Most Metro Detroit homeowners start their selling journey the same way:They type their address into a site like Zillow, Redfin, or another online valuation tool. But before you enter your address one more time, there is something you need to know that could save you from a very expensive mistake. Because the number you are getting from those sites is not the number that actually matters. Every...

Thinking about selling your home in the Metro Detroit area in the next three months? With the right preparation, you can maximize your sale price, attract more buyers, and sell faster. Whether your home is in Birmingham, Northville, Plymouth, or anywhere across Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb Counties, these are the exact strategies I would use to boost your home’s value before listing. These steps are...

What Metro Detroit Homeowners Need to Know About the 2026 Cash Buyer Rule If you are buying or selling a home in Metro Detroit, a major federal change is coming that may affect how all cash offers work, especially when LLCs or trusts are involved. Starting March 1, 2026, a new rule from the U.S. Treasury FinCEN office will require additional reporting for certain cash transactions. This update...

Most homeowners think they know what the standard metro Detroit Realtor commission is until they decide to sell their home and discover the number they have in their head does not match the reality of the current market. And in 2026, that gap is wider than ever. This article breaks down what the average Realtor commission looks like right now in Metro Detroit, what has changed, what has not, and why...

Are you asking yourself how mortgage rates impact your home affordability in Metro Detroit or whether you should wait to buy a home? You are not alone. Mortgage rates directly influence how much you can afford, what your monthly payment will be, and the competitive landscape for both buyers and sellers in today’s market. In this article, I sit down with mortgage expert Vincent Newsome to explain in...

Before the next housing market shift becomes obvious, the most important question to ask isn’t what the market will do — it’s whether you’re positioned to benefit when it does. As a Metro Detroit real estate agent, I’ve spent years helping buyers and sellers navigate changing housing markets across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. In this series-closing post, I’m breaking down who...

If you’re watching mortgage rates closely and wondering what you should do before mortgage rates drop, you’re already ahead of most buyers and sellers. In the Metro Detroit real estate market, rate drops don’t just create opportunity, they create competition. Buyers who prepare early tend to win. Sellers who understand what rate movement does to demand tend to net more. I’m Leslie Martin, a...

If you’re asking what happens if mortgage rates drop, you’re not alone, and the answer matters if you’re buying or selling a home in Metro Detroit. I’m Leslie Martin, a Realtor® serving buyers and sellers across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, and this is one of the most common questions I’m hearing right now. Mortgage rates influence affordability, competition, and timing, but they...

Should I Buy a Home Now or Wait? Short answer: it depends, but not on headlines. If you’ve found yourself asking “Should I buy a home now, or should I wait?” you’re not alone. This is one of the most frequently searched real estate questions on Google, YouTube, and AI tools especially among Metro Detroit buyers trying to make sense of today’s market. In this guide, I’ll walk you...

If you’ve been watching the housing market and thinking something feels different lately, you’re not wrong. Across the country, analysts are calling 2026 the start of a housing market reset; not a crash, not a boom, but a shift toward balance. As a Metro Detroit Realtor, I’m seeing this reset show up very differently here than in many national headlines. In Southeast Michigan, the market is...