S.C. Derby Real Estate

05/28/2026

You could be holding yourself back from saving. Here's how to get your head in the game.

Saving money can be difficult, and sometimes your frame of mind can hold you back. Here are some neg...

05/28/2026

Michigan's 10 cent bottle deposit is the highest in the country and has been since the state passed the Bottle Bill in 1976, a piece of legislation so effective at reducing litter that Michigan consistently maintains one of the highest beverage container return rates in the entire United States at around 90 percent. Other states charge a nickel. Michigan charges a dime and Michigan means it and the results speak for themselves every time you look at a Michigan roadside and compare it to literally anywhere else.

The bottle return experience is a specific and deeply Michigan ritual that every resident knows by heart. You save the cans and bottles in bags that accumulate in the garage or the basement or the back porch. You haul them to Meijers or Krogers. You feed them into the return machine one by one while it occasionally rejects one for a reason it never explains and you turn it around and try again. You collect your receipt. You feel like you accomplished something financial even when the total is three dollars and forty cents.

Michigan kids grew up understanding that empty bottles and cans were not trash. They were money. A bag of returnables meant something and finding discarded cans on the side of the road felt like discovering currency because in Michigan it essentially was. The deposit incentivized return so effectively that Michigan roadways are measurably cleaner than neighboring states and the program has been proving that the dime was the right call for nearly 50 years.

The 10 cent deposit is Michigan's most successful environmental policy and one of its most beloved cultural quirks simultaneously. No other state has copied it at this level. Michigan does not need them to. Michigan is just going to keep returning its bottles and pocketing the dime and the roads are going to stay cleaner because of it.

05/27/2026

✨ New Listing Tour in Statesboro, GA ✨

Welcome to 104 Pine Bluff Drive — a beautiful brick home in the quiet Hazelwood community featuring black walnut trim, custom built-ins, spacious living areas, and an expansive outdoor entertaining space on nearly an acre.

Take the full video tour below 👇

https://youtu.be/4FqHHNhmcTI?si=yicWSqRm2ToAIdbp

📍 Statesboro, Georgia
📞 Contact Tim with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices for more information or a private showing.

BHHS Kennedy Realty
1000 Bermuda Run Road
Statesboro, GA 30458
Office:(912) 764-6249 | Fax:(912) 764-8810
[email protected]
DRE #: 360284

Presented & promoted with permission of Listing Agent, Tim Montgomery

Need help finding the right agent for you outside of the state of Michigan? I can assist! Let me know where you're searching.

Sierra Looney-Derby, REALTOR
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan Real Estate | S.C.Derby Real Estate

989-306-0452
[email protected]
www.scderbyrealestate.com
100 W. 1st St. Ga***rd, MI 49735

05/21/2026

Shopping for homeowners insurance? Here's what you need to know.

You’ve probably seen thousands of ads for Geico or Aflac on television talking about the latest savi...

05/14/2026

Does your bathroom reflect your own personal style?

Looking to add some of your own personal chicness to your bathroom? Below are a few ways you can add...

05/07/2026

Keep these tips in mind if you're looking to buy a car when you're upside down on your current loan.

Owing more on a car loan than the car is worth—called being “upside down” on a loan—can make buying ...

04/30/2026

You have to be on the same page.

Compromise is an important part of marriage. From deciding how much to spend on a new living room se...

04/25/2026

If you're thinking about selling your home, one of the biggest questions is:

“Where do I even start?”

Most people jump straight to cleaning and decluttering—but there’s actually a more strategic way to prepare your home that can make a difference in how quickly it sells and the kind of offers you receive.

I put together a simple guide (plus a printable checklist) to walk you through it step-by-step.

If selling is even on your radar this year, this is a great place to start.

Full guide + checklist here: https://www.scderbyrealestate.com/the-real-estate-perspective-blog/before-you-list-your-home-in-gaylord

Sierra Looney-Derby, REALTOR®
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan Real Estate | S.C. Derby Real Estate
[email protected]
989-306-0452
www.scderbyrealestate.com
100 W. 1st St. Ga***rd, MI 49735

04/23/2026

For the home cook! What are your favorite spices to cook with?

Are you looking to add spice to your home cooking, but not heat? Here are five interesting flavors t...

04/17/2026

Working through the disasters

Please know that despite the recent flood damage and M-119 road closures, our local businesses will still be open this upcoming season and the detour is really quite minimal! We're all looking forward to the kick off of summer and can't wait to see everyone again soon.

Legs Inn Peninsulas A Studio Shop, Good Hart, MI Good Hart General Store Trillium Woods Coffee Pond Hill Farm Otis Harbor Springs Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Tunnel of Trees, M119