Sarah Koike Patrick

09/08/2026

🏡 August numbers are in, and here's the one most sellers get wrong: how long it actually takes to sell.

Most homeowners guess about a week. The real answer across Southeast Michigan in August? 34 days on average from listing to accepted offer. Even Oakland County, the fastest market in the region, takes about three and a half weeks. And that's before the 30 to 45 days from offer to keys.

The rest of the August picture was strong 👇

📈 Regional median: $300,000, up 5.3% from last August
💰 Sellers got 100% of asking price in every county we track
🏘️ But inventory is up about 21%, so buyers finally have choices

And the calendar matters more than people think. The last three Januaries, homes took 50 to 70% LONGER to sell than they do right now. List in early September and you close before the slowdown. Wait until late October and you're selling into it.

One county surprise: Livingston, the only county where supply fell, led the whole region at +12.3%. Oakland and Macomb absorbed the most new listings and grew the slowest. More competition, less pricing power. That's the whole market in one sentence.

Full breakdown, county by county 👉 thepatrickgrp.com/insights/august-2026-southeast-michigan-market-update

Thinking about selling this fall? Timing is half the strategy. Let's talk. 248.755.3545

Prices rose again in August and sellers got their full asking price in every county we follow. But homes are taking about a month to sell, and if the last three years are any guide, that number is about to get longer.

08/17/2026

🚨 **No, the MOVE Act does NOT automatically let you take your 3% mortgage to your next house.**

**The headline is exciting. The actual legislation is much more complicated.**

I’m seeing this bill marketed all over social media as if homeowners with 2% and 3% mortgages will suddenly be able to transfer those rates to a new property.

That is **not what the bill currently says.**

The MOVE Act would push Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support **portable mortgages**—loans that allow the interest rate, remaining balance, and terms to move with the borrower to a new home.

But there’s a major catch:

**The bill does not say that existing mortgages automatically become portable.**

Your 2.75% mortgage from 2021 was written under a contract that did not include portability. It may also be sitting inside a mortgage-backed security purchased by investors who expected that loan to be paid off when the house was sold.

Retroactively changing those terms would create some very complicated legal and financial issues.

The much cleaner—and probably more realistic—way this could work is with **new mortgages going forward.**

For example:

You buy a house in the future with a 6% portable mortgage.

Five years later rates are 9%.

Instead of being trapped in your house because you don’t want to give up that 6% rate, you may be able to move the mortgage to your next property.

That could be a huge change to the way mortgages work.

But if you currently have a 2% or 3% mortgage, **do not assume this bill means you're getting to take that rate with you.**

Right now, the bill neither guarantees legacy loans will qualify **nor specifically says they are excluded.**

That detail still has to be worked out.

08/14/2026

🏘️ Inventory: up more than 20% from a year ago
💰 July median: $348,625, the highest of 2026
📉 Rates finally fell last week. Before you celebrate, read the Fed vote.

The 30-year dropped to 6.67%, its first decline in six weeks. Good news. But here's what the headlines skipped: the Fed's July vote was 9 to 3, and all three dissenters wanted rates HIGHER, not lower. Rates didn't ease because a cut is coming. They eased because the odds of another hike went down. If you've been waiting on lower rates to make a move, that bet is riskier than it looks.

Meanwhile, Southeast Michigan is doing something strange 👇

More homes for sale AND a record price at the same time. How? Buyers have stopped rewarding sellers just for being listed. They're paying up for the prepared, well-priced homes and walking right past the rest.

What it means:
🔑 Buyers: selection is the best in three years. Target listings sitting past 30 days and negotiate terms (rate buydowns, credits) instead of waiting on a price drop.
🏡 Sellers: that 20% more competition has already arrived. Price to the last 30 days of comps, not to 2022, and put the money into prep. The first showing is the only one you're guaranteed.

Full breakdown, county by county 👉 thepatrickgrp.com/insights/fed-vote-september-2026-southeast-michigan-timing

Thinking about a move? Let's run your specific numbers. 248.755.3545

The 30-year dropped to 6.67 percent, snapping a six-week climb. But July's Fed vote was 9 to 3, and all three dissents wanted rates higher. For Southeast Michigan sellers, that changes the calendar more than the rate does.

07/01/2026

National Inventory Stalled This Month. Oakland County's Didn't. BUYERS you have more leverage right now... stop waiting to see what the market is going to do.

05/18/2026

What is happening around town this week?

05/11/2026

Imagine moving into a home where every detail has already been handled. Fully remodeled in 2026, this Royal Oak ranch offers 1,248 square feet of pristine, modern living space.

From the bright, open-concept kitchen with designer finishes to the sleek, updated bathrooms, this home is the definition of "move-in ready." The finished basement provides the perfect footprint for a home office or secondary living area, while the spacious lot and 2-car garage offer rare outdoor flexibility in a prime location.

Located in the heart of the Royal Oak School District, you're just minutes away from the best dining, shopping, and parks the city has to offer.

05/11/2026

NEW LISTING · Royal Oak · $365,000

1622 Huron Ave · 3 Bed · 1.5 Bath · 1,248 Sq Ft · Ranch

Fully remodeled in 2026 — this one is turnkey. New kitchen with fresh cabinetry, countertops, and fixtures. Updated bathrooms. Bright, open layout with all-new finishes throughout. Finished basement adds serious extra living space. 2-car garage. Spacious lot.

Short drive to downtown Royal Oak, parks, dining, and major freeways. Royal Oak School District.

📍 1622 Huron Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48073
💰 $365,000

Questions? Call or text Brad: 248.755.3545

The Patrick Group | Oak & Stone Real Estate

05/11/2026

The mortgage rate is not the right frame for the conversation we are having with most of our clients this spring.
Freddie Mac's 30-year sits at 6.37%. The 15-year is 5.72%. The Fed held in April; a leadership transition lands May 15. None of that has moved the needle in the Oakland–Macomb luxury corridor.
Here is why.
The $500K–$1.2M bracket in Southeast Michigan is dominated by the equity-rich move-up buyer — a household selling a $400K colonial in Troy or Royal Oak and rolling $200K+ of cash equity into an $800K estate in Rochester Hills or Shelby Township. For that buyer, the financed portion of the next purchase is modest. The payment delta between a 6.0% and a 6.5% mortgage rarely changes the buy-or-wait decision.
What does move the needle?
→ Inventory in the right turn-key archetype. A modernized 1990s colonial in 48306 is outperforming larger un-updated homes by 7–10% per square foot.
→ Velocity in the right zip code. Shelby Twp 48316 is clearing $700K listings in roughly 28 days.
→ Macro signals tied to local employment. The Stellantis strategic plan announcement on May 21 will reshape relocation conversations across Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, and Birmingham more than any rate move this quarter.
The lesson we keep relearning: underwrite to the home, not to the headline.
If you are weighing a move-up this year — or you advise clients who are — we maintain a Mid-Year Relocation Guide we share privately. Send me a message and I will route it across.
— Sarah Patrick
The Patrick Group · Oak & Stone Real Estate · 248.755.3545

04/27/2026

🚫 MYTH: It's a bad time to buy real estate.
✅ REALITY: The people who buy in uncertain markets are the ones who build real wealth.
Here's what the data actually shows right now:
Inventory is at a 3-year high. Rates just hit their lowest point in three spring seasons. And home prices are still projected to grow 3–4% through the rest of 2026.
Waiting for the "perfect" market? That market doesn't exist. But this one has opportunity written all over it — if you know where to look.
We do. 👇
📲 The Patrick Group | Oak & Stone Real Estate

03/27/2026

🏡 NEW LISTING | Charming Ferndale Bungalow

🕒 OPEN HOUSE
Come see it for yourself this weekend!
Saturday, March 28th | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Looking for the perfect move-in-ready home within walking distance of downtown Ferndale? Look no further! 1028 W Hazelhurst St is officially on the market and it is a must-see.

This 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home has been meticulously maintained and blends classic charm with modern updates.

Highlights you’ll love:

✨ Modernized Kitchen & Bath: Fresh, bright, and ready for use.

🪵 Refinished Hardwoods: Beautiful floors throughout the main level.

🛠️ Bonus Space: The garage features a 19x6 workshop—perfect for hobbies!

🧊 Newer Systems: Furnace, AC, and Mini-Split updated in 2021; Water Heater in 2020.

🏠 Big Ticket Items Done: Roof (2017) and Windows (2016) are already taken care of.

📍 Location: 1028 W Hazelhurst St, Ferndale, MI 48220
💰 Price: $334,900

🕒 OPEN HOUSE
Come see it for yourself this weekend!
Saturday, March 28th | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM