Real Estate Information

While many of the country’s local housing markets are still contending with dismal home prices, there is light at the end of the tunnel for both Northville and Northville Township. According to the Equalization Office of Wayne County, average residential assessments have risen to impressive numbers. Northville’s values reached 3.26, and Northville Township’s looked even better, peaking at 4.89. These numbers are significant, since property values serve as reliable bellwethers for the overall economic health of the community.

Indeed, Mayor Chris Johnson stated, “For me, it's the first solid, tangible sign that the economy is improving.”

The numbers themselves are excellent news, but perhaps even more impressive is what this turn of events says about Northville’s longevity as a community.

Both Mayor Johnson and Northville Township Supervisor Mark Abbo commended the efforts of the community in making Northville attractive, thus encouraging businesses, such as SoulBrain, to set up shop here, which in turn, attracts new homebuyers. Abbo also credited Northville’s strong schools, clear community goals, and long-term planning for this upward trend in property values. Northville City Manager Patrick Sullivan echoed Abbo’s sentiments and added that Northville’s lower home prices and reputation as a safe place to live and raise children also played a significant role in the recovery.

Thus, the recovery is a reflection of what Northville has done right so far and what it will continue to do.

“We want to be top of the top in everything, and I think that drives the vision for the future,” Abbo said. “People like to see that.”

After considering four options for converting the old Northville Psychiatric Hospital property into a park, the Northville Township at last came up with a master plan, which was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees in late January. This $82.6 million master plan marks the first step in the long-awaited redevelopment of the Seven Mile Property.

The 431 acres of the property were originally slated to be redeveloped for commercial use, but as pollution-removal costs mounted, developers ended up keeping only 82 acres. The first big break came when REIS of Bloomfield Hills announced a deal with the University of Michigan to build a 100,000-square-foot ambulatory center on the 82 acres, giving development on the Seven Mile property a much-needed kick-start.

Northville Township is now following the crucial ambulatory center deal with a project that will benefit everyone in the community. The master plan unveiled is admittedly ambitious and will take time.

Says Supervisor Mark Abbo of the plan: “You probably won’t see much progress on the park land in the next year, or even possibly five years. We’re going to do what we can when we can afford it, and after each item has been through further approvals at all levels.”

Abbo asked residents to be patient, as the project still has many hurtles ahead of it. Still, the mood of the meeting was overwhelmingly positive.

The master plan for the park basically includes a wish list of possible amenities. Included in the proposal is a community center, a paved trail, a sledding hill, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a water park, courts for basketball and tennis, woodlands with hiking trails, a large lawn with a band shell for outdoor concerts, a pond, and an energy park that could potentially be used to educate visitors about wind turbines and energy conversion.

While each of these amenities must go through further review, the major take-away from the meeting was the unanimous support by the board of trustees to move ahead with the project. In addition to nearly all of the residents who came to the meeting, the park proposal has garnered support from a variety of groups, including the Michigan Mountain Bike Association and SoulBrain Michigan.

With a population of just under 6,000, Northville is a small town with a big reputation. Known throughout the Metropolitan Detroit area for its friendly, neighborhood vibe, Northville is also a hot spot for local arts and entertainment, great food and excellent shopping. As a suburb of Detroit, Northville is also just minutes from big city attractions, such as the Detroit Institute of the Arts and Ford Field—home of the Detroit Lions. Located adjacent to major highways, such as I-96 and I-275, Northville is ideal for commuters.

Northville houses for sale range from historic estates of the Queen Anne architectural era, to handsome ranch houses with sprawling acreage, to compact condominiums close to downtown. The median home price in Northville is $258,600, with condominiums ranging from $100, 000 to $400,000 and larger estates ranging from $150,000 to $700,000. The variety of Northville real estate reflects the diversity of its residents, which include young families, retirees, Detroit professionals, University of Michigan students and employees, artists and entrepreneurs.

Northville’s proximity to the Great Lakes, state and local parks, hiking trails and wilderness areas makes it perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers. Northville is also home to Meadowbrook Country Club—one of the most prestigious private golf clubs in the region and past host site of the PGA Championships.

Northville real estate also benefits from Northville’s strong local economy and low unemployment rate. Northville Public Schools operates six elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and two special education programs. Northville schools consistently perform at or above state and national levels, and in 2011 the district had sixteen National Merit Finalists. With its quaint streets, historic sites—such as Northville Downs—and varied commerce, it’s no surprise that Northville houses for sale are in such high demand.

As a friendly and active community in prominent Oakland County, Novi continues to foster growth and development for the community. The city’s Minor Home Repair Program and the county’s Home Buying Program have helped current and potential homeowners. Now, over the past year, Novi’s economic outlook is strong. Development has been on the rise over this past year, and the Community Development Department’s efforts paid dividends for the city. The value of permits issued in 2011 more than doubled from 2010, from around $31,270,000 to nearly $69,450,000. Community Development Director Charles Boulard said, “I think the market and economy have certainly improved year to year…I’m hopeful because it is good for the residents.”

In 2010, 30 single-family residential permits were issued. But in 2011, 189 permits were issued, with an increased value of nearly $6 million. In 2010, nine multiple-residential unit permits were issued, compared with 86 in 2011. Lenox Hill and Liberty Park residential complexes are rebounding, and larger business and retail projects in the works include Walmart and Tognum.

Confidence in Novi’s economy is certainly good news. For those who own a home or condo, they can feel good about the potential for their property to recover value or perhaps increase in value. And for those looking to buy a home, they can be more confident about investing in market that has regained strength.

As Boulard said, “the developers are building again because the city is attractive to families to move in. And in terms of businesses, they have some confidence and are willing to spend dollars…hopefully that means jobs, too.”

A new flood plan ordinance has been introduced for Northville Township. The flood plan ordinance will help locals obtain insurance for commercial and residential properties prone to flooding. The ordinance is meant to ease the challenges flood area residents face while providing them with access to necessary compensation in the event of a catastrophe.

An enforcing agency made up of Northville Township’s building officials will designate regulated flood hazard areas under the provisions in the state construction code. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been updating the National Flood Insurance Program’s flood rate maps, which evaluate residential and commercial properties to determine their flood risk and whether flood insurance is required. The overall idea of the ordinance is to help those in flood-prone areas who would otherwise be unable to obtain insurance.

FEMA has asked Northville Township to adopt the flood plan ordinance based on their latest map assessment, according to Don Weaver, public service director of Northville Township. The new areas included in the flood plan ordinance are along Johnson Creek in the Arcadia Ridge subdivision and Northville Road and the Middle River Rouge. The Arcadia Ridge subdivision was surveyed for the flood plan before it was developed. Weaver stated that homeowners in Arcadia Ridge should already be apprised of the designation, and that residents along Northville Road and the Middle River Rouge have known about potential flooding as well.

The updated assessment does not reflect any changed circumstances, including previously unknown flood areas and/or emerging vulnerable properties. Rather, the flood plan ordinance reflects existing flood-prone areas.

In this post-Black Friday season, it seems like everyone’s plotting the most cost-effective ways to ‘give’ to their loved ones; where’s the best sale for that Blu-ray player your dad wants? How about that sale on Louis Vuitton purses, for your sister? Yet, not everyone in the Novi community is focused solely on giving back to their loved ones. In fact, some are looking to spread the holiday cheer a bit further out than their own homes.

Novi Middle School teacher Peter Cemate is one of those people. According to writer Nathan Mueller’s article on Hometownlife.com, Cemate has used his hunting spoils from the last four deer hunting seasons not to keep his own winter pantry stocked, but to help out the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit. He was even able to rope some of his coworkers into the food-gathering effort, and, as a group, they’ve managed to donate nearly 160 pounds of venison and 1,000 pounds of food.

Cemate isn’t the only Novi resident who’s been tapping into their inner Santa. In fact, according to Cemate, many of the school district kitchens will donate excess food to emergency food suppliers, like Capuchin. Joanne Clements, the director of food services in the Novi School District, said that before break, all food that will expire while the students are off is donated either to Cemate or to Forgotten Harvest, another Detroit food provider. Joanne went on to say that it’s better “to feed people than to feed trash cans.”

The great thing about having a community hero it that he or she can inspire the rest of us to be heroes, too—and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here, with Cemate’s example. So don’t throw away the leftovers, or extra canned goods you picked up by accident; contact one of the programs (or Cemate himself!) and give a bit back to the rest of the community this holiday season.

What do you want in your hometown? Do you want posh downtown locations, where you can indulge in a bit of chic, current culture? Shopping centers and concert venues where you can see or hear something new and exciting every so often?

Or would you rather have that close-knit feel, where neighbors all know each other by name, and life happens at its own, natural pace? Where you know everyone walking down the street?

What if it didn’t have to be a choice between one or the other?

Novi is, in many ways, a city that is the perfect compromise between both cultures, and the newly-opened Elle Salon is the perfect example of this fusion. Operated by siblings Marina Bojaj and Gjoni Comaj, the salon is a sleek, high-end establishment—but it’s still very much a family-operated business, with no real desire to stray from its roots.

In fact, according to Comaj, that’s exactly the point. In a recent Hometown Life article, Comaj said that their business strategy is “all about making people feel comfortable. There’s no snootiness, and you feel like you’re walking into your own home. It’s ‘house-meets-salon,’ and very family-oriented.” As if to emphasize this point, relatives and family members of the siblings are constantly stopping in to the salon, making it seem as though, if it’s not their customers’ house, at least the salon closely resemble the siblings’ own respective homes.

Both owners have worked as hair stylists in the Novi area for a number of years, and they bring their extensive experience to Elle. The salon offers a full-range of services, including haircuts, coloring, treatments, esthetics, and even eyebrow extensions.

It’s always nice to have the options to live in a town with a splash of high-end culture, but it’s even better when everyone in town is also like an extension of your own family. And that’s exactly what Elle represents; familiar, neighborly posh.

With the sudden, early reminder of winter, it’s the perfect time for a hot bowl of soup—and that’s exactly what volunteers are serving tomorrow, between 4 and 7 pm in Northville High School.

According to Nancy Kelsey’s article on Patch.com, the soup dinner will follow a day spent packing food to be sent out to those in need, both within the United States and without. Volunteers from Northville will be working alongside volunteers from Detroit and Hamtramck to pack thousands of food bags, each containing rice and soy that will be given to children around the world. It’s a great opportunity, both for the hungry and for the kids participating, as they’ll be working with kids they might never have met otherwise. According to event organizer Dottie Garrity, kids will be “working together, problem-solving, to benefit other children around the world.” The hope is that, in doing so, kids will learn to make connections with other communities that may even last a lifetime.

Yet, there’s no doubt that some lives will be changed. Kids Against Hunger, the organization behind the soup dinner, has packaged and sent nearly 410,000 bags of food to hungry children around the world since the organization’s founding in 2005, all in their effort to help reduce world hunger. The organization is dedicated to helping children, both abroad and at home; echoing Dottie Garrity’s sentiments, the organization’s website describes its mission as to teach kids “to help people around the world…and [also] around the corner.”

Few communities can boast the kind of dedication to civic duty that Northville can, and that’s what makes it such a wonderful place to raise a family. Community leaders are dedicated to espousing notions of global citizenship to the next generation, all in an effort to raise a more engaged community that looks beyond the neighborhood to the wide world beyond.

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post on Novi’s hazardous waste day and how it provided Novi residents an outlet to safely—and inexpensively—get rid of any household materials that might not be safe to leave around for the dog or kids to poke into. This month, it’s the Northville community’s turn to get rid of its trash; starting at 8 am tomorrow morning, the Wayne County Department of Public Services will be picking up household hazardous waste materials at 122000 Beech Daly Road in Redford, MI, so don’t miss this chance to safely, and environmentally, dispose of all those empty paint cans and antifreeze containers. Not sure if something will be accepted? There’s a handy online flyer detailing all of the items that will be accepted, along with those that won’t be. Be sure to check it out before loading up your car!

It’s probably safe to say that every homeowner wants to live in a clean, safe neighborhood, and hazardous waste disposal programs—such as the one in Wayne County—ensure that our communities remain clean. However, it also takes some effort on the homeowner’s part, too; according to a statement by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, our day-to-day actions have a lot more impact on the environment than we imagine—it’s not just chemical companies poisoning our water systems! Everyday mistakes like improper waste disposal and littering can leave lingering effects far beyond what we might imagine, so here are some tips, courtesy of SEMCOG, to keep in mind when cleaning up the house after a major renovation or move:

1. Always make sure that toxic substances are identifiable. That means storing them in their original containers, and making sure that the labels are conspicuous.
2. Keep toxic materials in cool, dry places, away from curious little hands or paws.
3. Only purchase as much of a toxic material as you need, and consider using less-toxic alternatives. SEMCOG suggests using vinegar and water instead of window cleaner, for example.
4. Always dispose properly at a toxic waste center on collection day. Never throw toxic materials out in the trash or sink.

By keeping these tips in mind, we can ensure our communities remain clean for the generations to come. And don’t forget to stop by Redford Toxic Waste Center tomorrow, between 8am and 2pm!