Here is a quick video tour of a new listing at Plaza Towers Condos located at 129 Campau Circle NW, Downtown Grand Rapids. Plaza Towers offers a great location downtown. You are right in the center of it all, across the street from The Bob, Van Andel Arena and minutes away from everything downtown. The building also offers a large full size pool, hot tub, fitness center, basketball and tennis courts, a track, deck and more. For more information on these or any other downtown Grand Rapids condo, feel free to contact me anytime.

Interestingly, many of my new clients are connecting with me through my websites at GRRealEstateInfo.com and this website, GrandRapidsRealEstateTrends.com. A lot of them are relocating to Grand Rapids and I have been meeting people from across the country that are finding work here in GR. I think that is such a big positive for our city!

I will update this page weekly with the latest deals. For most of them, I will not be the listing agent and even though I do personally carry some great listings and wonderful ownership opportunities, I will be featuring listings throughout Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas that, in my opinion, are great deals. If you have any questions about any of these homes or condos, feel free to contact me anytime as I would be happy to work with you as your Buyer’s Agent.

This week’s “Deal of the Week” is a very nice condo located at 57 Campau Cir, downtown Grand Rapids in the Plaza Towers building at the corner of Fulton and Monroe. This condo is offered at an incredible price ($147,900) and features 2 bedrooms/2baths, 1338 sq/ft, granite counter tops and 2 parking spots. If you would like more information on it or want to schedule a showing, feel free to call me direct at 616-570-1871 or fill out the contact form below.

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As reported by CNNMoney.com, the west side of Michigan and Grand Rapids in particular should and could be a model for the rest of the state. Grand Rapids is a small, modest city with a population of 200,000. Two decades ago we were heading the way of Flint, Pontiac and Detroit but somewhere along the way, our fortunes changed and not by accident. Grand Rapids is blessed with a winning combination of business leadership, public-private cooperation and local philanthropists that care about the city.

Signs of growth are everywhere  in downtown Grand Rapids, not the least of which is the Van Andel Arena, home to our Grand Rapids Griffins IHL Hockey Team, the Grand Rapids Rampage and host to a variety of international stars and events. Evidence of this urban renewal is visible all across our now Vibrant city but the real gem is in a section of the city named the Medical Mile. A $1 Billion (and growing) medical complex which includes specialized treatment facilities, a cancer research center and a medical school. Started in 1966 with the opening of the Van Andel Institute, it has expanded to include the Grand Rapids Community College’s Calkins Science Center across Bostwick Avenue, Spectrum Health’s Butterworth Hospital complex, Grand Valley State University’s Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, and Michigan State University Secchia Center Medical School, among other facilities in the area.

While Grand Rapids has it’s share of foreclosures and short sales, there are positive signs in the Grand Rapids Real Estate market as well. For example, the downtown Grand Rapids condo scene has done fairly well. There are new developments springing up like Riverhouse Condos. Riverhouse Condos has been the fastest selling condo project in Grand Rapids with over 130 units sold in 14 months. Other new construction condos are the Fitzgerald Condos which are as ritzy as the name sounds and are simply spectacular condos in the center of Grand Rapids. Thirty Eight Condominiums are the newest project and occupancy is projected for July or August. Park Row Condos are new and have just reduced their prices. These condos are located in the Grand Rapids Medical Mile and are definitely worth a look.

So, in my opinion, this was a great article and only serves to highlight the positive changes that can be realized through hard work, leadership and vision. For more information on the Grand Rapids real estate market, feel free to call me direct at 616-570-1871 or contact me anytime.

Timing Is Everything

 Even in this market you have to move fast when opportunity presents itself. I had posted a couple of days ago about some great deals that had just been listed. A Cityview condo foreclosure and a Monroe Terrace condo foreclosure. The Cityview condo I just knew was going to go fast and when I found out about it the morning it was listed, I notified my buyers and contacts of this great deal. I went to show it the next day and was probably going to write an offer on it today or tomorrow, but it turns out they had accepted a cash offer last Friday. Whoever got this one, scored. It did need some work to be sure, but there was nothing a good hose down, some paint and carpet couldn’t cure.

The Monroe Terrace condo at 600 Monroe Ave NW, I had been watching since it got listed. It had several price reductions and finally sold this weekend as well.

What this shows is that even in this market, these condos will sell if priced correctly and it’s a good idea to have everything ready before you start looking. With a foreclosure property, you will typically need proof of financing in the form of a pre-qualification letter from a lender and an earnest money deposit of $1000.00. I would get these ready ahead of time because it isn’t fun to find a great deal only to lose it because you couldn’t write an offer straight away.

If you have any questions about Grand Rapids real estate in general or Grand Rapids condos in particular, please visit my website or contact me any time.

River House Condo Prices

 River House Condos have several new listings that are priced well from $199,900. I have had several showings there in the past 2 weeks looking at condos in the $200,000 to $270,000 range. In this price range, you can expect to find the usual quality construction, loaded with amenities. These are two bedroom, two bath condos with ~1300+ square feet of living space on the 7th, 8th and 9th floors. The floor plans are The Kalamazoo on the 7th floor, which is located on the North East corner of the building over-looking the Grand River and Medical Mile to the east and also north views. The Rapids, which faces north and has 63 feet of balcony space.

These units have hardwood floors, granite countertops and they come equipped with Whirlpool stainless steel appliances and washer/dryer units. The main feature that all Riverhouse condos share of course are the floor to ceiling glass windows. The windows are an inch and a half thick, block UV and any noise but let in loads of sunlight. Ceilings are all at least 9 feet tall and all condos have 2 parking spaces.

The River House Condominiums have a fitness facility, lapping pool and hot tub, lounge and common areas with kitchenette and flat screens, concierge service. They are easy to show and if you are looking for a downtown Grand Rapids Condo, these should be on your list of condos to visit.

If you have any questions about these or any other condo, visit my website at GRRealEstateInfo.com or contact me any time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Plaza Towers Condos are located at the corner of Monroe Ave and Fulton St, right in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. Plaza is right across the street from The Bob, which also has the comedy club – Dr. Grins, the dance club – Crush and some really great restaurants. The Van Andel Arena is right across Fulton St and is connected by one of Grand Rapids’ unique features, the downtown Skywalk.

The Skywalk is over 2 miles of elevated, covered walkways that connect the Van Andel Arena to the south with Devos Performance Hall to the North. It connects all of the buildings and Parking ramps in between, including Plaza Towers. In the middle of a downpour or blizzard, you can enjoy any of the shows, events and concerts at the Arena or any of the concerts and exhibitions at Devos Hall or anything in-between without having to bundle up or use your car.

One of the features of Plaza Towers condos that I always enjoy when I am showing these units is the view. It doesn’t matter what side of the building you are on, the views are incredible. My preference is the western view, which offers breath-taking sunsets, and views of the Grand River but the southern views also offer you views of the Grand River and portions of the city. Eastern views show you downtown Grand Rapids and this view is my second favorite. It has grown on me because there is a lot of energy in the city and you can feel it even up there.

Other amenities that Plaza Towers offer are 2 workout facilities (one is exclusive to the condo), a full size – heated indoor pool and hot tub. A large outdoor deck area facing the Grand River with grilling and patio chairs, tennis courts, basketball and track. Most of the units come with 2 covered parking spots, there is a concierge at the front entrance where there is a dry-cleaning pick-up and the building has excellent security.

Many of the condos at Plaza Towers have been updated. There are 1, 2 and a few 3 bedroom units available from ~650 sq/ft all the way up to the ~1800 sq/ft penthouse condo units. Even in this slow market, there is a demand for condos at Plaza Towers and they are selling. Since January 2007, 23 units have sold in every price range (8 this year) and there are typically about ~17 condos available at any given time. One of the drawbacks here is the high association fee. It is based on square footage and for 1000 sq/ft you are looking at ~$550/mo. That’s a lot of money to carry on top of your mortgage and it is the main reason that Plaza Towers condos don’t sell even more.

Prices: from $120’s for a 1 bedroom

Size:  from 650 sq/ft

Association Fee: depends on unit

Coverage: Water, Sewer, Trash, Cable

Features: Pool, Hot Tub, Deck, Basketball, Tennis, Parking, And Great Views

For more information on these or any other downtown Grand Rapids condos, feel free to call me direct at 616-570-1871 or contact me any time. On this website you will be able to search for homes, research the various communities, schools and get a market analysis on your home or condo.

The Peck Building

This afternoon I’ll be meeting a client downtown and taking her through some pretty nice and VERY affordable condos. This is a great time to buy a condo. Prices have dropped substantially and sellers are really sprucing things up. If you are a first time buyer you also have the $7500 tax credit to look forward to.