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Michigan mixed bag for home buyers making a low down payment

Steve Carmody
/
Michigan Radio

Michigan counties rank near the top and the bottom of a new national report on home buying.

Realty Trac looked at affordability and accessibility for home buyers putting up a low down payment.

The report finds 90% of 370 counties nationwide were more affordable than they have been historically. 

Bay, Saginaw and Ingham counties in Michigan ranked among the top 50 in the survey.

But Oakland County ranked in the bottom ten.

Realty Trac’s Daren Blomquist says the problem in Oakland County is that buyers have less access to assistance programs.

“There are programs there," Blomquist said, “But they are not open to as wide a portion of the population as we’re seeing in many other parts of the country.”

Ashtabula, Ohio topped Realty Trac’s list of counties for affordability and accessible housing markets for low down payment buyers. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, New York City ranked at the bottom.  

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting.
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