Buyer Guide
A complete Southeast Michigan buyer playbook is on our list to write. Until it lands, the FAQ above answers the most common buyer questions. Tell us your specific situation and we'll send personal answers.
Ask Us Your Buyer Question→Real answers to the questions Southeast Michigan buyers, sellers, and move-up families ask before making the move. From Plymouth to Northville, Canton to Ann Arbor, Belleville to Birmingham.
These are the questions clients actually ask before making a move, with the honest answers we give them.
Browse by category, or jump to a popular question below. When you're ready for a real conversation about your specific situation, book a free consultation and we'll talk through it together.
Last Updated · May 29, 2026 · Written & reviewed by Derica Wade, Associate Broker
From pre-approval to making your first offer. The honest version of what you need to know.
Get pre-approved with a local lender before you start looking. Not pre-qualified, actually pre-approved, with your documentation reviewed. This tells you your real budget (often different from what online calculators say), shows sellers you're serious, and gives you leverage when you make an offer in a competitive market.
We refer clients to local lenders we trust. Then we sit down to talk about what you actually want in a home and where to look strategically, not aimlessly. Book a free buyer consultation and we'll start there.
Less than most people think. Conventional loans can go down to 3-5%, FHA loans to 3.5%, and VA loans can be 0% for qualified veterans. Michigan also has a strong roster of down-payment assistance programs. The MSHDA Down Payment Assistance loan offers up to $10,000 in interest-free help for eligible buyers.
The right structure depends on your credit, your income, and which neighborhood you're targeting. In a free consultation we'll walk through what would actually fit your situation. More on how we work with buyers →
Yes, full stop. Walking into a Metro Detroit showing without pre-approval is like walking into a dealership without knowing your budget. Sellers in competitive markets won't take your offer seriously without it.
Pre-approval also surfaces credit issues you can fix before you find the home you love. Far better to discover that two months out than two days before closing. Most pre-approvals take 24-72 hours with a good lender.
Pre-qualification is a quick estimate based on what you tell the lender. Pre-approval is the real thing: verified income, credit pulled, debts reviewed, and a written commitment letter you can show sellers.
In Metro Detroit, only pre-approval letters get taken seriously on competitive properties. Don't waste time on pre-qualification when you're actually shopping.
Roughly 30-45 days from accepted offer to keys in hand, in most cases. From the moment you decide to buy: pre-approval (1-3 days), house hunting (anywhere from two weeks to several months depending on inventory and your priorities), then 30-45 days from accepted offer to closing.
The overall timing depends on you, the market, and how decisive you can be about what you want. We set realistic expectations from day one. No surprises.
For buyers, expect 2-5% of the purchase price in closing costs, plus your down payment. That includes lender fees, title insurance, transfer taxes, prepaid property taxes, and prepaid insurance. On a $300,000 home, you're looking at roughly $6,000-15,000 in closing costs, separate from your down payment.
Sellers typically pay 6-10% in commissions and closing costs combined. We do a detailed cost breakdown for every client before they make an offer so there are no surprises at the closing table.
Sometimes, but always shop around. Builder lenders and listing-agent referrals occasionally offer real incentives ($5,000-$15,000 closing credits aren't unusual). Those incentives often come with higher interest rates that cost you tens of thousands over the life of the loan.
Always get a quote from an independent local lender to compare. We can refer you to lenders who'll give you a no-pressure second opinion.
Every situation is different. Book a free consultation and we'll talk through yours specifically: pricing, neighborhoods, timing, financing strategy.
Pricing, prep, timing. What actually moves the needle when selling in SE Michigan.
Spring (April-June) historically gets the most buyer traffic, highest prices, and fastest closings. Fall (September-October) is the runner-up. The right time depends on your market segment, not just the calendar. Luxury homes, condos in walkable downtowns, and starter homes each follow different seasonal patterns in SE Michigan.
We pull live comparable sales for your specific neighborhood before recommending a timing strategy. Start a Home Value Review →
A real Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Not a Zestimate. Not a tax assessment. We look at sold comparables in your immediate area over the last 90 days, active competition, school district, condition, and neighborhood-specific factors.
Overpricing kills a listing's momentum. Homes priced 5-10% high in Metro Detroit often sit for months and ultimately sell for less than they would have at the right price. We'll do a free CMA for your home before you commit to listing.
The boring ones. Fresh interior paint in neutral colors, deep cleaning (carpets, windows, grout), curb appeal (mulch, trimmed bushes, fresh front door), and minor kitchen/bath updates (new hardware, faucets, lights). Big-ticket renovations (full kitchen, new flooring throughout) rarely return their investment.
We do a free pre-listing walk-through and tell you exactly what's worth spending money on and what to skip.
Depends on price band, condition, and pricing strategy. Average days-on-market across Wayne and Oakland counties has been 15-45 days, but a well-prepared, well-priced home in a desirable area (Plymouth, Northville, Birmingham) can sell in under a week with multiple offers.
A pricing or preparation problem can stretch that to 90+ days. We give honest expectations based on your specific situation. No fairy tales.
Typically 6-10% of the sale price total. That includes real estate commissions (~6%), Michigan transfer taxes (~$8.60 per $1,000 sold), title insurance, attorney fees if applicable, and prorated property taxes. On a $300,000 sale, you're looking at roughly $20,000-30,000 in seller costs.
We do a net sheet showing your bottom line before you list, so there's no surprise at closing.
Almost always, yes, at least partially. Empty homes feel smaller, look colder, and sell for less. We recommend professional stagers we trust, or walk you through a self-staging plan if your budget is tight.
Even simple things, like moving furniture to create flow, removing 30% of personal items, fresh flowers, make a measurable difference. We tell you what level of staging fits your home and price point.
A Comparative Market Analysis is the data-backed pricing recommendation we use to set your list price. It looks at recently sold homes in your immediate area, current active competition, expired/withdrawn listings (to learn what NOT to price at), and adjustments for your home's specific features.
We do CMAs for free, with no listing commitment. Just reliable data on what your home would realistically sell for.
Start with a free Home Value Review. We'll pull live comparables, give you a realistic price range, and tell you what (if anything) to do to your home before listing.
The questions families ask when they outgrow their current home, and the playbooks we use.
We plan for this scenario up front. Options include a rent-back agreement (the buyer of your old home rents it to you for 30-90 days while you find your next one), a short-term rental, or a temporary stay with family. We also pace your sale timing to give you a buffer.
The earlier we know your move-up plans, the more options we can build into your strategy.
A few proven strategies:
Each has trade-offs. Bridge loans cost interest. Contingencies weaken your offer. We walk through which one fits your finances and risk tolerance before you commit.
This is the exact conversation to have before doing anything. We work with your lender to figure out how much equity you actually have, what your next mortgage payment would realistically be, what we can sell your current home for, and what total monthly cost that creates.
Book a free move-up consultation and we'll give you honest numbers, not a sales pitch.
Then we figure out why and adjust. If it's pricing, we reposition. If it's condition, we address it. If it's marketing, we redo the listing. We don't believe in a "wait and see" approach. If your home isn't getting showings in week one, something needs to change.
We also build backup strategies into every move-up plan (extended contingency periods, rent-back options) so you're never trapped.
It depends on your finances and your risk tolerance. Buying first means you don't have to scramble to find your next home, but you need the cash flow or bridge financing to carry both. It also lets you make a stronger, non-contingent offer.
Selling first is safer financially but creates pressure to find your next home quickly. Most clients land somewhere in between. We help you choose what fits your situation.
For most upsize clients in Metro Detroit, selling first OR selling and buying simultaneously is the lower-risk path. You know exactly how much equity you have, you avoid double payments, and your purchase offer doesn't have a "home sale contingency" that weakens it.
The trade-off is the timing pressure on finding your next home. We coordinate the dates carefully to minimize the gap.
With careful coordination, and an experienced team running both sides. The typical structure: list your current home and start your home search at the same time, accept an offer with a closing date 30-45 days out, find your next home with a purchase closing on the same day or within a few days, use the proceeds from the sale to fund the new purchase.
Title companies coordinate the back-to-back closings. We've done dozens of these and have the playbook down.
Yes, and that's the strategy for most move-up clients. Your equity becomes your down payment on the next home. We work with your lender on the timing: either you sell first and use cash proceeds, or you use a bridge loan against your equity to put down on the next home before the first sells.
We'll model both scenarios with real numbers so you can see your actual cash flow before committing.
Most families we work with start thinking about an upsize 6-12 months before they actually move. The earlier we talk, the more options you have.
Builder negotiations, contracts, allowances, and the SE Michigan builder landscape.
Bring your own representation. Always. The builder's on-site sales rep works for the builder. Their loyalty is to their employer, not you. Having your own buyer's agent costs you nothing (the builder pays our commission either way), and it gives you someone reading the contract for traps, negotiating upgrades, attending walk-throughs, and protecting your interests when something goes wrong.
We've done dozens of new construction transactions in Lyon Township, Northville Township, Canton, Plymouth Township, and Macomb Township. More on how we work with new construction buyers →
More than most buyers know. Free upgrades (flooring, fixtures, appliances), closing-cost credits, builder-paid HOA dues for year one, structural changes, lot premiums, and design-center allowances are all negotiable, especially when the builder is approaching a phase deadline.
We negotiate these for every new construction client. Don't sign the builder's standard contract without someone on your side reviewing what's missing.
6-15 months from contract to keys, depending on the builder, the home model, and supply chain conditions. Standard track homes are typically 6-9 months. Semi-custom builds run 9-12. Fully custom often runs 12-18+.
Builders will quote you their "average." We know the actual timing each builder is hitting on their current phases. Plan your lease, your current home sale, and your move with realistic dates, not optimistic ones.
Sometimes, but only after comparing. Builder lenders often offer real incentives ($5K-$15K in closing credits, free appliance packages). Sometimes those incentives are worth more than the rate difference. Sometimes the higher rate over 30 years costs you many times the incentive.
Always get a quote from an independent local lender and run the actual math. We refer to lenders who'll do this for free.
The builder gives you a dollar amount for certain categories (flooring, lighting, appliances, etc.) and you pick from their design center within that budget. Sound good? It's not always.
The "base allowances" are almost always insufficient for what most buyers actually want. The model home you toured? It has $30-50K of upgrades. Plan for your real total cost to be 12-25% above the base price.
Most active areas right now: Lyon Township, South Lyon, Salem Township, Plymouth Township, Northville Township, Canton, Brighton, Hartland, Highland Township, Macomb Township, Washington Township, and Shelby Township.
Builders active here include Pulte Homes, Toll Brothers, Lombardo Homes, Robertson Brothers, and M/I Homes. We've toured most of these communities and can give you honest comparisons. Read our full new construction vs. resale guide →
Bring us in before you visit the model home. We'll attend the showing with you, help you understand what's truly included, and negotiate from there.
Fair-housing law limits what real estate agents can say about schools. Here's how to get the information you actually need.
The most reliable source is the school district's own official boundary map. We can point you to these resources for any home you're considering. Many MLS listings show the district name, but always verify with the official boundary map because boundaries can shift and some homes near the edge are zoned differently than the immediate neighbors.
The Michigan Department of Education website (michigan.gov/mde) is the authoritative source.
We don't rank school districts, and the law requires us not to. Picking the right school is a personal decision based on your family's priorities (program offerings, school size, extracurriculars, commute, etc.) and the best people to give you that information are the school district's administration, current parents, and your own research.
We can show you where homes are located and provide direct links to official district information. The rest is yours to decide.
Three sources to cross-check:
Never rely on a real estate listing alone. Boundaries can change, and zone assignments at the edges sometimes surprise people. We help every client verify before they make an offer.
Direct resources:
We connect every buyer with these resources so you can do your own independent evaluation.
What we're seeing in SE Michigan right now, and why national headlines often miss the local picture.
There's no universal answer. It depends on what you're buying, where you're buying, and how long you plan to stay. For long-term ownership (5+ years), Metro Detroit has historically been stable and most months are reasonable buying times.
For short-term flips or quick relocations, the timing matters much more. We tell you honestly what we're seeing in your specific submarket. Plymouth's market is different from Westland's, Northville from Canton, Belleville from Livonia. For a deeper read on one specific community, see our Living in Plymouth, Michigan guide.
Different neighborhoods are moving in different directions. Walkable downtowns and top-school-district areas (Plymouth, Northville, Birmingham) tend to hold value well even in slow markets. Outer-ring suburbs and areas with significant new construction inventory move more with rates and seasonal cycles.
We pull live market data for the specific cities you're considering rather than guess from national headlines.
It shifts year to year, but recent strong demand has been in: Plymouth (downtown charm, top schools), Northville (historic feel, strong schools), Canton (newer construction, growing amenities), Lyon Township (newer subdivisions, lower price-per-square-foot than core suburbs), Novi (commercial development, schools), and Ann Arbor (university, walkable).
Smaller pockets like Berkley, Ferndale, and Royal Oak also see consistent interest. We can pull recent activity data for any specific city.
It depends on the city, price band, and condition. Plymouth and Northville under $500K still see multiple offers and bidding situations regularly. Higher price bands have softened. New construction has lower competition (no bidding) but its own pace.
The honest answer is: come tell us what you're looking for and we'll tell you how competitive that exact category is right now.
Michigan has a unique system you should understand before buying. The "Taxable Value" is what your taxes are calculated on. It's CAPPED while you own the home, increasing by inflation or 5% (whichever is lower). When you buy, that cap RESETS to the home's full market value.
This means the property taxes the seller is paying are often dramatically lower than what you'll pay. ALWAYS get a post-sale tax estimate before finalizing your budget.
The Michigan Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) reduces your rate by about 18 mills. File the paperwork within 30 days of closing or you pay the full rate for the year. We remind every buyer.
The final stretch. What to expect at closing, walk-through, and key handoff.
A meeting (sometimes in person, sometimes virtual) where ownership officially transfers. You sign about 40-60 pages of documents: loan docs, title transfer, deed, closing disclosure, plus any state-required forms. The title company manages the transaction.
We're there with you for every signature, every document, every question. The whole thing usually takes 60-90 minutes.
Typically 30-45 days for financed purchases. Cash closings can be 14-21 days. New construction is often longer (waiting on builder completion).
Delays usually come from financing (lender issues), inspections (problems uncovered), or title (boundary disputes, liens). We coordinate every step to keep us on schedule.
Government-issued photo ID, certified funds (cashier's check or wire transfer for any money due, with your title company giving you the exact amount 24-48 hours before), and any documents your lender or title company specifically requested.
We give you a checklist 72 hours before closing and walk you through it. Don't bring kids if you can avoid it. Closings can run long.
Usually at the closing table, assuming the deed has been recorded and the seller has formally vacated. Sometimes there's a brief delay if recording happens later in the day.
If the home is being sold with a rent-back (seller stays for a few days/weeks after closing), keys transfer at the end of the rent-back period. We confirm key-handoff timing in writing with the listing agent before closing day.
Schedule utility transfers (electric, gas, water, internet) for the day of or day after closing. We give every buyer a moving checklist that includes utility companies for your specific area, USPS change of address form, driver's license update, voter registration, insurance updates, and subscription services.
The moving checklist is one of our most-used client resources.
Yes, always. Schedule it for 24 hours before closing (or earlier the same day). You're checking that the home is in the same condition as when you offered, that any negotiated repairs were completed, that the agreed-upon items (appliances, fixtures, window treatments) are still there, and that nothing has been damaged in the seller's move-out.
We attend every final walk-through with our buyer clients.
Associate Broker · Real Estate One · Plymouth, Michigan
Derica Wade is an Associate Broker with Real Estate One and leads the Hearts to Homes Team out of Plymouth, Michigan. Derica has years of experience helping clients buy and sell across Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan, working with buyers, sellers, and upsizing families throughout Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties — including Plymouth, Canton, Livonia, Northville, Novi, Belleville, Ann Arbor, Westland, and Garden City.
Before real estate, Derica spent years in the travel industry and built women's confidence and fitness programs. That background shapes how she runs transactions today: structured, candid, and centered on the person — not the property.
The answers on this page are written and personally reviewed by Derica, based on transactions her team has actually closed across Southeast Michigan. They are kept current — see the "Last Updated" date above.
Honest, no-fluff guides written by us, for SE Michigan buyers and sellers.
A complete Southeast Michigan buyer playbook is on our list to write. Until it lands, the FAQ above answers the most common buyer questions. Tell us your specific situation and we'll send personal answers.
Ask Us Your Buyer Question→A full seller playbook (pricing, prep, staging, marketing strategy) is in development. In the meantime, start with a free Home Value Review and we'll walk you through every step that's relevant to your home.
Start a Home Value Review→Contracts, allowances, builder negotiation, and the Southeast Michigan builder landscape. Read it before you visit a model home.
Get the New Construction Guide→A Metro Detroit playbook for buying your next home while selling your current one. Sign up to be notified when it's ready, or book a move-up consultation to talk through your specific plan now.
Book a Move-Up Consultation→Bridge loans, rent-backs, contingencies. Every strategy for buying and selling simultaneously, with real numbers. Reach out for a tailored walk-through while we finish writing.
Talk Through Your Strategy→Question we didn't cover? Send it over. A real human reply from the Hearts to Homes Team, not a chatbot, not a marketing funnel.
Ask a Question→Sit down with us for 30 minutes. We'll walk through your situation, whether you're buying, selling, upsizing, or just thinking about it, and tell you honestly what makes sense for you.
Or just call: 734-323-4486 · Email: derica@heartstohomesmi.com