Jon Zemke

Builder, landlord, recovering journalist, Detroitist, and cautiously optimiscynic

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@petergyang I once accidentally bought a duplex for $500. I got what I paid for. Bringing it back to life has been quite the journey.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@moseskagan Former news reporter here. I follow your guidelines for the most part. Instead of the emailed quotes, I make sure the journalist agrees to read my quotes back to me before publication.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@samueljrob I had heard Maurice Cox was big on pushing for quality design when he was planning director here, and I appreciate the thought behind that. But there is a big difference between pushing for better design and giving people the freedom to execute great design.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@samueljrob Yeah, I hear ya there. There is a lot of apt building design these days that just thuds when you see it. This design is better than much of what I have seen lately, but that’s a low bar.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ @samueljrob Sooooo true.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ I’m sorry man. That’s not only heartbreaking but all too familiar of a story.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ @FairweatherPhD I am guessing you’re familiar with Detroit 2-flats since you work in construction here. But just in case you’re not, here is one I renovated 6-7 years ago by Wayne State: https://t.co/7x4jz5rf23

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ @FairweatherPhD A classic Detroit 2-flat or a small house with an ADU come to mind as far as a realistic housing options for you that provides both proximity and privacy. I have rehabbed a number of those 2-flats and they can be quite nice in general, and for generational living.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@bobbyfijan I live in a loft in downtown Detroit. Its two bedrooms are shared-light and it works well. Plus, it’s easier to blackout a bedroom for a better night’s sleep.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@samueljrob Sleep is the most underrated part of that equation. Working on the discipline it takes to get quality sleep consistently is one of the toughest challenges I try to tackle each day.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@StudentRentPro U-M grad and A2 landlord, I can say it was totally worth it and hope to do it again next year.

[Connor Stalions @cpstalions]

Hi friends! They said I wasn’t allowed in Columbus this year 😕. Just checking in on my buddy Ryan. Everything good??? @trentejones01

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@samueljrob The Second Ave Bridge lights have been on for at least a few weeks now.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ Because members of the media are equally removed from doing things in practice as politicians.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@StudentRentPro Agreed on your points, especially the last one. Still, 300 days is a long time to experiment with testing the strength of market demand on one or two places. If it doesn’t work in a month or two you can cut prices and still have 200-plus days to seal the deal.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@StudentRentPro Can confirm. I’ve only seen this not work out like you describe once, and luckily not to me. There the student had a severe mental health crisis that put them into inpatient care. Parents still paid for the rest of the lease even though they weren’t co-signers.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ Agreed on how the Dodd Frank bureaucracy tango made things significantly harder, arguably the most damaging legislation. Lending standards needed a revamp but not the over correction we got.

[Jon Zemke @jonzemke]

@dehenau_ It’s crazy how the Great Recession caused such an intense nuclear winter in construction, especially homebuilding. It all but wiped out the key support systems, like local financing, for mom-and-pop shops.