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Oakland County · Michigan

Oakland County Mortgages, done right.

Oakland County is home. McKenney Home Lending is based in Milford — right in the heart of Oakland County — and a huge portion of every month's closings are Oakland County buyers. If you're buying a first home in Royal Oak, a step-up in Birmingham, a forever home in Clarkston, or an investment property in Pontiac, we know the market, the assessors, the title companies, and the realtors who actually close deals here.

Cities & townships we serve in Oakland County

If you're buying, refinancing, or pulling equity in any of these Oakland County communities, we've almost certainly closed a loan here in the last twelve months:

Rochester Hills Troy Farmington Hills Novi Southfield Royal Oak Birmingham Bloomfield Hills West Bloomfield Auburn Hills Clarkston Lake Orion Milford Highland White Lake Waterford Pontiac Ferndale Berkley Oak Park

Milford is home, not a branch address

I live in Milford, and the office is here because I am — this was never a pin on a national expansion map. I grew up just west of here in Howell and Brighton, which means the townships along the county line — Milford, Highland, White Lake, Commerce — are the roads I've driven my whole life. When a buyer asks how two townships differ on taxes, or whether a Highland property with acreage will give an appraiser trouble, the answer comes from living here and from twenty years of closings in these ZIP codes.

If you close with me, there's a decent chance we'll cross paths at a game or around town afterward. I like it that way — it keeps the advice honest.

The Oakland County housing reality

Oakland County housing spans an enormous range — from urbanist neighborhoods like Ferndale and Royal Oak attracting first-time buyers in their late 20s, to Birmingham and Bloomfield luxury with jumbo-financing needs, to Clarkston and Milford semi-rural properties that often need renovation or construction loans. The northern Oakland townships (White Lake, Highland, Commerce) are a sweet spot for families moving out of Detroit's first ring. If you're buying in Oakland County, the right loan program varies dramatically by which city you're targeting — generic mortgage advice doesn't cut it here.

Oakland County property taxes

Oakland County property tax rates vary significantly by city and township. Effective rates typically land between 1.3% and 2.0% of taxable value depending on location. Filing your Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) on a primary home saves approximately 18 mills — a meaningful amount that some buyers miss in their first year. We include realistic tax estimates in every quote so your monthly payment math is accurate, not the generic national average that misses Michigan's nuances.

First-time buyer notes

First-time Oakland County buyers: the median purchase price here is higher than most of the state, which pushes many first-timers toward the outer townships (White Lake, Holly, Oxford) where $250-350k gets more house than $450-600k does in Royal Oak or Birmingham. FHA and conventional 3%-down loans are the most common paths. If your credit is in decent shape and you've got 3-5% saved, you're further along than you think.

Loan programs that fit Oakland County

Oakland County FAQ

Buying or refinancing in Oakland County?

Which Oakland County cities do you lend in?
All of them. We close loans across Rochester Hills, Troy, Novi, Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Birmingham, Clarkston, Waterford, Milford, and every township in between — we're headquartered right here in Milford.
I'm a first-time buyer in Oakland County. What are my down payment options?
FHA allows 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score, and qualified first-time buyers can go as low as 3% down conventional. In many Oakland County suburbs that puts the entry cost well below what renters assume it takes.
How do Oakland County property taxes affect what I can afford?
Effective rates vary meaningfully by city — roughly 1.3% to 2.0% of taxable value — and taxes are part of your monthly payment, so two identical houses in different towns can price very differently. We build the real tax number into your pre-approval so there are no surprises.
Can we actually meet in person?
Yes. We're based in Milford, not an out-of-state call center. Most clients handle everything by phone and e-sign, but if you want to sit down over coffee and go through the numbers, that's an option here.

Let's see what you qualify for.

Tell me a little about what you're buying or refinancing in Oakland County. No credit pull, no commitment — just a conversation and a real quote.

Get Your Quote → Call (248) 491-8998
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