Hi friends,
I’m writing this one still feeling very grateful. This week I was honored to be recognized at the Charles Reinhart President’s Club Awards, and I keep coming back to the same thought: so much of that recognition belongs to the clients who trust me with such an important part of their lives. I never take that lightly. Thank you for letting me be part of your story.
Outside of that, it was a week full of the things I love most about this work. I walked a mid-century home in Ann Arbor Hills, spent time in Stonebridge, and opened the doors to my Loch Alpine listing on Sunday. I also featured Notable Cafe in Dexter in my Best of Local series, because finding your place here is about the neighborhood and the little everyday stops, too.
Halloween is next weekend, and this weekend Ann Arbor kicks it off with the Main Street Treat Parade on Sunday. I’ve put together a few family-friendly plans below that I’d happily do myself. First, a quick look at what’s happening with sellers’ prices right now, because it matters whether you’re buying or selling.
I measure this kind of year by the moments behind it: the call that comes in on a Sunday night, the offer we shaped together before an open house, the walk-through where a family sees their next home for the first time. Those are the things I’m proudest of, and they’re why I believe a successful sale isn’t a process, it’s a partnership.
What I want you to know is that this recognition doesn’t change how I work. It means I get to keep doing it the way I always have: answering quickly, pricing honestly, and putting a plan in place that fits you.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or just starting to wonder, I’d love to be the one standing next to you.
Here is a fact worth knowing right now. About 1 in 5 active listings had a price reduction in September, according to Realtor.com.
If you’re selling. A price cut doesn’t mean you missed your window. It usually means the first price or the first marketing plan didn’t match the buyers who are out there, and that’s something we can adjust together. The strongest results come from a pricing and marketing strategy built around your home and revisited as the market responds.
If you’re buying. More reductions mean more room to negotiate. The best opportunities go to buyers who know the neighborhood, know what a home is really worth, and can move quickly when the right one appears.
Either way, the market matters less than whether the timing is right for you and whether you have the right strategy. If you’re weighing a move, the lowest-pressure next step is a conversation about where your situation fits.
🐾 Animal Haunts. A candy-free Halloween evening with costumes, crafts, live animals, a woods hike, and a harvest carnival. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, Oct. 24 📍 Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Rd. | 4–6:30 p.m. or 6:30–8:30 p.m.
🎃 Main Street Treat Parade. Kids gather in costume at the downtown library, parade to Main Street at noon, then trick-or-treat at local businesses. Free. Sunday, Oct. 25 📍 Liberty & 4th to Main St. | 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., trick-or-treating 12:15–2 p.m.
🚒 Scio Township Fire Department Halloween Party. A free neighborhood party. Sunday, Oct. 25 📍 1055 N. Zeeb Rd. | 1–4 p.m.
🎬 Hotel Transylvania at the Michigan Theater. A free, family-friendly film. Registration required. Sunday, Oct. 25 📍 603 E. Liberty St. | 2 p.m.
👻 Spook-a-Thon. Free Halloween fun on the U-M Diag. Sunday, Oct. 25 📍 The Diag | 2–5 p.m.
Best of Local: Notable Cafe
Dexter’s newest cafe might also be one of its most locally rooted. This week’s Best of Local stop took me to Notable Cafe, a new Dexter coffee spot built around the local staples people here already know and love.
They’re serving Mighty Good Coffee beans from Ann Arbor, seasonal drinks made with local ingredients, and homemade sourdough bagels in the cafe on Fridays and Saturdays. Even the seasonal menu feels very Dexter: their Chiader uses cider from the Dexter Cider Mill, and the roasted pumpkin for their fall lattes comes from their neighbors at Jolly Pumpkin Kitchen.
That’s the kind of detail I love seeing in a local business. It’s not just about opening a coffee shop. It’s about creating something that feels connected to the community around it.
If you’re in Dexter, definitely add this one to your next coffee run.
Notable Cafe | Dexter, Michigan
