So you’re thinking about making the move to Michigan, whether it’s for work, family, retirement, a lower cost of living or because this state is just one of a kind. Whatever your reasoning is, I have found there to be a lot of contradicting views about Michigan online, and it’s been leaving a lot of people conflicted about where to look, where to move, what’s affordable, what’s expensive, and what areas truly have that lifestyle and amenities that you very much want and need as a fresh new Michigander. So I figured I’d take some time to create 3 fictional scenarios that cater to a lot of your situations out there.
The number one most common question I get is Where should I live In Michigan?
And as cut and dry as that question may seem to be, it’s the toughest to answer, because it really comes down to your particular circumstance and lifestyle.
Are you someone coming from a crowded city and the last thing you want to do is see another person’s face or hear another horn honking? Okay let’s talk acreage, privacy and ruralness OR are you someone who enjoys a nice downtown space, not too crowded, but has a community aspect that puts a smile on your face every single day, okay let’s put that downtown life at the forefront.
Of course your priority list is based on much more than just being rural or near a downtown, maybe it’s good schools, nearby healthcare, nearby nature because you like hiking and biking, good amenities within close proximity, and of course wanting to stretch your dollar for the biggest and best home as far as possible too. This process can get stressful extremely quickly, BUT with where the housing market is today, there needs to be a little bit of a reality check. And that comes from circling back to affordability and your budget. And I know what you might be thinking, here’s another Realtor wanting to know my budget. And I get it, but knowing that knowledge is in your best interests to ensure you don’t jump into a home you couldn’t possibly afford or just simply hate.
At the end of the day, I could tell you that Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Northville and Novi are the best places to live in Metro Detroit, but if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle and it doesn’t fit your budget, it’s not exactly helpful for you and your situation. When you have a sense of your budget and how much you’re comfortable with spending, the rest of your wants and needs list will fall into place. I’m not saying there won’t be compromises, but it will be easier to narrow in on areas of interest instead of throwing a dart at a metro Detroit map and calling it a day. With all this being said, I want to share scenarios of 3 fictional people, with different budgets, as well as wants and needs.
PERSON #1 - Brad (Budget: $300,000)
Person number one, we will call this person Brad. Brad has a budget of $300,000, It’s him and his golden retriever Benjamin. Brad has a girlfriend but they aren’t that serious yet, we’re giving it time, but understanding the potential for his girlfriend Sheila to move in one day. So a house that can be grown into a must. He has a job in the automotive industry where he has to commute to Detroit, but he’d rather not live right in Detroit, so within 30 minutes would be perfect for him, because with rush hour it will make that commute even longer. He’s also a young person wanting a little bit of that social scene so, neighbors, sidewalks, and amenities are all in his wheelhouse for our friend Brad.
After putting this criteria for a home in a search, Brad decided he wanted to focus on a few areas based on the downtown areas, as well as being close to his colleagues. After collaborating with his good buddy Realtor Andrew to go over his home search, and receive important resources to see the safety, rankings and quality of each city, he narrowed in on Royal Oak, Berkley, Clawson, and Ferndale. Each of these communities have a unique close knit downtown space, and the commute to his job is well under 30 minutes. Of course Brad would like to live in Royal Oak more than the other areas, but all the other communities are still within close proximity, and it’s a compromise he made to cast an even bigger net of potential homes to purchase with the limited inventory for sale. Brad is in the price range where options aren’t always plentiful, most of the options tend to be in these suburbs on the outskirts of Detroit for Brad’s criteria.
PERSON #2 - Karen (Budget: $500,000)
Person number two, we will call them Karen. Karen has a budget of $500,000, it’s her, her husband Jeff, and 2 kids, Billy and Sarah, along with their rabbit hoppy. Karen and Jeff both have hybrid jobs where they go into the office 1-2 times a week, so having a short work commute isn’t necessarily a priority, but schools and a nice community are, for their kids transitioning from middle school to High school this year. Karen and Jeff love the outdoors and everything nature so having that particular amenity is crucial. Their daughter Sarah is a huge shopper, so having that nearby would be cool too, and Billy just wants to hang out with his homies downtown. It’s also crucial that the home is larger to accommodate having home offices. With Karen’s criteria in mind, she and her family are able to cast a huge net over metro Detroit and their options open up quite a bit. They’ve heard good things about Ann Arbor, it falls within budget, and checks some boxes, but Jeff doesn’t really like the hustle and bustle that comes with it, the traffic is overwhelming at times.
I hear you Jeff, that shrinks that net down a little bit, but that’s okay, because it makes us one step closer to the city you want to call home. The Rochester and Rochester Hills area comes to mind, and even Lake Orion. There's a good downtown, good schools, several parks and recreational areas and is much more of a closer knit feeling compared to Ann Arbor. But then there’s Brighton, with top rated schools, a great downtown space, and There’s an overwhelming amount of nature activities with Brighton rec, Huron meadows, and the nearby island lake recreation that connects to Kensington Metropark., but wait there’s also the Canton and Plymouth area. Canton doesn’t have the close knit downtown, but Plymouth does, the parks and recreation are a little more limited, but the area is still nice.
This is a spot that a lot of my clients find themselves in, because Michigan is so unique from city to city and township to township, it takes even more narrowing down from there. At this point, there’s two routes to go, you’re either content with any of the areas and it comes down to finding the right home. The Canton area is full of 1097’s colonials, but your dollar will go further in Canton than it will in Plymouth, since the average sales price in Canton as of recording this is around $395,000 and Plymouth is 430-445,00- depending on if you’re in the city or township. The Rochester, Rochester hills and Lake Orion area, similar situation. Rochester sits at just over $460,000, Rochester hills is just under $430,000 and Lake Orion is just under $400,000. Then the Brighton area has a similar spread to that from $356,000 to $461,000 depending on if you’re in the city or township. The second route is you start to play a little bit of the process of elimination to narrow down on an area or region. Maybe you lean more towards Plymouth and Canton because you like how it’s between Ann Arbor and Detroit, and the close proximity of other great nearby communities brings in a lot of amenities you can take advantage of. Or maybe you prioritize nature more and like to be in the northern part of metro Detroit because it’s less busy and you’re okay with a longer commute to wherever it is.
PERSON #3 - Gatsby (Budget: $800,000)
Lastly we have person number 3, we will call this person Gatsby. Gatsby has a budget of $800,000. He and his wife Daisy are empty nesters now after all 3 children moved out. They’re getting close to retirement and looking for a home for the rest of their lives, and Gatsby knows that Michigan is known for the lakes, so what better way to enjoy retirement than a nice view of the water and a place that their family can visit. Being close to the essentials is a given for Gatsby, but they don’t need a downtown space, since lakes provide a community of their own and school rankings aren’t a priority to them as they once were. This nest is casted even bigger in a sense that there’s a ton of lakes in Michigan, but real estate is also so incredibly diverse on lake ranging from little 250-300K cottages to multimillion dollar modernized mansions. So this search will yield a ton of one off properties on lakes scattered around metro Detroit.
So it comes down to the two routes I mentioned with our friend Brad, content with any area and it’s about the house, or you narrow down based on more criteria. In Gatsby’s case, we are looking for the biggest house possible for the money on a nicer all sports lake. Based on the available inventory, This search could contain areas such as: Fenton, the Brighton/Hamburg area if you’re interested in Livingston county, White lake and Highland, west Bloomfield/commerce, as well as the Lake Orion area. Keep in mind, $800,000 is not a lot for a sizable lake home on a good waterfront these days, which is said to say, but you truly are paying a hefty premium for the water. In Gatsby's situation, unless there was an area preference, I would be as broad as possible to increase the inventory in that price range. Maybe it’s not the most well known and popular lake, but it's a good size and is all sports.
I hope our friends Brad, Karen and Gatsby helped give you some insight into the thought process of buying a home in Michigan based on budgets, and their specific wants and needs, as well as a few of the areas they’d be looking at based on their circumstance and how far their dollar can stretch.
If you’re someone in this boat where looking at homes in Michigan and trying to narrow in on that spot is extremely overwhelming, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I would be happy to pick your brain, hear your thoughts and help you with a direction that suits your circumstance. Thanks as always for reading, until next time.
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the pillars of Michigan real estate. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be the best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major in business and marketing, and currently resides in Brighton, Michigan.
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