Mies van der Rohe 2-Bedroom Courtyard Unit asks $439K

This courtyard unit in Lafayette Park, designed my midcentury master architect Mies van Der Rohe, has had a few updates that make it very appealing. The kitchen is new and modern, but with an eye towards the original design, and with top-of-the-line stainless appliances. The unit has its own yard and a private driveway, and offers 1200 square feet of living space. There's one full and one half bath in the unit, and both have original fittings and tile.

We've seen these units before, and they're always interesting—owners put unique touches on what was designed as the ultimate blank canvas. Here, there are some choice not everyone will love. The floors seem to be varnished plywood. We admire the guts there, and the owners' clear eye for design. Making a mounted tarpon work as a focal point isn't something everyone can pull off, and the choices for MCM furnishings and other decor are spot-on (not that they're staying, but it does make for fun pictures for our readers).

The HOA here is high, $873 a month, but this includes the principal on the master mortgage, insurance, grounds and building maintenance, taxes and private security contacted by the co-op. The last time the unit was up for sale, the price was a lot lower—$129.9K—but that was in 2009, and times have certainly changed in Lafayette Park since then. Other units in this co-op have sold for far less, though, including one 3-bedroom that went for $136.5K in 2014. Another 3-bedroom listed this summer for $249K.

·1343 Nicolet Pl [Zillow]
·1416 Nicolet Place [Curbed Detroit]
·1323 Nicolet Pl [Zillow]