Detroit, MI
Metro Detroit homebuyers face higher prices but more inventory, lower mortgage rates
Eric Vance knows a good house when he sees one.
The 54-year-old contractor from Southfield, who has spent years buying and flipping homes, recently toured a property in Redford Township that immediately caught his attention.
“It was the fireplace and that kitchen,” he said. “Because I am a family man, and it put me right where I needed to be and what I needed to see.”
Buyers like Vance who are looking for a new home are navigating the housing market at a time when inventory, prices and days on the market are on the rise, even as interest rates begin to trend down. Metro Detroit’s housing market saw prices climb modestly in August, even as sales slowed, with the market heading into a seasonal slowdown.
The median sales price across Metro Detroit rose 4.4% year-over-year to $332,500 across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties, according to the latest RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan Housing Report. The supply of inventory increased to 2.8 months in August, compared with 2.6 months in July and 2.4 a year earlier, according to the report.
“We are continuing to see a bit more inventory coming into the market that is starting to be reflected in the month supply,” said Jeanette Schneider, president of RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan. “We’re seeing that inch up a little bit. That’s a signal that we’ve got more and more inventory coming to market.”
The median sales price rose across a broader area — 18 Michigan counties — to reach $289,000 for residential and condo sales combined, according to a Realcomp August sales report, up 5.1% from $275,000 the year before. Realcomp, the state’s largest multiple listing service, looks at Genesee, Hillsdale, Huron, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Montcalm, Oakland, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washington and Wayne counties.
The supply of inventory across the 18 counties increased 16%, from 2.5 months to 2.9 months year over year. Pending sales decreased 4.9% from 10,345 to 9,839 year over year, while pending sales increased from 9,778 month over month by 1%. Closed sales decreased 3.7% from 10,530 to 10,138 year over year, and decreased from 10,507 month over month, a decline of 3.5%.
“As we prepare to move from summer into fall, homebuyers have more choices than they have had all year,” Karen Kage, CEO of Realcomp II Ltd., said in the report. “While median sales prices remain fairly consistent, inventory is at its highest August levels in 5 years.”
‘Holding our own’
One notable point in the data was Detroit, which saw its median sales price jump about 16% from last year to a record $111,500, according to Realcomp.
Darralyn Bowers of Bowers Realty in Southfield said the housing market remains healthy in the city and across Metro Detroit: “So far, we’re holding our own, and we’re still seeing property values go up.
“Even in Detroit, we’re seeing growth. Michigan is unique in the Midwest here. We’ve got so many positive qualities, like the water and the amenities and the desirability of Detroit and some of the things that are happening here in Detroit. I think those all accelerate to a better market.”
Nathan Boji, an agent with RE/MAX Classic in Farmington Hills, said the market varies across Metro Detroit, with Oakland County staying strong in cities like Novi, Farmington Hills and Bloomfield Hills. Livingston County properties are selling quickly, while Macomb County offers solid value. He said Wayne County remains the most affordable for entry-level buyers, with Livonia and Dearborn competitive under $400,000. Sterling Heights is also seeing steady activity.
“If it’s priced right, it’s selling,” he said. “If it’s not priced right, it’s going to sit.”
Jessica Belanger, an agent with RE/MAX Advisors in New Baltimore, said homes in the northern subdivisions in Macomb County, such as New Haven and Shelby, Washington and Macomb townships, are selling relatively quickly: “The nice houses, nice upgrades that don’t need a lot of updates and not priced hopefully over market, are still selling.”
Mortgage rate slide helps
As housing prices rise, mortgage rates continue to trend down, according to Freddie Mac. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.35% as of Thursday, down from the previous week when it averaged 6.5%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.2%.
“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 15 basis points from last week, the largest weekly drop in the past year,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in the report. “Mortgage rates are headed in the right direction and homebuyers have noticed, as purchase applications reached the highest year-over-year growth rate in more than four years.”
Schneider said September will be the month to watch as the Federal Reserve meets mid-month and markets look for a possible rate cut.
While mortgage rates are more closely tied to the 10-year Treasury than the Fed’s actions, she said Fed decisions can signal direction and influence buyer sentiment. Schneider added that even if rates don’t drop significantly, a Fed cut could give buyers more confidence and push some off the fence, potentially leading to more activity in the fall housing market.
“So it seems, from my perspective, the market has already kind of anticipated what the Fed is going to do, and the interest rates are already starting to kind of reflect that,” she said. “So I don’t necessarily think we’re going to see a huge drop in the mortgage interest rates, even if the Fed does a cut. But what I think a Fed cut could do is psychologically be a very positive confidence booster for buyers that have been iffy.”
While mortgage rates have eased into the mid-to-high 6% range, Boji said many consumers are still holding back: “A large percentage of the consumer still sees that as being a very high rate. They’re sort of holding their breath for a kind of a magic kind of reduction, in the sense of possibly seeing rates that we saw several years ago — 3, 4, 5%.”
Jessica Belanger, an agent with REMAX Advisors, said she’s noticing some clients becoming accustomed to the mortgage rates. “Everybody out there in general is kind of coming to that realization that those 2.5% interest rates were not a realistic expectation. It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
To help prospective buyers make home ownership more affordable, Bowers said her team hosts a monthly brunch to educate them about down payment assistance and help them explore their options. She noted that some banks are offering grants up to $17,500, while others provide low- or no-interest loans, some with no income limit.
“If you had a grant of $10,000,” Bowers said, “that also is equity.”
Vance, whose budget is between $200,000 and $250,000, said he isn’t a fan of the current mortgage interest rates. But a divorce last year has prompted his move.
The father of three, including two adult children, is considering the three-bedroom home in Redford Township for its roominess. He said he could see himself building an outdoor kitchen off the back patio, a place for entertaining and spending time with loved ones.
For Vance, homeownership is about more than space: “When you are a homeowner, it means a lot. It gives you that peace of mind … a feeling of accomplishment, like you’re doing something right.”
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
Vigil held in Detroit for woman fatally shot by ICE agent in Minnesota
People gather at Detroit’s Clark Park on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 to host a vigil for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week.
A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway.
As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.
Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.
The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.
Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.
This is a developing story.
But we also can’t ignore the drastic fall-off from the Dolphins’ offense. Partially because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill over the past two seasons, the Dolphins have finished 22nd and 25th in scoring offense in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Injuries can be used as an excuse, but the greatest coordinators find a way through the adversity.
Beyond that, there are questions about his philosophical and schematic fit. While the Lions have built their offenses on grit and physicality, McDaniel seems to favor speed and finesse. But maybe that’s exactly what the Lions need. Detroit has two speedy players in Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, who could probably be utilized more creatively, and it’s hard to imagine anyone better than McDaniel to do so.
McDaniel also has a very long coaching history with a lot of different coaching influences and schemes—including his closest coaching guru: Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers head coach has a scheme that is both more congruent with what the Lions do and much more adaptable.
On this EMERGENCY PODCAST, our crew debates the fit of McDaniel in Detroit, along with our thoughts on the Lions’ other known candidate: Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough.
Before that, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, and I discuss our biggest takeaways from Lions general manager Brad Holmes’ end-of-season press conference, including the future of David Montgomery, whether Holmes really took accountability for his mistakes, and our confidence in him moving forward.
You can catch our discussion in the embedded podcast below or on any podcasting platform you’d prefer. Just search “Pride of Detroit.”
You can also catch video of the show over on our YouTube pages. Here are the links:
Will Tigers trade Tarik Skubal before free agency? MLB insider speaks
USA TODAY Sports baseball insider Bob Nightengale joins “Days of Roar” podcast to answer several questions about Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, who can become a free agent after the 2026 season.
The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not agree to terms on a one-year contract for the 2026 season before the 8 p.m. deadline Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures in the arbitration process.
Skubal filed at $32 million; the Tigers filed at $19 million.
It’s a difference of $13 million.
An arbitration panel will review the case during a hearing scheduled for late January or early to mid-February. The arbitrators must determine whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal. The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.
The Tigers operate as a file-and-trial club in salary arbitration under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, meaning there won’t be further negotiations with Skubal regarding a one-year contract. A multi-year contract could still be negotiated, but it’s highly unlikely.
Skubal – represented by agent Scott Boras – reaches free agency after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is positioned to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract.
If the two sides were to reach an agreement before a hearing, it would likely be a one-year contract with a player option, thus maintaining Skubal’s path to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason.
The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $17.8 million in his third and final year of salary arbitration. He previously earned $2.65 million in 2024, then $10.15 million in 2025.
Why couldn’t the Tigers and Skubal agree on a salary for 2026?
The arbitration case for Skubal is unusually complex, thanks to a rarely used provision highlighted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Because Skubal has more than five years of MLB service time, he isn’t limited to comparing himself only to past arbitration-eligible players. Instead, he can compare himself to any player in baseball.
Those unique rights allow Skubal – who has five years, 114 days of service time – to point to MLB’s highest-paid pitchers (such as Max Scherzer’s $43.3 million per year from 2022-24 or Zack Wheeler’s $42 million per year from 2025-27), arguing that his elite performance warrants a salary in that range – not in the $17.8 million range, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.
That’s what pushed the Tigers and Skubal to an arbitration hearing.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
The current record for the largest one-year arbitration contract belongs to outfielder Juan Soto, who agreed to $31 million with the New York Yankees for the 2024 season.
If Skubal wins the arbitration hearing, he will surpass Soto and claim the new record with his proposed $32 million salary. If Skubal loses, then he will earn the $19 million salary proposed by the Tigers.
There are two other arbitration records on the line.
The highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander David Price, who earned $19.75 million with the Tigers in 2015 – his fourth year in the arbitration process as a Super Two qualifier. The largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander Jacob deGrom, who surged from $7.4 million to $17 million – an increase of $9.6 million – with the New York Mets in 2019.
Those records for pitchers will belong to Skubal – but only if his proposed $32 million salary is selected by the arbitration panel. He will fall just short of the records if the panel selects the Tigers’ proposed $19 million.
Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.
More notably, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
In 2025, Skubal registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the second time in his six-year MLB career.
Skubal became the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.
The Tigers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019.
Fulmer lost the case, receiving the Tigers’ proposed $2.8 million salary rather than his requested $3.4 million. Before that hearing, the Tigers hadn’t participated in an arbitration hearing since 2001 – and the Tigers haven’t lost a case since 2000.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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