When Kate Brouner decided to put her six-bedroom, three-bath 3,590-square-foot Howell house on the market, she called the previous owner: Novi-based Realtor Jenn Anderson.

Anderson lived in the home for 11 years before selling to Brouner.

“We call it ‘our house’ and we wanted to make sure to find the right buyer,” Anderson said.

Winter tends to be a slower time for agents but it allows real-estate agents to size up last year’s marketplace and forecast the year ahead. But houses are still being bought and sold.

Steve Stockton has a national and local perspective of the housing market. He’s a board member for RealComp, Michigan’s largest multiple-listing service; the North Oakland County Board of Realtors; and the National Real Estate Review Board.

“This is the longest time period we’ve had growth: 29 months in a row of increased value nationally,” he said. “I don’t remember a month since COVID where we haven’t gone up month over month.”

Regionally, sales rose month-over-month in the Northeast and South, were unchanged in the West, and declined in the Midwest. Demand in Michigan remains steady, Stockton said.

Nationally, home sales rose in December, up by a half percent from November, according to the National Association of Realtors. But compared to December 2024, sales were down by 1%.

The typical homebuyer is 60 years old and the median age for a new-home buyer is at an all-time high: 40, up from 33 in 2021 and 29 in 1991.

“The hardest issue is finding starter homes that younger people can buy. To finally hit 40 as the average first-time buyer’s age is just crazy,” he said.

Market shift

Stockton said the current market is transitioning from one that favored sellers to a balanced market favoring neither buyers nor sellers, aided in part by lower interest rates.

As of late Thursday, a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage loan was around 6.2% and the 15-year rate was around 5.6%. Few expect interest to drop below 6% this year, despite pressure on the Federal Bank by the Trump administration, he said.

Karen Kage, Realcomp’s CEO and a real estate agent for more than 40 years, said buyers are finding 10% more homes for sale in southeast Michigan this year compared to last year while Oakland County has 15% more.

Oakland County’s hottest markets include Novi, Northville and South Lyon, where builders are busy. Existing homes are selling in Milford, Highland and White Lake townships, Stockton said.

Areas like Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills remain popular and lakeside homes are always in high demand.

Home prices

Southeast Michigan’s median price for existing homes was $270,000 in December, up 5.9% over December 2024. Oakland County’s median home price increased by less than 1%, to $360,000..

“The buyers have a little more to chase,” Stockton said, noting that less than five years ago, buyers were skipping home inspections and warranties to compete with a slew of other buyers.

These days, he said, softer markets in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Florida are inspiring older homeowners who are weighing getting a good price for their Michigan home and taking advantage of better prices in what Stockon called “the sunshine states.”

In southeast Michigan, the number of homes on the market represent about three to four months of inventory, up from 2015, when the inventory was a scant six weeks. A truly balanced market requires a five-to-seven-month supply of homes, Stockton said.

More homes for sale means sellers are now waiting on home inspection results, offering home warranties again and bargaining on prices more than in recent years.

But in some areas, buyers are writing love letters about the home they want to persuade a seller to pick their offer.

What’s selling

A refreshed kitchen remains a selling point, as does a newer roof.

“The homes selling quickly now are updated and sharp,” Stockton said. “If you have a house that’s a little tired and dated, it’s going to sit on the market for a while.”

But a motivated seller like Brouner will adjust the home price to attract buyers.

Brouner, a healthcare analyst and mother of five, wanted a new home after her divorce was finalized but didn’t have the time for significant updates.

Anderson said it’s important for sellers to be realistic about their home’s value and the marketplace. Brouner had been watching the real estate market for 18 months before deciding to list her home. She and Anderson agreed to list the house for $449,900.

Less than a week after the listing went online, offers poured in.

“I was pretty confident my house would sell but Jenn really helped me make the most money possible,” she said. “Selling is not as scary as everyone thinks. Find the right agent and they will guide you.”

Brouner will start shopping for a new home with Anderson soon. She hopes to find a house with more land, room for her family and a price under $400,000 and she’s being pragmatic about her options.

“I don’t mind buying a fixer upper,” she said.

The 2026 outlook

“I hate making predictions,” Kage said. “Everything could change tomorrow … Who could have predicted some of the things we’ve been through in the last 40 years?”

She prefers to watch monthly home-sales figures and said two months of numbers gives a short-term peek into the future. The final months of winter can suggest how a season will progress. The second-quarter market is a better indicator, she said.

The solid sellers’ market pressed buyers into bidding wars, which Kage said raised prices to a point that challenges younger buyers.

She believes more sellers are confident of getting a good price for their home and being able to find an affordable next home,” she said.

A rise in the number of homes available has increased the average time on the market by two days, to 43 days, which has alarmed sellers and it shouldn’t because buyers who have more choices are more confident in their offers, Kage said.

Kage encourages buyers and sellers to work with a licensed real estate agent. They can help sellers find the optimum price for marketing a home and typically learn about new listings before they are published.

“People say, ‘Oh, I’ll just check Zillow’ but where do you think Zillow gets the information? They get it from us,” she said.

When he learned about a quirky, nearly century-old metro Detroit home made from concrete blocks embedded with thousands of glass bottles, Carl Schiller says he knew he had to save it. “As soon as I saw the place, my jaw just hit the floor,” Schiller tells Metro Times. “I could not believe how cool it […]

The post Historic Hazel Park ‘bottle house’ hits market for first time in 70+ years appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

Severe mold contamination inside an apartment at Alden Towers in Detroit left two adults and a baby seriously ill, forcing them to throw away nearly everything they owned and ultimately leaving them homeless with ongoing health problems, a family says.

The post Family says mold exposure at Detroit’s Alden Towers left them sick, homeless, and ignored appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

Q: We have a third bathroom in our finished basement that has a stall shower. My brother-in-law says it’s only considered a half-bath because it doesn’t have a bathtub. Is he correct?

A: Your brother-in-law is wrong. Bathrooms go by the number of fixtures. A bathroom with a sink and a toilet is a two-fixture bath, which is also referred to as a half-bath or a lav. A full bath has a sink, toilet, and either a bathtub or shower, or both, so it can be either a three- or four-fixture full bath.

Home maintenance tip

Are you losing up to 25% of your heat because you don’t have $40 to $80 worth of insulation in your basement? Having been in literally over a thousand homes over the years, I get to observe a lot of things. One thing I have noticed, especially in homes built before the 1980s, is the lack of insulation around the rim joist in the basement. That is where all the joists rest on top of the basement wall. If you see insulation, you’re good, but if you see bare wood, you’re losing money out of your pocket every minute during the cold weather here in Michigan.

The fix is simple: buy a roll or two of insulation and cut pieces to fit up in all of the cavities. (If you have bay windows or kitchen sinks that are in a bay with plumbing pipes, then consult with a professional on the correct way to insulate the bay.) It’s a good idea to wear gloves, long sleeves, safety glasses and a face mask when handling insulation. You can take it a step further and seal all the joints with a foam sealant first before adding the insulation. I recommend consulting your home improvement store or a contractor/handyman as to the best way to go about it for your home. As long as you do something, you will start saving money right away.

Market update

November’s market update for Macomb County and Oakland County’s housing market (house and condo sales) is as follows: In Macomb County, the average sales price was up by almost 3% and Oakland County’s was up by more than 2%. Macomb County’s on-market inventory was down by almost 2% and Oakland County’s was up by almost 4%. Macomb County’s average days on market was 35 days and Oakland County’s was 32 days. Closed sales in Macomb County were up by almost 3% and were down by almost 9% in Oakland County. (All comparisons are month to month, year to year.)

By the long-standing historical definition from the National Association of Realtors, which has been in existence since 1908, a buyer’s market is when there is a seven-month supply or more of inventory on the market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers is when there is a six-month supply of inventory. A seller’s market is when there is a five-month or less supply of inventory. Inventory has continued to stay low. In November, the state of Michigan’s inventory was at 2.6 months of supply. Macomb County’s inventory was at 2.4 months of supply and Oakland County’s inventory was at 2.3 months of supply. By definition, it’s still not close to a buyer’s market.

Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at Realty Executives Home Towne in Shelby Township. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or emailed at Steve@MeyersRealtor.com. You can also visit his website at  AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.

Q: We have a question for you regarding our bathroom. We want to convert our bathtub to a shower stall so we do not have to lift our legs so high to get in and out. Will it be harder to sell our house in the future without a bathtub?

A: I wouldn’t worry about it. If making this change allows you to stay and enjoy your home for years to come, then do it for your needs. When you sell, you could change it back to a tub or give an allowance to the buyer if it becomes an issue.

Home maintenance tip

I would like to vent a little here — about clothes dryer venting. I go into many homes, and whether it’s as a buyer’s agent or as a seller’s agent listing a home, I always look at the appliances, including the washer and dryer. When I look at the dryers, I observe what kind of ducting it has. There is flexible (looks like a flimsy accordion style, which is usually white vinyl or foil), semi-rigid (looks like a flexible aluminum tube) and then there is rigid (looks like the sheet metal ductwork you would see on your furnace). According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2014-2018, local fire departments responded to an average of 13,820 home structure fires per year in which dryers were involved in the ignition. These fires caused an average of seven civilian deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in direct property damage annually. The main issue for dryer ducts is that lint goes through them while still containing some moisture, and it sticks to the walls of the ducting.

You might think that the lint trap stops all lint, but it does not. The flexible and semi-rigid ducting, because of the ribs, are more prone to catching lint than the smooth rigid metal ducts. The danger is when the interior of the ducting gets coated with lint and the dryer gives off a spark or high heat that can ignite the lint, causing a fire in the ductwork. If you have a flexible duct, it’s going to quickly melt and possibly allow the fire to spread in your home. A semi-rigid is a little more fire resistant, but it is not as good as the rigid sheet metal type. Not only is it important to have the best ductwork, but it’s also important to have the ductwork cleaned and to have the inside of the dryer cleaned, as well. According to NFPA, one-third of dryer fires were caused by a failure to clean.

Market update

September’s market update for Macomb County and Oakland County’s housing market (house and condo sales) is as follows: In Macomb County, the average sales price was up by almost 5% and in Oakland County, it was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s on-market inventory was unchanged at 0% and Oakland County’s on-market inventory was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s average days on market was 29 days and Oakland County’s average days on market was 25 days. Closed sales in Macomb County were up by more than 2% and closed sales in Oakland County were up by more than 4%. (All comparisons are month to month, year to year.)

By the long-standing historical definition from the National Association of Realtors, which has been in existence since 1908, a buyer’s market is when there is a seven-month supply or more of inventory on the market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers is when there is a six-month supply of inventory. A seller’s market is when there is a five-month or less supply of inventory. Inventory has continued to stay low. In September, the state of Michigan’s inventory was at 2.8 months of supply. Macomb County’s inventory was at 2.4 months of supply and Oakland County’s inventory was at 2.5 months of supply. By definition, it’s still not close to a buyer’s market.

Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at Realty Executives Home Towne in Shelby Township. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or emailed at Steve@MeyersRealtor.com. You can also visit his website at  AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.

Waterford Township planning commissioners have approved a three-story 60-unit senior-living building on Scott Lake, over the objections of nearby residents.

Lourdes Senior Community has a nearly 40-acres campus along Watkins Lake Road next to Scott Lake, currently offering nearly 150 units devoted to independent and assisted living options, rehabilitation, short-term and long-term care and hospice care.

Scott Lake is a private, spring-fed 77-acre lake with depths up to 35 feet. It is considered an all-sports lake.

The township allows up to 10 units per acre; the new-building site is just over three acres on the campus and would allow up to 62 units, according to township officials.

The one- and two-bedroom apartments will have full kitchens and in-unit laundry utilities. The units range in size from just over 700 square feet to just under 1,200 square feet. Amenities in the building will include a bistro, theater, game room, chapel, salon, fitness center and multipurpose rooms. Apartments would cost $5,000 to $6,800 a month, depending on size. Lourdes existing independent-living units cost between $2,875 and $4,200.

Two docks are planned on the lake, with an agreement for a total of two pontoon boats that would be operated by staff, according to plans submitted to the township.

Lourdes’ President and CEO, Rich Acho, told The Oakland Press the company started in 1965 and remains one of the few Catholic nonprofit retirement communities in Oakland County. He said aging baby boomers will need more options in the near future.

Within a five-mile radius of Lourdes’ campus, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’ 2050 economic forecasts show a 22% increase in households with people 75 years or older at a time when their children or other potential caregivers are moving out of the area.

“In our market area, ages 65+ will see a 32% increase by 2028,” Acho said. “With the workforce shortage, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hire private caregivers.”

But plans to add the 60-unit independent-living building to the campus riled many Scott Lake residents. They appealed to township planning commissioners to stop the project.

Lourdes revised the site plan to address township officials’ and residents’ concerns, including relocating the building to meet setback rules, redesigning the parking lot to meet township standards and hiring a company to do a traffic study. Lourdes widened a fire lane and added a sidewalk along Watkins Lake Road, while dropping plans for a pickleball court in favor of a courtyard designed for quiet activities.

Lourdes officials told the township that because residents are considered independent, there would only be a single staff member in the building to assist in the event an emergency required a 911 call.

David Cyplik lives two-tenths of a mile from Lourdes, closer to Watkins Lake. His wife was a patient there near the end of her life, he said, adding that he donates to Lourdes and supports the senior community in other ways. But he doesn’t support a 60-unit building and worries about traffic on Watkins Lake Road, especially during rush hours.

“If you live nearby, as I do, I see the traffic backing up every day,” he said. “It backs up for a long period of time.”

Jennifer Almassy said despite changes in Lourdes’ site plan, she remains concerned.

“It’s still a stark-white three-story building adding 60 units when there’s not even barely 100 houses on the lake. I think that’s excessive,” she said.

Another neighbor, Frank Scerbo, said he liked having the Lourdes across the lake.

“It’s nice and quiet. We’d just like to keep it that way,” he said.
“I ask you respectfully: Do not allow 60 units to be built there to stick out like a white elephant.”

Scerbo said one or two residents per unit would increase Watkins Lake Road traffic, either because they will be driving or having visitors.

Several asked for a traffic light for safety reasons.

Supporters included Lourdes residents and employees, who also spoke at the Sept. 23 meeting.

A retired priest, the Rev. Joe Lang, said he’s lived on Lourdes’ campus for three years and found it peaceful.

“It’s an environment in which people take good care of themselves,” he told the board, noting that many no longer drive.

Some Lourdes residents were accompanied by the company’s caregivers. One said she heard more noise from the 80 households that share Scott Lake than from her Lourdes neighbors.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’ 2050 forecast of regional trends to predict how changes will affect the economy and the movement of residents and companies. The report is used to help decide how the infrastructure changes and what services are needed. SEMCOG’s report shows that aging is a major issue, with more older adults than children by 2026 in southeast Michigan, a trend that will be national by 2034 and global by 2050.

Higher-density housing is one SEMCOG recommendation for making sure older residents have access to transportation, food, housing, public spaces and social engagement.