How to Sell a House by Owner in Michigan: Purchase Agreement, Disclosure and Tax (2026)

Updated November 2026. For Michigan owners selling without a listing agent who want a purchase agreement that holds up.

To sell a house by owner in Michigan, you price it, list it, give buyers the Seller’s Disclosure Statement, then sign a written purchase agreement and close with a title company. As of November 2026, two Michigan rules trip owners up: the disclosure must come before you sign, and transfer tax runs about $2,270 on a typical $263,800 home.

Jump to: 🏠 7 steps · 🪜 Purchase agreement · 📍 Disclosure rules · 💲 Transfer tax · 🏠 Closing · 🤝 Finding a buyer · ❓ FAQ

Selling by owner in Michigan doesn’t change who usually writes the first offer. The buyer, or the buyer’s agent or attorney, often drafts it and you answer it. What changes is that you read every line yourself, or pay someone you trust to read it with you.

How do you sell a house by owner in Michigan?

In 7 steps. Most take a day or two; the wait is usually for a buyer and for the title work.

1. Price it from recent Michigan sales nearby, not from a list price you like.
2. Fill out the Seller’s Disclosure Statement, plus the lead paint form for most pre-1978 homes.
3. List it where buyers look: the MLS through a flat fee broker, free portals, a yard sign.
4. Run showings and take every offer in writing.
5. Hand the disclosure to your chosen buyer, then sign the purchase agreement.
6. Open title with a title company, which holds the earnest money and orders the search.
7. Close: sign the deed, pay the transfer tax, hand over the keys.

Step 5 is where most Michigan by-owner deals go wrong, so the rest of this guide spends its time there.

What goes into a Michigan for sale by owner purchase agreement?

Michigan has no single state-issued sale contract for owners, one of several things to plan for when you sell a Michigan home without a realtor. Buyers’ agents use their own forms, and attorneys draft their own. Either way, the agreement should answer the same questions.

Your parcel number is on your tax bill. If you can’t find it, our Michigan parcel ID lookup guide shows where each county posts it.

Counteroffers and the signed copy

You can change any term and send it back. Date each version and keep it in writing. A text that says “deal” isn’t a contract. The deal binds you once you both sign the final version.

For a clause-by-clause walk through any state’s agreement, read our guide to the real estate contract for sale by owner.

What must a Michigan seller disclose, and when?

Michigan’s Seller Disclosure Act covers most sales of homes with 1 to 4 units. The form itself is written into the law, at MCL 565.957. It asks about appliances, the roof, the basement, water and sewer, the furnace, and known problems like flooding or environmental issues.

Timing is the part owners get wrong. Section 565.954 says you must deliver the statement before you sign a binding purchase agreement. Your agreement, or an addendum, should show that you did.

What if the disclosure arrives late?

Then the buyer gets an exit. If you give the statement, or an amended one, after the agreement is signed, the buyer may cancel in writing. They have 72 hours after an in-person delivery, or 120 hours after delivery by registered mail. That right ends when the deed is transferred.

So give the statement to every serious buyer before you sign. Ask them to sign that they got it, and keep a copy.

Lead paint, for older homes

Lead paint was banned for home use in 1978. For most homes built before then, federal rules make you share what you know about lead paint before the buyer signs, per the EPA.

Is Michigan a “buyer beware” state? Old articles often say so. In practice, the disclosure law means you must answer honestly about what you know. Buyers still do their own inspection, and the form says it isn’t a warranty. Our list of the paperwork to sell your home without an agent covers the rest.

How much is Michigan transfer tax on a sale by owner?

Michigan charges two transfer taxes when a deed is recorded. The state tax is $3.75 for each $500 of value, or fraction of $500 (MCL 207.525). The county tax is 55 cents per $500 in counties under 2,000,000 people. A county with 2,000,000 or more may set up to 75 cents (MCL 207.504).

The law puts both taxes on the seller (MCL 207.523), though a contract can split costs differently. Here is the math on the typical Michigan home, which Zillow valued at $263,800 in September 2026.

Some transfers are exempt, and the law lists them. Ask your title company or attorney if one fits you. If you want a sharper price before you do any of this math, start with our home value calculator.

Other costs to budget

Attorney review is optional, and fees vary by firm. Title charges, recording fees and your share of property taxes come out at closing. If you agree to pay a buyer’s agent, that comes out at closing too. Our guide on who pays closing costs when selling breaks it down.

How does a Michigan FSBO closing work?

Most Michigan sales close through a title company. It holds the earnest money, runs the title search, clears old liens, prepares the deed and the settlement statement, and records the deed with the county. Our explainer on what a title company does covers each step.

Beycome Title closes in Florida and Texas today. It also closes in Michigan, for a $199 settlement fee with Prepaid Pricing at checkout (list price $245). Title insurance and government fees are separate.

Two Michigan steps after the deed

The buyer must notify the local assessor within 45 days of the transfer, on the state’s property transfer form (MCL 211.27a). The same section says taxable value resets the year after a transfer. So the buyer’s tax bill can rise, which is worth knowing if a buyer asks.

On your side, many owners can exclude up to $250,000 of gain on a main home, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, if they qualify under IRS Publication 523.

Do you need a lawyer to sell a house by owner in Michigan?

No, it’s not required; it’s your choice. Some owners have a Michigan real estate attorney draft or review the agreement for a set fee. Others use the buyer’s form and a title company. For general legal background, Nolo explains contract basics in plain English.

Either path works if the dates are clear and the disclosure is on time. Just skip blank templates built for another state: they miss the disclosure timing Michigan buyers can use to walk away.

What are common Michigan FSBO contract mistakes?

• Signing the agreement first and handing over the disclosure later.
• Leaving inspection and loan dates vague, with words like “soon” instead of a calendar date.
• Holding the earnest money yourself instead of using a title company.
• Forgetting to say how the summer and winter tax bills are split.
• Agreeing to repairs by text without a signed addendum.
• Leaving an owner off the agreement when two people are on the deed.

How do Michigan FSBO sellers find a buyer?

Many buyers work with agents who search the MLS, and the big portals pull listings from it. A by-owner sign and a free portal post help, but they miss many agent-assisted buyers. That’s why many owners pay a flat fee broker for the MLS listing only.

Beycome lists on 4 Michigan MLSs: MichRIC (GRAR; here’s what a Grand Rapids flat fee MLS listing costs), Realcomp MLS, Water Wonderland MLS and My State MLS Michigan. A Michigan flat fee MLS listing starts from $99 in most states (see your state page), with $0 due to Beycome at closing. Michigan purchase agreement and disclosure forms are in your dashboard, and you sign with e-signature.

On Basic and Enhanced, offer help comes from our Artur AI assistant. Want a person with you on offers? Beycome Concierge (see current price) gives you experts who work with you from listing to closing, 7 days a week, whenever you need them. You stay in control of every decision.

About 36% of Beycome sales closed in 2026 so far had a buyer with no agent (Beycome internal data, 2026). In those deals, you and the buyer write the terms directly, so clean deadlines matter even more.

When the buyer has an agent

Whether you pay a buyer’s agent, and how much, is your call and is negotiated directly with that agent. Since August 17, 2024, offers of buyer-agent pay can’t be shown on the MLS, per NAR. Put any agreement in writing, and make sure the purchase agreement matches it. Our guide on whether sellers pay the buyer’s agent explains the options.

Comparing states? See our contract guides for Indiana and Illinois. Buying your next home at the same time? The Beycome buyer program is open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents (the commission credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers), with no upfront fee. Our notes on how to buy and sell a home at once cover the timing.

Michigan FSBO contract questions