Living In Pike.com

Several times a year I like to stop by production builders communities, talk to the representative, see what they have going on and see how far they are from being built out. Last week I got the chance to see Ryland’s Northpoint Village. With only about 15 lots left, you had better hurry if you want to live there. I figure they will be gone by the end of this year. Crystal Kjaer, the Sales Counsler, who I had met several years ago filled me in. Right now they have a inventory home (home built with no buyer) that I got to look at. The two story Bradford B has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on pond and a full unfinished basement for a total of 2596 square feet. The price is $154,995. In my opinion, a very nice traditional home for the price. Stop by and check it out. Tell Crystal that Tim sent you. Her phone number is 317-228-2390

On Tuesday, August 18, the merger between Pulte Homes and Centex was completed. This merger brought together two industry leaders with a combined 100+ years of experience and long-standing reputations for construction quality.

The College Park theater has closed. After a 25 year run the AMC Loews College Park 14 movie theater says that they cannot compete with the Showplace 12 at Traders Point. It now sits empty.

I have it from a good source that the old Bob Evans restaurant at 9310 Michigan Road is about to become a Grand Traverse Pie Company. I drove by there yesterday and they have torn part of the building down.

We are about to have a new hotel in Intech Park. Hilton Hotels is going to open a full service Garden Inn mid September. It will have 122 rooms, Ballroom space for 180 people, a Great Americian Grill and rates will be between $89 to $199 a night.

My source also tells me that the old Galyans at Lafayette Road and Pike Plaza Road is going to become a Mexican Grocery. Kind of big don’t you think? The old Value City in the same center may become a nightclub.

And lastly…Jack In The Box will be opening their first restaurant in Indiana. My understanding is that it will be located at at 46th and Lafayette Road where the old Amaco gas station use to be. My guess is that there will be many more fast food restaurants opening in the area thanks to the new Wal Mart center across the street.

Davis Home Builders went under last year. They were a long time home builder in Pike Township. What remains is Augusta Meadows on 59th Street between Georgetown Road and Moller Road on the south side of the street. After years of getting different types of zoning, (apartments, condos, and the houses) they finally agreed to 77 lots and they could not build 2 story houses the first year. It was hopeful that the community would be all 1 story houses. Davis got as far as streets, sewers, water, lots and electrical. They did not build a model home, but tried to get by with a sales trailer. It did not work and nothing was sold. Davis went under last July and the land was returned to a Fort Wayne Bank. It has sat there while the Fort Wayne Bank tried to sell it to other builders. No takers. Between now and Sept. 3, Colliers Turley Martin Tucker Auction Services is conducting a sealed bid auction for Augusta Meadows at 5201 W. 59th St. My curiosity is killing me. I want to know who will buy it and what they will do with it. The commitments on the land are very strict thanks to Pike Township Residents Association.

Although there are now 3 months where we have beat last years numbers (by 11, 7 and 3) we are still behind by 79. What is interesting is that typically sales start to slow down by May each year. This year sales have gone up since May.

I still fell like the $8,000 tax credit had a lot to do with sales we have had this year. That started in Feb. and will end Nov. 30th.