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Macomb County, Michigan

Mortgage Broker in Washington Township, MI

A Washington Township purchase raises questions a typical subdivision lot does not: a well or township water, which of three school districts taxes the parcel, and whether a Romeo address is inside the village. Samantha settles those first, then shops your loan across multiple wholesale lenders.

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Buying a home in Washington Township

Washington Township, a charter township in Macomb County, is home to about 28,569 residents in the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (28,165 in the 2020 census) across about 36 square miles of land. Two neighbors' ZIP codes, Romeo's 48065 and Rochester's 48306, also reach into the township, so the parcel record, not the mailing address, shows which unit's tax rates apply. Part of the Village of Romeo lies inside the township. Downtown Detroit is about 30 miles south in a straight line.

By the numbers

Washington Township housing and mortgage snapshot

Values move. Treat these as orientation and let us pull current figures for the address you are considering.

$408,000

Typical home value, from the market research on this page

+37%

Typical rise in taxable value the year after a home sells, 2026 Uncapping Study

2

Residential ZIP codes: 48094, 48095

What financing looks like in Washington Township

From July through September 2026 the middle sale in ZIP 48094, the southern half of the township, came in near $549,000 by Redfin's count, and in 48095, the northern half, near $710,000. Just 30 homes changed hands in 48095 in September, so that northern figure jumps around. The $408,400 Census median is an owner estimate gathered across 2020 to 2024, and it lags those sales. At these prices most purchases are conventional loans inside the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, FHA's 2026 limit of $541,287 reaches most of the village and part of the southern half, and VA works for eligible buyers. Jumbo guidelines start only once the loan amount itself passes the conforming limit, whatever the price.

The house matters as much as the price. Homes on the township's mains get Great Lakes Water Authority water through the public works department, while others rely on their own well and septic field, which the Macomb County Health Department regulates, and an appraiser or underwriter can ask about either. Look the address up on FEMA's flood map too, since on most loans flood insurance becomes mandatory when the house itself sits in a high-risk zone. We sort out the water, septic and flood questions before your inspection window closes.

A buyer with no ownership for three years counts as first-time for MSHDA's MI Home Loan, whose sales price cap of $566,355 sits just above the recent 48094 median, and it pairs with the $10,000 MI 10K down payment assistance loan. Both programs cap household income, which is the first number we confirm.

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Inside the same Romeo school district, a Washington Township homestead carried 31.28 mills in 2025 and one in the township's part of the Village of Romeo carried 41.58. Read the parcel's taxing unit before you read the listing.

The market

The Washington Township housing market

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median owner-occupied home value in Washington Township near $408,400, across about 9,058 owner-occupied homes, with a median year built of 1995. The typical home value in Washington Township is near $408,000. Homeowners pay a median of about $4,502 a year in property taxes, an effective rate of about 1.10% of the median value.

By ZIP code

Washington Township ZIP codes and where they reach

Two ZIP codes cover almost all of the township, and two neighbors' ZIP codes reach in at the edges. Shares of land are measured on the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP code and township boundaries, home counts on its 2020 to 2024 block group estimates, and the price beside each ZIP is Redfin's July to September 2026 median.

ZIP 48094, the south, near $549,000

Roughly 26 Mile north to about 29 Mile, half the township's land and about three in four of its homes: the Van Dyke corridor, the Stony Creek side and the 2000s subdivisions around 28 Mile. Its mailing city is Washington. 95 sales in September 2026.

ZIP 48095, the north, near $710,000

About 29 Mile north to the Romeo village line, 47% of the land but fewer than one home in five, spread more thinly around Clifton Mills, Campground Road and Powell Road. Only 30 sales in September 2026, so the median moves a lot.

ZIP 48065, Romeo's south side

The part of the Village of Romeo south of St. Clair Street, under 2% of the township's land but nearly 900 homes. A Romeo address north of 32 Mile is Bruce Township instead, with a different tax total.

ZIP 48306, a southwest corner

About 1% of the land, by Dequindre Road just south of 28 Mile, carries a Rochester mailing address, though the parcels are taxed in Washington Township, mostly with Rochester Community Schools.

Where to look

Washington Township neighborhoods

Washington Center on Van Dyke

The old Washington crossroads at 26 Mile and Van Dyke, home to the township hall, Washington Township Park and the Loren Andrus Octagon House, built from 1858 to 1860. Its Census tract is the township's densest, with about 2,040 homes, roughly four in ten households renting and many homes in apartment and condo buildings. Median year built 1997, and owners put the middle half at about $291,000 to $432,000.

Manufactured home communities, Van Dyke to Jewell

Just north of 26 Mile between Van Dyke and Jewell Road, about 540 of the block group's 926 homes are manufactured homes, roughly three in four of all those in the township, with attached homes and apartments making up the rest. The Census owner median of about $45,500 reflects mostly manufactured homes and carries a margin of about $38,000 either way. Whether you own the lot decides how one is financed.

26 Mile, Jewell to Hayes

Newer subdivisions along the township's south line from about Jewell Road east to Hayes, median year built 2002, with owners putting the middle half at about $363,000 to $596,000. The Utica Community Schools strip runs through here, roughly the first half mile north of 26 Mile, so neighboring streets may pay different school levies.

Mound to Van Dyke, 26 to 28 Mile

Subdivisions and condos between Mound Road and Van Dyke up to 28 Mile, with the Ross Memorial trailhead on the Macomb Orchard Trail. The larger block group is mostly 2000s building, median 2002, at about $412,000 to $636,000 for the middle half of owner estimates. A smaller pocket just south of 28 Mile near Mound dates to the 1970s, median 1971, at about $341,000 to $477,000.

Stony Creek and the Rochester schools corner

Dequindre Road to Mound between 26 and 28 Mile, beside the part of Stony Creek Metropark that lies in the township. About two thirds of this block group's land is in Rochester Community Schools, and a small area near Dequindre Road just below 28 Mile has a Rochester 48306 mailing ZIP. Median year built 1994, with owner estimates of about $372,000 to $758,000 for the middle half.

Mount Vernon

The settlement at Mt. Vernon and 28 Mile Roads had a post office from 1832, with William Austin Burt as its first postmaster, and its cemetery is named for George Washington's estate. West of Mound from 28 Mile north past 29 Mile, the block group has 332 homes, a median year built of 1980 and owner estimates of about $363,000 to $719,000. The Rochester and Romeo districts split it.

The Orchards, 28 to 29 Mile

Between Mound Road and about Jewell Road from 28 to 29 Mile, around The Orchards, a public golf course built in the early 1990s on a former apple orchard off Campground Road. It is the township's newest block group, median year built 2006. Owners put its median near $580,000, but the margin is wide, about $116,000 either way, with the middle half from about $445,000 to $790,000.

Price Brook, east of Van Dyke

From Van Dyke to the east line between 27 and 29 Mile, where Price Brook winds toward Hayes Road. The mix is about 630 detached homes, 250 attached homes and 170 manufactured homes, median year built 1996. The owner median is about $298,000, with a wide margin of about $50,000 either way.

Clifton Mills and Thorington

The northwest from Dequindre Road to Campground Road between about 29 and 32 Mile, with the old Clifton Mills crossroads near 31 Mile and Mt. Vernon Road, small lakes along Stony Creek, and the five-acre site on 31 Mile where the township plans Thorington Park around the 1840 Thorington School House. All 459 homes in the block group are owner-occupied, median year built 1986, valued by owners at about $476,000 to $804,000 for the middle half.

Campground Road to Van Dyke, 30 to 32 Mile

Between Campground Road and Van Dyke from about 30 Mile up to the village line, with a Romeo District Library branch on Van Dyke near 31 Mile. The block group has 723 homes, every one owner-occupied, a median year built of 1977 and owner estimates of about $324,000 to $467,000 for the middle half.

29 Mile and east of Van Dyke to Powell Road

The band along 29 and 30 Mile from Mound Road east, and the land east of Van Dyke and the M-53 expressway from 30 Mile to the village, out to Powell Road and the east line. About 877 homes, median year built 1978, mostly detached with about 200 in apartment buildings, and owner estimates of about $286,000 to $548,000 for the middle half.

Romeo's south side

The part of the Village of Romeo south of St. Clair Street, the village's name for 32 Mile, lies in Washington Township, South Main Street included, and uses the Romeo 48065 ZIP. Its block group has about 895 homes, roughly half rented, a median year built of 1970 and owner estimates of about $194,000 to $397,000. A homestead here carried 41.58 mills in 2025, the village's levy included.

Schools and commute

Schools

Romeo Community Schools covers about 84% of Washington Township's land and roughly nine homes in ten, by the Census Bureau's school district map and block group housing counts. Rochester Community Schools takes the southwest, from Dequindre Road most of the way to Mound Road and from 26 Mile north to about 29 Mile, about 12% of the land, and Utica Community Schools has two thin strips along 26 Mile, one just west of Mound and one from about Jewell Road east to Hayes, about 4%. Michigan Treasury's 2025 homestead totals in the township are 31.28 mills with Romeo, 29.69 with Utica and 27.54 with Rochester, so the district on the parcel record changes the tax bill as well as the school assignment.

Commute

From the township hall on Van Dyke near 26 Mile, M-53 runs south as a freeway toward Sterling Heights and Detroit, and turns into an expressway near 28 Mile that bypasses Romeo on the east. OSRM routing from the hall puts Stellantis's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant about 12 miles and 18 minutes away, the GM Technical Center in Warren about 15 miles and 23 minutes, about 19 miles and 25 minutes to the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, the Detroit Arsenal about 17 miles and 28 minutes, and downtown Detroit about 34 miles and 47 minutes in light traffic. Downtown Rochester is about 8 miles and 15 minutes west. Workers who live here average about a 30 minute trip to work by the Census count, and the Macomb Orchard Trail, a rail trail from Dequindre Road to Richmond, crosses the township toward Romeo.

On the inspection list

Washington Township questions for the seller and the township

  • Water and septic. Ask whether the house is on township water, a private well, or township sewer with a well. Wells and septic systems are under the Macomb County Health Department, and a water test before closing is cheap next to a surprise.
  • The flood map. Search the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. In a high-risk zone the lender requires flood insurance. The township's public works department keeps floodplain revision requests for building permits.
  • The taxing unit. The parcel record shows the village question and which of the three school districts the home pays. The assessing department, 586-786-0013, can tell you.
  • Special assessment districts. Ask the treasurer's office whether the parcel pays an assessment for paving, water or sewer work, or street lighting, and how many years are left.
  • Condo or site condo. A detached home recorded under a master deed is financed as a condominium unit, and lenders add the association dues to your monthly housing cost.
  • Manufactured homes. Find out whether the lot comes with the home before you pick a loan.

Michigan property taxes

Washington Township property taxes after you buy

The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill.

In Washington Township, our 2026 Uncapping Study found taxable value typically rises about 37% the year after a sale. On a $400,000 home, near the typical Washington Township value, the first-year tax goes up roughly $1,610 to $1,700, depending on the school district. Most homes here are in Romeo schools (about $1,700); Utica schools homes run about $1,610. Your address decides which applies. We build your payment on that post-sale number.

Looking at a Washington Township address? Our Michigan property tax calculator finds that property's published 2025 millage and works out the tax to plan for after you buy.

How Michigan taxable value works

In Samantha's words

In Michigan, don't just look at the current tax bill. Understand what could happen after ownership changes.

Your tax bill

Four homestead totals inside one township

Michigan Treasury's 2025 total homestead millage for Washington Township, special assessments included. Outside the village, about 4.05 of those mills are special assessments, and the voter-approved fire and ambulance assessments are levied only on the unincorporated township. Each mill is a dollar per thousand dollars of taxable value.

Romeo schools, 31.28 mills

Most of the township. A non-homestead parcel here, such as a rental or second home, carried 49.28 mills.

Utica schools, 29.69 mills

The two strips along 26 Mile, just west of Mound Road and from about Jewell Road east to Hayes.

Rochester schools, 27.54 mills

The southwest, from Dequindre Road toward Mound between 26 and about 29 Mile.

Village of Romeo, 41.58 mills

The village's south side in Washington Township, its own levy included. The north side, in Bruce Township, carried 45.65 mills, so one village has two totals.

Local resources

Check Washington Township records yourself

The official offices behind the tax and school details on this page.

What our clients say

5.0 on Google across 128 reviews

★★★★★
Samantha Shelton is amazing!! She helped me get into my first home in Ferndale. The closing process was easy I was able to take care of everything without taking a day off of work. Being a first time homebuyer was stressful but she provided clear communication and true experience guidance throughout the entire process
Jeffery HolleyFebruary 2026
★★★★★
Can’t say enough great things about Samantha and her team at Align Lending! Highly recommend
Justin BartonJune 2024
★★★★★
As a first-time homebuyer in Ferndale, I was unsure of some things. Samantha was awesome. She was extremely helpful and made sure I understood every part of the process.
Peter RosaAugust 2026
★★★★★
Want to shout out Samantha for the expert guidance, made my first-time homebuyer experience seamless! It exceeded expectations and was a stress free process throughout. Grateful for all your help and loving my new home in Bloomfield Hills!
MichaelJuly 2026
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Individual experiences. Results vary.

Washington Township mortgage questions

If yours is not here, ask it on the call. There are no dumb questions.

Is a Washington, MI or Romeo, MI address in Washington Township?

A Washington, MI address with ZIP 48094 or 48095 is: on the Census Bureau’s ZIP map, neither ZIP code crosses the township line. A Romeo, MI address can go either way: 301 S. Main St., Romeo, geocodes to the township’s part of the village, while homes north of 32 Mile are in Bruce Township. A pocket by Dequindre Road just south of 28 Mile also carries the Rochester 48306 ZIP. We confirm the taxing unit from the parcel number before any payment estimate.

Most often Romeo Community Schools, which covers about 84% of the land. The southwest, from Dequindre Road toward Mound between 26 and about 29 Mile, is Rochester Community Schools, and two narrow strips along 26 Mile are Utica Community Schools. Each has its own 2025 homestead total, from 27.54 to 31.28 mills, so check the district printed on the parcel record.

Redfin put the July to September 2026 median near $549,000 in 48094 and $710,000 in 48095, on 95 and 30 September sales, and the northern number jumps around on that few. The Census median of about $408,400 rests on owner estimates collected from 2020 to 2024, which run behind current sales.

It depends on the street. The township’s public works department, 586-786-0012, delivers water it buys from the Great Lakes Water Authority, and some accounts have township sewer with no public water. Private wells and septic systems are under the Macomb County Health Department, 586-469-5236. Find out from the seller or the listing which one serves the house, and with a well, have the water tested before closing.

Pull up the address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before making an offer. Most loans require flood insurance when the house itself sits in a high-risk zone. Where the map shows Zone A, which is drawn without a published flood elevation, an elevation certificate can help an insurance agent price the policy, so ask the seller whether one exists.

Outside the Village of Romeo, voters have renewed a fire special assessment of up to 3 mills for 2020 through 2029 and an ambulance and advanced life support assessment of up to 2 mills, and Treasury’s 2025 table counts about 4.05 mills of special assessment inside the township totals. The treasurer also bills special assessment districts for paving, water and sewer projects and street lighting. The summer bill is payable July 1 through September 14, the winter bill December 1 through February 28.

It can when the land comes with it. The township counts about 730 manufactured homes, mostly in communities just north of 26 Mile between Van Dyke and Jewell Road and east of Van Dyke toward 29 Mile. One sitting on a rented lot is generally personal property, which calls for a chattel loan. One on owned land, fixed to a permanent foundation and converted to real property, qualifies for a mortgage. Tell us at the start which you are looking at.

Two affidavits, the Principal Residence Exemption and the property transfer, both handled by the assessing department at 586-786-0013. The exemption removes as much as 18 mills of school operating levy: in the Romeo schools part of the township that meant 31.28 mills in 2025 instead of 49.28.

Communities near Washington Township

Macomb County overview

Guides for Washington Township buyers

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Loan options

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Tell Samantha what you are trying to do in Washington Township and she will tell you what actually matters for your situation, including whether the timing is right.

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Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Figures on this page are market research for orientation, not a quote. This page is for educational purposes only. It is not a credit decision, a preapproval, a commitment to lend, or an offer of credit.

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