3111 Trumbull

this beautiful old house must just love being at auction, because it's back again in 2012

This house is gorgeous and has a huge lot next door. Looks like owner was in the middle of rehab and then stopped so inside might be easily rehabbed but right now lacks drywall etc. (just bare structure). Roof looks mostly OK except at top of peak there is evidence of a tarp and some damage. Foundation on the right side (when looking off of trumbull) of the house looks good. Foundation on the left side (shown in picture) is really in rough shape and you can see through to the basement which is also in really rough shape. Plywood door not locked when we visited, evidence of people living inside so we didn't go in. Windows on the second floor look intact. Across the street is some commercial building and view of the casino. I hope someone with a lot of money can buy this house and bring it back to life!

As I mentioned last nite, I posted this property in an ad on Craigslist: http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/reo/3315975330.html
Any suggestions for improvements to the ad are welcome.

Was thinking I could include a link to this page to expand the conversation, but wanted to clear that with Jerry first.

Cross-posted to: NYC-Manhattan, Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Definitely had some rehab activity - look at this aerial view from Bing!

Also, Trulia says taxes were $1820 in 2011.

Good detective work, Chris. I am definitely interested in this property but not sure I have enough savings to bring it back to life. Any one have an estimate range for bare-bones re-hab of a house in this condition?

There are a couple of open questions about this property. This is shown on Trulia and Zillow as a 'Condo', unit #1. This probably means it is part of a neighborhood association that is organized as condo group OR the building was divided into two condo units (upper/lower). The lot next to this does NOT show up as a real lot on the city/county platt maps, which means it is either 'common space' in an association, or some type of easement. That can be good/bad.

This seems much more suitable as a commercial space, given the location, than a residence.

This building is actually divided into 3 units. There are separate hvac (possibly geothermal) units for each. The inside is rough-framed, and I was quite impressed by the rebuilt roof, high quality windows, and skylights. From what I remember the taxes are super high, though, and the gate across the street can be annoyingly loud when used for deliveries. I'm pretty sure anyone can just walk right in.

Yes, this makes sense, there are also 3 electricity meters on the side of the house. It's probably condo status because of this, but I have no idea about the lot. The Trulia/Zillow listing also says there's a garage. There is evidence there was a garage (concrete slab) in the back that was torn down.

Dear WDWOT? community,

I have been trying to purchase this property since the spring. The previous LLC that purchased the property at auction last year went belly up so the property reverted back to the county. Thus, I was unable to purchase the property because there was not a clear title of ownership and unfortunately fate has landed this home back on the auction block. I am a preservation architect based in Midtown and living in Brush Park. I am a community advocate focused on identifying barriers to preservation, and this house is a perfect case study for how Detroit's system of ownership is failing. I have already gone through base assessments for the property and have the financials to complete a historically and environmentally sensitive renovation into multi-unit market rate apartments with a community space on the first floor. This last component will of course will require a zoning variance, but I have already built a good case for multi-use in this location.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not bid and drive the price up. After almost a year of research I have been seriously pursuing this property exclusively for more than half a year, and it would be a shame to lose it to auction. I have investors and foundation money lined up once the project is purchased, but only so much to initially bid with. If you are serious about the property, no reason we can't all work towards the same goal. Send me an email so we can talk about a possible collaboration amy@buildinghugger.org. Otherwise, if you're simply spec bidding, I respectfully ask that you focus elsewhere.

My many thanks.

Hi Amy , nice to see your enthusiasm . I must say tho , you do understand that you are not the only one who thinks that they have the best use for any property . Its not just you , I have seen others on this site asking people not to bid on certain properties for whatever reason . Your desires are no more important than anyone else's . I wish no one bids on the properties I want also . I think it is a bit unrealistic and selfish to post these type of requests . I say this without malice , and do not intend to seem mean .

personally, i think it's great that amy and others post their interest when they sincerely feel they have a great use for or connection to a place. like you say, it's up to someone else to agree or disagree, but in an otherwise anonymous and impersonal process where people can bid on things at a distance without knowing that a home is occupied or a building is cared about by someone local with a plan, by all means please let it be known. the sooner the dialog can start the better, because if someone besides amy buys this house, they can be dang sure she'll be ringing the door bell. :-)

Thats fair points and true Jerry . But there are a few things to remember. Everyone has their own reason for buying , even if its just speculation to make quick money . The person who does that feels thats the best use , as it enriches their life and there is no guaranty that community use and etc. will even pan out on any given property . Most people bidding on this auction will never visit this site so it may fall on deaf ears . Wealthy out of state speculators bidding based on google images and basically playing monopoly with real money are who she is bidding against and they probably don't care . As Amy pointed out correctly , this property sold last year , but the buyer reneged on the purchase , thus it is back again . And thats another problem , people just bidding it up and not knowing anything about the property . Just for lolz check ebay the week after the deeds arrive , say Nov 25th and see all the detroit property being listed , complete with google images from 2009 as representation of the house being sold . Good luck Jerry and Amy . And don't worry Amy , I shall not be bidding against you on the property . I promise to stay away from that one hehehehehhe.

Homer Simpson said it better and a lot more succinctly, citibankmanhattan.

"Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is: Never try."

Thank you for posting that Amy. I will stay out of your way and wish you the best of luck. My advice, seek out any of the local developers, stakeholders, etc. who might be sniffing around and explain where you're coming from. Reasonable people will hear you out, perhaps even get out of your way. Out-of-town speculators looking to scam a quick buck are never going to hear you, let alone be reasonable.

I wasn't saying never try . Just telling the truth . Everyone feels that they have the best use for the property they buy .Everyone bidding at the auction wants to buy what they want to buy for the cheapest possible price . Everyone bidding would prefer that no one bids against them . No reason to ask people not to bid. Everyone might just as well ask it for every property in the auction . Everyones desire and ideas for a particular property are just as valid as the next persons .

It makes a difference. Me going after this property would be like friendly fire. I can make a serious run at it, but I am not as motivated as Amy. She would win, but it would cost her thousands of dollars she might not have to spend if I had known her intentions before the auction. The people who bid it up properties like this to speculate on them may be fine with their actions, but I am not.

alllright alllright, let's hug it out and move on to other properties and topics for a while. at the end of the day we are all equal in the county's eyes. amen. :-)

I am not naive to how this auction or real estate in this city works. On the contrary, in fact. I understand that people are of their own free will to bid and buy as they choose, whether it be for their own personal financial aims or for the betterment of the neighborhood in which their properties reside (ideally both, right?). I mean, isn't this he ultimate expression of a free market system at work? I was making my plea to people like Jon (fellow members of the community that have similar goals that may choose not to friendly fire) or other people in the community who may want to collaborate in some way to ensure this home is renovated properly and filled with people that will call it home. My interest in this property goes beyond its character or its development potential -- I was looking to save it from this system of speculation that has done little good for it or this city. Indeed, the auction has not been good to it. If someone can and wants to outbid me in this pursuit, they are perfectly within their rights to do so. But as Jerry said, you better believe I will be ringing the doorbell with a basket of muffins to check on progress... and I ride by on my bicycle a dozen times or more every week. ;)

I'd been eyeing this house for a little while, but knowing your background and level of interest, Amy, I'll focus on one of my other choices. Good luck! I'd love to see what you come up with.

A word of caution: while the Treasurer might've combined the parcels, my recollection from looking into it last year at the WCROD was that the property was actually split into four parcels during the condo split. It might be worthwhile to look into this to make sure you don't get stuck in a battle with another owner.

I have a bunch of photos from the inside (taken a year ago). How can I easily upload all of them? Here's one...

This building is such a treasure. Good luck to those who bid!

This is a beautiful home. I will be bidding on it and I plan to own, restore, and live in it. Good luck to all those bidding on this and other properties :-)

Mark from Frontier Detroit? We need to talk, buddy! I'm not bidding on this property, but know it'll go pretty high. I'm wondering if there's a way to partner with others and own a single unit? You should contact Amy Swift (amy@buildinghugger.com) as she's already done a bunch of financial prep work on this building. And if you can't get this one, you should join forces with me on 318 E Milwaukee!

The retired master parcel ID # from before the building was condo-ized is in fact what is foreclosed and on auction here. This is an error. I spent my morning at the county AND city offices to rectify the situation since the actual owner hasn't despite their knowledge of it. This will be withdrawn.

You're welcome, citizens of Detroit.

I'm a little concerned over this! The current owner hasn't improved the property at all and is unaware of their own property's tax status. The countless hours of dreaming, planning, and preparation spent on this property will hopefully be shifted to other great structures in Detroit!