Detroit, MI

Don’t Call It a Comeback for Detroit

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2024

The Detroit Lions have not won a championship since 1957. That same year, Detroit’s population grew for the last time—until last year. The Lions still haven’t won the Super Bowl, but they’re gaining momentum. And, for the first time since 1957, Detroit’s population is growing.

The increase was modest; the U.S. Census Bureau reported a 1,852-person bump in the Motor City’s ranks. Still, that’s more than can be said for cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New Orleans, where populations declined over the same period. Whether Detroit’s growth is a one-off or the beginning of the comeback often forecasted but never imminent, only time will tell. Detroit will have to prove itself capable of overcoming the factors that led to its demise.

Founded by French fur traders and missionaries, Detroit has long been subject to demographic change. The once-small city was a bargaining chip for great powers through the latter half of the 18th century, traded from French to British to American hands, often with incursions from regional Native American tribes. Located along the waterway connecting Lake Huron to Lake Erie, Detroit was well-positioned for the growth of the young nation’s industry.

Over the next century, European immigrants came to Detroit, mostly from Poland, Ireland, and Germany. Unlike residents of most major American cities, Detroit’s citizens lived mainly in single-family homes rather than tenements or row houses—immigrants included. But, as was common, immigrants settled in ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods, giving rise to Poletown, Germantown, and Greektown within the city limits.

When Henry Ford transformed Detroit into Motor City, he hired factory workers from among the city’s immigrant population, attracting labor with the generous $5 workday. But the growth of Ford Motor Company soon outpaced the growth of Detroit’s immigrant population. The automobile industry needed more factory workers, but fewer Europeans were moving to the city due to several restrictive immigration bills in the 1920s. Looking for workers domestically, Ford began hiring black Americans who had moved north in search of work and a reprieve from the Jim Crow South.

Ford’s continued expansion would not just change Detroit economically but demographically, culturally, and geographically. By 1930, Detroit’s black population grew 25-fold to 150,000. Like European immigrants before them, black Americans lived in ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods in the city.

And as both money and workers poured into Detroit, rapid industrialization heightened racial tensions in the city. Searching for available land and lower prices, companies began building new factories on the outskirts of Detroit. And as companies moved out of downtown, so did their employees. A 1932 population survey concluded that “the outward expansion of the city has pushed suburban development farther and farther away from the down-town section. As a result…Detroit is deteriorating within the heart of the city itself.”

But the deterioration was slow—for a while, at least. Detroit residents moved to subdivisions on the city’s outskirts, many of which advertised themselves as havens from the city’s ethnic integration. Some new neighborhoods offered buyers assurance that, “ten years from today, the neighborhood will be just as desirable as it is today,” not so subtly hinting at race occupancy restrictions for the new developments.

Property owners in Detroit were concerned about the same thing. Those who didn’t, or couldn’t afford to, move away became wary of fluctuations in property value. With the financial disaster of the Great Depression still in recent memory, white, working-class homeowners were skeptical of anything that could jeopardize their property value—including racial integration. Where suburban homeowners had recourse to realtors, urban homeowners often took matters into their own hands, heightening racial tensions.

By 1957, more people were leaving Detroit than were moving in, and the black population remained fairly concentrated in central neighborhoods. Then, a decade later, came the summer of rage.

Of the 158 race riots that exploded in cities across America during the summer of 1967, Detroit’s riots were the bloodiest. Over five days, 43 people were injured, 7,2000 arrested, and more than 2,500 buildings were looted or destroyed. Michigan’s governor sent in the

The hemorrhage of white residents to the suburbs turned into abject flight. In 1967, 47,000 people left Detroit, headed for the suburbs. The following year, 80,000 people left. In the next decade, Detroit public schools saw a 74 percent decrease in the number of white students enrolled. Following white flight, Detroit became a majority-black city.

As Detroit’s population plummeted, neighborhoods were abandoned, and once-bustling subdivisions became blighted. Crime spiked, heroin use grew, and gun violence became commonplace. For decades, Detroit went up in flames every Halloween when arsonists torched hundreds of homes on “Devil’s Night,” as it became known.

By the time deindustrialization created the Rust Belt, Detroit had already fallen. Ironically, the very industry that built the city had also served as a vehicle for displacement and inflamed racial conflict.

As the city’s demographics shifted, so too did its politics. Activists looked to profit from stoking racial tensions, like lawyer and black labor organizer Kenneth Cockrel Sr. In one case, Cockrel was able to convince a jury that his defendant — who had taken an M-1 carbine to his shift at a Chrysler plant and killed two foremen and a fellow worker — was “not guilty by reason of insanity as a result of racism and conditions inside the plant.” As Bill McGraw wrote in the Detroit Free Press, “With such unlikely victories, much of white Detroit was incredulous — and angry — that black radicals were overthrowing the old order downtown.”

In 1973, Coleman Young, a former black radical, ran for mayor against police commissioner John Nichols. Young won the election by three points, supported by the majority of black voters but only 10 percent of white voters.

As time went on, white residents weren’t the only ones who left Detroit. From 2000 to 2020, Detroit lost a third of its black population, undergoing the greatest loss of black residents in any American city. In 2010, 82 percent of Detroiters were black—the highest ratio in the nation—compared to 77 percent today.

Detroiters left, but their houses still stood, creating long stretches of neighborhood blight. Houses in the city sold for as little as $100 in 2011. Mayor Mike Duggan has knocked down over 25,000 blighted houses, aiming for a goal of “next to zero” abandoned homes by the end of next year.

Since 2013, when Duggan first ran for mayor, he claimed that Detroit would gain population under his leadership. Whether he can sustain the growth—or ameliorate frustrated Detroiters who accuse investors of racist gentrification—is another question. As small numbers of white residents return to the city, some black Detroiters feel displaced by new commercial and residential investments. Some are still resentful that white flight to the suburbs crippled Detroit’s tax base, throwing the city into decades of poverty and underfunded resources.

But white people certainly aren’t the only ones moving to Detroit. As mayor, Duggan established an office of immigrant affairs headed up by Fayrouz Saad, who was tapped by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to run Michigan’s immigration policy. Saad’s department administers Whitmer’s Newcomer Rental Subsidy program, which provides up to $500 a month in rental assistance for immigrants and refugees in hopes of reversing Michigan’s decline in population. Program applications can be completed in English, Arabic, Dari, Haitian Creole, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Spanish, and Ukrainian.

In the years since white flight, Detroit has experienced a new wave of immigration. Immigrants from Middle Eastern countries have flocked to the region in recent years, giving the Detroit metro area the largest Muslim population in the nation. Dearborn, which lies just outside of the Detroit city limits, recently became America’s first majority-Muslim city.

Inside Detroit, too, Arab-Americans have moved into the neighborhoods founded by European immigrants. For years, Polish-Americans lived in Hamtramck, creating a small enclave of Polish culture. In 2021, however, Hamtramck elected a completely Muslim city council, and Amer Ghalib became the first mayor of Hamtramck in 100 years without Polish heritage.

Demographic change has long been the story of Detroit, but the last seventy years have shown the perils of that change. An increase in population could be the harbinger of urban renewal, though it’s ultimately more likely to bring about heightened ethnic tensions. And if Dearborn and Hamtramck are indicators, the future of Detroit could be shaped less by black-white dynamics and more by the burgeoning conflict between Americans and anti-western values.

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Detroit, MI

Michigan ‘adventure seekers’ take flight at new experiential venues

Published

4 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Michigan ‘adventure seekers’ take flight at new experiential venues

Detroit — Laughter rang out through the Museum of Illusions Detroit one recent afternoon as visitors worked to solve puzzles and stepped into reality-defying exhibits.

In one display, guests appeared to climb or fall from a theater resembling the Majestic, the illusion created by a large angled overhead mirror.

Gwyn Wagschal, 67, of Fenton watched as her granddaughter, Frankie Steele, 7, pretended to scale the marquee, defying gravity. The visit was more than just a day out for the pair — it was part of Wagschal’s effort to enrich her granddaughter’s homeschooling experience.

“We want more experiences and more adventure,” she said. “We don’t want to be sitting at home.”

Across Metro Detroit and the country, the shift is playing out in real time: a growing number of people are seeking hands-on, immersive experiences and developers are answering that call with more experiential venues. In addition to the Museum of Illusions Detroit, which opened on Woodward Avenue in December, Cosm Detroit in downtown is expected to open later this year and offer and immersive venue that combines sports, entertainment and technology into a shared viewing experience.

“Consumers are increasingly drawn to experiences that offer something they can’t replicate online — whether that’s social interaction, discovery or hands-on engagement,” said Stephanie Cegielski, vice president of research and public relations for ICSC, a retail trade organization.

Slick City Action Park Troy opened its doors last week to hundreds of guests seeking thrills on the dry slides, zip lines and other activities. Other concepts that opened last year are Game Show Battle Rooms in Troy, which allows visitors to step into game show-style competitions with family and friends, while Sandbox VR in Royal Oak offers immersive virtual reality gameplay.

Responses from operators suggest a strong appetite among Metro Detroit audiences for interactive and immersive entertainment.

“It surprises me, the velocity at which it moved,” said Andy Levey, chief marketing officer for the Museum of Illusions, adding that Saturdays continue to sell out. The Detroit location was the company’s 67th location.

“We knew it would be successful, but the pace and consistency of that has surprised me,” he said, adding that people want to get out and have a break away from the norm. “The bar is high. When you go out, and you’re going to spend 60, 90 minutes, two hours, you want something to have that wow factor.”

Venues evolve into ‘third places’

Across the United States, there is growth in a wide range of experience-focused concepts, including boutique fitness, interactive entertainment, social gaming, fitness classes and community-driven spaces that blend retail with technology, personalized experiences and events, Cegielski said.

Many venues, she said, are evolving into “third places,” destinations that combine shopping, dining and entertainment to encourage people to gather and stay longer. Research firm Technavio estimates the global experiential retail market will grow by about $133.5 billion between 2025 and 2030.

Cegielski said there is no specific data tied to Metro Detroit, but noted the region is following the same trajectory seen nationwide.

“For example, recent openings like Slick City Action Park highlight that experiential retail is growing in the region, as properties respond to rising consumer demand for more engaging, in-person experiences,” she said.

Some of these places take up former mall retail spaces. For example, Round1 Bowling & Arcade is expected to open soon, replacing a portion of a former Sears store at Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.

“Developers and landlords are investing in experiential concepts because they drive foot traffic, increase dwell time and encourage repeat visits,” Cegielski said.

Slick City Action Park in Troy is Toby Buechner’s latest venture, drawing from his 20-plus years of experience with kid-friendly spaces, including the nearby Troy Gym.

He purchased and expanded an existing building on Crooks Road for the franchise opportunity. The result was transforming an underused former industrial space into an indoor amusement center with 20 attractions, including slides, zip lines, trapeze swings, activity courts and a junior jungle.

“You got to be able to adapt and evolve,” Buechner said.

Kristy Ladina, 34, of Redford Township, brought her 6-year-old son, Dominic, to Slick City Action Park Troy for its opening day to celebrate his birthday, along with his cousin and a friend.

“It’s something that they can do and run around,” she said. “They’re not on their tablets or on their cellphones.”

She said her family also visits places like Ninja Kidz Action Park in Westland and Big Best in Games in Ypsilanti. It’s a good alternative to electronic devices, she said: “I think a lot of people are trying to find things to do with their kids that are outside of their home.

“They just, especially in colder months, they just want to sit on their tablet or watch TV or TikTok or whatever. So it’s nice to be able to get them somewhere where I have all of their phones in my pocket.”

Games go back to the future

Also in Troy, the competitive crowd can compete at Game Show Battle Rooms. The Troy location on W. Big Beaver opened in November and features its own versions of popular game shows.

“Think about the games that if you were at home, sick from school, drinking a Vernors, having some chicken noodle soup, sitting there watching different people,” Phill Harmer, general manager of Game Show Battle Rooms Detroit. “We play games based off of those.”

While the company cannot use the official names, two of the games, based on Harmer’s description, have a similar objective to “Family Feud” and “The Price Is Right.” Guests play three sets of games with their own host and tech producer, surrounded by full lights, sounds and interactive effects.

The venue is designed for team-building events, birthdays, family gatherings or just for fun, Harmer said. The rooms are privately booked, so participants compete against friends, family, or coworkers rather than strangers. The games really resonate with the older crowd, he said.

“They love the nostalgia and the competition with their families,” he said, adding that weekends are fully booked through Memorial Day. The company updates its game content every two months to keep repeat visitors coming back for new games, he said.

While Game Show Battle Rooms offers players a game show experience, Sandbox VR in Royal Oak offers a video game virtual reality experience.

Sandbox VR also opened in November. Its spot on Main Street was chosen for its central location and proximity to entertainment and places to eat, said Ryan Koster, the general manager of the Royal Oak location.

The venue uses full-body motion tracking and high-quality haptic vests, allowing players to physically move through the game and feel interactions as they happen.

“It’s complete immersion,” Koster said. “It’s not possible with the home VR systems. It’s just kind of that next level up. There’s no joysticks when you’re playing. You’re actually moving around in the room. You’re moving around in the game. So it really does kind of transform you into a whole different world.”

Kids today are growing up immersed in technology, making venues like Sandbox VR a natural evolution, Koster said: “This really is just kind of that next step up. They’re going to be bragging to their friends about, but it’s just such a cool experience. It’s so different than everything out there.”

There are 10 total games available at the location, including Netflix-themed experiences like “Stranger Things: Catalyst,” “Squid Game,” and “Rebel Moon,” as well as original games like the “Deadwood” series, with new ones added over time to keep visitors coming back, Koster said.

Heading for downtown

Immersive experiences are also expanding in downtown Detroit where, just in time for the fall NFL season, Cosm Detroit is expected to open. Construction on the project, which broke ground in April 2025, is well underway on the building at Cadillac Square, which will feature an LED dome.

Corey Breton, head of venues at Cosm, said the building’s architecture and details are being designed with Rosetti and Bedrock to intentionally reflect Detroit’s vibes and character.

Once complete, visitors will be able to experience live events through high-tech displays inside the 500-seat venue, giving them a courtside, field-side or pitch-side feel, Breton said.

“Most folks will ask us, are you a venue or are you kind of a bar?” he said. “What’s the differentiation between Cosm and what experience we provide versus other spots. I always say we’re not a bar, we’re not a restaurant, we’re not a venue. We’re just Cosm, and our role, our goal, is to kind of transport fans to the best seats across all the major marquee events throughout the globe.”

Breton noted that in March of next year, they’ll kick off March Madness in four of their venues, starting with Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas and LA. In addition to sports, Cosm will host cinematic experiences, such as Harry Potter, Willy Wonka and Matrix screenings.

Back at the Museum of Illusions Detroit, Sara Palmer of Windsor visited with her extended family that included eight children ages 6 to 13. She said she seeks out experiential venues to give the kids active, hands-on experiences.

“We always look to interact in different ways and learn in different ways,” she said, noting that some of the children are homeschooled.

The museum includes optical illusions, hands-on interactive exhibits, and photo opportunities, with some illusions best captured with a camera to reveal their full effect. Visitors can go at their own pace.

Palmer said venues like the museum provide a safe environment where kids can be active: “This is a more controlled environment where we know what our kids are doing, and they’re not running out in the street.”

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

Motown Museum in Detroit to Premiere New Psychedelic Soul Exhibit

Published

16 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Motown Museum in Detroit to Premiere New Psychedelic Soul Exhibit

The Motown Museum in Detroit will premiere “Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythms and Time,” a new exhibition exploring the evolution of the Motown Sound during one of the most transformative periods in music history. It will run from April 17 to Sept. 27, 2026. // Photo courtesy of Motown Museum

In April, the Motown Museum in Detroit will premiere “Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythms and Time,” a new exhibition exploring the evolution of the Motown Sound during one of the most transformative periods in music history.

It will be the first exhibit presented at the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence, the Museum’s new 38,000-square-foot space that opened in 2025 to honor founder Esther Gordy Edwards and accelerate the institution’s future through community engagement, education, and creative exploration.

Gordy Edwards, during the mid-1960s, served as vice president and CEO of Motown Records, which was founded by her younger brother, Berry, in 1959. A graduate of Cass Technical High School and Howard University, she created the Motown Museum and served as its president for many years.

While public tours of the original Hitsville U.S.A. campus remain paused during the Museum’s ongoing expansion project, Motown Museum is utilizing the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence to welcome guests, offer a curated exhibition experience, and continue sharing the Motown story.

The period from 1967 to 1975 marked Motown’s Psychedelic Soul era, when the label expanded beyond its signature love songs to embrace experimentation and socially conscious storytelling. Guided by producer Norman Whitfield, artists like The Temptations helped define the sound with Grammy-winning hits such as “Cloud 9” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”

“Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythms and Time” features rare vinyl releases, vintage fashion, immersive multimedia, and artifacts that capture the cultural and technological shifts of the era. Through docent-led tours, the exhibition connects this transformative chapter of Motown’s history to its lasting influence on contemporary music and culture.

Motown Museum members can experience the Psychedelic Soul exhibit tour for free. Reservations are required for members, and can be made by calling the box office at 313-875-2264.

The exhibit will open to the public on April 17 and run through Sept. 27, 2026. Exhibit hours are Wednesday thru Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The address is 2550 W. Grand Blvd.

Tickets are available online now at motownmuseum.org.

Note: The Motown Museum retail store will be open onsite at the Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence during exhibit hours.

Founded in 1985, Motown Museum is a 501(c)(3) not for profit, tax-exempt organization. The museum is committed to preserving, protecting, and presenting the Motown story through authentic, inspirational, and educational experiences.

Announced in late 2016, the Motown Museum expansion will grow the facility to a nearly 50,000-square-foot world-class entertainment and education tourist destination featuring dynamic, interactive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios, an expanded retail experience, and meeting spaces. It is scheduled to be completed in spring 2027.

For more information on Motown Museum, visit motownmuseum.org.

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Detroit, MI

Here’s what Metro Detroit homebuyers face heading into spring season

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Here’s what Metro Detroit homebuyers face heading into spring season

Julie Thomas had been searching since January for a house that would give her more space for herself and her two dogs while moving her closer to work. After seeing several homes quickly snapped up, she recently went under contract for a home in Shelby Township.

“I’m very happy that we are at least working on one and that the offer was accepted,” she said. “I was definitely getting discouraged continuing to look. I’m obviously relieved from that aspect of it.”

Thomas, 25, is among Metro Detroit homebuyers experiencing a housing market in a transitional moment on multiple fronts. As the peak spring buying season begins, more listings are coming online and activity is picking up after a slower winter, even as mortgage rates have climbed back above 6%. At the same time, the average homebuyer is older than in past years, highlighting how affordability is shaping who is able to enter the market.

The median first-time homebuyer in 2025 was 40 years old, up from 30 in 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors, while Redfin reports a median age of 35. And older buyers aren’t slowing down. When including repeat buyers, those upgrading, downsizing or buying vacation homes, the median age of all U.S. homebuyers jumps to 59, up from 39 in 2010, according to Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok, who analyzed the NAR data.

Redfin puts the median age of repeat buyers at about 47. That means people aren’t just buying their first homes later. Older Americans are buying multiple times later in life instead of staying put.

Market has more showings, more buyers

The upcoming spring market is expected to bring increased activity after a winter of slower sales and moderated price increases. There were fewer homes sold in February in Metro Detroit, with year-over-year sales down and prices rising modestly.

“I would say it does feel that we are entering the very early stages of our spring market,” said Jeanette Schneider, president of RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan. “We’re seeing more activity. There’s more showings being scheduled. There are more buyers out there. They’re looking, which is good. It’s something that we want to see at this time of the year.”

Home sale activity across Metro Detroit, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties, was down year-over-year with 2,660 transactions, down from 2,864 last year, according to the latest RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan housing report. The median sales price was relatively stable, slipping to $297,500 from $300,000 in January, but up from $293,375 last year. Inventory levels remained between three and four months of supply, while homes continued to sell at a steady pace of about 40 days on market, according to the report.

Across a broader area covering 18 Michigan counties, new listings in February rose year-over-year, increasing 3.6% to 8,516 from 8,224, according to the latest Realcomp report. The report includes Genesee, Hillsdale, Huron, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Montcalm, Oakland, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washington and Wayne counties.

“I know that sales are down, but I do think that it’s positive to have the homes on the market increase for those that are searching for a home, to give them more opportunity to find what they’re looking for,” said Karen Kage, CEO of Realcomp II Ltd. “That’s been seriously missing, like last year and this year or the year before. And so it’s nice to have, nice to see that improving so that again, they have more to choose from, especially first-time homebuyers, it’s really nice that they have more options.”

The Realcomp report also notes that pending sales fell 7.5% to 6,327 from 6,842, and closed sales decreased 10.1% to 5,794 from 6,443. The median sale price increased 2.9% to $262,000 from $254,500, and homes spent an average of 52 days on the market, up slightly from 50 days a year ago. The report also found that about 26% of new listings and 34.9% of pending sales were both listed and pending in the same month.

“To see that many homes listed and sold, or at least under contract, in the same month is very encouraging,” Kage said.

Rates influence buyers

Mortgage interest rates have ticked back above 6% after briefly dipping below that level in late February for the first time since 2022, according to Freddie Mac, coinciding with the increase in the 10‑year Treasury yield.

“Despite the modest uptick, buyers are responding to rates in this range, with existing-home sales increasing 1.7% in February,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Purchase applications also increased this week, a welcome sign as buyers enter spring homebuying season with rates down more than half a percentage point compared to the same time last year.”

The mortgage rate environment has had an impact on buyer behavior. “And while interest rates have kind of gone back to right about 6%, they’ve been pretty stable,” Schneider said. “That also helps buyers feel confident in moving forward.”

Kristie Lohmann, a Realtor associate with RE/MAX First in Shelby Township, said seeing rates just under 6% has been encouraging, though they’re higher than the record lows of recent years.

“People that bought a home during COVID got the 3% interest, and they’re not going anywhere because they don’t want to pay more now,” she said. “If you want to do something and you can afford the higher payment, do it and hope the rates come down. But it’s still a factor buyers have to consider.”

Affordability is impacting who enters the housing market and when. Angie Sierra, a Southfield-based agent with RE/MAX City Centre, said the typical first-time buyer she sees is 35 to 40.

“I do see quite a bit of young homeowners as well,” she said. “I have a few college students that have purchased a home, but overall, the average is in the upper 30s to early 40s.”

Among those buyers is Erica Johnson, 35, and her fiancé, Stephaun Patterson-Lovelace Sr., 36, who recently purchased their first home in Garden City for $237,900 through a land contract. It’s a three-bedroom, one-bath house with a two-car garage, fenced backyard and space for their blended family of four children, ages 9 to 18. Johnson said the process was challenging but rewarding.

Given the average age of first-time homebuyers, Johnson, a pharmacy technician, said she was told that she and Patterson-Lovelace, an Xfinity technician, were “right where they needed to be” in terms of buying a house.

“So it feels really good to not have to worry about rent, to not have to worry about somebody else’s rules and all this other stuff,” she said. “We get our own, and we can stay pretty much as long as we want to. But then we also have equity in the house moving forward.”

First-timers face high prices for lots of work

The condition of homes is another challenge for buyers, particularly first-time buyers.

Lohmann noted that many properties come on the market in less-than-ideal shape, sometimes prompting buyers to pay high prices for homes that require significant work.

“I walk in some houses and say, ‘What are they asking for this house?’” Lohmann said. “They weren’t in the best condition, and I was kind of shocked what the seller was asking.”

A move-in-ready home can make all the difference for first-time buyers. That was the case for Thomas, the first-time homebuyer from Chesterfield Township, who began her search focusing on Sterling Heights, Shelby Township and Clinton Township to be closer to her job as a registered dietitian in Pontiac.

She said her search was challenging, with homes selling quickly and prices high relative to their condition.

“Being in it makes you realize just how expensive everything is for not much, whatever you’re going to get,” she said. “It can be discouraging for sure, thinking about the market and the economy and everything.”

Thomas found a home in Shelby Township that fit her budget, making an offer of $275,500. The three-bedroom, one-bath home includes a two-car garage, a fenced backyard, a shed, a fireplace and brand-new appliances.

The home is largely move-in ready, with the recent inspection helping her identify typical maintenance needs, she said: “It’s just too (great to) pass up.”

Buyers have to maintain realistic expectations, said Marcy Soufrine, an agent with Keller Williams, especially amid tight inventory and rising prices. That often means adjusting priorities.

“They’re willing to look at slightly smaller homes, different locations, or just wait for the right opportunity,” she said, adding that sellers are starting to prepare their homes for the spring market, which could add more options for buyers.

“I’ve been talking to more people who are thinking about putting their homes on the market in the next few months. They want to get an idea of what they need to do to get their homes ready and where we can price them,” she said. “Anyone that wants to list should do it before May, June, July, because when more homes hit the market at the same time, you have more competition.”

As for Johnson, she and her fiancé worked out a deal for seller financing to make their first home purchase possible. They plan to move in and gradually make improvements, including adding a bathroom in the basement.

“We basically can move in and just fix it up over time,” she said. “But it’s our house, and it’s something we have, and we can build on that.”

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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