From Toronto one can visit another world with relative ease. No space flight training required. It’s a simple as gassing up the family chariot and driving west on the 401.  After 3 hours and 55 minutes of driving, some 371 km, you should hit Detroit.  Within minutes of crossing the border in Windsor, Ontario, you will ask yourself, “where the hell am I?” Sure the navigation display in your car says Detroit, but you’ll be hard pressed to believe it’s not another planet.

The city of Detroit has been in decline, and decay, for a number of years now. The how and why has been debated for many decades. And I can’t speak to the specifics of the root causes of Detroit’s plight, but what I can say with some certainty is that the residents of Detroit would gladly trade their circumstances and problems for ours. I was struck by some statics that I just came across. It’s been well publicized that the average home price in Toronto jut hit $1 million recently. In Detroit, some sixty-two thousand homes will go into foreclosure for unpaid taxes this year. The homes will be auctioned off for an estimated $500. That’s right, for the cost of two grande lattes at $tarbucks, you can buy a house in Detroit. Sure you might have some issues to deal with if you end up with the winning bid. Like the current owners still living in the house, but they stopped paying taxes because the city can no longer provide basic services. There’s a chance they might be gun owners, and now that they’re not paying property taxes, they have extra cash to buy more ammo. Let’s not forget about squatters and the odd crack house. It’s believed that half the homes which will be auctioned are currently occupied.  Why does everything have to be so hard?

You have to feel for the residents of Detroit; it’s their home, it’s all they know. For many they had no choice but to stay, and somehow survive. It’s staggering to think that in 1950, Detroit’s population was 1.85 million – today, it’s 690,000.  Many smaller cities in Canada have been hit hard over the years, but we’ve never witnessed the decline and near extinction of a major urban center.  There’s no pleasure in another person’s misery, but it can provide perspective.

So, if you ever dreamed of becoming a real estate tycoon, here’s your chance.  It brings a whole new meaning to cross boarder shopping, and all you need is a little room on your VISA card, and got yourself a house. 

Until next time,

Cheers.