Kent County · West Michigan
Bridge Loans in Grand Rapids, Michigan
For Grand Rapids homeowners, a bridge loan unlocks the equity in your current home so you can buy your next one before you sell — a real advantage when well-located Kent County homes sell quickly. When desirable West Michigan homes move fast, waiting to sell first can mean losing the home you want. I'm David Keblaitis, a Michigan-licensed loan originator, and I help Grand Rapids families buy before they sell.
The Grand Rapids market and why buying first works here
Grand Rapids draws buyers with its economy, its downtown and its quality of life, and in September 2026 Kent County homes averaged 23 days on market, the quickest of the counties covered on this site (Greater Regional Alliance of REALTORS). That pace runs across Kent County, from established neighborhoods like Eastown and Heritage Hill to family-friendly suburbs such as East Grand Rapids, Rockford, and Grandville. Well-located homes often don't sit long.
The fast pace cuts both ways for a move-up or move-down buyer. On the sale side, a quick-moving market can mean your current home sells promptly, which keeps a bridge loan short. On the buy side, that same speed means you need to be ready to act — a bridge loan lets you make an offer now instead of losing the home while you scramble to list your own.
Pairing a bridge loan with realistic pricing on your current Grand Rapids home is what keeps the overlap manageable. Markets shift, so plan for the sale taking longer than you hope and know your fallbacks, such as a price adjustment or renting the home out, before you buy.
Kent County at a glance, September 2026
- Average sale price
- $432,738
- Average days on market
- 23
Source: Greater Regional Alliance of REALTORS, Kent County September 2026 report (2026-10-09)
Grand Rapids-area communities we serve
- East Grand Rapids
- Heritage Hill
- Eastown
- Rockford
- Grandville
- Cascade
Michigan rules to plan around in Kent County
- Homestead exemption on the old home. Owning two Michigan homes for a while doesn’t have to cost you the homestead (principal residence) exemption on the old one. With Treasury Form 4640 you can keep it for up to three years while the old home is for sale, not occupied, not leased and not used for business, once you have established your new Michigan principal residence. File by June 1 or November 1 of the first year and again each year by December 31.
Source: Michigan Treasury, Conditional Rescission of the Principal Residence Exemption (checked 2026-10-17)
- Transfer tax when you sell. When you sell, Michigan’s state real estate transfer tax is $3.75 for each $500 of value and the county tax is 55 cents for each $500 in counties under two million people (up to 75 cents in larger ones), and the seller pays both by law.
Sources: MCL 207.525 (State Real Estate Transfer Tax Act) (checked 2026-10-17); MCL 207.504 (county real estate transfer tax) (checked 2026-10-17); MCL 207.523 (seller is liable for the state tax) (checked 2026-10-17); MCL 207.502 (seller is liable for the county tax) (checked 2026-10-17)
- MSHDA in Kent County. MSHDA’s MI Home Loan is for first-time buyers (no home owned in the past three years) statewide and repeat buyers only in targeted areas. Outside targeted areas, anyone who has owned a principal residence in the last three years is not eligible. If you own a home now, have a participating lender check the new home’s address and your situation before you count on MSHDA. In Kent County, MSHDA's targeted areas include Grand Rapids, Kent City, Kentwood, Spencer Township and Wyoming.
Sources: MSHDA, MI Home Loan (checked 2026-10-17); MSHDA Targeted Areas flyer (2024-05-01)
More in the Michigan buy-before-you-sell guide and the comparison of ways to buy before you sell.
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David Keblaitis, NMLS #167980, Cornerstone First Mortgage, LLC, NMLS #173855. Market figures are for the whole county and month shown, not a forecast or an estimate of your home's value.