When Ronnell Pryor put his house on the market, he had no idea it would sell in less than two weeks.
"I was trying to hang on until my daughter graduates in May, but my wife said, 'Let's put it out there earlier.' It just sold so quick that now we have to find somewhere to live for another few months," Pryor said. He lives in the Northwest School District, a real estate market realtors says has recently become hot.
"The prices have definitely increased, there's been a huge change in the market there since the millage passed," Rick Reardon, President and CEO of Jackson-based ERA Reardon Realty. "Since that time not only have the home prices gone up, but the whole attitude about the school district and the demand for that school district has definitely gone up." Voters passed a $40 million bond in May 2013 that went to improvements in every school building and a brand new early elementary building.
"Anywhere we see investments in the schools, home prices are bound to go up, people seeing investments in the schools are more likely to move into those areas," Jason Wright, a Jackson realtor, said.
Superintendent of Northwest Schools Geoff Bontrager says, five years ago, it was projected the district would only have 2,500 students this year, but right now they have about 3,100. "It has changed the dynamics of the entire Northwest School District," Bontrager said. "Businesses have moved in, home sales have gone through the roof, it's one of those situations where people want to get into Northwest."
Lansing, Eaton Rapids, Dansville, Mason, Northwest, Michigan Center and Waldron School Districts all have bonds or millages on the May 3 ballot.
