Michigan House Buying Guide
The process involved with buying a house can be a bittersweet experience. On one hand, it’s an exciting start to a new chapter in your life. On the other hand, it may also be completely overwhelming. Based on over 29 years of real estate experience, we can say that it doesn’t have to be the latter!
It’s understandable that home buying feels overwhelming, especially for first time buyers. Simply put, there’s a lot involved in this process. This includes market research, pricing, location research, getting pre-approved for a mortgage, inspections, negotiations, etc.
Professionally licensed Realtors with expertise in the local area can streamline this process and help ensure you receive the best value for your new home.
This page provides information on buying a home in Michigan. You can learn more about this process by talking with one of our experienced real estate agents.
Buying a House by Location
Choosing a location, or listing several areas of interest is one of the first steps in this process. When searching for a home, having knowledge of the community and expertise within the local market is a major advantage.
This is advantageous toward finding an ideal home for the best price. The Realtors at The Patti Mullen Group have expertise within several areas in Southeast Michigan. You can learn more about these individual areas within the links below.
Northville – The City of Northville and Northville Township provides an option for everyone. Several key features of this area include: historic Victorian houses downtown, new construction neighborhoods with a quaint sub-urban feel, premier educational opportunities, and more. Northville is a wonderful location for families, those looking to start a family, and people looking for a safe, peaceful environment
South Lyon – South Lyon provides a rural and scenic atmosphere with over over 200 acres of parkland. Despite it’s rural environment, South Lyon also provides lively entertainment within the downtown area including over 100 stores, restaurants and services. The area is ideal for those who enjoy rural environments with plenty of space and scenery.
Plymouth – Residents of Plymouth enjoy a small-town atmosphere with easy access to major metropolitan areas. The area is also known as an ideal location for young business professionals as there are many growing businesses and job opportunities.
Novi – Consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in Michigan, Novi is a wonderful place to live and work. The area is known for its family-friendly, multicultural community; this includes a large growing Japanese community. If you’re looking for a safe area with plenty of shopping opportunities and a multicultural environment, Novi is the place for you.
Farmington – The City of Farmington and Farmington Hills provide hundreds of acres of parkland and community recreation space. The area is also renowned for its diverse business community, including many fortune 500 companies. The high tech office spaces, job opportunities, and low tax rates make Farmington an ideal spot for business professionals.
Livonia – In 2019 the City of Livonia was ranked as one of America’s 10 hottest areas. This is understandable as Livonia strikes a perfect balance between a big and small town. The city hosts a great family friendly environment with plenty of parks, recreation activities, and schools to choose from. Livonia is ideal for young families and those buying their first house.
Canton – Consistently considered one of Southeast Michigan’s fasted growing communities, The Charter Township of Canton bolsters a diverse population with plenty of business and career opportunities. Much like the neighboring City of Plymouth, Canton provides an ideal location for young business professionals.
Other Locations – Based on our expertise, the list above provides some of the most ideal locations to buy a home in Michigan. With that said, there are many other quality locations as well. If you’d like to learn more about these areas, contact one of our experienced agents today.
Michigan House Buying Process
As previously discussed, there are many steps involved in buying a house. Here is a general outline of the process and how an experienced real estate agent can assist you throughout each step.
Pre-Steps
There are several important details to work out prior to starting your search. These details include:
- Ideal price range
- Type of home (i.e. waterfront, new construction, etc.)
- Ideal location or areas of interest
- Ideal surroundings (i.e. downtown, rural, sub-urban, etc.)
- Important city features (school system, population density, etc.)
- Mortgage pre-approval (submit pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns other necessary paperwork)
The professionally licensed agents on our team work with clients in generating details for the list above. Using these details, and our expertise on Michigan real estate, we conduct market research and compare prices based on our client’s goals. This includes scheduling showings that fit your schedule, negotiating prices, and working with you every step of the way toward making an offer.
Step 1: Making the Offer
After choosing an ideal home, it’s time to make the offer! Our agents work with clients in making an offer within their budget, ideally, an offer that provides them with plenty of breathing room within said budget.
Having a Realtor with decades of experience in home sale negotiations within the local area is a major advantage. The Realtors at The Patti Mullen Group have a great deal of experience in selling Michigan homes, as well as buying; having experience on both sides of the transaction is very advantageous.
Using this experience, we negotiate the purchase contract to a reasonable price that’s favorable for our clients.
Step 2: Home Inspections and Disclosures
Once an offer has been accepted, it’s vital to conduct a thorough home inspection even if the house appears to be in pristine condition. This is a vital step because there’s a variety of possible issues that are not visible on the surface and may later cost you a fortune in repairs. For instance, if there’s a leak with plumbing, an issue with the heating/cooling system, or other problems, these issues need to be resolved prior to closing.
In fact, Michigan Law requires that the seller of a home is required to submit a Seller’s Disclosure Statement to the buyer prior to the transaction.
Below is a list of several items generally included within the disclosure statement. You can view a more complete list of these items within the Michigan Legislature.
1. Basement/crawl space: Has there been evidence of water?
- Type of home insulation
- Condition of the roof (i.e. if there’s any leaks)
- Type of well (depth/diameter, age, and repair history, if known)
- Septic tanks/drain fields: Condition, if known
- The type of Heating System and approximate age
- Problems with the plumbing system and the type (i.e. copper, galvanized, etc.)
- Electrical system problems
- History of infestation (termites, carpenter ants, etc.)
- Environmental Problems (mold, radon, etc.)
Home inspections are an essential part of the home buying process. We understand the necessary steps and have connections with professional inspectors to ensure the house is adequately reviewed for quality, safety, and condition.
Part 3: Closing
Once the inspection is wrapped up, the final step is closing on the home. The closing process involves the buyer signing a large amount of document related to the loan and the transaction. After the necessary documents are signed, and all final payments have cleared, the paperwork is processed with the county and home ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer.