British homebuyers are quietly flocking to one of Midwests most affordable states heres why

While coastal and Sun Belt states continue to dominate U.S.foreign real estate transactions, Michigan has quietly emerged as one of the top destinations for U.K.

buyers drawn by an affordable lifestyle and a long-established job pipeline.Between April 2025 and March 2026, Michigan was the third most popular landing place for home shoppers from the U.K., capturing 18% of all U.K.purchases nationwide, according to the new National Association of Realtors 2025 International Transactions in U.S.

Residential Real Estate report between April 2025 and March 2026, Michigan was the third most popular landing place for home shoppers from the U.K., capturing 18% of all U.K.purchases nationwide, according to the new National Association of Realtors 2025 International Transactions in U.S.

Residential Real Estate report.In the NAR report, “foreign” or “international” buyers include foreign nationals living abroad, non-U.S.citizens who are recent immigrants (less than two years at the time of the transaction), and visa holders living stateside.Only sunny California and Arizona ranked higher than Michigan among British buyers, commanding 36% and 27% of transactions involving U.K.

nationals, respectively.Meanwhile, the Great Lakes State outpaced traditional international markets like Texas and South Carolina, which each garnered 9%.“Michigan’s pull for U.K.

buyers likely comes down to two threads,” says Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu.“On the lifestyle side, the state’s lakefront towns offer the kind of waterfront, second-home living that’s popular back home in the U.K., but at a more affordable price than the U.K.

or the Florida coast.“On the business side, Michigan’s deep, decades-old ties to the auto industry mean a steady flow of relocation opportunities for U.K.professionals in roles tied to Ford, GM, and their supply chains.”This trend is rooted in strong cross-border economic ties going back decades and anchored in automot...