Taylor’s housing stock is dominated by 1950s–1970s brick ranches and colonial revivals, with an average home age of 53 years. Because the city never boomed into McMansion territory, entry prices stayed attainable: the Q2 2024 median sale price is $189,000, up 4.1 % from last year yet still $15k below nearby Southgate. Inventory sits at 1.9 months, so well-priced homes under $200k receive multiple offers within 10 days.

• Price per square foot: $144—10 % below the Detroit Metro average
• Closing timeline: 29 days for financed buyers, 18 days for cash
• Hottest micro-markets: Heights subdivision (48180 zip) and the Heritage Park corridor, where updated 3-bed ranches trade at $205–215k

Because Taylor straddles I-75 and I-94, commuters reach downtown Detroit in 22 minutes and DTW airport in 12, fueling steady rental demand. Investors currently account for 18 % of purchases, so owner-occupants should be prepared with an NMHL pre-underwritten approval letter to compete.

Michigan’s flagship down-payment assistance program—MSHDA—offers up to $15,000 forgivable after five years of occupancy. In Taylor, the income cap for a two-person household is $77,700, well above the city’s median household income of $54,448, so most buyers qualify. The program pairs with FHA (3.5 % down) or Conventional 97, and NMHL covers the 1 % upfront MSHDA fee so you keep more cash for inspections.

Step-by-step:

1. Get pre-approved through NMHL’s MSHDA portal—takes 30 minutes, no cost.
2. Complete the free MI Home Advisor education class online or at the Wayne County Extension office on Goddard.
3. House-hunt under the $224,000 MSHDA purchase-price limit—plenty of inventory in Taylor.
4. NMHL reserves the grant; you close with as little as $500 out-of-pocket.

Additional hyper-local help: the City of Taylor Housing Commission runs a First Time Homebuyer Savings Account match—up to $1,000 annually—stackable with MSHDA. Ask your NMHL loan officer for the application packet.

Property taxes in Taylor are calculated at 1.83 % of assessed value—among the lowest in Wayne County south of Detroit. A home with a $189,000 market value carries an assessed value of $94,500; multiply by the blended millage rate (48.94 mills) and you arrive at $4,625 in annual taxes. After the homestead exemption, owner-occupants pay roughly $3,460, or $288/month.

Lenders escrow 1/12th of taxes plus two months cushion, so budget $320/month when you’re running your own numbers. Because NMHL’s loan-origination system pulls live data from the Wayne County Treasurer, our pre-approval letters show the exact tax amount, not a guesstimate, eliminating last-minute payment shock.

Tax bills are issued July 1 and December 1; if you close in May your first payment isn’t due until July, giving you a welcome cash-flow breather while you move in and paint.

With 14 % of Taylor households deriving income from gig, automotive consulting, or side-hustle work, stated-income documentation is critical. NMHL’s bank-statement program qualifies borrowers using 12 or 24 months of personal or business statements—no tax returns—at loan-to-values up to 90 % on amounts to $650k. For the median $189k Taylor home, self-employed buyers need only a 10 % down payment ($18,900) and a 660 mid-score.

Recent example: a local Amazon delivery driver incorporated as an LLC showed $94k in deposits over 12 months; after applying a 35 % expense factor, NMHL used $61k qualifying income and approved him for $230k at 7.125 %—beating the rate he was quoted by a portfolio lender by 0.625 %.

Program highlights:

• 15- or 30-year fixed; no prepay penalty
• Allowable credit scores: 660 minimum
• DTI up to 50 % with compensating factors
• Can close in an LLC for asset-protection

More than 4,100 veterans live in Taylor, yet only 38 % have tapped their VA home-loan benefit—far below the national utilization rate. With zero down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance, and the ability to finance the 2.15 % funding fee (waived for 10 %+ service-connected disabilities), VA buyers in Taylor can secure a $190k home for roughly $1,450/month—about $200 less than an FHA loan with 3.5 % down.

NMHL is a direct VA lender with on-staff retired military advisors. We know how to stretch entitlement when the sales price exceeds $144k (the old county limit) by layering bonus entitlement—critical if you’re bidding on a move-in-ready ranch near Heritage Park listed at $210k.

Surviving spouses and National Guard members activated after 1990 are also eligible. Ask about our VA Refinance to Buy strategy: veterans who already own can refinance out of a high-rate loan and roll closing costs, then reuse their original entitlement to purchase a larger home in Taylor’s Heights or Southern Gates subdivisions.

Whether you’re rebuilding after medical collections or a past foreclosure, Taylor’s affordability plus NMHL’s Fresh-Start suite offers a clear path. We manually underwrite FHA files down to a 500 middle score with 10 % down, or 580 with 3.5 % down if your last 12 months are clean. Compensating factors—like two months reserves or a verified rent history via NMHL’s RentTrak report—can offset thin credit.

Recent client snapshot: 42-year-old assembly-line worker, 601 score, one-year post Chapter 13 discharge. We used an FHA manual underwrite, documented 18 months of on-time rent at $1,400, and approved $185k on a Van Born brick ranch. Payment: $1,510 PITI—$110 less than her rental duplex.

Steps to qualify:

1. Enroll in NMHL’s free credit-improvement portal; we’ll simulate score improvements in 30-day sprints.
2. Keep credit-card balances below 30 % and no new inquiries 90 days before pre-approval.
3. Save 3.5 % down payment—can be 100 % gift from family or MSHDA grant.

Most clients gain 20–40 points in 90 days, opening the door to better conventional rates without waiting another year.