Which seller lists sell in Michigan? 79 counties, counted
By Josh MillerUpdated 4 min readAcross the Michigan counties we could measure, the list that sold best was expired and cancelled listings: about 12 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, against about 1.3 for a house picked at random. Free and clear owners, the most-mailed list, sold at about 1.6 per 100.
Across 79 Michigan counties with records we could trust, about 1.2 of every 100 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months, about 41,297 homes, and about 35 of every 100 sales went without an MLS listing. Which of those sellers could you have found on a list first? We counted every list in every Michigan county with enough records to measure.
The count, list by list
| List | Of every 100, sold | Any house, at random | Counties | Owners on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listing expired or cancelled | 12.4 | 1.3 | 13 | 7,395 |
| Lien filed against the property | 7.1 | 1.6 | 19 | 51,320 |
| Sitting vacant | 3.5 | 1.5 | 17 | 81,556 |
| Behind on taxes, 2 to 4 years | 2.8 | 1.2 | 17 | 30,761 |
| Behind on taxes, 5 or more years | 2.0 | 1.1 | 12 | 38,925 |
| High equity, living elsewhere | 1.8 | 1.4 | 66 | 486,773 |
| Owns it free and clear | 1.6 | 1.3 | 67 | 1,591,915 |
| Owner 65+, living elsewhere | 0.8 | 1.5 | 24 | 84,396 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records. A county is counted for a list only where the list was big enough to measure; lists measurable in fewer than 3 Michigan counties are left out. Counties whose records don't mark MLS sales are left out entirely.
What stands out
Expired listings and liens lead. About 12 of every 100 owners whose listing expired sold off-market within a year, across 13 counties, and about 7 of every 100 with a lien filed, across 19. In Oakland County, about 16 of every 100 expired listings sold off-market.
Wayne County is its own market. Detroit's county sold off-market at about 1.7 of every 100 homes a year, well above its suburbs, and about 12 of every 100 owners with a foreclosure filed sold off-market within a year. The six-month redemption period gives owners time after the sale, which is time to reach them.
The biggest counties
| County | Listing expired or cancelled | Foreclosure filed | Lien filed against the property | Sitting vacant | Owns it free and clear | Any house |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 13.8 | 11.8 | 7.8 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.7 |
| Oakland County | 15.6 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | |
| Macomb County | 13.1 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 | ||
| Kent County | 9.3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | ||
| Genesee County | 8.7 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records.
How Michigan forecloses
Michigan forecloses mostly by advertisement, outside the courts: the notice is published for four weeks before a sheriff's sale, and the owner usually has six months after the sale to redeem. That sets how long a pre-foreclosure owner has, and how long you should keep writing. What the filing is called, state by state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Check your county
The state number hides real differences between counties. Read Wayne County. Or see when each list sells in any Michigan county.
Questions investors ask
What is the best motivated seller list in Michigan?
Across the Michigan counties we could measure, expired and cancelled listings: about 12 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, across 13 counties. A house picked at random sold at about 1.3 per 100.
How many homes sell off-market in Michigan?
About 41,297 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months across 79 Michigan counties we could measure, about 1.2 of every 100 homes and 35 of every 100 sales.
Should I mail free and clear owners in Michigan?
Not first. Free and clear owners sold off-market at about 1.6 per 100 within a year across 67 Michigan counties, about the rate of a random house. Lists that start with a filing sold far better.
Does Michigan foreclose through the courts?
Michigan forecloses mostly by advertisement, outside the courts: the notice is published for four weeks before a sheriff's sale, and the owner usually has six months after the sale to redeem.