http://www.atproperties.com/site/DeanBach

Dean Bach & Co., 131 E Bay Street, Harbor Springs, MI (2026)

09/16/2026

🍂 FALL REAL ESTATE MARKET: BUYERS, PAY ATTENTION.

Is fall a good time to buy a house?

It can be — and not necessarily for the reason you think.

Higher mortgage rates can reduce buyer demand. Fewer buyers can mean less competition. And homes that didn’t sell during the busy summer real estate market may still be available, sometimes with sellers who are much more willing to negotiate.

That can create opportunity for home buyers.

But here’s where experience and a little creativity come into play:

Don’t just negotiate the PRICE. Negotiate the PAYMENT.

A lower purchase price isn’t the only way to make a home more affordable.

Depending on the loan program and transaction, a seller concession can sometimes be used toward a mortgage rate buydown, helping reduce the buyer’s interest rate and monthly mortgage payment.

Think about the possibilities:

A seller may not want to reduce the price another $20,000.

But they may be willing to contribute toward the buyer’s closing costs or a mortgage rate buydown to get the property sold.

Buyer: potentially gets a more affordable monthly payment.

Seller: potentially preserves more of the home’s selling price.

That’s what I call a WIN/WIN.

And there’s another side to this.

A lot of buyers are saying, “I’ll wait until mortgage rates come down.”

But what happens if rates drop and thousands of other buyers have the exact same idea?

More buyers. More competition. Potentially more multiple-offer situations and less negotiating leverage.

So the question isn’t simply:

“What is today’s mortgage rate?”

The better question may be:

“What can I negotiate TODAY that makes this home and this payment work for me?”

Especially here in Northern Michigan, where our real estate market changes dramatically from the busy summer season into fall, there can be opportunities hiding in plain sight.

Petoskey. Harbor Springs. Bay Harbor. Boyne City. Boyne Mountain. Traverse City. Ga***rd. Charlevoix. And everywhere in between.

Sometimes the best real estate deal isn’t about beating somebody up on price.

It’s about knowing how to structure the deal so everybody can say YES.

Thinking about buying a home, vacation property, waterfront home, investment property or Northern Michigan getaway this fall?

Let’s go find the opportunity. 🍁🏡

Dean Bach | REALTOR®
Christie’s International Real Estate

Relationships First. Real Estate Second. Results Always.

***rdRealEstate

09/14/2026

-MONDAY MORNONG MEMO-
MY MA'S BIRTHADY ADDITION

My mom turns 80 this week.

Eighty!?!?

I’ve been staring at that number for a little while trying to figure out exactly how that happened.

Because, first of all, I’m pretty sure my mother isn’t 80.

And second, if my mother is 80, that creates some uncomfortable mathematical questions about my own age that I really don’t feel like discussing on a Monday morning.

So we’ll just move past that.

But 80 years deserves something more than a birthday card.

It deserves a little reflection.

Because when you’re a kid, your mom isn’t really a person yet.... She’s just Mom.

She’s the person who knows where everything is.

“Mom, where are my shoes?”

“Mom, where’s my jacket?”

“Mom, have you seen my baseball glove?”

And somehow she knows. Usually followed by something like, “Right where you left it.”

Which was never particularly helpful because if I knew where I left it, I wouldn’t have been asking her in the first place.

Moms also possess a strange ability to know things they could not possibly know.

You could walk into the house after doing something stupid three neighborhoods away and she’d look at you for approximately four seconds and say:

“What did you do?”

Nothing.

“What did you do?”

Nothing.

“Dean…”

And there it was.

Game over.

To this day, I’m not sure whether mothers are issued some kind of government surveillance equipment when they leave the hospital or if they just develop this ability naturally.

But she knew.

She always knew.

Of course, when you’re young, you think your mother’s primary responsibility in life is making sure yours runs properly.

Food appears.

Laundry gets done (ask me my laundry story some day).

Birthdays happen.

Christmas happens.

Somehow there are groceries in the refrigerator and clean towels in the bathroom.

You don’t really think about how any of it happens. It just does.

And then you get older and move out to build your own life.

And eventually you start to understand something.

Your mom had a life too.

She had worries you never knew about, bills you never saw and some bad days she didn’t tell you about.

There were likely things she wanted to do with her friends but couldn’t because somebody needed a ride somewhere, somebody needed dinner, somebody needed stitches or somebody was being an idiot.

And I have a pretty good idea who that somebody occasionally was.

Sorry, Mom.

Then something else happens as you get older.

Your relationship changes.

At some point Mom stops being simply the person who raised you and becomes someone you genuinely enjoy talking to.

You start asking questions you never thought to ask when you were younger.

You hear stories differently.

You start wanting to know more about grandparents and family and what things were like before you were around.

And you realize there was this entire version of your mother that existed before you ever showed up and started making her life considerably more complicated.

There are things I know now that I wish I had understood 30 or 40 years ago... Like how much parents worry and just how much they sacrifice.

How many times they probably lie awake at night wondering whether their kids are going to be okay.

And maybe most importantly, how quickly all of this goes.

Because when you’re 20, your parents are just your parents and they’ve always been there.

You don’t spend much time thinking about how many birthdays you’re going to get with them.

Then somehow, you’re standing there wishing your mom a happy 80th birthday. And that’s when the number starts meaning something.

Eighty years of birthdays.

Eighty Christmases.

Eighty summers.

Eighty years of family dinners, weddings, celebrations, heartbreaks, laughter, people coming into our lives, people leaving them, and an awful lot of ordinary days of our lives that nobody thought were particularly important at the time.

That’s a life. And I’m lucky enough to still have the woman who gave me mine.

So this Monday Morning Memo isn’t about real estate.

It’s not about Northern Michigan.

It’s not about interest rates, houses, television, golf or something stupid I saw on the road that somehow turned into 1,500 words.

It’s just about my mom.

And saying something that we probably don’t say enough while we still have the opportunity to say it.

Thank you.

Thank you for the childhood.

Thank you for the Christmas mornings.

Thank you for the meals.

Thank you for the rides.

Thank you for worrying.

Thank you for putting up with me when I undoubtedly gave you plenty of reasons not to.

Thank you for being there when things were good.

And especially for being there when they weren’t.

Thank you for being my mom.

One of the strange things about getting older is that life has a way of spreading everybody out.

I live a long way from my mom now.

Schedules get complicated. Work gets in the way. Miles are miles.

I’m hoping I can figure out a way to be with her for this birthday.

But whether I can make that happen or not, there is something I don’t need to be standing in the same room to tell her.

Happy 80th Birthday, Mom.

I love you.

I’m proud to be your son.

And I’m incredibly grateful you’re still here for me to say it.

Because maybe that’s the little Monday morning reminder buried somewhere in all of this.

Don’t wait for the milestone birthday.

Don’t wait until everybody’s schedule lines up.

Don’t wait until you’re in the same town.

If you’re fortunate enough to still have somebody in your life who deserves to hear that you love them, appreciate them or simply haven’t forgotten everything they did for you…

Tell them.

Today works just fine.

So Happy 80th Birthday, Mom.

From your son who may live a few hours away these days… but apparently still occasionally needs his mother.

Some things don’t change.

I love you, Ma.

Have a great Monday, everybody.

I gotta go now.

I need to call my mother.

09/13/2026

🏡 HERE’S MY INVENTORY. DO A LITTLE SHOPPING.

Apparently my real estate menu has gotten a little out of hand. 😂

From a $4,200 boat slip in Northern Michigan to a $10 MILLION oceanfront opportunity in the Florida Keys, I’ve got waterfront, acreage, investment properties, Up North cottages, golf, commercial real estate, a brewery, an island bar—and a pretty impressive secret menu of pocket listings you won’t necessarily find online.

So grab a menu. Take a look and do a little shopping. 😎👇

⭐ TODAY’S FEATURED SPECIALS ⭐

🌲 11814 LOW RD. | LEWISTON — $359,000

ACREAGE • PRIVACY • UP NORTH LIVING

A true Northern Michigan retreat with room to roam. The sellers have invested approximately $50,000 into the property since purchasing it, making this one worth another look.

If Lewiston and Northeast Michigan are on your radar, put this one on the shopping list.

🌊 1405 N SHORE DR. | FAWN LAKE — $429,900

3 BR • 2.5 BA • NEARLY 2 ACRES • TWO LOTS • APPROX. 80’ FRONTAGE

Updated waterfront retreat with a heated garage, bonus space and plenty of room to enjoy Northern Michigan.

Lakefront + acreage + STR opportunity = one you need to see.

💰 632 & 642 SHARON ST. | GA***RD — $349,000

TWO HOUSES. ONE PROPERTY.

5 total bedrooms | Near Otsego Lake & Wah Wah Soo Beach | Investment opportunity

Live in one and rent the other. Rent both. Bring the family. There are a lot of ways to make this property work.

Investors—this one belongs on the menu.

⸻

🏡 KEEP SHOPPING…

🏔️ 1545 KITZBUHEL DR. | BOYNE MOUNTAIN — $1,295,000
5 BR | 3.5 BA | Nearly 3,000 finished SF | Newer construction | Golf course living in The Reserve at Boyne Mountain

🍎 7322 FRYZELKA RD. | BUCKLEY — $1,050,000
4 BR | 3 BA | 40 acres | Renovated farmhouse | Honeycrisp orchard | Barns & outbuildings

🏡 1714 GERES N | GA***RD — $369,900
3 BR | 2 BA | Newer construction | Approx. 1,200 SF | Near Otsego Lake

🏡 107 PURDY DR. | BUCKLEY — $345,000
3 BR | Built 2023 | Furnished | Flexible residential/commercial opportunity | STR history

🌲 3870 W US-2 | GULLIVER / U.P. — $144,900
2 BR | 1 BA | 5.49 acres | Furnished | Updated | Hunting & recreational getaway

⸻

🌊 OTSEGO LAKE RESORT — PICK YOUR COTTAGE

Want to be able to say, “Yeah… we’ve got a place Up North”?

I’ve currently got SIX opportunities at 5124 Beechwood:

🏡 Cottage #1 — $320,500
🏡 Cottage #4 — $424,900
🏡 Cottage #5 — $154,900
🏡 Cottage #7 — $124,000
🏡 Cottage #8 — $129,500
🏡 Cottage #9 — $129,500

Different cottages. Different price points.

Same Otsego Lake lifestyle.

⸻

🌲 LAND & A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE BOAT

🌳 3419 S OLD 27 | GA***RD — $59,000
Commercial/residential land | Across from Otsego Lake | Convenient to I-75

🌲 10 MOUNT VERNON HILLS DR. | VANDERBILT — $19,900
2+ wooded acres | Northern Michigan building opportunity

🌲 MOHICAN TRAIL | LAKE MIRAMICHI — $12,000
Approx. 3 acres across three lots | Private lake community

🚤 NORTHPORT MARINA | AU GRES — $4,200
Boat Slip #230 | Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron access

⸻

🍺 FROM THE “WHY NOT?” SECTION OF THE MENU…

🍺 DEAD BEAR BREWING CO. | GRAYLING — $799,000

Turnkey brewery + restaurant | Real estate | Brewing operation | Commercial kitchen | Liquor licenses

Ever wanted to own a brewery?

I know a guy. 🍺

🏝️ BOIS BLANC ISLAND OUTPOST — $799,000

General store + bar/restaurant + living quarters | Approx. 2.4 acres | Approx. 200’ Lake Huron frontage | Liquor licenses | Fuel | Propane

Ever said, “Forget it. I’m buying an island bar”?

Funny you should mention that. 😂

⸻

🤫 NOW FOR THE SECRET MENU — POCKET LISTINGS

Some of the most interesting properties I have available aren’t currently on the open market.

🏡 3878 JANICE LN. | OLD MISSION PENINSULA / TRAVERSE CITY — $1,700,000

POCKET LISTING • DUPLEX • OLD MISSION PENINSULA

A rare opportunity to own a duplex on Old Mission Peninsula in one of Northern Michigan’s most desirable locations.

Privately offered. Contact me directly for details.

🌊 11182 S WEST BAY SHORE DR. | TRAVERSE CITY — $1,400,000

POCKET LISTING • PRIVATE WEST GRAND TRAVERSE BAY FRONTAGE

Private Grand Traverse Bay frontage in Traverse City.

Waterfront. Location. Privacy.

Not currently on the open market. Contact me directly for details and private showing information.

🌊 LELAND | LAKE MICHIGAN — APPROX. $4,600,000

POCKET LISTING • 117.5’ SANDY LAKE MICHIGAN FRONTAGE

Main log home + guest cabin | Exceptional craftsmanship | One very special piece of Lake Michigan

Privately offered and not on the open market.

🎣 MANISTEE RIVER | FREDERIC — $325,000

POCKET LISTING • DIRECT MANISTEE RIVER FRONTAGE

1 BR | 1 BA | Large garage | Updated | Riverfront

No sign. No MLS. Private offering.

🌴🌊 SUMMERLAND KEY | FLORIDA KEYS — $10,000,000

POCKET LISTING • APPROX. 67 ACRES • APPROX. ½ MILE OF OCEANFRONT

Now we’re really shopping. 😎🌴

Approximately 67 acres with roughly half a mile of oceanfront on Summerland Key in the Lower Florida Keys.

Beyond the sheer amount of land and waterfront, this assemblage could be particularly interesting for ROGO point dedication, subject to Monroe County eligibility, review and applicable regulations.

67 acres.
½ mile of oceanfront.
Florida Keys.
$10 million.

And it’s not currently on the open market.

⸻

SO… WHAT ARE YOU SHOPPING FOR?

A $12,000 piece of land?

A $124,000 Up North cottage?

A Lewiston retreat? Lakefront on Fawn Lake? Two houses in Ga***rd? Boyne Mountain? A 40-acre orchard? A brewery? An island bar?

Or maybe what you’re looking for isn’t publicly listed at all…

$1.7M duplex on Old Mission Peninsula.
$1.4M private West Grand Traverse Bay frontage.
$4.6M Lake Michigan estate in Leland.
$10M for 67 acres and roughly half a mile of oceanfront in the Florida Keys.

Apparently, I’ve got a pretty good secret menu, too. 😂

Not everything that’s for sale has a For Sale sign.

Sometimes you just have to know the guy who knows about it. 😎

📲 Dean Bach | 989.889.1566
Dean Bach & Co.
Real Estate Collective
Christie’s International Real Estate

Relationships First. Real Estate Second. Results Always.

09/13/2026

🏡 BOYNE MOUNTAIN HOME FOR SALE | 1545 Kitzbuhel Drive, Boyne City, Michigan

Looking for a Boyne Mountain home, Northern Michigan golf property, ski getaway or four-season Up North retreat? This one checks a lot of boxes.

📍 1545 Kitzbuhel Drive is located in one of the most desirable areas of Boyne Mountain Resort, positioned right on the golf course and just minutes from skiing, dining, recreation and everything that makes the Boyne area one of Northern Michigan’s favorite destinations.

Built in 2024, this beautiful home offers:

• Nearly 3,000 sq. ft. of finished living space
• 5 bedrooms | 3.5 bathrooms
• Golf course location
• High-quality newer construction
• Room for family, friends and weekend guests
• Four-season access to golf, skiing and Northern Michigan recreation

Spend the morning on the golf course, the winter on the slopes and your evenings enjoying everything Boyne Mountain and Boyne City have to offer.

The biggest problem with owning a place like this?

You’re going to start running out of reasons to go home. 😎

Interested in 1545 Kitzbuhel Drive or other Boyne Mountain real estate? Message me for details or a private showing.

Dean Bach | Christie’s International Real Estate
Relationships First. Real Estate Second. Results Always.

09/07/2026

MONDAY MORNING MEMO

Remember When We Just Stopped By?

I’m sitting here chillin on a holiday Sunday night listening to people still having a pretty good time down a few houses. There’s laughter coming up from the beach, people carrying on and “up-northing”. Good for them… keep the party going for a few minutes, please. But sitting here listening to it got me thinking about something we used to do all the time when we were younger that, somewhere along the way, we pretty much stopped doing.

We used to just stop by somebody’s house.

Remember that? There was no text saying, “You home?” or “What are you guys doing?” Nobody checked somebody’s location before heading over. We didn’t have that glorious little thing we call a cell phone yet. And I do mean glorious. I love the thing. I can talk to somebody on the other side of the country, look up anything I want, take pictures, get directions and do probably another 47 things I still haven’t figured out. I’m not suggesting we go back to the dark ages here.

But before all of that, if you wanted to see somebody, you pretty much just went to see them.

When we were kids, we’d stop by Aunt Gloria’s house. Maybe pop in on Aunt Carol. Maybe one of your pals had Atari (or a pool 😉) so you headed over there. Once you were old enough to get your driver’s license, the world really opened up because now you had wheels and could expand the drop-in territory considerably.

Although apparently I didn’t need a driver’s license.

I remember being about 12 years old and deciding one day that I was going to go see my mom’s boyfriend, who was hanging out on his boat. The fact that the boat was probably six miles away didn’t seem to concern me much, so I jumped on my bicycle and headed that way.

And I just showed up.

I can still remember the look on his face when this 12-year-old kid suddenly appeared at the boat. It was pretty much like he had just witnessed human sacrifice…. I should’ve said “Hi dad!” Now that I think of it. 🤣

Still completely befuddled he looked at me with crossed eyes and said how did you get here?

On my bike, dude. How do you think?

Apparently nobody had explained to me that the old-fashioned drop-in had geographical limitations. Six miles? Whatever. I had a bike and apparently the whole day to kill.

I think about that now and laugh because today there would probably be a search party, three police departments involved, an Amber Alert and six different Facebook community pages trying to figure out who last saw the kid. Back then I think the general response was more along the lines of, “Well, there you are.”

It really was different.

It was normal to pull into somebody’s driveway… nobody immediately peeked through the blinds wondering who the hell was out there. You walked up, knocked on the door and usually got something like, “Well, look what the cat dragged in.” And THAT’s about all the invitation anybody needed.

Sometimes you stayed ten minutes. Sometimes somebody put a pot of coffee on. Maybe somebody cracked a b**r. Eventually somebody would ask if you were hungry and before you knew it something was on the grill. Or somehow a bologna sandwich with mustard on Wonder Bread would just land in front of you.

The ten-minute stop turned into three hours, whatever you thought you were going to do that afternoon wasn’t happening anymore, and nobody really cared.

Those were some pretty good days.

The funny thing is, today we have more ways to communicate with each other than we’ve ever had, yet somehow actually seeing somebody has become more complicated.

“We need to get together.”

“Absolutely.”

“When are you free?”

“I’ll check my calendar.”

Jeeeeezzzz. Just come over.

Maybe that’s why listening to everybody down at the beach tonight got me thinking about all of this. We planned less back then. We just went. And when I think about some of the things I remember most from growing up and even later in life, a lot of them weren’t planned at all.

Sitting around somebody’s kitchen table laughing about absolutely nothing. Maybe a deck of cards pops in the picture. Standing in a driveway talking for an hour when you were supposed to be leaving. Somebody stopping over for ten minutes and still being there two b**rs later. Or some 12-year-old kid riding his bicycle six miles because he wanted to see what was happening down at the boat.

Simple stuff.

Maybe we’ve gotten a little too good at scheduling our lives and not quite as good at just living them. I don’t really have some big earth-shattering life lesson to offer this Monday morning, either. I think it’s actually much simpler than that.

Get out and enjoy it. Go see somebody on this Labor Day. Take the ride. Sit on the porch. Have the coffee. Drink the b**r. Tell the same stupid story everybody has already heard 25 times. And every once in a while, maybe just stop by.

Although in 2026, you might want to at least text them from the driveway so they don’t call the cops.

We’ve evolved. Sort of.

Anyway, I’ve been sitting here writing long enough and that party down at Wah Wah Soo Beach still sounds like it’s going pretty strong. Gonna go and pop in.

Have a great Labot Day

— Dean

09/04/2026

🔥SMOKIN’ DEAL IN GA***RD! 🔥

Heading Up North for the holiday weekend? Before you get too comfortable at the lake, on the golf course, or around the campfire, you might want to check this one out! 😎

1405 N Shore Dr., Ga***rd

This property is a SMOKIN’ DEAL — 80 feet of lake frontage, TWO lots, a main home PLUS a separate one-bedroom guest house with its own kitchen and two-sided fireplace!

And that second lot? Plenty of possibilities for a pole barn, additional storage, another unit, or just more Up North elbow room.

If you’re going to be anywhere around Ga***rd this weekend, give me a shout and come take a look. Deals like this on the water deserve some attention.

Dean Bach | 989-889-1566

And as always… if it’s not for you, SHARE IT! Somebody you know might be looking for exactly this.

Relationships First. Real Estate Second. Results Always.

Zillow link in comments

08/31/2026

MONDAY MORNING MEMO
MICHIGAN… Don’t Just Drive Through It

Last week, I was somewhere along US-2 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

I wasn’t in a hurry.

Well, that’s probably not entirely true.

I’m always in a hurry... especially when it's time to do home to Wife-e-Pooh.

There’s usually someplace I’m supposed to be, somebody I’m supposed to call, a house I’m supposed to show, an email I forgot to answer, or some minor real estate emergency that apparently requires my immediate attention.

But on this particular afternoon, somewhere along that stretch of US-2, Michigan got my attention... And for once, I listened.

Lake Michigan was on my right, stretching so far toward the horizon that calling it a lake almost seemed ridiculous.

Blue water.

Blue sky.

Dunes running alongside the highway.

The window was cracked just enough to let that cool lake air into the car, and for a few miles, I actually turned the radio down.

Then I saw it.

One red leaf.

Nothing dramatic.

Just a little splash of red hiding among thousands of green leaves.

A few miles later, I saw some yellow.

Then a little orange.

I smiled.

Uh-oh.

Fall is coming.

Now, before half of Michigan starts yelling at me for rushing summer, relax... I’m not ready either.

I plan on squeezing every last boat ride, sunset, backyard BBQ, warm evening, and cold drink by the lake out of summer.

They’ll have to drag me into fall kicking and screaming.

But Mother Nature doesn’t seem particularly concerned about my schedule.

She had already opened the crayon box.

And it got me thinking.

In just a few weeks, that same road is going to look completely different.

Those green hillsides will explode into red, orange, yellow, gold, and probably a few colors Crayola hasn’t gotten around to naming yet.

And Michigan will do what Michigan does every fall.

It shows off!

So I kept driving.

No particular reason to slow down.

But I did.

I pulled into one of those little scenic turnouts along US-2.

You know the kind.

You’ve probably driven past a hundred of them because you were trying to get somewhere.

I got out of the car and walked toward the water.

And there it was.

Lake Michigan.

No appointment necessary.

No admission charge.

No reservation.

Just miles and miles of blue water and white caps rolling onto a sandy shoreline.

I pulled out my phone.

Of course I did.

I took the picture.

Then, surprisingly, I put the phone back in my pocket and I just stood there.

That’s not always easy for me.

Doing nothing.

No talking.

No texting.

No checking email.

No wondering what the next appointment is.

Just standing there listening to the water.

There’s something almost Zen about it.

And anybody who knows me understands that Dean Bach and Zen don’t often appear in the same sentence.

Eventually, I got back in the car and headed east toward St. Ignace.

And somewhere along the way, I started thinking about how often we do exactly what the title of this Memo says.

We drive through it.

We drive across the Mackinac Bridge while thinking about where we need to be on the other side.

We pass waterfalls because we don’t have time to stop.

We drive past roadside stands because we’re making good time.

We see the sign for smoked whitefish and tell ourselves we’ll stop at the next one.

And heaven forbid we actually turn around because we just passed a handwritten sign that says:

FRESH PASTIES.

For the record, you turn around.

I don’t make the rules. Let’s call that a strong recommendation.

Same goes for fudge.

You don’t need the fudge.

Nobody needs the fudge.

You buy it anyway.

That’s Michigan.

And maybe that’s what I love about wandering around this state.

We have one helluva bridge.

Thousands of miles of shoreline.

Sand dunes.

Waterfalls.

Forests.

Rivers.

Inland lakes.

Islands.

And even mountains.

Okay…

Michigan-sized mountains. Nobody from Colorado needs to send me a nasty-gram.

And then there are our five Great Lakes—these enormous freshwater seas sitting right outside our front door.

People travel from all over the world to see them.

And sometimes we barely look up as we drive past.

I thought about that as the miles rolled by.

Maybe we do the same thing with more than scenery.

We’re always trying to get somewhere.

The next appointment.

The next closing.

The next vacation.

The next weekend.

The next season.

The next chapter.

And if we’re not careful, we can spend an awful lot of our lives driving toward whatever is next without noticing what’s outside the window right now.

Maybe that’s why I’ve learned to enjoy some of these trips by myself.

Nobody asks where we’re eating.

Nobody asks how much longer.

Nobody changes the radio station.

Nobody tells me I missed the turn.

And if I suddenly decide to turn around because I saw something interesting three miles back…

Nobody gets a vote.

Sometimes I put on some quiet music.

Sometimes I turn everything off.

I crack the window and let the smell of the woods and the lake come into the car and I just drive.

Although, in the interest of full disclosure, there’s usually a phone call somewhere in there.

I said Zen... I didn’t say miracle.

But every once in a while, I actually put the darn phone down.

And those are usually the best miles.

Just me. The road. And Michigan.

So here’s my advice as fall starts sneaking into our state.

Go!!!

Pick a weekend.

Throw some clothes in a bag.

Grab your spouse.

Grab the kids.

Tell the pooch to jump up in the car.

Call that friend you’ve been saying for three years you need to spend more time with.

Or go by yourself.

Head north.

Cross that big beautiful bridge.

Buy the fudge.

Eat the pasty.

Find some locally smoked whitefish (feel free to reach out for my smoked whitefish dip recipe).

Stop at the roadside stand and buy a jar of homemade jam from somebody you’ve never met.

Bite into a Michigan Honeycrisp.

And when you see a scenic turnout… Turn in.

Get out of the car.

Walk down to the water.

Take the picture.

Then put the phone away.

And look.

Really look.

Because here’s something I’m beginning to understand at 58 that maybe I didn’t completely understand at 28.

There are only so many falls.

Only so many summers.

Only so many road trips with the kids in the back seat.

Only so many weekends with an old friend.

Only so many sunsets you’ll watch with somebody you love.

And none of us really knows how many.

That doesn’t make me sad.

Actually, it makes me want to pay a little more attention.

Because someday, you probably won’t remember the email you were rushing home to answer.

You won’t remember why you thought you couldn’t spare twenty minutes.

You won’t remember whatever seemed so urgent that afternoon.

But you might remember standing beside Lake Michigan on a cool September day.

You might remember the smell of the leaves.

The sound of the waves.

The friend sitting beside you.

The dog hanging its head out the window.

The ridiculous amount of fudge you bought... and ATE!

And that little two-lane road disappearing into a tunnel of red and gold.

Those are the things that stick.

Those are the things that become stories.

Those are the things that become a life.

So this fall, take the trip.

And if your travels bring you through my neighborhood, send me a text. If I’m around, I’d love to sit down over a cup of coffee and hear where the road took you.

We spend so much time dreaming about seeing the world. And we should because this world is an amazing place.

But every once in a while, Michigan taps you on the shoulder and reminds you: You’ve got something pretty special right here.

So go explore it.

Get a little lost.

Take the long way home.

And every once in a while…

Don’t just drive through it.

Pull over.

Get out.

Look around.

Soak it in.

Because someday you may realize the destination wasn’t the best part of the trip after all.

Maybe it was that stretch of road you almost drove right through.

Michigan.

Fall is coming.

And I can’t wait to see where the road takes me next.

Relationships First. Real Estate Second. Results Always.

Dean Bach & Co.

09/16/2026

09/14/2026

09/13/2026

09/13/2026

09/07/2026

09/04/2026

08/31/2026

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