Align Lending

Align Lending logo
Apply Now
Align Lending logo

Bay County, Michigan

Mortgage Broker in Bay City, MI

A mortgage broker for Bay City, MI homes: older in-town houses, 2 to 4 unit buildings and downtown condos, each priced one at a time.

Start my applicationTalk with Samantha
  • No credit pull to talk
  • Licensed loan originator, NMLS 1647301
  • 5.0 on Google, 123 reviews

What should you know before buying a home in Bay City?

Bay City, a city in Bay County, is home to about 32,320 residents in the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (32,661 in the 2020 census) across about 10 square miles of land. ZIP codes 48708 and 48706 cover the city, and its own assessor sets the taxable values. Downtown Midland is about 18 miles west in a straight line.

By the numbers

What do the numbers say about Bay City housing?

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

$98,000

Typical home value, from the market research on this page

+43%

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

2

Residential ZIP codes: 48708, 48706

What does financing look like in Bay City?

Looking for a mortgage broker in Bay City, MI starts with the price band. The American Community Survey puts the median owner-occupied home value near $97,600 across about 10,285 owner-occupied homes, with a margin of error of about $2,427, and the city file's typical home value is near $98,000. The median year built is 1941. Homeowners pay a median of about $1,764 a year in property taxes, about 1.81% of the median value, and renters occupy about 4,392 of 14,677 occupied homes. At those prices a purchase loan sits far below the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 and the FHA limit of $541,287, so conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans all stay open. Check any address on the USDA eligibility check and see the county limits on the loan limits page.

Older houses decide a lot of the loan. A house built before 1960 may need work, and an FHA or VA appraisal looks at condition, so read HUD Handbook 4000.1 for FHA property standards and ask Samantha about a renovation loan before you write an offer. A smaller purchase price also means a smaller loan, and some lenders set minimum loan amounts, so ask which of Samantha's lenders fits the size of the loan you are asking for. Michigan's down payment help may apply: $10,000 is the current assistance amount and $566,355 the purchase price cap, with details on the down payment assistance page. Buyers also use the rent vs. buy calculator here, because the city's rental share is about 30%, and the Michigan transfer tax calculator for the seller side. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains the Loan Estimate you receive, and the Loan Estimate check reads yours in your browser.

Two local items change a loan. First, Bay City sits on the Saginaw River near Saginaw Bay, so check the FEMA flood map for the address early: in a high-risk zone the lender requires flood insurance, and the premium belongs in the payment. Look the address up at the FEMA Map Service Center or on Bay County's FEMA flood zone map, then read the flood zone guide. Second, drain districts can put special assessments on a tax bill, so ask for the current drain special assessments from the Bay County Drain Commissioner before closing. Since the sale of a Michigan home resets taxable value, the Michigan property tax calculator works from the actual address, and start your application is where to begin an application when you are ready.

Talk with SamanthaCompare loan options

Treasury's 2025 rate table lists two school districts for Bay City parcels: Bay City School District at 46.7282 homestead mills and Bangor Township Schools at 46.9116. By 2020 Census block counts, 15,777 of the city's about 15,780 homes sit in Bay City School District, so the second row touches only a handful of parcels, but a parcel on that line pays 0.1834 mills more, about $9 a year on $50,000 of taxable value.

The market

What is the Bay City housing market like?

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median owner-occupied home value in Bay City near $97,600, across about 10,285 owner-occupied homes, with a median year built of 1941. The typical home value in Bay City is near $98,000. Homeowners pay a median of about $1,764 a year in property taxes, an effective rate of about 1.81% of the median value.

What the Census counts

What kinds of homes does Bay City have?

The American Community Survey counts 16,078 homes in Bay City. Here is how the buildings and households break down. Each type has its own loan rules: the condo guide, the manufactured home guide and the HomeReady page, which covers a low down payment conventional option.

What building types are here?

The ACS counts 11,766 detached one-unit homes, 665 attached one-unit homes, 982 two-unit and 813 three or four unit buildings, plus 1,677 homes in buildings of five or more units and 155 mobile homes. Different types follow different loan rules.

How many homes are owner-occupied?

About 10,285 owner-occupied homes and 4,392 renter-occupied homes in the ACS, with margins of 581 and 433. The median owner value is near $97,600 (margin $2,427).

How old are the homes?

The ACS puts the median year built at 1941. A house of that age may have plaster walls, an older electrical panel or a stone foundation, so build a repair budget before you offer.

Where to look

Which neighborhoods make up Bay City?

Downtown and Wenonah Park

The block group holding Wenonah Park, the Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library, Birney Park and the Washington Avenue core (tract 2865.00, block group 1) reports an ACS owner median value near $154,100 with a margin of error of $65,111, so treat it as a wide range. The median year built is 1966, newer than most of the city, and about 421 owner homes are counted. Condos and upper-floor units here follow condo financing rules.

Center Avenue historic neighborhood

Center Avenue was listed on the National Register as the Center Avenue Neighborhood Residential District in 1982, with a boundary increase recorded in 2012, per the National Register record. The Center Avenue Neighborhood Association describes the district. Tracts 2804 and 2805 sit along it: tract 2804 shows a median value near $104,100 (margin $13,744) and tract 2805 near $130,300 (margin $16,374), both with a median build year of 1939 or earlier in the ACS tables. Both tracts run past the district line.

Richard Shaw Park and the McLaren corridor

This block group (tract 2805.00, block group 3) holds Richard Shaw Park and the McLaren Bay Region hospital site. The ACS reports an owner median value near $142,500 with a margin of $28,873, a median build year of 1943 and about 266 owner homes. The next block group north, around Carroll Park and the Bay County Fairground, shows near $135,100 with a margin of $38,890 and about 430 owner homes.

Hewitt Park and the near South End

The block group around Hewitt Park (tract 2806.00, block group 2) reports an owner median value near $100,000 with a margin of $18,951, about 328 owner homes and a median year built of 1939 or earlier. The whole tract shows near $96,300 across 833 owner homes. With housing this old, the lender's first questions are often condition, roof age and the heating system.

Roosevelt Park and the far South End

Roosevelt Park sits in tract 2809.00, block group 1, where the ACS owner median is near $78,300 with a wide margin of $20,581 across 337 owner homes. The full tract reads near $90,000 (margin $5,853), median year built 1942, and 945 owner homes. At this price range the loan amount is small, which is worth raising when you compare lenders.

West Side and Veterans Memorial Park

Veterans Memorial Park and the Sage Branch library fall in tract 2866.00, block group 3, where the ACS owner median is near $72,100 with a margin of $29,806 across about 290 owner homes and a median build year of 1953. The whole tract shows near $90,200 (margin $9,238), median year built 1941 and 1,693 owner homes. The park touches the Riverwalk/Railtrail loop.

Nate Doan Park area

Nate Doan Park sits in tract 2866.00, block group 4, a small block group with about 83 owner homes, an ACS median near $76,000 and a margin of $14,282. Median year built is 1939 or earlier. Small block groups swing widely year to year, so a lender's appraisal, not a Census median, sets the value of the specific house.

North End and DeFoe Park

DeFoe Park lies in tract 2813.00, block group 3, with an ACS owner median near $91,600 (margin $9,388), a median year built of 1956 and about 500 owner homes, the largest owner count of any block group here. The whole tract shows near $92,200 (margin $6,048) and 963 owner homes. A 1956 median year built means prewar and postwar houses sit side by side, so condition varies house to house.

Banks Park area

Joseph M. Tromble/Banks Park sits in tract 2813.00, block group 2, where the ACS reports an owner median near $111,000 (margin $17,865), a median year built of 1963 and about 202 owner homes. The Saginaw River is nearby, so look up each address on the FEMA flood map. If the map shows a high-risk zone the lender requires flood insurance.

Bigelow Park and the Ted Putz Nature Area

The block group holding Bigelow Park and the Ted Putz Nature Area (tract 2810.00, block group 2) reports an ACS owner median near $84,600 with a margin of $17,594, a median build year of 1953 and about 166 owner homes. The Riverwalk/Railtrail loop passes near Bigelow Park, per the city's facility listing. The whole tract reads near $106,600 across 1,200 owner homes.

Discovery Nature Preserve and Salzburg Avenue

Discovery Nature Preserve is in tract 2810.00, block group 4, with an ACS owner median near $125,000 (margin $22,712), a median year built of 1962 and about 240 owner homes. A 1962 median year built points to a later era than the older core, though the roof, windows and furnace still deserve a look, which an inspection covers.

South Washington and Broadway

Tract 2808.00, which the South Washington Avenue and Broadway corridors cross, reports an ACS owner median near $107,300 with a margin of $6,495, a median year built of 1951 and about 1,332 owner homes. Its first block group shows near $123,300 (margin $27,063) and a median build year of 1956. The tight tract margin makes this one of the steadier readings in the city.

Schools and commute

Schools

Public school students in Bay City are served by Bay City School District, the district that Bay City Public Schools operates. Michigan Treasury's 2025 rate table gives two school district rows for the city. Bay City School District carries 46.7282 mills for a homestead and 64.7282 for a non-homestead property, and Bangor Township Schools carries 46.9116 and 64.9116. By 2020 Census block counts, 15,777 of the city's about 15,780 homes (and 32,621 of about 32,650 residents counted in those blocks) sit in Bay City School District, so most buyers will see the first row. District lines follow the parcel, not the mailing address, so ask for the school district line on the tax record or the summer bill before you count on either. Both rows are in Michigan Treasury's 2025 Total Rates report, the same table the tax estimate on this page uses. For attendance questions, call the district directly. Bay City is also home to Bay County's government offices at 515 Center Avenue, and Delta College in University Center is about 9.1 miles by road from city hall. A homebuyer game plan can sit beside that district check so the questions stay in one list.

Commute

Drive times below are Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) estimates by road from the city hall address at 301 Washington Avenue, with no traffic, so treat them as the floor. Downtown Saginaw is about 15.3 miles and 26 minutes away, downtown Midland about 19.1 miles and 25 minutes, Delta College about 9.1 miles and 18 minutes, MBS International Airport about 14.9 miles and 22 minutes, and Flint about 47.4 miles and 56 minutes. Lansing is about 94.2 miles and 112 minutes, Ann Arbor about 96.3 miles and 110 minutes, and Detroit about 112.2 miles and 127 minutes. Inside the city, McLaren Bay Region sits about 1.6 miles and 4 minutes from city hall, which makes the hospital and the other health care and county government workplaces near Center Avenue a short drive for owners in town. OpenStreetMap shows Washington Avenue, Center Avenue, Thomas Street, Euclid Avenue, Salzburg Avenue, Lafayette Avenue and the Veterans Memorial Bridge as the main routes across the Saginaw River, and Bay Metro runs the local transit system. Road projects and state routes are listed by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Those distances matter for a loan only through the ordinary ways: a longer drive can change the budget for gas and insurance, and the home affordability calculator lets you test that without sharing anything.

Day to day

Living in Bay City

Parks, errands, seasons and home types, each from a municipal, county or map source, among them the Riverwalk/Railtrail listing, Downtown Bay City, the Bay County Library System, McLaren Bay Region and the Bay County Treasurer.

Parks and places to go

The city's parks division manages 238 acres of parkland, per the City of Bay City parks page. Named parks on OpenStreetMap include Wenonah Park, Veterans Memorial Park, DeFoe Park, Bigelow Park, Birney Park, Hewitt Park, Roosevelt Park, Richard Shaw Park, Ted Putz Nature Area, Discovery Nature Preserve and the Kantzler Memorial Arboretum. The Riverwalk/Railtrail loop links Veterans Memorial, DeFoe and Bigelow parks, according to the city's facility listing, and the city runs the Liberty Harbor Marina. Downtown Bay City lists downtown destinations.

Errands close to home

Per OpenStreetMap, the Alice and Jack Wirt Public Library on the downtown side and the Sage Branch library on the west side belong to the Bay County Library System. OpenStreetMap places the main post office near downtown, close to Washington Avenue. Grocery stores listed include Save-A-Lot on the south end, Jack's Fruit and Meat Market near Salzburg Avenue, Meijer on the east side and Kroger, ALDI and Walmart toward the north end near Euclid Avenue. McLaren Bay Region is the hospital, about 1.6 miles from city hall.

City-run events and farmers markets?

Wenonah Park holds the World Friendship Shell, an outdoor stage, and the regional visitor listing says concerts run most Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from June through August. Downtown Bay City lists the downtown farmers market and events, so check the organizer for days and hours before you plan around one.

What does each season mean for a homeowner?

In winter the city manager can declare a major snow event, when parked cars must come off the roadways, and the city declared one beginning February 12, 2025. The Treasurer collects summer and winter tax bills, so ask for the Bay County Treasurer schedule. Drain special assessments, if any, appear on the county drain commissioner's current assessments list. Leaf collection dates are set by the city each fall, so ask the city when you move in.

Which kind of home are you after?

An older in-town house is the most common: 11,766 detached one-unit homes with a median build year of 1941, which means an inspection and sometimes a renovation loan. A two to four unit building (1,795 in the city) can be bought with an owner-occupied loan. A downtown condo or apartment unit (1,677 homes sit in buildings of five or more units) follows condo rules. Houses near the river need a flood map check. The Center Avenue historic district is a National Register district, so ask the city about historic district rules before exterior changes.

Michigan property taxes

What will my property taxes be after I buy in Bay City?

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 the City of Bay City, our 2026 Uncapping Study found taxable value typically rises about 43% the year after a sale. On a $100,000 home, near the typical Bay City value, the first-year tax goes up roughly $700 at the Bay schools rate. We build your payment on that post-sale number.

Looking at a Bay City 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.

2025 rates

What will Bay City taxes look like?

The rates below come from Michigan Treasury's 2025 Total Rates report, with half of the price standing in for taxable value, which is Samantha's planning method. For an exact address, use the address-based calculator. The closing costs guide covers the rest of the cash to close.

What is the homestead rate?

Bay City School District parcels carry 46.7282 mills for a homestead and 64.7282 for a non-homestead property, an 18 mill gap. On $50,000 of taxable value that gap is $900 a year, so a second home or rental costs more.

What do planning numbers look like?

Half of a $75,000 price at 46.7282 mills is about $1,752 a year, $100,000 about $2,336, $150,000 about $3,505 and $200,000 about $4,673. The median owner now pays about $1,764 and a median-value house at half of $97,600 would plan near $2,280.

What if the parcel is in Bangor Township Schools?

That row is 46.9116 homestead and 64.9116 non-homestead, 0.1834 mills above the Bay City row, about $9 a year on $50,000 of taxable value.

Local resources

Check Bay City records yourself

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

What our clients say

5.0 on Google across 123 reviews

★★★★★
Can’t say enough great things about Samantha and her team at Align Lending! Highly recommend
Justin BartonJune 2024
Read all reviews on Google

Individual experiences. Results vary.

Bay City mortgage questions

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

If an address says Bay City, is the home taxed by the City of Bay City?

Not always. The Bay County assessors list shows townships such as Bangor, Garfield, Hampton and Portsmouth whose offices use Bay City mailing addresses and ZIP codes 48706, 48707 or 48708, so the mailing address does not decide who taxes a parcel. Look up the parcel with the Bay County Equalization Department at 515 Center Avenue, Suite 212, 989-895-4075, or ask the Bay City assessor at 301 Washington Avenue, 989-894-8123 (both from the Bay County assessors list), then confirm the millage on Michigan Treasury’s 2025 Total Rates report.

Most homes are in Bay City School District, whose 2025 homestead rate in Treasury’s table is 46.7282 mills. A few parcels fall in Bangor Township Schools at 46.9116 mills. By 2020 Census block counts, 15,777 of about 15,780 homes sit in Bay City School District. Ask for the district line on the tax record and contact Bay City Public Schools about attendance.

The City of Bay City has its own assessor at 301 Washington Avenue, 989-894-8123, per the Bay County assessors list. The Bay County Equalization Department handles county equalization at 989-895-4075, and the Bay County Treasurer handles county tax collection. For ownership records, use the Bay County Register of Deeds.

Take the home’s expected taxable value, which resets to half of the assessor’s market estimate (not automatically half of the price), and multiply by the homestead millage of 46.7282. For a $100,000 estimate that is about $2,336 a year, for $150,000 about $3,505 and for $200,000 about $4,673. The median homeowner now pays about $1,764 under capped values, so run the address-based calculator and read the taxable value guide.

The city’s water comes through the Bay Area Water Treatment Plant, which began serving customers on August 31, 2015, and draws raw Lake Huron water through the Saginaw-Midland system, according to the Bay County water reports. The Bay County Department of Water and Sewer office is at 3933 Patterson Road, 989-684-3883. Ask the city utility billing office to confirm the water and sewer account for a specific address.

Only when the lender’s flood determination puts the address in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area and the loan is federally backed. Look the address up at the FEMA Map Service Center and on Bay County’s FEMA flood zone map, ask for the determination early, and see FloodSmart for insurance basics. The flood zone guide lays out the steps.

Yes. The Bay County Drain Commissioner at 515 Center Avenue, Suite 601, 989-895-4290, posts current drain special assessments by year. Ask the seller and the title company whether any assessment is open, and have it priced into the offer.

Yes, owner-occupied two to four unit buildings can be financed with conventional or FHA loans under each program’s rules. The ACS counts 982 two-unit and 813 three or four unit homes in Bay City, 1,795 in all. Samantha can walk you through how rental income counts. Start at start your application or the FHA loans guide.

Before you offer

Things to settle on a Bay City house

Six checks that apply to many Bay City purchases, with the FEMA Map Service Center, the county's current drain special assessments list and the home appraisal guide as references. When the checks are done, try the calculators and then get a plan from Samantha.

Who taxes the parcel?

Confirm the municipality and school district on the tax record, not the mailing address.

Is the address in a FEMA flood zone?

Check the FEMA Map Service Center map. A high-risk zone means the lender requires flood insurance.

Are drain assessments open?

Ask the seller whether the parcel carries a current drain special assessment.

What does the house need?

With a median build year of 1941, plan an inspection and a repair budget. A home appraisal checks condition too.

Is it owner-occupied multifamily?

Two to four unit buildings count about 1,795 in the ACS. Ask how rental income counts.

What will the cash to close be?

Use the calculators for a first read, then get a plan from Samantha.

Communities near Bay City

Additional Michigan Cities

Guides for Bay City buyers

Browse the Learn Center

Loan options

See every loan option

Talk with a local mortgage expert

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

Talk with SamanthaStart my application
  1. 1

    Tell us what you are trying to do

    Not what product you want. What you are actually trying to accomplish.

  2. 2

    Samantha looks at your situation

    She works out what matters most for you specifically.

  3. 3

    You leave with a plan

    Your options, the tradeoffs, and your next step. No obligation to go further.

Sources

Where do the Bay City figures on this page come from?

31 sources behind the Bay City figures above, every link checked November 2026.

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.

Scroll to Top
Align Lending logo