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As things reopen and the time is getting nearer, it is time to think about the best ways to enjoy Father’s Day this year.  Obviously with the restrictions still in place there will not be a lot of Father’s Day events.  That being said there are still many ways to enjoy the day with the fathers in your life.  The Roberts Team recommends these seven ideas to enjoy with your family!

• Beaches:  Now that the weather is getting better and restrictions are being lifted why not enjoy a Sunday at one of the fine beaches in Jackson County.  Spend the day at Portage lake and enjoy an some hot dogs and burgers on the grill while also enjoying the refreshing lake!  Or head on down to Clark lake and enjoy the sandy bottom beach, or bring your boat and go for a cruise!  Gillletts lake will provide you with not only swimming and grilling but it also has a softball diamond to get your whole family involved in a game!  Grass lake is perfect to grab some food from local establishments such as Missy’s Little Grass Shack and enjoy it lakefront on  one of the picnic tables by the lake.

• Golf:  A lot of my best memories have been shared over nine or 18 holes with my father.  Jackson provides some great opportunities to hit the links with your dad this year.  If you want variety in your course Calderone Golf course will provide you with a links style experience on the front and more of a wooded experience on the back.  If you prefer more of an open  course Lakeland Hills is never a bad option!  For a world class experience we recommend The Grande, it’s a little pricey but the course is always immaculate.  The Cascades golf course will provide you with a rustic experience, some of the greatest golfers to play the game have teed it up at this course.  

• Hiking trails: Nothing compares to  being out in nature.  Jackson and the surrounding areas provide some excellent opportunities to spend the day in nature with your dad.  The one we highly recommend is Waterloo Recreation area.  Waterloo provides several options in length, difficulty, and scenery.  You can spend the day learning the life cycles of a forest!

• Fishing: Everyone always remembers times that they went fishing with their dad or grandpa, we sure do!  Jackson county provides an abundance of opportunities to go fishing with your dad or grandpa!  From tiny little lakes with secret fishing spots to larger lakes with docks and boat launches Jackson has something offer

• Picnics:  If lakeside dining is not your thing, Jackson provides many public areas to have an old fashioned family picnic.  Grab your picnic basket and head out to Ella Sharp park.  Play a game of frisbee or cornhole with your family and enjoy being outdoors.

• Game Day- If the weather will not cooperate for an outdoor adventure, then we recommend an old fashioned game day.  Enjoying a couple of hours together while playing some board games or video games can bring back great memories from growing up.  The only drawback is if someone is highly competitive or a sore loser this might not be ideal for your family!
• Zoo-  With a lot of the state starting to reopen a great way to celebrate this is to head out to one of our fine zoos.  Most zoos are opening back up on June 8th just in time for father’s day. Binder Park zoo is a wonderful little zoo just about an hour west of Jackson and is a family favorite.  Potter Park Zoo is about an hour north and is worth the visit. Detroit zoo is an hour east and provides an extensive animal collection.  Toledo Zoo is just an hour south and has an abundance of variety, from the african collection to the penguins.

Whether its is a nice day at the beach barbequing or fishing or going on an adventure to the zoo, Father’s Day is a great time to spend time with the family and create great memories!  We hope these selections help you to make it a great day with your family!

Links to places mentioned in this post:

https://www.calderonegolfclub.com/

http://www.grandegolfclub.com/

http://www.cascadesgolfcourse.com/

https://lakelandhillsgolf.com/

https://binderparkzoo.org/

https://potterparkzoo.org/

https://detroitzoo.org/

https://www.toledozoo.org/

If you are thinking about selling your home, there are many things to  consider.  Here, we will highlight the process and discuss the key topics involved.  

The first thing to consider is what your home’s value is in the current market. One way to get a very general idea of how much it may be worth is online evaluations.  They will generally give you a range, and pick a random number within that range.  It is crucial to keep in mind that online home evaluations cannot take the condition of your home into account and generally use very basic geographical data to place a value on your home.  You may have the best house in a neighborhood and the online evaluator may be trying to compare your house to a house that sold two miles away in a completely different type of neighborhood!  Click the link for a free online estimate of your home!
https://bit.ly/2Uw05yC

We would recommend that you invite a Realtor out to your house to ensure comparables are used that make sense for your house.  Realtors can look at your house and be able to make adjustments that online evaluators just have no way to consider.  Realtors can also give you ideas of what to fix to help enhance your sale price, and provide information on why these issues may impact your bottom line.

While inviting an Realtor out is the best first step out, be mindful that a lot of Realtors may overvalue your home to entice you to list with them.  How many times have you seen a house that sits on the market for a month and you see every two weeks the price was reduced?  In this market, if you have your house priced right, you should expect your house to sell within the first two weeks.  It is always good to look at all the comparables that were used to come up with the price, rather than simply place your faith in empty promises.

Once you have a good idea of where your house will be priced, it's time to consider the question that all sellers ask: What will I net from the sale of my house?  If you have a mortgage on the property, the payoff will come out of the gross number.  Depending on the municipality or county that you are in, you may be required to get a Time of Sale Letter if your home has well and septic.  This can range from $500.00 to $800.00, depending how involved the Time of Sale Inspections are. If it is just a water test and a basic well and septic, it will be on the lower end. However, if a physical inspection of the septic tanks is required, it will be higher.  There is no set commission that agents will charge, but it usually ranges between 5-7% of the sales price.  The seller is also responsible for transfer taxes and the homeowner’s title policy, which certifies that the home can legally be sold.  The Seller Net Sheet is a very valuable tool for determining exactly what your proceeds from the sale of your home would be. The infographic below provides an example.

Another important factor is the timing of placing your house on the market.  This can be influenced by both changes in personal circumstances and the market.  If you need to move for work or a personal matter, obviously timing is not as important to you because you have bigger needs in your life.  That is where the pricing aspect becomes crucial, and the agent’s marketing ability to showcase your home.  If you are not in a hurry, a lot of people feel the spring is the best time, but in reality, the best time is when you have more buyers in the market than there are inventory, the old supply and demand.  To find out what type of market you are currently in, you can look at recently sold homes in your area and see how long listings are staying on the market.  Most Boards of Realtors will release numbers at the beginning of every month to give people a market update.  If you have a Realtor already, they can help you decipher the numbers and figure out what exactly is going on in the market.

A lot of sellers worry that they might sell their home too fast and  not have a place to go.  This is a very real concern, but with a good plan, this should not be cause for too much worry.  What sellers do not always realize is that they can usually rent their house back from the buyer if they need some extra time to close on their next house.  Sellers can also add language to the sales agreement to make the offer contingent on the seller finding suitable housing before close, or conversely, sellers can place offers on houses contingent on the sale of their homes.  It is paramount to work with agents that have experience and knowledge of such situations so as to help you have peace of mind throughout the process.

Selling your home can be a scary and confusing endeavour,but it does not need to be with proper preparation and a solid team helping you with the process.  Using agents that take the time to analyze your property and your needs is the key to a successful sale. Moving may be a scary idea, but with thoughtful consideration of the market, and solutions to any potential issues that may arise, it doesn’t have to be!