Home Buying with Furry Friends

One of the advantages of owning your home is the freedom to have pets in your house. According to the American Pet Product Association 68% of American households have pets. That’s about 85 million people.

Our family had a dog for nearly the last decade and the freedom to let our dog out and have a place for her to roam around was very crucial. At some times over those years we rented and at some times we owned. When renting, it proved especially difficult trying to find a place that would work for our family and our dog as well. With home ownership, you get to decide if you want to add add a pet as a family member to your home without needing it to be approved by your landlord.

Questions to consider if you do have pets and are buying a home:

1.) How much space do you need?

2.) Does the home have a fenced in yard?

3.) Do you need to register your pet with the city?

4.) Is there somewhere you can put your pet in the home if they can’t be out when visitors are over?

5.) Is there enough space to accommodate your family and your pet?

Once we finally purchased our current home, our dog truly seemed more at peace than ever. She knew she was finally home.

Consider the curb appeal when selling your home

Put yourself in the shoes of potential buyers. The curb appeal will be what potentially draws them in to look at your home. Anything, that makes your home look more appealing as someone drives by refers to curb appeal. What do they see: Is the home inviting or does it look like it needs extensive work? What could make your home look more desirable than other homes in your neighborhood?

Improving your homes curb appeal may determine if a potential buyer actually decides to enter your home.

Examples to help your home look better during the drive by:

  • Keep your lawn mowed and neat
  • Give a fresh coat of paint to peeling trim or doors
  • Trim or remove overgrown shrubs and trees
  • Remove weeds and plant tasteful plants or flowers near your home
  • Sweep brush and dirt from sidewalks and driveways

Check out some tips from realtor.com to help you add instant curb appeal for under $200.

Fishing dock in Escanaba

Do you you love to fish? If so, the Escanaba area is the perfect place to buy a house. The fishing on the Bays De Noc is so good, several professional fishing tournaments have been hosted here. The Bays are known for the awesome walleye fishing. Other types of fishing include salmon, bass and whitefish. During the winter, you will see countless ice shanties on the bay as people additionally enjoy ice fishing. Click on the linked words above for more local information about fishing. Also, check out this guide from the DNR.

Reasons I choose to live in the UP

My family has lived in different areas throughout the years. Soon after my wife and I had our first son we moved home to the UP. We decided to pack up and drive north to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind. There are many reasons we were called home to build our life.

1.) The people- Yoopers are a very special type of people. The people who live here have your back. I once broke down in Crystal Falls on my way home to Hancock. A local repair garage owner, who I did not know, offered to drive me the hour and a half home. This is one example of many.

2.) Pace of life- this is huge for me, personally. Living in the U.P. offers a significantly slower pace of life I have come to appreciate. In the city, my wife and I both had long commutes in heavy traffic. Now we are both minutes from work and love the extra time we have with our boys.

3.) Nature- the vast amount of wildlife and landscapes are truly breathtaking. There is continually more to explore and appreciate. Locally around town we are always heading out on an adventure to a trail, park or beach to enjoy as a family.

4.) The “big lakes”- there is always something to do at the lake and this is where my wife says her “soul feels free”. Something about water as far as the eyes can see make me reflect on life.

Wells State Park

Are you looking for an adventure that is not too far away from town? About 30 miles south of Escanaba you will find a beautiful Michigan State Park, Wells State Park. This park has a lot to offer. The park has a scenic campground with campsites so close to the lake, waves will lull you to sleep at night. There is an updated playground, rustic cabins and a sandy beach for your enjoyment. Take a walk down the beach or a nature trail to get your daily dose of the outdoors. After you close on your new home, pack up your gear and head out to play.

Home Buying: The Search

Buying a home is a big task. It can be overwhelming at times. One way to simplify the process and organize your thoughts in a list. I tried to find the perfect app to help make it easier to remember the houses we were looking at. However, nothing was a good fit so we resorted to an “old fashioned” pen and paper list. When we were purchasing our home, our family sat down and made a list with the following categories:

MUST Haves

DEAL Breakers

WISH List (Bonus items)

MINUS (Non-deal breaker negatives)

Our list looked like this:

MUST Haves:

  • At least 3 bedrooms
  • At least 2 bathrooms
  • Updated Kitchen
  • Updated Bathroom

DEAL Breakers:

  • Creepy Basement
  • Outdated electrical system

WISH List:

  • Garage
  • Fenced Yard
  • Updated Exterior

MINUS

  • Small lot
  • Really close neighbors
  • Outdated utilities

After writing our list, we numbered each house and took a copy of our list to have an easy way to remember the big items for each one. It really helped with our search and we were surprised when we found our house, how it match our list. Of course it did not match perfectly, no house can ever be PERFECT, but it helped find the one that was right for us.

What does your list look like?

Winter Wonderland

This morning we woke up to the trees frosted over. As long as this winter has been, it truly was beautiful. I love the times where the buzz of life is paused and we can appreciate the moment. The frost did not last long, as the sun came up, just as many moments in life pass us by. Nature’s reminder to stop and breathe from time to time.