Detroit City Inspectors Working Harder

I knew that the city of Detroit would start to turn around after the election of Mayor Bing. I just didn't expect it would be so soon. The first real evidence that the city of Detroit government is improving arrived in the mail yesterday at my office.

8 tickets for an unmowed lawn that added upto over $2000 in fines! Jeez, that seemed a bit harsh. Luckily for me I had already sold that house months ago (public records obviously hasn't updated with the city of Detroit recently) and I passed it along to the investor.

Which brings me to the point. When you buy a foreclosure in Detroit, get it rehabbed, rented, and placed with a property management company right away. I come across many investors who just want to buy the property and then sit on it for one reason or another.

Before this event, there really wasn't too many downsides to just letting your property sit. Sure, there were laws but they really weren't enforced so you could get away with it.

The extremely expensive tickets mailed to me have rung in a new era. I imagine I will see more of this as the city targets investors and homeowners who just sit on property and not take care of it.

The reality is that this is really good news. This is the sort of thing good government should do and it is a great sign of change for the city of Detroit. As investors, we all benefit from nice looking yards and houses and a government that seeks to keep them that way.


Jeremy Burgess
The Detroit Market Expert