All Forum Posts by: John Knappmann

@Bill Gulley

A minor correction. The Packard Plant is in Detroit and is of questionable value, but a developer plans to put new manufacturing and other uses on the site he just bought for less than $1 Million dollars.

On the other hand, the more historical Highland Park Plant, built by Henry Ford, is in Highland Park, Michigan, and will now be turned into a museum, thanks to a state grant.

@Rob K.

Thanks for the tip. I went to addtext.com and tried it. Took me about five seconds to make this:

Really simple and easy to use. The name in the lower corner is a bit annoying, though.

Welcome Tom. Brett is right that we have a pretty active group of people here local to Metro Detroit. They are especially busy up in the area you are talking about and Joe, Tom, Aaron, and others will be popping in soon. I live Downriver, which is my investment focus.

It certainly sounds like you have a great life plan. If the numbers on the condo rentals work, then it sounds like you have found a working system. The usual knock on condos is that you don't get the appreciation, but that also is dependent on what you pay for them.

There is a monthly meetup, but I will leave it for the organizers to talk about. I have been to a couple and endorse them.

Good luck, there is a lot to read here, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

I work downtown, have for almost 30 years now, and have seen the transformation there over the last five years. I have seen Midtown change. I have seen other cities change. Detroit has a bad element, but the majority are good, law-abiding people who want to live in peace and raise a family, just like anywhere else. Change will be slow, but change is possible.

@Scott K. and @Carson M. , no argument about the school system from me. The state's solution to take schools away from DPS and let a state-appointed group run them mistakenly thinks that the biggest problem is the school board. Problem is that you have students who are only there because their parents can't get them somewhere else or don't care enough to move them. Kids can't learn under the current conditions,and it does not matter who their school board is. The change needs to be in the neighborhood around the school before the school gets better.

I also agree that the neighborhoods are generally as bad as can be, but I see signs of that turning around, slowly. Right now, you have to be careful and know where you are investing.

I agree with the overall sentiment of the cover, although turning around Detroit is like turning the proverbial battleship. Downtown and Midtown are definitely improved, but there are neighborhoods that need police, fire, and lights. Get those up to par, and improve the bus service, and you have the potential for a lot of growth in the city. People vote with their feet, and Detroit has been losing population for a long time. Get some people moving back in and then a turnaround could be real and lasting. I'm not only rooting for the city, but have put some money where my mouth is.

Welcome, Lisa!

Welcome Ian! There are a lot of good opportunities in metro Detroit. Feel free to post questions, that's how everybody learns around here.

Mike, congradulations on what sounds like a profitable investment.