Washtenaw Has the Best MSHDA Terms in Michigan
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
If you were designing the most favourable MSHDA county in Michigan you would design Washtenaw. Highest limits in the state, and targeted end to end.
Two advantages at once
Most Michigan counties get one of these. Washtenaw gets both.
| Washtenaw | Targeted floor | Non-targeted floor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income limit, 1–2 people | $170,760 | $118,080 | $98,400 |
| Income limit, 3 or more | $199,220 | $137,760 | $113,160 |
| Repeat buyers eligible | Yes, countywide | Yes | No |
| Township check needed | No | Sometimes | Sometimes |
A one to two person household in Washtenaw can earn $72,360 more than the same household at the non-targeted floor and still use MSHDA. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address, but in Washtenaw's case the whole county is designated, which removes the address question.
Why the high limit matters in this county specifically
Ann Arbor is a university and hospital economy, and those households often have two professional incomes. A couple in the $140,000 to $165,000 range would be over the limit in most Michigan counties and is under Washtenaw's $170,760.
That is the group most likely to have written off housing assistance as something for other people. On these numbers it is not. A household at $160,000 buying in Ann Arbor is eligible for $10,000 of interest-free assistance and probably does not know it.
The market it applies to
Ann Arbor's typical home value in Zillow's August 2026 data is $416,914, up 2.5% year over year, second only to Traverse City among Michigan metros. The $566,355 sales price limit leaves $149,441 of headroom against that typical value.
So the price cap has room but less of it than elsewhere in Michigan, and it is the one Michigan metro where checking a specific house against the limit is genuinely worth doing rather than a formality. A house meaningfully above the typical value in a desirable Ann Arbor neighbourhood can approach the cap.
Repeat buyers, countywide
Because the entire county is targeted, prior ownership is simply not a factor anywhere in Washtenaw. Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, the townships, all of it.
That is worth stating plainly because the standard advice about MSHDA being a first-time buyer program is wrong here in the strongest possible way: it is wrong across an entire county, including its largest city. More on repeat buyers.
Is there a catch?
Not in the eligibility rules. The catch, such as it is, is the same one everywhere in Michigan: the $10,000 becomes repayable on payoff, sale, refinance, or when the home is no longer owner-occupied. In a market with a lot of people who may relocate for a job or a residency, that fourth trigger deserves a read. Owner-occupancy.
Everything else is standard: 640 minimum credit score, education for all borrowers, and the assistance must pair with a MI Home Loan.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the MSHDA income limit in Washtenaw County?
$170,760 for a one to two person household and $199,220 for three or more, effective June 1, 2026. Those are the highest MSHDA income limits in Michigan, $52,680 above the targeted floor of $118,080 and $72,360 above the non-targeted floor of $98,400. Washtenaw County is also targeted in its entirety.
Is Ann Arbor a targeted area for MSHDA?
Washtenaw County, which contains Ann Arbor, is designated a targeted area in its entirety, so there is no city or township check to do anywhere in the county. That means repeat homebuyers are eligible countywide, since MSHDA states that targeted areas may be a first-time homebuyer or repeat homebuyer, and the county's high income limits apply everywhere in it.
Can a household earning $160,000 get MSHDA assistance?
In Washtenaw County, yes, for a one to two person household, because the limit there is $170,760. In most other Michigan counties $160,000 would be over the limit: the targeted floor is $118,080 and the non-targeted floor $98,400 for the same household size. This is the reason Ann Arbor's two-professional-income households should check rather than assume.
Does the MSHDA price limit bind in Ann Arbor?
It has room but less than elsewhere. Ann Arbor's typical home value was $416,914 in August 2026 against the $566,355 statewide limit, which leaves $149,441 of headroom. Ann Arbor is the one Michigan metro where checking a specific house against the cap is genuinely worthwhile rather than a formality, because a home well above the typical value in a desirable neighbourhood can approach it.
Do repeat buyers qualify for MSHDA in Ypsilanti and Saline?
Yes. Washtenaw County is targeted in its entirety, so the waiver of the first-time homebuyer requirement applies everywhere in the county, including Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester and the townships. That is unusual: in most Michigan counties with large cities, only named places are targeted and the rest of the county is not.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. MSHDA program terms, income limits and sales price limits are set by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against MSHDA's published documents. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.