The first-time buyer's playbook for Oakland and Macomb counties

If you are buying your first home in Oakland County or Macomb County, the scariest part is almost never the purchase. It is the feeling of not knowing the order of operations. Here is the order, in plain language, the way Raquel walks her first-time clients through it.

Step one: get preapproved before you look

A preapproval tells you what a lender will actually lend, not what a calculator says. Bring your income documents, tax returns, and bank statements. The letter sets your price range, your timeline, and the seriousness of every offer you write. In a market where good homes in communities like Troy, Rochester Hills, and Sterling Heights can draw multiple offers, a seller's agent reads a preapproval as proof you can close.

Step two: know the programs, because Michigan has them

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) runs the state's first-time buyer programs. The MI Home Loan is a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for first-time buyers with income limits and a sales price cap ($566,355 as of this writing). Buyers can stack it with the MI DPA loan for up to $7,500 in down payment and closing help, or the MI 10K DPA loan for up to $10,000, both as 0% interest, deferred second mortgages with no monthly payment until the home is sold or refinanced. A required housing education class is part of the program. These change, so Raquel checks the current numbers against your exact situation before you commit.

A note on the fine print: some programs are first-come, first-funded. The state's First-Generation Down Payment Assistance program, an additional $25,000 for qualifying first-generation buyers, is currently closed with funds exhausted. That is exactly why you want someone checking the current status rather than relying on a two-year-old article.

Step three: let the list drive the search, not the other way

Before touring, write the list: commute, schools, yard, layout, noise tolerance, resale plan. Touring without a list is how buyers fall in love with a house that costs extra in gas and patience every single day. Raquel keeps the list in front of you on every tour and is comfortable saying when a home is not the right fit.

Step four: the offer, the inspection, and the close

Your agent writes the offer with the preapproval attached, negotiates price and terms, then keeps the inspection and appraisal honest. Unexpected findings happen; you want someone who has seen them before and will tell you what they mean. From preapproval to keys, a straightforward purchase usually runs 30 to 60 days in Michigan.

You do not have to have it all figured out. That is what an agent with a decade of first-time buyers is for.

Raquel Delly has spent 12 years walking first-time buyers through this exact sequence across Oakland and Macomb counties. Book a call and bring the questions. She will tell you which programs fit, what the neighborhoods really feel like, and where to start this week.