Same budget, very different home: Washtenav vs. Livingston.
Washtenaw's median is $435,000 with 3.6 months of supply; Livingston's is $436,655 with 2.5 months and 22-day sold times. Nearly the same price, a very different buying experience.
No. 06 · Market Report
One of my favorite conversations starts with a buyer saying we have about $430,000, and ends with a map. Because in this market, the same budget buys two genuinely different experiences depending on which side of the county line you land. The September market report makes the comparison almost too clean.
The price is nearly identical. Everything else is not.
Washtenaw County's median sale price was $435,000 in September, with 793 homes for sale and 3.6 months of supply. Livingston County's median was $436,655, with 447 homes for sale and just 2.5 months of supply. Same budget, same ballpark price, two different markets. In Washtenaw you get choices, time, and room to negotiate. In Livingston you get speed, scarcity, and very little patience.
What $430K actually buys in each county
In Washtenaw, $430,000 typically lands you a solid townhome or a well-maintained smaller home, and with 3.6 months of supply you can tour a dozen of them, sleep on it, and go back for a second look. In Livingston, that same budget moves you up in size and yard, but you will be writing an offer within days of a listing going live, often against other buyers, because homes there are selling in 22 days.
How fast you must move, and how hard you can negotiate
- Washtenaw: homes sit long enough for inspections, second visits, and honest negotiation. Sellers still get 99.4 percent of list, but they listen.
- Livingston: 22 days on market means the good ones are gone fast. Bring your pre-approval and your decision-making speed.
- Both counties: sellers are still collecting over 99 percent of list price. More choice does not mean discounts.
"Same price, different game. The question is not what you can afford. It is how you want to buy."
Nicole Elizabeth Yaeger
