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84 Housing starts rose 7.7 percent in Ottawa County, while starts in Kent County matched that of 2015, according to data from the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors published on MLive.com. In Kent County, there were 1,088 housing starts in 2016; in Ottawa County there were 933. Apartment construction was also active in 2016 with 2,016 new units under construction in Kent County and 652 in Ottawa County, MLive.com reported . OHIO Ohio Governor Signs Plywood Ban Into Law History was made for the property preservation industry last month when Ohio Governor John Kasich signed Ohio H.B. 463 into law, banning the use of plywood to secure vacant residential properties. With the signing of the bill into law, Ohio became the first state to outlaw the use of plywood in property preservation. H.B. 463 passed by a 95 to 1 vote in the Ohio House of Representatives in May and subsequently passed by the vote of 26 to 5 in the Ohio Sen- ate on December 8. Division (A) of Section 2308.031 of Ohio H.B. 463 states, "No person shall use plywood to secure real property that is deemed vacant and abandoned under section 2308.02 of the Revised Code." ose who had been pushing for the pas- sage of H.B. 463 and the plywood ban have long pointed out that vacant and abandoned properties containing windows boarded with plywood have often been found to attract van- dalism, squatters, and in some cases, violent crime, in addition to contributing to the spread of blight. "is is a significant advancement for those engaged in the battle against neighborhood blight in Ohio," said Robert Klein, founder and chairman of Community Blight Solutions and an advocate for HB 463. "Plywood is an outdated solution to a growing modern-day problem. We need to apply 21st century solu- tions to reverse the trends that are decimating our neighborhoods. It is my hope that other states will follow Ohio's leadership and enact similar legislation." As to what will replace plywood to board vacant homes, the industry is turning to poly- carbonate clearboarding as a solution. "Clearboarding is a new technology solu- tion that is far preferable to plywood," Klein said. "It is virtually unbreakable, resembles Grand Rapids Is 4th Hottest Housing Market An expanding economy and affordable housing landed Grand Rapids, Michigan No. 4 on Trulia's list of hottest housing markets. e West Michigan market was the only Midwest market to rank among the top 10 hottest markets, determined by Trulia. Trulia ranks cities based on job growth, vacancies, affordability, inbound home searches compared to outbound searches, and share of Republicans—due to the election. e Grand Rapids area is attracting both new residents and former residents who had moved away, Adam Paalberg, President of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors told MLive.com. Home prices rose 8.1 percent over the year in 2016, according to data from the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors. Zillow calculated an even higher 8.9 percent rise in prices in Grand Rapids and anticipates a 3.8 percent rise this year. e median home value in Grand Rapids is $163,000, according to Zillow. Rent rates are climbing alongside home prices in the area, according to Trulia, ascend- ing 20 percent over the year to a median of $1,200. However, this was down slightly from $1,300 reported in the summer. Home sales increased 3.7 percent over the year, and homes spent about 44 days on the market in 2016, nearly two weeks less than the year prior, according to an article in MLive. com. In total, 13,593 homes sold in the Grand Rapids area in 2016. MICHIGAN In-House Realty Acquires OpenHouse Reality In-House Realty, a company based in Detroit that is under the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, announced that it will purchase OpenHouse Realty, a Santa Mon- ica, California-based residential real estate company. In-House Realty will also acquire the company's technology platform. e sale is anticipated to close during Q1 of 2017. Doug Seabolt, CEO of In-House Re- alty, said the acquisition will create a more streamlined process for homebuyers. "In an effort to eliminate the complexities and stress that can sometimes accompany buying or selling a home, we are focused on combining online home search, obtaining a mortgage and connecting with an agent into a more seamless experience for consumers," he said. e acquisition will allow In-House Realty to strengthen its core business objec- tives of matching home buyers and sellers with qualified pre-screened agents across the country while providing them with profes- sional real estate experience. Ron Frankel, CEO of OpenHouse Realty, is looking forward to the future of In-House Realty following the acquisition. "Finding a reputable agent and a great home go hand-in-hand," he said. "I am confident that the work John Kvasnic, OpenHouse Realty's Chief Product Officer, and his team have done in both arenas will help In-House Realty become the premier destination for those looking to work with the best agents in their community, while also helping them find the home of their dreams. It's the perfect fit." Illinois Aaron Mighty Broker/Owner MIGHTY REALTY, INC. reo@mightyrealty.com 312-753-8366 www.MightyRealty.com REOs | REO Rentals | Property Management Michigan foreclosed properties in an average time of 355 days, which is the second shortest time to foreclose properties in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to ATTOM's Year-End 2016 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. KNOW THIS

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