The Detroit thesis

Why investors look at Detroit first.

It's the most-searched U.S. real estate market by non-resident investors. Here's the math behind that.

Three reasons

Detroit, on paper.

01

Capital appreciation.

Detroit home values are up nearly 70% from the 2010 bottom. Owner-occupied total home value passed $8.8B by 2023, up from $4B in 2014.
02

Your dollars buy more.

The same $150K buys more square footage, more lot, better neighborhood, and better cash flow than Memphis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, or Cleveland.
03

Both at once.

Markets are usually cash flow or appreciation. Detroit is one of the rare ones offering both — at the same entry point.

"If I had a way of buying a couple hundred thousand single family homes…
I would load up on them."

Warren Buffett · CNBC, 2012

He was talking about single-family rentals in the Sun Belt. The same logic — and in 2026, much better entry pricing — applies in Detroit.

Detroit home prices are up +70% from the 2010 low. The 5-year Case-Shiller gain through 2017 was 48.2% — top of the index.

Economy

Detroit's economy diversified during the 2008-2010 collapse. The jobs base now leans on three pillars.

Automotive.

GM has earned over $30B since 2009. Ford earned $8.5B in 2015 and is reinvesting in Michigan plants. Stellantis (Chrysler) added 4,950 Detroit jobs in the 2019 plant expansion.
Healthcare.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan, Henry Ford Health System, and Detroit Medical Center collectively employ tens of thousands in the city.
Tech + manufacturing.

Apple's $5B U.S. commitment includes a Manufacturing Academy in Detroit. Bunzl just leased 162,600 sqft at the revitalized Buick City site.

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Run the numbers on your own deal

Tell us your budget, timeline, and goals. We'll send back five to ten properties that match — with the underwriting attached.