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“Every client I work with gets my full attention, my honest assessment, and someone who is completely on their side. Whether you are ready to go or not, I am here to help.”
Market Insights
Real numbers from across West Michigan, with an honest read on what they mean for buyers and sellers right now. No spin, no headlines, just the actual picture.
West Michigan by the County
Active inventory, new listings, pending and sold counts, average days on market, and average sold price across the counties we work in. Pulled weekly from the MLS. No spin, no editorial.
| County | Active | New | Pending | Sold | Avg DOM | Avg Sold Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 910 | 214 | 192 | 115 | 24 | $480,566 |
| Ottawa | 569 | 105 | 70 | 61 | 25 | $510,263 |
| Kalamazoo | 526 | 98 | 89 | 58 | 24 | $350,035 |
| Muskegon | 417 | 65 | 53 | 34 | 42 | $258,772 |
| Allegan | 233 | 37 | 36 | 17 | 19 | $461,885 |
| Barry | 84 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 27 | $340,130 |
| Montcalm | 122 | 24 | 15 | 8 | 25 | $573,788 |
| Oceana | 157 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 30 | $371,000 |
| Mason | 134 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 37 | $333,571 |
| Newaygo | 132 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 75 | $338,500 |
| Manistee | 124 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 21 | $363,480 |
| Mecosta | 138 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 26 | $342,380 |
| Lake | 106 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 35 | $132,478 |
| Ionia | 80 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 12 | $325,000 |
| Osceola | 63 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 194 | $374,900 |
Market Intelligence
The West Michigan market is not moving as one thing. Different price ranges, property types, and communities are all behaving differently. Here is my honest read on where things stand and what it means for you.
What I watch closely are the signals that do not make national headlines: days on market, how often homes fall back out of contract, where price reductions are happening, and how buyers are actually responding in the Kalamazoo market versus what the news says. The homes in the $200K to $350K range are still competitive when priced and prepared well. If you want to know what your specific situation looks like right now, that is a conversation worth having.
What I Track Closely
There is more time to think and more room to negotiate than there was in the peak years. That does not mean every home is a deal. The homes that are priced well and show cleanly are still moving. Know your numbers before you fall in love with a property, and have a clear strategy so you can move with confidence when the right one comes along.
Buyer guidance →Homes that are priced honestly and prepared well are still selling. But the market is not carrying homes that are overpriced or need work anymore. Preparation and accurate pricing are the two things most within your control, and both matter more than they did a few years ago.
Seller guidance →Free Guides
Guides that walk you through buying, selling, financing, and other real estate situations in clear language, with no pitch or agenda. Written to help you make a better-informed decision. All free.
A clear, step-by-step walkthrough from the first conversation to closing day. Financing, search strategy, offers, and inspections all explained in plain language.
Read the buyer's guide →The full selling process from the first listing conversation to the closing table, including honest pricing strategy, preparation, and negotiation. No surprises.
Read the seller's guide →What to expect, what it actually costs to buy your first home, how to get ready, and how to avoid the things that derail first-time buyers most often.
Read the first-time buyer guide →How to evaluate rental properties the right way: cash flow, financing, cap rate, and what the numbers need to look like before a deal actually makes sense.
Read the investor's guide →What you need to know before moving to West Michigan: communities, schools, market dynamics, and how to navigate a purchase from out of the area.
Read the relocation guide →Practical guidance for homeowners facing a hard situation: foreclosure, financial hardship, divorce, or an inherited estate. Your options, your rights, and your realistic timeline.
Read the Home Protectors guide →First-Time Buyers
The first step to buying is understanding exactly where you stand. Whether you want to work through it on your own, have a quick one-on-one conversation, or learn in a free live class, there is a right starting point for you. No pressure, no cost.
A self-paced workbook with the questions, budgeting, and planning that show you exactly where you stand on the path to your first home.
Open the workbook →A quick 10 to 15 minute call with a Legacy advisor. No pitch, just an honest look at where you stand and what comes next.
Book a readiness call →A free, live class with Legacy and VanDyk Mortgage. Learn the real numbers, the loan programs, and the path to your first home.
Register for the class →Market & Timing Questions
It depends more on your specific situation than on the market itself. Your timeline, finances, and what you are trying to accomplish matter far more than trying to time the market perfectly. The better question is whether your situation is ready, and that is exactly what the first conversation helps figure out. Whether you are ready to go or not, I am here to help.
It is genuinely mixed, and that is the honest answer. Certain price ranges and communities still favor sellers, where well-priced homes in good condition are moving quickly. Other ranges sit closer to neutral, where buyers have more time to think and negotiate. No single label fits the entire region, which is why local context matters so much more than any national headline.
Trying to time the rate is a very difficult game to win, because no one knows where rates are headed and life does not wait for the perfect moment. What matters more is whether the payment works within your budget and whether your situation is actually ready. If the numbers make sense today, waiting on a rate you cannot predict can cost you more than it saves. I run the real math first, and then we decide together.
Days on market, how often homes fall back out of contract after going pending, how frequently sellers are cutting price, and the balance between active inventory and real buyer demand. No single number tells you much on its own. The real signal is in how they move together, and how they look differently across price points, property types, and specific communities.
Because real estate does not work at a national level, it works neighborhood by neighborhood. National headlines average together markets that have nothing to do with each other, so they almost never describe what is actually happening in your specific area. West Michigan has its own set of micro-markets, and even within it, what is happening in Kalamazoo can look very different from another county.
The market data here is updated as conditions change, not on a rigid calendar, because the goal is to reflect what is actually happening rather than to hit a publishing schedule. If you want a current read on your specific situation or neighborhood, the fastest path is to start a conversation and ask directly. I am here whether you are ready to move or still figuring things out.
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“Every client I work with gets my full attention, my honest assessment, and someone who is completely on their side. Whether you are ready to go or not, I am here to help.”