I have been selling homes in Farmington Hills for 24 years. And without fail, every Memorial Day Weekend my phone starts ringing a little differently. It is not the casual "just curious" calls I get in January. These are buyers who have been thinking about this for months, who finally have three days off work, who drove through a neighborhood last Sunday and started picturing themselves there. Memorial Day Weekend has a way of turning "someday" into "let's actually do this."

So is it actually a good time to buy? I am not going to give you the cheerleader answer. I am going to show you what the data looks like right now in Farmington Hills and Oakland County — and let you decide for yourself. But I will tell you upfront: the numbers this year make a stronger case for buying this weekend than I have seen in quite a while.

Here Is Why Memorial Day Weekend Is Different From Every Other Weekend

Most people think of Memorial Day as the start of summer. In real estate, it is something more specific — it is the start of the biggest listing wave of the year. Sellers who have been prepping their homes since March, who painted the front door and finally fixed that deck, who have been waiting for "the right time" — they list this weekend. All of them. At the same time.

What that means for buyers is simple: you have more choices on Tuesday than you had on Friday. And more choices means more leverage, more ability to be selective, and more room to find something that actually fits your life rather than something you settled for because inventory was thin.

According to National Association of Realtors research, late May consistently ranks among the highest weeks of the year for new listing volume nationwide. In Oakland County specifically, I see it every single year without exception. The listings that come out this weekend are the ones sellers have put real effort into. These are not the tired, overpriced leftovers from March. These are homes that have been prepared to impress.

What I Am Actually Seeing on the Ground in Farmington Hills Right Now

I want to be straight with you about the market. It is not easy out there for buyers. Three months of supply is a seller's market. Homes are averaging 34 days on market in the 48334 ZIP code, which sounds like a lot until you realize that a well-priced home on a desirable street is still going in two weeks. The 34-day average includes the homes that are overpriced, need work, or are on the wrong side of a busy road. The good ones move faster.

That said — I have worked harder markets than this. 2021 and early 2022 were genuinely brutal for buyers in Farmington Hills. Fifteen offers on a house the first weekend. Waiving inspections just to stay in the game. This market is competitive but it is not irrational. Buyers who are prepared, realistic about price, and working with someone who knows where the value actually is — those buyers are winning right now.

The thing that gives me real confidence this weekend is the risk of decline number. It is sitting at 14.4% — down dramatically from 37.4% this time last year. That tells me the buyers in this market are real. The demand is genuine. And the values being paid today are being supported by actual market fundamentals, not speculation.

The Fall Waiting Game — Why It Usually Does Not Pay Off

I hear this every spring. "I am going to wait until fall when things cool down." I understand the logic. It sounds sensible. But in the 24 years I have been doing this in Oakland County, waiting until fall has rarely delivered what buyers hope it will.

Here is what actually happens in fall. After Labor Day, sellers who did not sell in summer pull their homes off the market. They decide to wait for spring rather than sit on the market through the holidays. So inventory drops — significantly. The buyers who waited for fall find themselves choosing from a smaller, older, more picked-over pool of listings. And the prices? Largely the same. The Farmington Hills market is forecasting 2% appreciation over the next 12 months. Waiting six months to buy does not save you money. It usually costs you.

The buyers who get the best value in this market — not the lowest price, but the best value — are the ones who buy when inventory is highest and their choices are greatest. That window is right now. It will start narrowing by July Fourth.

Where I Would Be Looking in Farmington Hills This Weekend

I am not going to give you a generic answer here. After 24 years in this market I have opinions about where the value is, and I will share them.

The Orchard Lake Road corridor from 10 Mile up through 14 Mile is as active as I have seen it in years. Homes in the $350,000 to $500,000 range along this stretch are moving in two to three weeks. If something new comes on in this area this weekend and you are in that price range, request a showing Monday. Do not wait until Tuesday.

The West Bloomfield border area near Walnut Lake Road continues to offer what I think is some of the best value in the entire region for buyers who want space, quality, and proximity to both Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield without the Bloomfield Hills price tag. I have seen buyers discover this corridor and wonder why nobody told them sooner.

For buyers in the $275,000 to $350,000 range, the southern sections near 8 Mile and Middlebelt are genuinely undervalued relative to what is happening in neighboring cities right now. Consistent appreciation over the past 18 months and good bones in the housing stock. Worth a serious look this weekend.

5 Things to Do Before You Tour a Single Home This Weekend

1. Get pre-approved — today, not Monday. I know it sounds like something every agent says. But I have watched buyers lose homes they loved this spring because their pre-approval was not in order when the moment came. In a market where good homes move in two weeks, being 48 hours behind is the difference between getting the house and watching someone else move into it.

2. Set up real-time MLS alerts right now. Not Zillow. Not Realtor.com. The MLS. Those sites lag the real market by hours or days. I can set up a direct MLS search for you in five minutes that will notify you the moment a home matching your criteria hits the market. That is how you see the new Memorial Day listings before the weekend crowd does.

3. Drive the neighborhoods — not just the houses. This weekend is actually a perfect time to do it. Families are outside. You can see whether kids play in the street or whether it feels like a ghost town. You will notice things about a neighborhood from your car window that no listing photo will ever capture. I have had buyers fall in love with a street before they even walked inside a house.

4. Know the difference between your needs and your wants. Buyers who struggle in this market are usually the ones who have not had that honest conversation with themselves. Beds, baths, garage, basement, school district — get clear on what you absolutely need before you start touring. Falling in love with a house that does not fit your life is expensive in more ways than one.

5. Work with someone who actually knows this market. I say this not to sell myself but because I have seen what happens when buyers work with agents who cover 15 counties and do not know the difference between what a home on Orchard Lake Road is worth versus one three blocks west of it. Hyper-local knowledge matters in a market like Farmington Hills. NAR research consistently shows that buyers working with experienced local agents report better outcomes and higher satisfaction. Twenty-four years in this market is not a number I put on my business card for decoration.

My Honest Take — Should You Buy This Weekend?

If you are financially ready, pre-approved, and clear on what you are looking for — yes. This weekend is one of the better buying windows I have seen in Farmington Hills in the past two years. The inventory surge is real. The risk of decline is low. The market is competitive but not irrational. And the alternative — waiting until fall — has a track record that rarely delivers what buyers hope for.

If you are not financially ready or still figuring out what you want — do not rush. A bad buying decision made out of fear of missing out is far more expensive than waiting another season. Use this weekend to drive neighborhoods, get pre-approved, and get clear. Then you will be ready when the right home shows up.

Either way — I am here. Give me a call or shoot me a text this weekend. I work Memorial Day because my clients do not stop having questions just because it is a holiday. And honestly — I would not have it any other way. That is what 24 years of loving this job looks like.