Orchard Hills · First-Time Buyers
Buying your first home in Orchard Hills
Every step explained in plain words, so your first home purchase makes sense before you sign anything.
A first home in Orchard Hills
A first home in Orchard Hills puts you on Ann Arbor's northeast side, close to North Campus and the medical campus, with easy access to US-23. The neighborhood's ranch homes and two-story colonials were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
I'll show you recent Orchard Hills sales and set you up on a search, so you can see what your budget buys.
A first home here puts two parks close by: Sugarbush Park, with tennis courts, a ball field, two playgrounds, and a sledding hill, and the Thurston Nature Center's wooded trails and pond. In summer, residents can also join the neighborhood pool.
What to look for
A ranch can be a simple first home, with everything on one floor. A colonial gives you more room. Either way, a home from this era may have original features, and I'll help you understand what's been updated and what may need work.
At the inspection, we focus on safety, structural issues, and foundation issues, and I explain the report in plain words.
Your first purchase, step by step
You start with a lender and a pre-approval. If you need one, I can introduce you to lenders I trust. Before we tour homes together, we sign a written buyer agreement. I'll walk you through it first so nothing in it surprises you.
After your offer is accepted, the first few days are busy with documents. On closing day, your earnest money goes toward your closing costs, and we do the final walkthrough right before you sign. Read more in how I help you get ready to buy.
Ask your questions
If you're thinking about a first home in Orchard Hills, call me or send a note. You can also read my guide to Orchard Hills, compare a first home in Ann Arbor, or see my page for first-time buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a ranch a good first home?
It can be. A ranch keeps everything on one floor and is simple to live in.
What should I check in a 1960s or 1970s home?
What has been updated and what is original. We plan the inspection around safety, structural issues, and foundation issues.
What happens to my earnest money?
It goes toward your closing costs on closing day.
Orchard Hills
What first-time buyers looks like in Orchard Hills
A 1960s and 1970s north Ann Arbor subdivision of ranch homes and colonials, with a neighborhood pool.
- The homes
- A subdivision on Ann Arbor's northeast side, just north of Plymouth Road, built in the 1960s and 1970s, with ranch homes and two-story colonials. Some homes back up to a pond.
- Why people choose it
- An established 1960s and 1970s neighborhood, often listed with neighboring Maplewood as Orchard Hills–Maplewood, with two large parks close by.
- Schools people ask about
- Thurston Elementary is within walking reach.
- Getting around
- Close to the University of Michigan's North Campus and medical campus, with easy access to US-23.
- Nearby
- Sugarbush Park, 27 acres with tennis courts, a ball field, two playgrounds, a sledding hill, and wooded trails, and the Thurston Nature Center, about 24 wooded acres around a 7-acre pond. A neighborhood pool residents can join in summer, and shops and restaurants along Plymouth Road.
The method
How we do it in Orchard Hills
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Nancy Arnold?