OMG! They're giving away Detroit homes!!!!

[haha]

I currently live in suburb of Detroit, have lived in Detroit, went to University in Detroit for 7 years, and have worked in Detroit. I truly see no hope for the city. I wouldn't accept a house there for free. Industry never branched out from automotive. No mass transit (squashed by BIG 3); riducously corrupt politicians; vacant automotive plants; consistenly near the worst in murders; poorly educated with college grad leaving the state at an alarming rate (no jobs); homes in my area have gone from $320,000 to $188,000, about 40%. With automotive white collar workers losing their jobs and leaving the state in addition to blue collar workers losing their $30/hr jobs to take $12/hr jobs the picture is bleak.

I am no expert on anything but I can certainly give you firsthand accounts as to what is going on here. My Dad lived through the 70's here and says the sentiment now is much worse. Of course in the 70's we did not have cable TV bills, cellphone bills, $2 H2O and coffee habits, 2500 sq. ft. homes, eat out more than a few times a YEAR, 2.5 vehicles per household, daycare bills...etc. I think we are headed back in many ways to these simpler times - and for the most part I welcome it. Then again, people never seem to learn. I'm very grateful for my job, my health, and for the great advice Ive received on this blog over the years.

Thanks for your very informative post. Thinking about Detroit in the 70s it seems that the cars were truly terrible. That decade of fuel worries gave Big Three a challenge they had a lot of trouble with.

Now the cars are good, but it seems that maybe it is too late.

How much money has Detroit wasted on Urban Renewal Projects that just sit there full of everything but customers? Who wants to get killed just for a night on the town?

Ha

 

[Orchidflower]

This week's "Time" magazine just came last evening (3/27/09) in the mail, and there is a huge article on the sad condition and potentially sad future of Detroit FYI. Various ideas are being tossed about as to what to do with the city now, but the agreement seems to be that Detroit will never be back to the 2MM it had in the 1970's.

 

[Steve O]

Gee that sounds terrible...

I think I'll get in my POS Jap car and go to Wallmart and pick up some Chinese crap so I can do my part to "Stimulate" the economy

 

[RAE]

I was born and raised (until age 16) in a suburb of Detroit, Warren. At that time (late 60's), it wasn't all that bad of a place to live. My family moved to northern Michigan after that, which is where I still live. We love it here, although the winters are a bit long for some folks (remedy for that is to head south for a few months each winter, which is what we plan to do when I retire). I still have relatives in the Detroit area, although most have moved out a little ways from the city now (Ann Arbor, places like that). The city of Detroit is indeed a mess right now. I don't think I could live there anymore, even if I was given a house. It's a different world up in northern Michigan where I live, though. Not many jobs, but if you are retired, it's a great place to live and recreate. Small houses in town here (town of 4,000) go for about $40,000 for a pretty nice, well-maintained 2-bedroom home. Less if you don't mind doing a little fix-up work. Crime is virtually non-existent. Beautiful lakes and forests. We have no plans to leave after retirement, other than a winter escape for a while each year.

 

[Nords]

As I remember, last month Detroit's average home sale price was $7500.00.

I couldn't live in Detroit....I'd freeze my tah tahs off....

I'd pay $7500 for an insurance policy against being forced to move anywhere with winter weather...

 

[haha]

NCAA Men's Final Four is coming up in Detroit next weekend. Maybe a lift for them?

Ha

 

[unclemick]

Me Mudder was born in Detroit(1916). Growing up I thought Michigan was a foreign country - til I got older went to UW and lived in Seattle - then I was informed all about 'refugee's from Minnesota' - and dirty blond jokes.

heh heh heh -

 

[mickeyd]

Detroit. Isn't that the place that they are holding the Final Four next weekend? I wonder why they selected that place as a location?

 

[REWahoo]

Detroit. Isn't that the place that they are holding the Final Four next weekend? I wonder why they selected that place as a location?

Farewell celebration?

 

[Trek]

Seems like a good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a slumlord career.