Michigan Property Records — All 83 Counties

Sheriff Sale, the 6-Month Redemption & Michigan's Mortgage Foreclosure System

Michigan uses mortgages — not deeds of trust — and allows both judicial foreclosure through the Circuit Court and non-judicial foreclosure by advertisement under MCL 600.3201. Non-judicial foreclosure by advertisement is far more common and follows a specific statutory process: the lender (or its agent) publishes a foreclosure notice in a county newspaper for 4 consecutive weeks and posts notice on the property at least 15 days before the sale. The Sheriff conducts the public foreclosure sale at the county courthouse. After the sale, the borrower enters a 6-month statutory redemption period under MCL 600.3240. The period extends to 12 months if the property exceeds 3 acres or if less than two-thirds of the mortgage debt was bid at the sale. During the entire redemption period, the borrower retains possession of the property — they can continue to live in the home, maintain it, and attempt to refinance, sell, or negotiate a resolution. To redeem, the borrower must pay the full purchase price at sale plus interest, fees, and costs. If no redemption occurs, the sheriff's deed is recorded with the Register of Deeds and the purchaser takes full legal title. Sheriff's deeds carry no warranties — the purchaser takes title subject to any liens or encumbrances that survived foreclosure. A chain of title report traces the complete foreclosure chain including publication affidavit, sheriff sale certificate, redemption period, and sheriff's deed.

A mortgage discharge (also called a satisfaction) must be recorded with the Register of Deeds when the mortgage is paid in full. Under MCL 565.41, the lender must provide the discharge within 60 days of full payment. Failure to record a discharge creates a cloud on title — the mortgage appears as an open lien even though it has been paid. This is one of the most common title defects in Michigan, particularly with older mortgages, MERS transfers, and mortgages held by servicers that have merged or been acquired. Land contracts (contracts for deed) are another distinctive Michigan instrument. The vendor (seller) retains legal title while the vendee (buyer) receives equitable title and possession. The vendee makes installment payments and receives legal title upon full payment. Land contracts must be recorded with the Register of Deeds. If the vendee defaults and has paid more than 50% of the purchase price, the vendor must pursue judicial foreclosure through the Circuit Court. If less than 50% is paid, forfeiture proceedings are available under MCL 600.5726 with a 90-day notice period. Land contracts are particularly prevalent in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, and other areas where traditional financing is difficult to obtain.

Lady bird deeds (enhanced life estate deeds) are one of the most important estate planning instruments in Michigan. The grantor retains a life estate plus the unrestricted power to sell, mortgage, or convey the property during their lifetime — without the remainderman's consent. At death, the property passes automatically without probate to the named remainderman. Critically, a lady bird deed does not trigger Proposal A uncapping during the grantor's lifetime — the taxable value cap remains intact, preserving often decades of accumulated tax savings. Lady bird deeds also avoid Medicaid estate recovery in many circumstances, making them particularly valuable for elderly Michigan homeowners concerned about long-term care costs. They must be recorded with the Register of Deeds. Our deed types guide explains Michigan deed instruments in detail.

Proposal A Uncapping, the PRE & Michigan's $8.60/$1,000 Transfer Tax

Proposal A (1994) fundamentally restructured Michigan's property tax system. The local Assessor determines State Equalized Value (SEV) at 50% of true cash (market) value. Taxable value — the amount actually used to calculate property taxes — is capped at the lesser of 5% annual increase or the rate of inflation, regardless of how much the market appreciates. Over time, the gap between SEV and taxable value can grow enormously. Consider a property purchased in 2008 for $180,000 (SEV $90,000) that is now worth $340,000 (SEV $170,000): its taxable value may still be only $105,000 due to the cap. When the property sells, the taxable value uncaps to full SEV ($170,000 in this example) — increasing the tax bill by approximately 62% overnight. This uncapping gap is one of the single most important due diligence items in Michigan real estate. Buyers who fail to account for uncapping routinely face tax bills thousands of dollars higher than the seller was paying. A Property Detail Record ($29) shows both SEV and taxable value so buyers can calculate their exact post-purchase tax exposure. Our title search cost guide explains Michigan transaction costs.

The Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) under MCL 211.7cc exempts the owner-occupied homestead from the 18-mill school operating tax — a savings of approximately $1,800 per $100,000 of taxable value annually. For a property with $150,000 taxable value, the PRE saves approximately $2,700 per year. The owner files a PRE Affidavit (Form 2368) with the local Assessor by June 1. If the property is rented, used as a second home, or otherwise not owner-occupied, the PRE is revoked and the full 18 mills apply. Rescission requires Form 2602. PRE status is one of the first items buyers and investors check because losing or gaining the exemption immediately changes the tax bill by thousands of dollars. Investors purchasing rental properties should always factor in the loss of PRE when calculating returns.

Michigan's transfer tax consists of two components: the state transfer tax at $3.75 per $500 of consideration (0.75%) and the county transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 (0.11%). Combined total: $8.60 per $1,000 (0.86%). On a $300,000 sale, total transfer taxes are $2,580. Exemptions include transfers between spouses, transfers to living trusts where the grantor is the sole beneficiary, conveyances in lieu of foreclosure, and certain family transfers. Transfer tax is paid at recording with the Register of Deeds. The Real Estate Transfer Valuation Affidavit (Form L-4260) must be filed with the local Assessor for all property transfers — this is the primary mechanism by which the Assessor learns of sales to establish true cash value and trigger Proposal A uncapping. Michigan uses warranty deeds (standard — full covenants), covenant deeds (limited warranties), quitclaim deeds, sheriff's deeds (post-foreclosure), personal representative's deeds, trustee's deeds, lady bird deeds, and Treasurer's deeds (post-tax reversion). Michigan does not have statutory transfer on death (TOD) deeds — lady bird deeds serve that purpose. Michigan's homestead creditor protection is among the lowest in the nation at only $3,500 equity protected (plus $525 per dependent), making thorough judgment lien searches essential.

MI's 83 Registers of Deeds — Wayne County, Tri-County & Regional Directory

U.S. Title Records searches property records in every Michigan county — order your search here or browse our 50-state property records directory.

Southeast Michigan / Tri-County

Wayne County (Detroit — highest foreclosure volume, most active tax reversion market in Michigan, significant land contract activity, large Proposal A uncapping gaps on long-held properties), Oakland County (highest property values in the state, substantial SEV-to-taxable-value gaps in established communities like Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, and Royal Oak), Macomb County (Warren, Sterling Heights — strong middle market, active sheriff sale and redemption activity). The Southeast Michigan Tri-County region accounts for the majority of the state's real estate transaction volume and features the most complex title issues — including the highest concentration of land contracts, tax-reverted properties, and discharge gaps from servicer mergers and MERS transfers.

West Michigan

Kent County (Grand Rapids — second-largest market, rapid appreciation creating significant uncapping gaps), Ottawa County (Holland, Grand Haven — strong residential growth), Muskegon County, Kalamazoo County. West Michigan features some of the fastest-appreciating markets in the state, making Proposal A uncapping exposure a major concern for buyers. Land contracts are prevalent in smaller cities and rural areas. Grand Rapids and surrounding areas have seen significant new construction with active construction lien filing at the Register of Deeds.

Central & Mid-Michigan

Ingham County (Lansing — state capital, university town), Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor — highest per-capita values outside Oakland, University of Michigan market), Genesee County (Flint — second-most-active tax reversion market after Wayne, significant land contract and forfeiture activity), Saginaw County, Bay County. Washtenaw County features some of the largest Proposal A uncapping gaps in the state — Ann Arbor properties held since the 2000s routinely see 50–70% tax increases on sale. Genesee County's tax reversion volume rivals Wayne County proportionally.

Northern Michigan & Upper Peninsula

Grand Traverse County (Traverse City — resort market, vacation properties without PRE), Emmet County (Petoskey, Harbor Springs — highest resort values), Charlevoix County, Marquette County (largest UP county). Northern Michigan and the UP feature vacation and resort properties that do not qualify for PRE (full 18-mill school tax applies), timber and mineral rights considerations, and active land contract markets in rural areas. Properties exceeding 3 acres (common in Northern MI and UP) qualify for the 12-month extended redemption period after sheriff sale rather than the standard 6 months.

MI Tax Reversion, Construction Liens & the Circuit Court

Michigan's tax reversion process under the General Property Tax Act (MCL 211.78) is one of the most aggressive in the nation. When property taxes become delinquent for one year, the delinquency is returned to the county. After 2 years of delinquency, the property becomes forfeited to the County Treasurer. The owner has until March 31 of the following year to redeem by paying all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and fees. If the property is not redeemed by March 31, it reverts to the County Treasurer who sells it at public auction — often at dramatically discounted prices. Wayne County (Detroit) conducts the largest tax reversion auctions in the state, with thousands of properties auctioned annually. Genesee County (Flint) has proportionally similar volume. Tax-reverted properties receive a Treasurer's deed — which, like a sheriff's deed, carries no warranties. Investors purchasing tax-reverted properties need thorough title searches to identify surviving liens, occupancy rights, and environmental issues. A expanded title search identifies forfeiture status, tax reversion history, and delinquency amounts across all 83 counties.

Michigan construction liens under MCL 570.1101 (the Construction Lien Act) require specific notice and filing procedures. The general contractor or subcontractor must record a Claim of Lien with the Register of Deeds within 90 days after last furnishing labor or materials. Subcontractors on residential projects must provide a Notice of Furnishing to the property owner and general contractor within 20 days of first furnishing. The lien must be enforced by filing suit in Circuit Court within 1 year. Residential construction liens are limited to the unpaid contract price. A Sworn Statement (waiver of lien) is commonly required at closing. Judgment liens from the Circuit Court attach to all real property in the county where the judgment is docketed. Given Michigan's low homestead creditor protection ($3,500), judgment liens are particularly impactful. UCC liens on fixtures and lis pendens are also filed with the Register of Deeds. A property lien report searches both the Register of Deeds and Circuit Court civil dockets.

MI Title Search Services — Sheriff Sale, Proposal A & Land Contract Expertise

Finding MI Property Owners via Local Assessor & Register of Deeds

The fastest free method is the local Assessor's website or BS&A Online (used by hundreds of Michigan municipalities) — showing current owner, SEV, taxable value, PRE status, property classification, and special assessments. The Register of Deeds provides recorded deed images and grantor/grantee indexes. For professional ownership verification, a Property Detail Record ($29, same-day) from U.S. Title Records confirms the current owner with full Assessor data, SEV, taxable value, PRE status, and uncapping exposure. A Chain of Title Report ($275) traces every conveyance with mortgage discharge verification, land contract research, lady bird deed identification, and transfer tax history. Our title search resources, real estate news, lien guide, title search guide, property auction guide, foreclosure auction guide, and title insurance guide provide additional Michigan context. Contact our support team.

MI Property Records FAQ — Sheriff Sales, Proposal A & Land Contracts