Home owners are beginning to use urban wood sources to remodel or to create additions to their homes.

Photo by Chris Amos

A Washington Post article has featured two Ann Arbor homes that have incorporated local timber into the design.  John Scudder and Regan Knapp have turned their garage into a guest bedroom and office. Complete with windows and full height ceilings, the entire space has been refurbished using lumber cut from two pines in their back yard.

Eric and Sally Pauls have also remodeled using local lumber. Their one of a kind 1920s kitchen required custom pieces, the kind not found in a hardware store. Hiring a local contractor and using urban lumber the couple spent roughly the same as if they had order the pieces made from a large distributor.

Most people probably wont consider this kind of remodeling material as an option, but it does exist. The problem is that very few contractors advertise the service and you simply have to look out for it. The wood is also more difficult to cut down, clean and process than most regular lumber is.

Homeowners seem to  mostly use the wood due to a sentimental attachment to the tree after it has died. You planted the tree when a child was born, when you moved in, you climbed on and played on it. Now it’s the counter and cupboard, the rail on the stairs or the floor in the guest room. Δ John Fenton

Student housing is growing in Ann Arbor, specifically residential high rise housing. The last few years have seen a trend grow in the development of high rise buildings designed with the express intent of catering to students from the University of Michigan.

A number of these buildings have been built, are being built, have been proposed, or are frozen in some point of their development. Along with being designed to cater exclusively to students the buildings share a number of similar features. These include; green amenities, encouraged bicycle transportation, multiple room options and customizable features, limited underground parking, individual lease agreements per person rather than per unit, and all boast over 10 stories.

Currently there are five of these developments that have been constructed or are in some stage of actual development. These five include:

Zaragon Place on E. University

Zaragon Place. Already constructed on E. University, Zaragon Place is a 10 story student housing development with over 240 beds. The building features furnished apartments, green appliances, and also water saving measures. The building is less than a block from the diag and across the street from campus. Surrounded by bars and restaurants, Zaragon Place ads to the city atmosphere in this part of downtown.

Zaragon West. A sister building to Zaragon Place, the Zaragon West is currently under construction at E. William and Thompson. It will also house over 240 students, contain all the same functions and amenities as well as host a variety of retail shops. Zaragon West is located almost exactly between campus and downtown, a short walk to either.

Construction of the Zaragon West building, sister to Zaragon Place.

Sterling 411 Lofts

Sterling 411 Lofts. The 411 stands at the corner of Washington and Huron, features a 10th story sky lounge and an HDTV in each living room. Similar green amenities as offered elsewhere are available here along with easy rent options, 24 hour maintenance, and a temperature controlled underground parking garage.

Landmark 601 Forest. Will be among the largest of these new student high rises. The building will house over 600 students after its completion and has space for multiple retail establishments. This development, like the others, hopes to increase foot traffic to certain areas and to expand the area formally referred to as downtown.

Landmark construction.

The Varsity. According to an AnnArbor.com article, the building has recently been approved by the city of Ann Arbor and will begin construction soon. The Varsity will stand at the location of the former Ann Arbor Professional Building, directly next to the Sterling 411 Lofts.

The construction of so many high rise apartments takes the development of the city further, expanding on the growth achieved by the development of high rise downtown Ann Arbor condominiums. Δ John Fenton

The hopeful developers of a high-rise loft building downtown are still optimistic about the project despite setbacks.

The development of the Kingsley Lane lofts, near Kerrytown in downtown Ann Arbor, MI., has been postponed further by uncertainty. According to an article on AnnArbor.com the new problem stems from issues related the original loan Peter Allen and Mark Berg took out on the property.

The original bank holding the loan went under during the banking crisis and it was transferred to Citizens Bank. Citizens, who would not refinance the loan, have sold it to a hedge fund. The newest holders are now calling for the total sum of the loan to be paid back in full. With no progress made since 2007, when construction was halted, this is not possible for Allen and Berg.

Valued at around $800,000 Allen anticipates the hedge fund paid much less than that when they acquired the property’s mortgage as part of a deal. Now the two simply wish to offer a cash amount to the lender with the hope that the hedge only seeks to make a profit on their purchase of the mortgage. If this is the case Allen and Berg will hold onto the property themselves and move forward with development, finally.

Kingsley Lane Lofts

Originally planned to be a “green” high-rise luxury condominium in downtown Ann Arbor, the project experienced some changes in 2010 to adjust for changes in the market. Allen and Berg redesigned the theme of the building to include smaller, more affordable units for young professionals entering the housing market for the first time. These units would also be for rent since, according to a quote in the article Allen thinks that the condominium “is obsolete in today’s marketplace”. The luxury options would remain along with all of the original features; green living, amenity customization, and retail space. Δ John Fenton

Winter is here and everyones heating bill is on the rise! However! All is not lost! Read on and find out how to winterize your home.

Ann Arbor Michigan Real Estate Green Building Interest Growing … »