UPDATE: It is now one hour after collection minting and all non-FSA are gone. For FSA, there are still lots of opportunities in Brightmoor and Springwells (Standard collections). Woodbridge and Corktown are now essentially minted out. Jefferson Chalmers still has FSA properties. They are not cheap (c. 10k) but there is nothing left for non-FSA players.
As my readers know, I recommend investing some USD in the game for new city releases and I publish strategies for how new players can maximize their returns including using a referral code for a 50% UPX bonus. My referral code is:
TIP: If you are doing well in Detroit, wait until Spark Week (starting March 14) to get promoted. That way, you will get Spark along with your promotion.
Shoutout to Upxland.me which links to some charities that support Ukraine with humanitarian aid during this troubled time.
Introduction:
Detroit is a tier 3–2–2 city dropping on Thursday (Upland tiers). Unlike Los Angeles (tier 1–1–1, 13% FSA), Detroit will consist of 70% FSA properties, so Visitors and Uplanders will have to adapt their strategies.
Key facts about Detroit in Upland:
Detroit has around 362k properties, meaning around 108k are non-FSA and over 250k are FSA properties reserved for new players.
Average house prices for LA are 10x Detroit, so it is reasonable to expect Detroit FSA properties to mint for around 1.5k UPX or less. New players should be able to buy three to five properties without putting money into the game. At a minimum, three properties are likely enough to complete the Detroit collection.
If you are just joining the game and you can’t choose Detroit yet, then choose a neighboring city (Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, or Manhattan) and take the train. The sooner, the better. Cleveland is the closest and cheapest to Detroit (60 UPX, 23 minutes).
5x your money quickly in Detroit:
For LA, I advised players to buy FSA and enjoy a slow accumulation of their wealth because they and only they would hold the cheapest properties in the city. Selling at the floor price in LA is relatively easy, but FSA properties have selling restrictions that require patience.
For Detroit, I advise players to be more aggressive. Using a referral code for any purchase up to $100 gives you a 50% bonus in UPX. However, having more than 100k UPX will disqualify you from FSA. Starting with a $20 UPX purchase and using a reference code will give you 34,500 UPX — a good base for a new city. Starting with a $50 UPX purchase and using a reference code will give you 79,500 UPX.
My Referral Code: https://r.upland.me/vvRg
From here, you have three strategies. Four, if you invest more or otherwise have more than 50k UPX.
Strategy #1: Mint FSA properties in public housing projects with famous street names
Public housing projects occasionally have addresses on iconic streets. Two examples in Detroit are 3901 Grand River Ave and 1300 Martin Luther King Drive.
These types of subsidized or public housing on iconic streets tend to be FSA, making it a great chance for new players to strike it rich. For example, anyone who minted FSA properties in housing projects along Manchester Blvd in LA up to 30x their UPX overnight when that became an exclusive collection.
Strategy #2: Mint FSA properties in high-demand neighborhoods
Examples of areas with tons of FSA in high-demand neighborhoods include:
Cnr of Michigan & Washington (Downtown)
Bagley St in Corktown has a reasonable amount of FSA.
Alexandrine St in Midtown has plenty of FSA.
Detroit’s Gold Coast has a ton of FSA just off Jefferson Ave.
There are FSA properties on the water on Harbor Island St in Jefferson Chalmers.
Even if your Block Explorer is not in the right place, you can wait for someone to mint near your target FSA area and then jump there and start minting. The competition should be less for the FSA buildings, but the reward is the same.
There are also FSA properties on the main Indian trails (Grand River Ave, Michigan Ave, and Woodward Ave) but the % is lower because these thoroughfares tend to be commercial districts.
Strategy #3 — Mint in the cheaper neighborhoods
Cheap neighborhoods with high % of FSA include:
Gratiot-Grand (Northwest of downtown)
Claytown (West Detroit, and a good place to buy on Michigan Ave)
Fox Creek (one of the initial release neighborhoods)
TIP: Even if you aren’t deliberately aiming to mint specific streets, always start minting on the major thoroughfares to double your chances of getting a collection.
Minting non-FSA properties in Detroit
This might seem counterintuitive because you have the exclusive right to mint FSA, but players can only sell 2 FSA properties per week. In a starter city like Detroit, it is much better to have 50–50 FSA / non-FSA if you can.
Realizing your gains:
Let’s say that you had 35 k and you bought 20 properties, all FSA. Because the non-FSA will sell out quicker, the UPX floor in Detroit will rise as non-FSA players have to go to the secondary market. Applying a 20% discount to LA, it is reasonable to expect to buy for 1.5k and expect to sell for 6k or more after a few weeks have passed. NB: Early indications are that FSA properties will mint for as low as 671 UPX.
An FSA-only strategy would take 10 weeks to cash out 20 properties, leaving you with about 120k (6x your UPX).
However, buying even 50% non-FSA would take 5 weeks to cash out, leaving you with the same UPX but now you are flush with cash for the next city release. If you time your selling carefully, you will still be FSA-eligible for the next city release — a great advantage.
Bonus Strategy — New Players going all-in on Detroit
If you have around 80k UPX, you will have enough cash to mint some of the most coveted neighborhoods in Detroit, just like the Pros.
For example, Downtown LA was minting for around 30k. With 80k UPX, You could mint two properties in Downtown Detroit and then still have 30k to buy 15 more properties. If Downtown Detroit mints for cheaper than LA, you can pick up 3 or 4. That way, even if Downtown Detroit is not a collection, you can probably sell it for 5x later. NB: Early indications are that many non-FSA properties in high-demand will mint for 25k UPX or lower.
Pro TIP: Be warned that non-FSA properties in any hot neighborhood will mint out in 5 minutes or less, as many players are competing for limited supply. Stock up on plenty of sends, if you plan to jump around in competitive areas. You will still have a good chance to catch the FSA properties in these areas, as the competition will be less fierce.
Using the Early Release Neighborhoods to your advantage:
The two early release neighborhoods can serve as jump points for the rest of the city. You can send your Block Explorer to a property on the edge of an early release neighborhood and watch where it floats. If it is heading where you like, then good. Otherwise, jump again to the edge of the neighborhood and watch it float in a new direction. Again, stock up on sends before Detroit drops, because you may need 3 or 4 just to get your BE heading in the right direction.
Fox Creek is near the Detroit River on the eastern periphery of the city. The area is reserved for new players with essentially 100 % FSA properties.
Greenfield is near the outskirts of Detroit. It has the prototypical 70/30 FSA / non-FSA split for Detroit. This area is not recommended except for the frenzied first 10 minutes of flipping properties in a new city or if you are willing to buy non-FSA on 8-mile Road.
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