Washtenaw is catching its breath, not crashing.

Is the market crashing? I hear that question at open houses and in texts before the first call, and the September numbers say something different. The median sale price in Washtenaw County dipped 3.2 percent from a year ago to $435,000, which sounds like a headline. But the year-to-date median is still up 2.4 percent to $462,750, and that is the number that tells the truth about the year. One month does not make a crash, and neither does a market that is finally giving buyers room to breathe.

What September actually says

Here is the honest read of the Realcomp numbers. The September median was $435,000, down 3.2 percent from $449,500 a year earlier, and the average sale price followed at $503,047, down 1.7 percent. But the year-to-date median of $462,750 is still ahead of last year by 2.4 percent. Prices softened at the margin while the 2026 trend stayed positive. That is a market catching its breath, not a market falling over.

The real story is on the inventory side

Inventory jumped 32 percent to 793 homes for sale, pushing months of supply to 3.6, up from 2.6 a year ago. Sellers still collected 99.4 percent of list price on average, so this is not a discount market either. What changed is leverage. Buyers can look at more homes, think for more than a weekend, and write offers that reflect what a home is worth rather than what the panic will bear.

What it means if you are buying

• The September median dipped 3.2 percent, but the year-to-date median is up 2.4 percent. Short-term noise, positive trend.
• 793 homes for sale is more choice than Washtenaw buyers have had in years.
• 3.6 months of supply means you have room to negotiate. The 99.4 percent of list sellers receive means they are not desperate.

"This is not a bust. This is the reset buyers asked for: prices holding, choice returning, and leverage finally moving their way."

Nicole Elizabeth Yaeger