SE Michigan Home Prices Hold Steady While a National Listing War Brews

Where Prices Stand Right Now

Let's start with the numbers. As of late May 2026, median single-family home prices across Southeast Michigan are holding firm. Washtenaw County sits at $434,918, Livingston County at $407,984, and Oakland County at $384,968. Wayne County comes in at $169,999, reflecting its wider range of housing stock across dozens of municipalities. These aren't dramatic shifts from earlier this spring, which tells you demand hasn't fallen off a cliff even with rates still elevated.

The Compass-Zillow Fight and Why It Matters Here

If you haven't been following the Compass-Zillow listing dispute, here's the short version: Compass has been pushing to keep some listings off Zillow and the MLS longer, and Zillow is fighting back hard. Now it's spilling into regional MLSs across the country, and prominent brokers like Anthony Lamacchia are threatening lawsuits if it comes to their markets. Michigan is part of this conversation whether we want it to be or not. If listing access gets fragmented, buyers in Ann Arbor and the surrounding counties could miss homes entirely depending on which app or agent they're using. That's a real problem in a market where good inventory still moves fast.

Non-QM Loans Are Worth Knowing About

There's a growing conversation nationally about non-QM loans, which are mortgage products designed for buyers whose income doesn't fit the traditional W-2 mold. Freelancers, self-employed borrowers, small business owners. This matters locally because Washtenaw County in particular draws a lot of people in research, tech, and consulting roles with non-traditional income structures. If you've been told you don't qualify for a conventional loan, that answer may be worth revisiting with a lender who knows this product. It doesn't work for everyone, but it's a legitimate tool that more buyers should at least understand.

What to Do With All of This

If you're buying in the Ann Arbor area or anywhere in SE Michigan this summer, the listing access fight happening nationally is a practical reason to work with a local agent who has full MLS access and isn't dependent on Zillow to find you homes. Some properties are going to slip through the cracks for buyers who are searching on their own. If you're selling, the price floor in Washtenaw and Oakland counties is still strong, but that doesn't mean every property is priced or marketed well. Fundamentals still matter. Pricing it right the first week still beats chasing the market down later.