Selling a Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills Teardown Lot

The November 3, 2026 ballot includes a Birmingham Public Schools bond proposal with the annual millage to retire all of the district's outstanding and proposed bonds expected to remain at or below 3.80 mills, which the proposal describes as a 0.00 mill increase from the millage levied in 2026 (Oakland County Clerk, Official Proposal List, November 3, 2026 General Election). This guide covers that proposal, the city's demolition requirements, and how a cash sale of a teardown lot works. Zillow's typical home value for Birmingham was $744,766 in September 2026, up 6.4% from September 2025 (Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026). In Bloomfield Hills, the typical value was $670,381, up 4.2% from September 2025 (Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026). Those are typical home values, not land values.

What does the Birmingham Public Schools proposal on the November 3 ballot say?

The Birmingham Public Schools proposal asks voters to authorize borrowing not to exceed $240,000,000, with the annual millage to retire all of the district's outstanding and proposed bonds expected to remain at or below 3.80 mills, which the proposal describes as a 0.00 mill increase from the millage levied in 2026 (Oakland County Clerk, Official Proposal List, November 3, 2026 General Election). The election date is November 3, 2026. The vote does not change the steps of a cash sale. For a lot that sells, taxes are split through the normal property-tax proration at closing, and the title company calculates the figures from the tax bills.

What demolition requirements apply in Birmingham?

The City of Birmingham's demolition requirements include utility disconnect notices from DTE and Consumers Energy, a survey, proof of written notice to adjoining property owners, photos of all four sides of the building, rigid perimeter fencing, silt fencing, and keeping the sidewalk clear or getting an obstruction permit (City of Birmingham Building Department). Those steps come after the sale, when the house is taken down, but they shape how a buyer looks at the lot. A buyer who plans to demolish will factor permit costs and timing into the offer. The seller does not need to start demolition; the lot sells as-is with the existing structure in place.

How do current listing conditions look in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills?

In ZIP code 48302 (Bloomfield Hills area), the median listing price was $1,250,000 in September 2026; the median listing had been on the market 40 days, 76 homes were listed for sale, and 18% of listings had a price cut (Realtor.com research data, September 2026). In ZIP code 48304 (Bloomfield Hills area), the median listing price was $665,000 in September 2026; the median listing had been on the market 42 days, 85 homes were listed for sale, and 22% of listings had a price cut (Realtor.com research data, September 2026). Oakland County overall showed a median listing price of $400,000, median days on market of 39 days, and 3,578 active listings in September 2026 (FRED / Realtor.com, September 2026). These are listing figures for all homes, not teardown lots alone. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.32% for the week of October 22, 2026 (Freddie Mac via FRED, October 22, 2026).

What does the selling process look like with a cash buyer?

Blue Backs Property's buys the lot as-is. No agent commissions (often 5% to 6% combined when you list). We pay the closing costs. Close on the date you choose, typically two to four weeks after a signed agreement, depending on title. Your proceeds are our offer minus your mortgage payoff, any liens, and the normal property-tax proration. In some cases we assign our purchase agreement to another buyer before closing; your price and terms stay the same. The seller provides the deed and any payoff statements, and the title company confirms title and records the deed.

What should an owner check before deciding?

• Confirm the current taxable value and the 2026 millage rate on the property tax statement.
• Review the Birmingham Public Schools bond language on the November ballot, including the annual millage expected to remain at or below 3.80 mills and the 0.00 mill increase it describes (Oakland County Clerk, Official Proposal List, November 3, 2026 General Election).
• Verify whether the lot is in Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills, since the demolition requirements above are the City of Birmingham's.
• Check for any outstanding utility bills, code violations, or liens that would appear in a title search.
• Pick a target closing date. Waterford Township says its winter tax bill is mailed on December 1 (Waterford Township, Summer & Winter Taxes); a Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills tax bill shows its own dates, and the title company prorates from those bills.

What other ballot proposals and county dates are in the news?

BridgeDetroit reported that Nov. 3 voters will decide a 10-year, 0.2-mill museum operating levy, and that the Detroit Zoo is asking residents in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to renew a 10-year, 0.1 mill levy (BridgeDetroit). Oakland County's list also includes a Novi charter amendment authorizing a capital improvements millage of 1.0 mills for 10 years starting with the July 2027 levy, to replace an expiring capital improvements millage (Oakland County Clerk, Official Proposal List, November 3, 2026 General Election). The Oakland County Treasurer's Office says tax-foreclosed properties are available for purchase only through an online auction and that this year's final land sale auction will be held on Oct. 30, 2026 (Oakland County Treasurer's Office, Land Sale). That auction is a county sale of tax-foreclosed property, separate from a private sale of a lot.

Here's the next step: get a no-obligation cash offer and see our number on the lot. We buy teardown lots in Birmingham & Bloomfield Hills

General information, not legal advice.