Nan Ray - Century 21 Northland

08/09/2026

✨True alignment in home-buying is not a “crock of woowoo BS” ✨

It’s a whole-body yes.
It’s walking in the front door and instantly seeing yourself in that space.
It’s imagining your artwork on the walls.
It’s knowing you could spend ten years sipping coffee and creating beautiful gardens in the backyard.

It’s everything I advocate for my clients.

So you can imagine I get really excited when I see a potential match come online.

Sometimes those perfect listings don’t exist... Yet.

And sometimes I see absolute gems that don’t necessarily match who I’m working with, but they definitely match the lives of the kind of people I wish I was working for - solid little homesteads, the neighborhood gem that almost never comes to market, the grandma house with insane upswing potential, or that one stretch of impeccable beach.

What kind of place gets your “ultimate yes”?

07/12/2026

A baby fraction of our trip to Rome, Umbria (Assisi & Perugia), Bologna, and the Dolomites (Val de Fossa & Castlerotto).

We came, we saw, we celebrated, we ate every noodle in sight and fell in love with aperitif sodas (Gingerinos!!) in an attempt to keep the Campari spritzes in check🍹

There was also one backpack per person, sink laundry, a trip to the Pharmacia for infected blisters, and Pat learning he’s too extroverted to properly participate in a European spa 😂

We’re officially back stateside after 14 days, and I’m ready to be 100% home to hug my babies (the longest we’ve been apart!) and catch up with my inbox.

Still pinching myself that this is the life we’ve designed - I wouldn’t change a bit of it (except the blisters… oof). So grateful.

Ciao, Italy!

06/10/2026

06/08/2026

Old Mission Waterfront. Let’s talk about it.⁠
⁠
I’m sure you’ve noticed that some of this pricing seems a little...⁠
steep.⁠
⁠
Well, you’re not crazy. ⁠
⁠
I’ve plugged all the numbers and have the data to prove it.⁠
⁠
Year over year, the median sold price points for private waterfront in Peninsula Township are as follows:⁠
May ‘23-’24 - $1,393,150⁠
May ‘24-’25 - $1,465,000 (+5%)⁠
May ‘25-’26 - $1,550,000 (+5.8%)⁠
(Logical increases, right?)⁠
⁠
Median price of current active listings: $2,399,000 (+55%🧐)⁠
⁠
My takeaway? ⁠There’s some beautiful homes out there, and even with a glut of high value inventory, a “deal” can never be assumed. Find a good agent that protects your investment from the start; it’s more important than ever to have a fiduciary on your side. ⁠
⁠
Thinking of listing? Positioning is everything - and pricing correctly is one of the cornerstones of a successful sale.⁠
⁠
⁠

02/16/2026

The water - it’s the reason this area was founded, why we live here, and why this area is so dang popular.

And if you asked most people in Traverse City what they would do if they won the lottery, I’m sure a “house on the water” - be it a lake or river - would be high on the list.

If you’re ready to take the leap and live the dream, there’s a lot to consider before you dive into lakefront living: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Your transaction education goes well beyond a landlocked home purchase.

I’ve personally basked in private water ownership, and have also been terrified by the power of waves eroding the shore and rattling the windows.

And I’m ready to lay it all out for you.

Catch me in my DMs when you’re ready to chat, and we’ll make your best lakefront match come true!

— Nan Ray

A Traverse City Realtor, native, and former waterfront owner, showing you how to live like a local.