New single-family homes rise in East Village

Construction of new homes may not be a big deal in many cities, but it is in Detroit, where we haven't seen many new single-family homes in a while. Yesterday, city officials and developers Greatwater Homes celebrated the first pending contracts on newly completed homes in East Village.

The homes are located on Fischer Street, not far from the soon-to-open Little Village arts development. Three completed homes were shown at the press conference, and two of the houses went under contract within a week of listing.

This is Phase One of the project. Greatwater Homes has 18 lots and 12 designs to choose from; homes can be built to order for interested future homeowners. Sales of the homes are led by O'Connor Real Estate.

Prices range on the high side for the neighborhood, but it should be noted that it's expensive to build in Detroit. Of the completed homes, a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath at 1,513 square feet is for sale for $439,000; a pending three-bedroom home at 1,840 square feet listed at $459,000; and a pending two-bedroom, 934-square foot home listed at $339,000. 

The houses have Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax abatements, which lowers the overall cost for the homeowners. Homes come with air conditioning, modern design, and a garage. The houses sit on 30x100 ft. lots. 

“It’s such a wonderful neighborhood, and our job was to make a great product to match. I think we nailed it,” said Matt Temkin, co-founder, Greatwater Homes. “We are so grateful to everyone who helped along the way, and especially thankful to the East Village Association for their years of friendship and their warm welcome to the new homeowners.”

“It is going to take a lot of different solutions to meet the incredible demand we see for living in Detroit,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Some people want condos or to live in an apartment on a vibrant commercial corridor, while others want the challenge of renovating a Land Bank house.  But there are a lot of people who want to live in a house in a Detroit neighborhood but prefer new construction.  The Greatwater model allows people to have a brand-new option in a great walkable area of the East Side, close to lots of retail, restaurants, and proximity to the water.” 

In recent decades, home ownership in Detroit often meant either buying an older home and possibly rehabbing it, or buying a new condo or townhouse. City Modern in Brush Park has offered a variety of new townhomes and condos in the past five years. And new construction in the North End added modern new builds to the neighborhood.

“East Village used to be full of families and businesses, with people on every block,” said Delores Orr, a leader of the East Village Association. “It is so wonderful to see new construction and excited homeowners once again.”

Browse through the gallery at the top of the page for more photos.