Michigan Real Estate & Land Contract Documents
Land contracts, memorandums, forfeiture notices, and deeds — prepared with the legal description right, the signatures notarized, and the recording requirements met.
Important: Clear Path Document Services is a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Read full disclaimer
Quick Answer
A Michigan land contract is a seller-financed sale: the buyer takes possession and makes payments while the seller keeps legal title until the contract is paid. It is recorded — usually as a memorandum of land contract rather than the full contract — with the Register of Deeds in the county where the property sits. If the buyer defaults, the seller's usual remedy is forfeiture, which starts with a written notice of forfeiture and can lead to a district court case. Deeds are different: a warranty deed promises clear title, a covenant deed gives limited promises, and a quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the signer has with no promises at all. Clear Path prepares these documents to your instructions — we review every matter first, then send a written quote.
Who qualifies for this service?
This document preparation service is a fit for Michigan residents who match the criteria below. If your situation is different, contact us and we'll tell you whether we can help or whether you should speak with an attorney.
- Sellers financing a property sale to a buyer directly
- Buyers purchasing on a land contract who want the terms and recording handled properly
- Sellers whose land contract buyer has stopped paying
- Families transferring property between relatives or into a trust
- Property owners correcting a name, a legal description, or a prior deed error
- Investors who need deeds and land contract paperwork prepared consistently
How the process works
Clear, predictable steps from intake to court-ready paperwork.
Tell us the deal
Property address, who's transferring to whom, and the terms if it's a land contract.
We review your matter
We check the recorded legal description and confirm which document actually fits.
Written quote
Flat preparation fee, with county recording and transfer costs listed separately.
Document prepared
Prepared with the correct legal description, parties, terms, and recording formatting.
Signing and notarization
We notarize in office or at your location, and explain who must sign.
Recording and follow-up
Recording instructions for the county Register of Deeds, plus the Property Transfer Affidavit.
Paperwork we organize for you
Document preparation only. We do not represent you in court.
Documents and information you'll need
- Property address and parcel number
- A copy of the current recorded deed, if you have it
- Full legal names and addresses of all sellers and buyers
- Land contract terms — price, down payment, interest, payment schedule, balloon date
- Who is responsible for taxes, insurance, and repairs
- Photo ID for everyone signing
Common mistakes to avoid
Small errors can cost you weeks. Here's what we see most often.
- Copying the legal description from a tax bill instead of from the recorded deed.
- Never recording a memorandum, which leaves the buyer's interest invisible in the public record.
- Leaving out who pays property taxes, insurance, and repairs, which causes most land contract fights.
- Using a quitclaim deed for a sale to a stranger, where a warranty deed is what protects the buyer.
- Skipping the Property Transfer Affidavit, which Michigan requires after most transfers.
- Starting a forfeiture without the proper written notice and the correct waiting period.
Local Michigan considerations
Michigan real estate documents are recorded with the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located, and each county has its own recording fees and formatting standards. After most transfers, Michigan requires a Property Transfer Affidavit filed with the local assessor, and a transfer can trigger an uncapping of the property's taxable value unless an exemption applies — transfers between certain relatives are a common exemption, and it is worth confirming before you sign. Land contract forfeiture follows a statutory path that begins with written notice; the timing and wording matter, and getting them wrong restarts the process. Clear Path prepares documents; we do not give legal or tax advice, and for a complex title question you should use a title company or an attorney.
Key Terms
- Land contract
- A seller-financed sale in which the buyer takes possession and pays over time while the seller holds legal title until paid in full.
- Memorandum of land contract
- A short recordable document that puts the existence of a land contract into the public record without disclosing all the terms.
- Forfeiture
- The seller's statutory remedy when a land contract buyer defaults, started by a written notice of forfeiture.
- Warranty deed
- A deed in which the seller guarantees clear title and will defend against claims.
- Covenant deed
- A deed with limited promises — generally that the grantor hasn't encumbered the property during their ownership.
- Quitclaim deed
- A deed transferring whatever interest the signer has, with no promises about title.
- Property Transfer Affidavit
- The Michigan form filed with the local assessor after a transfer of ownership.
People Also Ask
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
Ready to get your paperwork started?
Start the guided intake, or call or text us — we review every matter before quoting a price, and nothing is purchased online.