Get valuable resources and assistance for homeowners in Detroit at the Go 4 It Healthy Homes Resource Fair.

A house renovation led to a unique discovery.

In recent years, some companies have gotten creative and started building homes out of unused shipping containers.

Why are developers allowed to keep building on the wetlands in Macomb County?

Yikes!

Style of proposal stirs up conversations

Home Buying Help; Football Stars in Local 4 Studios; Tasty Tuesday Restaurants.

Sarah Fishburne, director of trend & design at The Home Depot, offers five tips to creating the perfect backyard sanctuary.

“Growing up, I always knew that owning a home would be the ultimate American dream for me,” said new homeowner Wendy Alfaro-Cruz.

Official Contest Rules

In 2019, 77% of White (non-Hispanic) households owned their homes, compared to 43% of Black, 56% of Hispanic and Latino/a, 61% of Asian, and 61% of Native American and Alaska Native households.

Meteorologist Paul Gross is looking at simple ways you can keep your home warm and comfortable this winter season for less.

Homes in Ann Arbor were found to have a typical value of $482,100.

Whenever historic homes get flooded, building contractors often feel compelled by government regulations to rip out the water-logged wood flooring, tear down the old plaster walls and install new, flood-resistant materials.

The state of Michigan has approved the Missing Middle Housing Grant to help take some of the pressure off of Metro Detroit families struggling with the cost of rent or mortgages.

Below are some simple steps to help you manage your energy use and save.

Below are some simple steps to help you manage your energy use and save.

As residents voice concerns over the redevelopment proposal, it has been a years-long debate about what to do with the Northville Downs site.

One portion of the house has the original basketball court and bleachers, while another portion was renovated into elements of what typical homes have, such as a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.

35 years ago on June 21, 1987, a tornado made its way through a mobile home park in Novi Michigan. The tornado, damaging around 55 homes, killing one, and injuring six more, touched down at the Chateau Estates mobile home park.

Around 20 volunteers will paint, clean and organize, build a Free Little Library, plant flowers, prepare a community garden, help with home improvement in the West Willow neighborhood.

In honor of International Women’s Day, a team of volunteers, supporters and Women Build Committee members will meet to help renovate a home in Ypsilanti’s West Willow neighborhood.

Senior living communities can off a lifestyle that is fun, entertaining, enjoyable, and supportive.

Potential homeowners in Ann Arbor have the fifth-fastest rate for saving money out of 174 metro areas across the United States according to RentCafe.

Residential property assessments in Detroit are projected to increase by an average of 31% per neighborhood in 2021.

Each holiday season tends to produce different fads -- ones that sometimes make people say, “Why in the world was that so popular?”

A sprawling estate in Oakland County once owned by Eminem has hit the market for $3.2 million.

Home sweet home. But whose home is it really?

As the market to buy a home is currently through the roof, there are a couple of things you need to know before even looking for a house.

Homes continue to be listed and sold at break-neck speeds across the U.S., but the market is finally seeing a shift in demand.

With restrictions being lifted and some sense of normality returning, comes a time for get togethers and special occasions that you so dearly missed, but you may struggle to find the perfect gift for the occasion.

In the 70s Andrew Starks, a retired bus driver, noticed houses on his block were vacant -- so he started buying them.

If you’ve tried to get a quote recently to have work done to your home, chances are you have discovered that contractors are busy and in high demand.

The rising cost of wood, windows, doors and more are putting a lot of pressure on local contractors and home builders.

Prices for building supplies are at an all-time high across the nation, creating a ripple effect that is impacting home builders and buyers.

The foreclosure ban in Wayne County has been extended.

CLARKSTON, Mich. – A Clarkston man became concerned when he noticed a pothole on a busy road, so he tested its depth with a PVC pipe. “I thought it was a regular pothole, and the more I inspected it, there was no bottom,” said resident Josh Turcsak. Turcsak grabbed a long pipe from his garage and recorded a video of him lowering the pipe into the hole on Clarkston Road -- and that video went viral. READ: Why Michigan is so prone to potholes -- and why repairs seem ineffectiveThe video grabbed the curiosity of others as well, many wondering if it could be the beginning of a sink hole. The Oakland County Road Commission also said there is no danger to the public and that the road is not going to collapse.

Real estate during the pandemic has been a challenge in itself, but now there’s a new challenge: Inventory lows are now down to a one-month supply. You also have had existing homeowners that have taken advantage of the low interest rates and have refinanced,” said Schneider. Macomb County homes are selling the quickest, selling in less than a month on average. “It’s been a bit of a tightrope act, you know, as far as do you buy first and then put your house on the market? In this market, you can probably get away with that as a buyer-seller a little bit easier -- go find what you like, put your offer on that.

MONROE, Mich. – A vehicle parked on the driveway of a home in the 500 block of Conant Street in Monroe was shot at 15 times Friday around 10 p.m. while two separate homes in the area were also struck with gunfire, police say. When police arrived to the area after complaints about gunfire were made they found over 25 spent shell casings from different guns. As of Saturday there were no reports of injured victims, police say. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Monroe Police Department Detective Bureau.

Sales of new homes fell by 3.5% in September to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 959,000 million units. The Commerce Department said Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, that despite the modest decrease, sales of new homes are up 32.1% from a year earlier, as the housing market remains strong despite the pandemic. – Demand for new homes in the U.S. surged 4.3% in January with the housing market still one of the strongest segments of the economy. Last month's increase pushed sales of new homes to an adjusted annual rate of 923,000, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The housing market has remained remarkably resilient in the face of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

EAST CHINA, Mich. – A State of Emergency was declared in Saint Clair County due to the flooding along its titular river -- and ongoing cold weather is expected to bring more ice jams, causing more flooding concerns for residents. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for southeastern Saint Clair County until 10 a.m. Tuesday. The jam forced the St. Clair River to overflow, causing water to surround the homes nearby. READ: Ice jams cause significant flooding along St. Clair River“Came right over the top. More information on the survey can be found on the Be Ready St. Clair County website here or its official Facebook page here.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. – A State of Emergency was declared in Saint Clair County due to the flooding along its titular river. Ice jams have caused the Saint Clair River to flood significantly. The State of Emergency was declared due to widespread damages to property caused by the flooding. Citizens who are impacted by flooding to their properties are encouraged to utilize the online self-reporting survey to catalogue and report damage. More information on the survey can be found on the Be Ready St. Clair County website here or its official Facebook page here.

EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Three Coast Guard ice breakers from the United States and Canada have been working on the St. Clair River trying to break up ice dams. Homes along Pointe Drive in East China Township are affected. Those homes do not have basements but crawl spaces and if the water doesn’t recede soon, will be in people’s living rooms. READ: Ice jams cause significant flooding along St. Clair RiverSt. Clair County Emergency Director Justin Westmiller said the cause is a trifecta -- strong north winds, no ice bridge has formed in Lake Huron and all that ice has dumped into the river. “We got on the phone and by 3 p.m., we had federal assets from the U.S. and Canada speeding to the St. Clair River to break up the ice.”A fourth Coast Guard ice breaker will arrive Thursday morning.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. – Ice jams along the St. Clair River caused significant flooding in Algonac to Port Huron Tuesday and Wednesday. Pieces of ice collect and dam off the river, causing it to back up. What was uncommon was the typical help used to prevent the St. Clair River from spilling over wasn’t available, causing damage all along the river. READ: Homes impacted by flooding along St. Clair RiverPumps were turned on Wednesday and by noon, the water receded at least a foot. Two ice breaking ships -- U.S. Coast Guard’s Bristol Bay and Canadian cutter The Griffon -- have been conducting operations to ease the flooding.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. – Ice jams along the St. Clair River have flooded main roads and homes Tuesday from Algonac to Port Huron. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for southeastern St. Clair County until 10 a.m. Wednesday. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, two icebreaking ships -- the U.S. Coast Guard Bristol Bay and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon -- have been conducting icebreaking operations to ease the flooding. “Griffon was underway until 8:30 p.m. flushing ice that is contributing to the flooding, and both cutters will resume icebreaking operations at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Bristol Bay, normally homeported in Detroit, is staged in Algonac, Mich. for the overnight hours,” read a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard.

While your mortgage interest is tax deductible, a lower mortgage payment or cutting back on the number of years on your note is a great idea if you haven’t done so recently. Nathan Mersereau, certified financial planner and CEO of Planning Alternatives, said rates this low make it imperative to at least look into financing. If you have the opportunity to refinance, lowering your monthly mortgage payment is going to save you money that you can immediately put in your pocket or apply to your goals,” Mersereau said. Why it’s important to have your personal financial paperwork in orderREAD: Year End Money: Why calculating your net worth is importantThe Dollar Stretcher editor and founder Gary Foreman said there are many things to consider when refinancing your mortgage. Their rates may be a lot cheaper than the rates that you got when you first bought your car.”Watch the full report in the video above.

Jump in the car with the family and hit the road! There are a lot of neighborhoods in Metro Detroit that have homes with holiday light shows that are like seeing a professional show. Kila Peeples found a couple of holiday light shows that are worth checking out after hours. One is the Bostick Family home on Sheridan Street in Garden City which has lights dancing to a playlist of songs that range from traditional holiday music to movie soundtracks. Another home Kila went to is the Busch Family light show, where you can see music videos and celebs dancing on a tree during the 45-minute show,Watch the video above to see how amazing these light shows (and the families that run them) are!

Hurricane victims take refuge under a bridge in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. The Red Cross estimates that about 4.2 million people were affected by the back-to-back hurricanes in November in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. (AP Photo/Delmer Martinez)SAN PEDRO SULA – Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. Orlando Antonio Linares oversees a municipal shelter at a school in San Pedro Sula, where almost 500 hurricane victims have taken refuge.

DETROIT – When the sub-prime bubble popped, an estimated 10,000 Detroiters lost their homes -- many of them because their homes were over-assessedThe Detroit City Council announced a new plan Tuesday that features an eight-part program aimed at giving those who lost their homes a path to owning a new home in Detroit. The plan is likely to pass as five of the nine councilmembers are co-sponsors. The program includes:50% discount on any auction or Detroit Land Bank propertyPreferential hiring for the City of DetroitChildren and grandchildren getting preference to paid youth programsPreferential access to Detroit at work job search and career servicesPreferential enrollment in the City’s Rehab AcademyPreferential enrollment in the Senior home retro-fit programPreference for the occupancy of affordable housingPreferential access to financial counselingThere were a variety of reasons people lost their home. For instance, those who were in arrears for taxes may not be eligible, but if you were in arrears because of the over-assessment, you will be eligible for the programs.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sales of existing homes climbed 9.4% in September, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, the latest sign that the housing market remains red hot despite the coronavirus pandemic. On a seasonally-adjusted rate, the selling pace of existing homes climbed to 6.54 million annualized units. That is the highest level for that metric since February 2006, at the peak of the previous housing bubble. Housing inventory remains low as well, with only 2.7 months of home inventory on the market. But because of the pandemic, the spring home buying season was delayed a few months and pushed the bulk of the home buying season into the mid-to-late summer.

FRASER, Mich. – Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller announced a $12.5 million settlement for a lot where a home was condemned and demolished because of a 2016 sinkhole in Fraser. It is the largest settlement ever acquired by Macomb County. Overall, 23 homes had to be evacuated -- three condemned including two damaged so badly, they had to be demolished. Neighbors John and Helen Finegen said they are happy to finally find some closure in the situation and thanked the commissioner. What they’ve done, they’ve done a good job,” said John Finegen.

Sales of new homes jumped again in July, rising 13.9% as the housing market continues to gain traction following a spring downturn caused by pandemic-related lockdowns. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that July's gain propelled sales of new homes to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 901,000. In a report last week, the National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes rose by a record 24.7% in July, thanks to historically low interest rates. Sales are being fueled by ultra-low mortgage rates, which earlier this month dropped below 3% for a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage for the first time in nearly 50 years. The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is now 2.99%, the mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Bayezid Ahmed)DHAKA Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. The floods started late last month, and after briefly easing continued to worsen, affecting many new areas, destroying crops and driving people from their homes in several impoverished regions. Soikat said that over the last few weeks, the charity has distributed food to some 135,000 people in Kurigram, while the governments relief office was also providing food, cash and cattle food. We are trying to do our best to stand by the people, as we have already provided more than 300 tons of rice, cattle food, baby food and a good amount of cash.

Homes flooded, some destroyed along Tittabawassee River. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

While many of us are safely snuggled inside our homes, there are still many people out there bravely working for us so that we can have all the things we need during this strange time. Whether you’re stocking shelves, making food, protecting us, delivering packages, providing a service or helping those who are ill, we would like to show our appreciation! Send us a photo of you doing your job during the shutdown, and we may air it on Local 4. If you are submitting a group photo or submitting a photo on behalf of someone else, you must have their permission to submit. USE THE FORM TO SUBMIT A PICTURE: