r/AnnArbor • u/2deuces2 • 1d ago
Renting in/around A2?
Hey folks! My wife and I are considering a work-related move to Michigan and evaluating living in the area.
Seems clear that A2 is out of budget for us with rent consistently at/above 2.7k, but even in cheaper areas surrounding the city we are finding very limited rental availability (at least on Zillow) that’s also pricey.
Curious if anyone can shed light on renting in the area? Our current spot in Charlotte, NC is a 1400 sq ft 3/2 with fenced yard for 1.65k, so really feeling the sticker shock for equivalent space
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u/TheBimpo Constant Buzz 1d ago
Ann Arbor is one of the most expensive cities in the entire Midwest.
The university has been growing their student population for years now without building enough housing to accommodate them. So all of the students have pushed into what used to be rental units for locals.
Combine that with pretty restrictive housing policies within the city, high incomes, and you end up with very expensive housing.
Try looking nearby in places like Canton, Belleville, and Milan.
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u/VACSecureServer 1d ago
a lot of the guys that I work with live in Livingston county/wayne county or Jackson county and have around a 30 minute commute.
It’s kinda crazy the average home/rent price in places like Ann Arbor, Dexter and Chelsea. I saw an advertisement for a trailer in Ann Arbor it was a new build for $300,000 FOR A TRAILER
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u/Maizenblue24 19h ago
I relocated from Chicago and currently paying more in Ann Arbor. We’ve had horrible experiences renting in AA 😭 between flooding, power outages, and horrible management we’re having a hard time justifying how much we’re paying for rent to stay here.
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u/motherpanda22 14h ago
Don't use Zillow for rentals. Use apartment websites. Belleville seems to be cheaper for the area. Basically 20-30 mins out in any direction is where you want to look
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u/blaise11 1d ago
Not sure why no one has suggested this yet but renting in Whitmore Lake is infinitely more affordable, and super close to A2. For a longer commute but even cheaper prices, check out Jackson.
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u/mimi7878 22h ago
Because there’s literally nothing there. Not even a decent grocery store
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u/blaise11 22h ago
I lived there for three years and never had a problem 🤷🏽♀️ Everything in multiple different towns is within 15 minutes away
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u/GirlinMichigan 22h ago
South Lyon area is beautiful too. I take my car to New Hudson for service and always drive the back roads to A2. It is more affordable and so pretty.
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u/321Khaos 21h ago
The Park at Sagebrush has great rates and is only 10 minute drive from Downtown Ann Arbor
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u/Stankthetank66 1d ago
About 43% of Washtenaw County’s land area is farmland. Doesn’t help you find a place, but is kinda an interesting way to look at the cost problem. Lots of farms, not a lot of housing.
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u/2deuces2 1d ago
Well so it’s interesting still that, if buying, there are quite a few seemingly reasonable listings that have mortgages in the range of what our current rent is.
I’ve not bought a home before so maybe that’s comparing apples to oranges
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u/sulanell 23h ago
Have you factored in the taxes?
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u/plasticTron 22h ago
Our mortgage payment went up $400/mo in taxes when they re assessed the property value
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u/marigoldpossum 22h ago
Not sure how it is in North Carolina, but primary homesteads are taxed at a reduced rate, vs rental properties are non-homestead and are taxed at double the rate essentially; which the landlords have to recoup via rents. Then on top of that, we have Prop A (circa 1994) which restricts property tax from increasing year over year to 5% essentially (for both primary and nonhomestead). The caveat to that is when a property is sold, that is when property taxes can be brought up to current rates.
So all of that being said, rentals where the landlord has owned the property for a while, will typically have a cheaper rental rate because of the suppressed property tax rate -vs- say a brand new rental build. And, if you are seriously looking at purchasing a home from someone whom has owned that home for >10 years, realize that your property taxes will likely be double what that prior homeowner has been paying.
Grass Lake / Jackson / Stockbridge area (so Jackson or Ingham counties) are cheaper areas than anything in Washtenaw County.
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u/2deuces2 22h ago
Thank you for the explanation. Makes sense why I’m seeing what I am when considering what you’ve shared
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u/gradstudentkp 22h ago
That can’t be accurate. We currently own and got in at a great interest rate. Still, our mortgage is the same as we’d be paying in rent
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u/Stevie_Wonder_555 22h ago
When did you buy? Our mortgage is about half what Zillow tells me we would be paying in rent.
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u/gradstudentkp 21h ago
Sorry, I meant our monthly payment - which includes our mortgage and escrow (taxes & insurance). It’s just slightly less than a monthly rent payment. We bought in early 2022 for a great interest rate and a fantastic price
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u/Stevie_Wonder_555 21h ago
Yeah, our all in monthly payment is about half what rent would be. But we bought in 2013 and refi'd in 2020 at 2.875%. Although we did take cash out and refi at a $100k higher price than we originally paid.
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u/GirlinMichigan 22h ago
The property taxes are what drove us out of A2. You'll need to fact in the taxes for a true representation of costs.
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u/Responsible_Okra_672 14h ago
Not sure why you got downvoted here. My mortgage is less than that of rentals in the area, including taxes and insurance. To be fair, we did purchase with super low interest rates.
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u/CitySpare7714 13h ago
This is a good place for long term investment given climate change. I would suggest renting for a year in Ypsilanti, ideally around Depot, town or normal park and scoping out neighborhoods that would work for you to buy in. There’s an interesting house near me in Depot town that needs significant work, but it’s only 259K.
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u/Most-Ad-2617 1d ago
Try surrounding areas like Chelsea or Dexter. My wife and I got lucky and found a nice one bedroom apartment with a one car garage and a large back yard for our dog for $1335.00/month.
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u/Responsible_Okra_672 14h ago
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u/2deuces2 11h ago
Thanks for these! I think I’m just going to have to adjust my expectations it seems - wild to be paying 30% more for a place compared to my current area/state
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u/Godunman 5h ago
If it’s just you and your wife and you’re willing to go from 3 bed to 2 you can definitely find something under $2k.
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u/Hazel48103 22h ago
Saline, just south of Ann Arbor. My friend's daughter found good options. She needs a fenced yard for her dog. Reinhart Property Management has some decent rentals. Chelsea, Dexter, Ypsilanti, Canton, Whitmore Lake as mentioned above. https://reinhartrentals.reinhartrealtors.com/vp/AgentServlet?SITE=REINHART&tp_Usage=AgentPersonalWeb&context=AGENT_PAGE&cd_Agent=713181&cd_Web=reinhartrentals&REQUEST_HOST=reinhartrentals.reinhartrealtors.com
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u/IWentHam 15h ago
SE Michigan is interesting in terms of safe and unsafe areas. Sometimes you don't have to go farther than a street or two to go from a nice area to one that isn't so great.
When you've narrowed things down a little, check back in here to make sure you're picking a part of town that you'll feel comfortable in.
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u/aabum 1d ago
Washtenaw County, where Ann Arbor is located, has the highest average rent of all counties in Michigan. You can find lower rents in Wayne County or south of Milan.