You can lock in a rate in the low 5% range on a condo and with inventory still high, you have a nice selection of condos in any price range with which to compare.

I recommend using a buyer’s agentwhen looking to purchase any property. A knowledgeable buyer’s agent can potentially save you thousands of dollars but more importantly, they can share with you their input and insight to the various downtown condos in Grand Rapids.

This afternoon I am showing one of my clients some really great condos in downtown area. These are affordable, well priced condos in the $160,000 and under range. We will be seeing Avenue 23, 47 Lafayette, Boardwalk condos, Waters Towers condos, the Hillmount, Cherry St Lofts and Park Row condos. I’m looking forward to it.

Click Here to Preview Today’s Showings.

If you have any questions or would like to take a tour of some downtown condos, email or call me direct at 616-570-1871.

A friend of mine showed me this slick little program and I thought I would throw together a quick slideshow of pictures from the various downtown condos. Hope you like it.

I’ll have to get out on a nice sunny day and update some of the pics.

Let me know what you think!

Affordable Downtown Grand Rapids Condos

With GVSU, Davenport University, Cooley Law School,  and all of the other schools downtown I thought I would put together a list of affordable downtown condos under ~$160k. There are a few cool spaces within a few minutes walk to the downtown core and present a good opportunity to own instead of paying rent. First time buyers also benefit from a $7500 tax credit. These condos also offer a good investment opportunity.

Avenue 23 Condos at the corner of Fulton and College are 1 bedroom condos with a little over 500 sq/ft for under $80k. Association fees are ~$150/mo and these condos come complete with  bamboo floors, stainless appliances, granite countertops, cool lighting, patio, parking and LOCATION! Great price for the first time buyer.

47 Lafayette condos are located just north of Fulton on Lafayette in the Heritage Hill Historic district. These condos are “rare” 2 bedroom/1 bath condos for under $120k with ~750 sq/ft living space. They come with plenty of storage, washer/dryer hookups, appliances, cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, off street parking (garages still available for purchase) and more. A common room is planned, a patio for grilling and secure main floor bicycle and/or moped storage. Units sold in white box condition for under 80k and ready for your creative touches.

Fox Lofts have changed their floor plans to include a few, more affordable, smaller spaces. These condos are located in prime location on Monroe Center just west of Ionia and are priced at $109k and $119k which gets you 1 bedroom, 1 bath and ~550 sq/ft. Association fee is small at $125/mo. These condos will have a cool urban style with original hardwood floors and exposed brick and feature stainless appliances, granite countertops and slate tile. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is a few steps away as well as Rosa Parks Circle, shops, boutiques and more.

Hillmount condos in the Heritage Hill Historic District offer a great community with fitness center, large rooftop deck and a very generous standard package. Upgrades are available as is parking and secure entry. 2 bedrooms can be owned for under $160k with association dues in the $300/mo range. The Hillmount is located at the corner of College and Cherry and is about a 15-20 minute walk to the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.

The Brickway Residences are another development with a great location at 56 Monroe Center between Ionia and Division in the heart of Grand Rapids’ entertainment district. Trendy shops and boutiques, grocery store, museums and coffee shops are all a few minutes walk from the Brickway condos. The sidewalk out front is heated for convenience during the winter months. Parking must be purchased separately and will cost ~140/mo and the ramp is less than a minute’s walk from the building. Brickway Residences offer 1 bedroom spaces with ~800 sq/ft for under $160k. I’ve worked with this developer in the past for my clients and can definitely vouch for their creativity and passion for building unique downtown condos.

Boardwalk condos are a very cool community about 1 mile north of the downtown core located at 940 Monroe. This building is fully loaded with amenities including J.D Reardon’s, Endurance Fitness Center, salon, pool/hot tub, secure covered parking, tall ceilings with the original exposed wood beams, laundry hookups and more. Boardwalk condos have the added bonus of being right across the street from the Grand River which boasts great salmon fishing near the fish ladders. Monthly association  fees are $200 and up and 1 bedrooms with ~600 sq/ft can be purchased for $125k. Studios are also available.

Cherry St Lofts now occupy the old Dayton Apartment building at the corner of LeGrave and Cherry. These are 1-bedroom condos with over 900 sq/ft of living space and feature hardwood floors, fireplace and a nice rooftop deck with a hot tub and very large kitchen areas. The building itself is an appealing red brick exterior and boasts a great location close to St Mary’s and a few blocks from Cooley Law School and the center of town. Off street parking is available.

Fulton Flats are a new condo rehab downtown located at 460 Fulton St, a few minutes east of the downtown core. This recent conversion offer location and amenities found in much higher priced units including a generous standard package with Hardwood Floors, A/C, Balconies on select units, Washer/dryer hookups as well as a private entry and parking.

Peck Condos are located at 40 Monroe Center at the corner of Division in the same area as much higher priced condos. These condos offer 1 and 2 bedroom units with hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, tall ceilings and basement storage. You can own a 1 bedroom Peck condo for under $150k and association fees are a very reasonable $112/mo for 750 sq/ft. There are higher priced units in the building and each condo comes with a dual washer/dryer unit.

Hope you found this helpful. Make sure to visit my Grand Rapids real estate website to search the entire Grand Rapids and Lakeshore MLS and/or research your next move. We work with rentals and FSBO’s as well so we may know of some condos that won’t be listed on the MLS.