8 Things to Do After Closing on a House in Michigan

The things to do after closing on a house in Michigan are mostly paperwork, and two of them carry deadlines that cost real money if you miss them. For anyone who closed this fall, the principal residence exemption deadline of November 1 comes first. Here is the full list, in the order it matters.

The eight things to do, in order:

1. File the PRE affidavit by November 1
2. File the Property Transfer Affidavit within 45 days
3. Rescind the exemption on the home you left
4. Watch for the July 1 and December 1 bills
5. Budget for the uncapped taxable value
6. Check the Homestead Property Tax Credit
7. Get your deed copy and turn on fraud alerts
8. Update your address with the Secretary of State

1. When is the deadline to file the principal residence exemption in Michigan?

Michigan homeowners who file the Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit, Form 2368, on or before November 1 get the exemption on that year's winter tax levy. Filing on or before June 1 covers the summer and winter levies. The exemption removes up to 18 mills of local school operating tax from a home you own and live in.

File Form 2368 with the assessor of the city or township where the home sits, and keep a copy. The savings are real: in Rochester Hills' Rochester Community Schools area, the 2025 total was 30.8553 mills with the exemption and 48.8553 without it. On $150,000 of taxable value, that is $2,700 a year.

Assuming the seller's exemption carries over is the costly mistake. You must own and occupy the home on the date you certify, and you must file your own affidavit, or you pay the higher non-homestead rate.

2. Do I have to file a property transfer affidavit after buying a house in Michigan?

Yes. The new owner of a Michigan home must file the Property Transfer Affidavit, Treasury Form 2766, with the city or township assessor within 45 days of the transfer. It is required even if no deed is recorded. The affidavit tells the assessor the home changed hands, which resets its taxable value the following year.

A finished closing file includes a copy of the filed affidavit with its date. Ask your title company, or the Rochester realtors who handled your purchase, whether it was filed for you, and get the copy either way.

Not filing does not keep your taxes low. Under MCL 211.27b, the owner still owes the taxes that should have been levied, plus interest, and a penalty of $5 a day after the 45 days, up to $200 for a home owned and lived in as a principal residence.

3. Do I need to rescind the principal residence exemption on my old house in Michigan?

Yes, within 90 days. Michigan law requires an owner to file a Request to Rescind Principal Residence Exemption, Form 2602, within 90 days after the old home stops being their principal residence. An owner who misses it faces a penalty of $5 a day after the 90 days, up to $200, under MCL 211.7cc.

If the old Michigan home is still for sale, Form 4640 offers a conditional rescission. It can keep the exemption for up to three years while the home is for sale, not occupied, not leased and not used for business, if you file it on time and renew it by December 31 each year.

Keeping two exemptions by accident leads to a denial on the home you left, with back taxes and interest. A conditional rescission also requires a new Michigan exemption on the home you moved into, so file Form 2368 first.

4. When will I get my first property tax bill after closing in Michigan?

Homeowners in many Oakland County communities get two property tax bills a year, summer and winter. Commerce Township mails them July 1 and December 1, with summer taxes due September 14 and winter taxes due February 14, and Oakland Township used the same dates in 2024. Anyone who closed on a Michigan home this fall should expect a winter bill in December.

Check your closing statement for the tax prorations, then confirm who pays the next bill. If your lender escrows taxes, the escrow statement should show the December payment. If not, put both due dates on your calendar now.

Waiting for a bill that never arrives is the trap. Commerce Township mails bills to the last known address, and Oakland Township says failure to receive a bill does not defer interest or penalty. Call the treasurer if nothing shows up in December.

5. Why will my property taxes go up the year after I buy a house in Michigan?

In Michigan, a home's taxable value uncaps in the calendar year after it sells and resets to its state equalized value, about half of market value. A seller who owned for years may have had a much lower taxable value. The new owner's bill is based on the reset number, starting with the next year's summer and winter bills.

White Lake Township's 2026 guide shows a home with a $120,000 taxable value under its old owner reset to $210,000 the year after the sale. In Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township, where The Delia Group works, 2025 homestead totals in the Rochester Community Schools areas ran 32.4246, 30.8553 and 24.6821 mills.

Ignoring the assessment notice is the expensive habit. Notices go out before the March Board of Review, and if the assessed value looks higher than half the home's value, that board is the place to appeal.

6. Do I qualify for the Michigan homestead property tax credit?

The Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit, claimed on Form MI-1040CR, gives eligible homeowners and renters money back on their property taxes. For tax year 2025, the credit carried a $71,500 total household resources limit, a $165,400 taxable value limit for homeowners and a maximum credit of $1,900, per the Michigan Treasury.

A buyer with modest household income should run the numbers when filing the state return. The credit can be claimed up to four years after the year it could first have been claimed, so a missed year is not always lost.

Assuming the credit is only for renters leaves money on the table. Homeowners qualify too. The phase-out begins at $62,500 of household resources, so check the current year's limits before you rule yourself out.

7. How do I get a copy of my house deed in Michigan?

Your deed is recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the home sits. In Oakland County, the Clerk and Register of Deeds offers Super Index, an online system with copies of recorded documents back to January 1, 1964. The office is at 1200 North Telegraph Road in Pontiac.

Once the deed is recorded, pull a copy and file it with your closing papers. Then sign up for Oakland County's free Property Records Notification service, which lets owners see whether any unauthorized document has been recorded against their property.

Skipping the alert means you might learn about a forged document only when it causes trouble, such as at a refinance or a sale. The county offers the service free, so there is little reason to wait.

8. Do I need to change my address with the Michigan Secretary of State after buying a house?

A new Michigan homeowner should update the address on their driver's license with the Michigan Department of State, online, by mail or at an office. A standard license or ID gets an address sticker in the mail, and an enhanced license gets a new card. A registered Michigan voter's address updates automatically with the same change.

Make the change online the week you move, then put the sticker on the back of your license when it arrives. Check that your voter record shows the new address before the next election.

Relying on mail forwarding alone leaves your license and voter record at the old address. That can send official mail and election notices to the home you left, and it keeps an outdated address on the ID you show at the bank or the polls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies as your principal residence?

Michigan law defines a principal residence as the one place where an owner has their true, fixed and permanent home, to which they intend to return whenever absent. An owner can claim only one exemption, and must own and occupy the home to file.

What is the difference between homestead and non-homestead taxes in Michigan?

A homestead, or principal residence, is exempt from up to 18 mills of local school operating tax, and a non-homestead property is not. In Oakland Township's Rochester Community Schools area, the 2025 total was 24.6821 mills for a homestead and 42.6821 mills for a non-homestead.

Who is responsible for transfer tax in Michigan?

The seller pays Michigan's real estate transfer tax. In Oakland County that is $3.75 per $500 to the state and $0.55 per $500 to the county, or 0.86 percent combined.

What are the guidelines for property transfer in Michigan?

The Michigan State Tax Commission publishes Transfer of Ownership Guidelines, last revised February 25, 2025. They explain which transfers uncap a home's taxable value and which do not, such as transfers between spouses and certain transfers to close relatives.

Talk to The Delia Group about life after closing

The Delia Group is a Rochester, Michigan real estate team working with buyers and sellers in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township and across Oakland County. For anyone who closed this fall, the November 1 exemption deadline and the 45 day affidavit window come first. Buyers comparing the best real estate agents in Rochester can start there.

This article is general information for Michigan homeowners and buyers, not legal or tax advice. Exemption deadlines, penalties and credit limits come from Michigan statutes and Treasury guidance and can change each year. Confirm your own situation with a real estate attorney or a tax professional.