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History Loves Company
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The Stories We Keep • Volume 14
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Detroit’s Lost Summers — Belle Isle, Forgotten Parks, and the $9M Mansion That Sold for $800K
This week we’re chasing the stories that used to feel like summer — then we head to Belle Isle for a deep dive… and we close it out with one of Detroit’s wildest real-estate headlines: the Bishop Mansion.
Plus: Your comments are becoming the archive — keep the memories coming.
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Hi — Chris here.
I love weeks like this — the ones that feel like a map.
We start in Detroit, where the lights used to hit the streets like a promise…
then we head back home to Pontiac, where one building carried the weight of a whole downtown…
and we end the week at Fair Lane — still under restoration, but still powerful enough to stop you in your tracks.
If you’ve ever stepped inside any of these places (or remember them at their peak), hit reply and tell me what you remember.
That’s how the archive gets built.
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This Week’s Episodes
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Belle Isle isn’t just a park — it’s Detroit’s shared backyard, storybook, and sanctuary. We’re going slow: the layers, the landmarks, and the details most people drive past.
Watch Monday’s Episode →
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A Pontiac landmark that carried the city’s confidence — and what its comeback could mean for downtown’s next chapter.
If you’ve got memories of this building (working there, visiting, watching it change), we want them.
Watch Wednesday’s Episode →
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Premieres Friday 2/6/26 at 6PM EST.
One of Detroit’s biggest “wait… what?” stories. How does a mansion go from a $9,000,000 headline to an $800,000 sale — and what happens next? Full history, full context, and the real numbers.
Go to Homes of Michigan →
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The Stories We Keep Podcast
Episode 2 is now live — Forgotten Amusement Parks
This month we’re going back to the places that once made Michigan feel like summer could last forever:
Belle Isle, Edgewater, and Electric Park.
If the YouTube episodes are the walkthroughs, the podcast is the deep dive — longer stories, slower pace, more context.
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Market Moments
Market Overview — December 2025 (Detroit)
Prices dipped: Median listing price fell about 3.4% YoY to $100,950
(vs. national median decline of about 0.6%).
More inventory: Active listings grew about 22.9% YoY, giving buyers more options — even as new listings declined.
Price reductions increasing: About 14.9% of listings had price cuts, meaning more negotiating power for buyers.
⏱ Time on Market: Median of 66 days (still faster than the national median of ~73).
📊 Buyer vs. Seller Climate: December leaned buyer-friendly. For sellers, smart pricing + strong marketing mattered more than ever.
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HLC Apparel
Wear the mission
If these stories mean something to you, the simplest way to support the work is to wear it.
The Foundation Collection is made for people who believe preservation matters.
Shop this crewneck →
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Reply Prompt
Where are you reading from?
Hit reply and tell me your city —
and one building/place you’ve got real memories tied to that deserves an episode.
Format it like this: “PLACE + CITY + why it matters.”
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