Renting Out Your House Instead of Selling? What Changes in Southeast Oakland County
Thinking of renting your Oakland County home instead of selling? Here is what changes: the loss of the principal residence exemption, city rental licenses and fees, and Michigan’s lease and security deposit rules.
Do You Need a City Inspection to Sell a House in Southeast Oakland County? Usually Not — Here’s What Does Apply
Most southeast Oakland County cities do not require a city inspection to sell an occupied home. Here is what does apply: vacant-house rules, rental licensing and the final water reading, city by city.
Selling a Home in Oakland County? The Fixed Costs Run About 1.3–1.4% Before Commission and Concessions
What it costs to sell a home in Oakland County, Michigan in 2026: the 0.86% transfer tax and owner’s title policy run about 1.3-1.4% of the price, worked out on the $383,500 median. Plus commission, concessions, tax prorations and a state transfer tax exemption most sellers never check.
Oakland County Listings Grew in October, When They Usually Shrink. Homes Under Contract Fell 13.5%
Oakland County active listings rose 5.1% from September to 3,761 in October 2026, up 29.4% from a year ago, while homes under contract fell 13.5%. Asking prices per square foot held flat. What it means for sellers and buyers heading into winter.
Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Are About a Point Cheaper Than Fixed Right Now. What Oakland County Buyers Should Check First
A 5-year ARM averaged 6.4% in October vs. 7.4% for a 30-year fixed. In Oakland County, 12.2% of 2025 purchase loans were ARMs, nearly twice Michigan’s share, mostly larger loans. Payment math, reset caps and the qualifying-rate catch.
Southeast Oakland County Approved Every Tax Proposal on Nov. 3. Here Is What Changes on Your Bill
Southeast Oakland County voters approved every property-tax proposal on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Most keep bills the same; the new museum millage, Lamphere Schools bond, Lathrup Village library and Bloomfield Township bond add new costs. Unofficial results, in dollars per home.
Why Oakland County Mortgage Applications Get Denied, and the 50% Debt Line That 7% Rates Push Buyers Toward
About one in eight 2025 home-purchase mortgage applications in Oakland County was denied. Federal HMDA records show the real cutoff is a 50% debt-to-income ratio, not 43%, and how today’s 7.24% rates push borderline buyers toward it.
What It Took to Buy a Home in Southeast Oakland County: 2025 Buyer Incomes and Down Payments, City by City
Federal mortgage records for 2025 show what financed buyers in Troy, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Ferndale, Southfield and other Southeast Oakland County cities actually earned, borrowed and put down, and what the same loans cost at today’s 7.24% rates.
VA Home Loans in Oakland County: Rarely Used, Often Cheaper — What Veteran Buyers Should Know in 2026
VA loans financed only about 3% of Oakland County home purchases in 2025, half Michigan’s share, despite lower rates than conventional loans. 2026 funding fees, exemptions, the 4% concession cap, buyer-agent fees and assumable VA loans explained.
Still Time for 2026: The Property Tax Relief Oakland County Homeowners Can Claim Before the Year Ends
Michigan’s disabled veterans exemption can still erase a home’s entire 2026 property tax bill if filed before Dec. 31, and Oakland County’s December Boards of Review hear poverty exemptions. Who qualifies, local deadlines and what the December board can fix.