Home and money in Michigan.
Buying a house, reading a tax bill, getting married, registering a car, recycling an old TV, or checking a local permit: start with the task in front of you. Each guide explains the Michigan wrinkle and sends you to the office or official source that controls the answer.
Buying, owning & selling
The home journey from the first comparison through repairs, records, and the next closing.
- The purchaseBuying a homeClosing costs, Michigan's transfer tax, the deadline calendar that starts when you close, and the first-year surprises worth planning for.
- The long middleOwning a homeThe right first call for tax notices, PRE questions, insurance, contractors, permits, repairs, deeds, and a future change of use.
- The saleSelling a homeDisclosure, title and payoff work, transfer tax, PRE rescission, the closing statement, and the records to keep.
Taxes, insurance & cars
The bills Michigan handles differently: property taxes, local income taxes, no-fault insurance, and registration tabs.
- Start hereProperty taxesWhy bills can jump after a sale, the exemption you have to claim, how to read a bill, and a calculator for the real number.
- PaychecksCity income taxCheck whether a city taxes wages, see its current rates, and understand the commuter rule for people who live and work in different places.
- The houseHomeowners insuranceRead the declarations page, compare replacement and actual-cash-value terms, check water and flood gaps, and know the DIFS help route.
- License, title & roadDriving & vehiclesDriver's licenses, title transfers, registration tabs, no-fault insurance, work-driving credentials, and Michigan road rules.
Home life & records
The everyday systems attached to renting, marriage, records, recycling, and a move to Michigan.
- RentersRenting a homeThe lease, deposit cap, move-in checklist, repair paper trail, move-out deadlines, and what an eviction notice actually starts.
- Marriage licenseGetting marriedWhich county clerk to use, the waiting period, the license window, who may officiate, witnesses, certified copies, and an optional name change.
- Official recordsVital recordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce records: whether to use the county, state, or court and which kind of copy you need.
- New hereMoving to MichiganThe move-in list: prompt license and vehicle steps, the PRE, school districts, and the money surprises worth knowing before the truck is unpacked.
- Household materialsRecycling & disposalCurbside rules, bottle returns, batteries, electronics, paint, chemicals, oil, tires, medicine, yard waste, and the live local finder.
When a bill, repair, title, or estate needs attention
Clear first steps for home problems that get harder when the right office or form is not obvious.
- Delinquent taxProperty-tax foreclosure helpFind the foreclosing governmental unit, get the exact redemption amount and deadline, and work the assistance and counseling paths at the same time.
- Shutoff noticeUtility-bill helpCall the utility, apply for State Emergency Relief, use 2-1-1, and ask about the protection that fits the household.
- Repair helpHome-repair assistanceMatch an urgent repair, energy problem, rural home, or local rehabilitation need to the program built for that job.
- Title transferManufactured-home titleTransfer a mobile or manufactured-home title, clear a missing title or lien, and separate the home record from the land deed.
- Home & estateA home after someone diesKeep the house stable, find the deed and authority to act, and understand why the small-estate affidavit cannot transfer real estate.
Land, permits & local rules
The questions that depend on the parcel, the local government, or what lies under the ground.
- Rural propertyLand, wells & septicAcreage, private wells, septic systems, mineral rights, zoning, and shoreline rules — the homework outside city water and sewer.
- Local rulesPermits & local rulesCPL licensing, rental registration, short-term-rental ordinances, and other rules that can differ from the place next door.
- BusinessBusiness permits & site checksChoose a business, property, hiring, or vehicle route and build a dated call sheet before you sign, buy, build, or open.
The rest of the shelf
Every calculator lives on the tools page, the step-by-step tax guides on the learn shelf, and every rule on the site in one alphabetical list on the A–Z index. For the rates where you live, open your town's page.
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