michigan

Most Expensive Zip Codes: 48304, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up today, 48304 . This zip code refers to the town of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This zip code has a median price of $1,180,000 with an appreciation rate of 113% since 1990. Bloomfield Hills was recently in the news when one of the homes that Aretha Franklin owns in the Detroit suburb was slated for foreclosure due to failure to pay back taxes.

A while back I mentioned a $14.75 million home in Bloomfield Hills that was being built by Sally Russell Building Company. Today's home is another lavish Sally Russell build. The work on this project began in 2002. The home is a Tudor on steroids, an impressive build that has turrets, leaded glass windows, and details like walnut and oak floors hand scraped to appear aged and marble and stone floors that have also been treated to have the patina of age.

Originally, a 1917 Spanish-style house occupied the lot, it was torn down but two crystal chandeliers, wrought iron pieces, the original front door, a pine cabinet and Pewabic tiles were all salvaged and incorporated into the new home. This property has six bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, lower level wet bar, elevator, exercise room, sauna, steam shower, guest quarters, au pair suite, theater, game room, an outside fountain, hot tub, pool and a heated storage room under the terrace for winter furniture storage. This home is on three acres and is listed at $9,900,000.

Gallery: Most Expensive Zip Codes, 48304, Bloomfield Hills, MI

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Tags: bloomfield hills, BloomfieldHills, estate of the day, luxury real estate, LuxuryRealEstate, michigan, most expensive zip codes, MostExpensiveZipCodes, sally russell building, SallyRussellBuilding

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Book-Cadillac Keeps Condo Hope Alive in Detroit

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Real estate in Detroit is pretty dismal overall but there is one bright spot, the Westin Book-Cadillac. The old 1924 building is being turned into a hotel, restaurant and residential complex. The condos, which sell for $375,000 to $1.5 million, are going fast, 61 of the 67 units have already been sold. The $180 million project sold 40 units in just the first day they were put on the market over a year ago. The Book-Cadillac's noble past is part of the allure; it was Detroit's top hotel for years. It came on hard times in the 1980s when it was closed and the city couldn't even put together enough money to raze it. The top six floors of the building will be condos and the hotel will have 455 rooms and is set to open next fall.

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Tags: book-cadillac, condominiums, condos, detroit, michigan

JW Mariott Grand Rapids Set To Open

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Detroit Free Press has an interesting article on the JW Marriott Grand Rapids, a $100 million, 24-story luxury hotel set to open this week. The hotel has 337 rooms including the Founders Suite which rents for $2,500 a night. it is hoped that the new hotel will help the city compete for convention and meetings business. The Free Press resorts that the hotel had orginally planned to turn the 19th floor into a women-only enclave. The idea was shelved after criticism and the 19th floor rooms which include amenities such as a shaving stool in the bathtub for legs, ionic hair dryers and soft chenille bedspreads will now be open to both sexes. All rooms include a Steelcase office chair and a technology pack so that the 37-inch flat screen TV in the room can be used as a computer monitor or gaming screen.

The main theme of the hotel relates the the five cities of Grand Rapids: Omihachiman, Japan; Perugia, Italy; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Ga District, Ghana, and Zapopan, Mexico. The rooms and public areas feature photographic images of these cities as well as artwork created by artists from these cities. The Mixology lounge on the 23rd floor which will feature an iPod DJ some nights and the Six One Six restaurant offers gourmet fare. Other amenities include a fitness facility with a heated pool, a helipad,a ballroom, board rooms and a business center. Rooms start at $229 per night with rooms on the concierge floors going for $40 to $50 more.

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Tags: grand rapids, hotel, luxury hotel, marriott, michigan

Three Michigan Wineries Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

If Napa Valley is out of your price range for your winery owning dream you might want to consider Michigan. Right now you have three prime opportunities on Michigan's desirable Leelanau Peninsula and all three are listed for far less than you might expect to spend in Napa.

Bel Lago is a boutique winery with 90 acres, of which more than 30 are planted. The winery produces around 5,000 cases a year and has won several awards. It is priced at $3.95 million.

Chateau de Leelanau, which is to be auctioned off on September 30, is 102 acres total. The winery bottled its first vintage in 1999 and 27 acres are planted with another 30 cleared for planting. It produces about 4,800 cases and winemaking is provided by an off-site consultant. The suggested starting bid is $3.5 million.

The most modest of the three is Willow Vineyard. It has just 12 acres (7.5 of which are planted with grapes), a house, tasting room and winery and produces 1,200 cases per year. It is listed at $2.35 million.

This is the first time that a winery in the region will be sold publicly and so many are eagerly watching what will happen in order to see just how hot Midwest wineries are.

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Tags: leelanau peninsula, michigan, wine, wineries, wineries for slae

70 Vendome, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In 1920s and 30s Michigan, architect Robert O. Derrick was the man to see. The famed architect specialized in period revival styles bringing his classic styles to residences and public buildings in the Grosse Pointe area. This home was built in 1929 and is the type of elegant nostalgia you would expect in a Derrick home. This six-bedroom home has been updated but still has an old-fashioned feel. Details include a gourmet kitchen, multiple fireplaces, hardwood floors, swimming pool and a heated four car garage. It is listed at $2.195 million. After the jump, ivy on the outside and way too much greenery in the kitchen.

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Tags: estate of the day, grosse pointe, GrossePointe, luxury real estate, michigan

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Windmill Pointe Drive, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Grosse Pointe Park area of Michigan is famed for its mansions which are often appointed with every amenity except good taste. This one is one of the best examples. It is a newer home and is on Lake St. Clair with its own private harbor, putting green and a built in pool. The large four-bedroom home includes a living room with 18 foot ceiling, lounge, library, stereo room and exercise room. The home's lower level is tricked out for entertaining with a billiards room, wine cellar with a tasting area and a full bar and a second kitchen. It is one of those homes that contains just about everything the owner could think of and it is designed for impressing the people you invite over. It is listed at $8.5 million. After the jump, I bet you can guess which room they call the princess room.

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Tags: estate of the day, grosse pointe park, GrossePointePark, luxury real estate, michigan

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Detroit-area Condo Project Halted

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Seems the good news about Detroit-area condos isn't universal. A promised high-rise in Troy, Michigan has been scrapped. The Monarch Condominiums, which we first learned about in March, would have been a pair of condominium towers with 165 units. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press some buyers had combined units to create million-dollar homes but not enough people had bought in the more modest $400,000 to $800,000 range to make the project profitable. The developers hope to perhaps move forward at a later date, perhaps after the drastically dipping condo market recovers.

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Tags: condo, detroit, michigan, real estate, troy

Slingshot's Travel-Friendly Mountain Bike

by Anne Metz (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

With recent posts about Bike Friday and Co-Motion's Espresso Co-Pilot on the brain, I thought I'd take a gander over at Michigan's Slingshot Bicycles to see what they've got going in terms of travel-friendly bikes.

Slingshot has been by making waves in the bike industry for a while now. As its name might imply, Slingshot uses taut cable in all the right places.

In terms of travel bikes, Slingshot offers the Fold-Tech mountain bike. The result is not only a mountain bike that folds down to fit in a suitcase, thus saving you the airlines' unconscionable bike fees (why is it that golf clubs -- which weigh a lot more than bikes, by the way -- don't seem to cause their owners $80 worth of grief each way?), but also a ride that will definitely turn heads.

Tags: bike friday, BikeFriday, co-motion, foldable bike, FoldableBike, michigan, mountain bike, MountainBike, slingshot, travel bike, TravelBike