There may not be much snow on the ground, but this weekend, there was plenty of snow to enjoy at the new Hawk Island Park Tubing and Snowboarding Hill.

I have been following the progress of the new hill on Facebook and after much anticipation, the hill finally opened President’s Day Weekend.

I took my sometimes hard to please teenage daughter and her friend.  The hill was larger than we expected and despite the greenish, brown grass that surrounded the area, there was plenty of snow on the hill.  The park provides the tubes and there is a tow rope to take you up to the top.  I had not planned to tube, but it looked like so much fun, I gave it a try too.  I was glad it did!  There is also a space on the hill for snowboarders along with a couple of jumps and rails.

The day we visited was beautiful and sunny.  If it’s too cold, there is a warming house where you can purchase hot drinks.  The cost to tube is $7.00 per person or a maximum of $20.00 for a family.  The day we visited, it was free.  Hawk Island Park is located on Cavanaugh in South Lansing, between Pennsylvania and Aurelius.  It is part of the Ingham County Park System and there is a $3.00 to $5.00 fee to enter the park depending on where you reside.

I am excited there is new recreational opportunity available in Lansing.  Tubing is truly fun for all ages and I encourage you to give it a try!

It’s been a, “I want to rip my hair out” frustrating kind of afternoon!  I love my job, but sometimes it can drive me crazy!  What’s my frustration?  Inaccurate, online real estate data.

When my washing machine was acting up last week, I tried to diagnose the problem using a DIY Website, then I called a repair company.  When my son got a weird rash on his face the other day, I looked it up on WebMD, then I called our pediatrician.  It’s great there are so many online resources available.  I encourage everyone to check them out.  I then encourage you to call a professional.

This rule also applies to real estate.  Many real estate websites pull their data by geographic area. This works great if you want to find out the price of a house in a neighborhood where the homes are all very similar in size, age and details.  However, it gets inaccurate quickly.  If you live in, for example, a 3,000 square foot home and the house a block over that is 20 years older and only 1500 square feet sells, using just geographic information dramatically reduces the value of your home.  Local real estate professionals have real time data and we can use the multiple listing service to find homes similar in size, style, age etc… to give you the most accurate value of your property.

A local real estate professional can also help you target, for example, distressed properties.  There are many websites that advertise distressed properties.  However, they post homes as soon as they are headed into foreclosure.  These properties cannot be sold until they are listed for sale.  A realtor can put homes that interest you on a watch list so you are notified as soon as the property hits the market.

Finally, all real estate is local.  It doesn’t matter how much your friend paid for a foreclosure in Detroit, even if the house you are buying in Lansing is similar.  Different markets = different values.  If you have a question about Greater  Lansing, MI Real Estate, contact me.

At the risk of sounding catty, I love a good makeover story.  Whether it’s Kathie Lee & Hoda’s Ambush Makeovers, What not to Wear, or The Biggest Loser, I love to see the amazing transformations and excited reactions from friends and family when they first lay eyes on the recipient.

Home makeovers are equally as exciting to me.  I eat-up the dramatic transformations on HGTV and I love blogs like YoungHouseLove.com, where a cute couple shares their DIY home remodeling projects.

If you plan to list sell your home in 2012, a makeover is something you should consider before your home hits the competitive real estate market.  A home makeover doesn’t need to be expensive.  It’s amazing how much some de-cluttering, furniture re-arranging or a fresh coat of paint can impact a space.

If you don’t know where to start, invite a friend who has a flair for decorating and/or a real estate professional to walk through your home and make recommendations.  Some realtors, like myself, are also staging professionals and provide this value-added service to clients at no charge.  Often, realtors have relationships with contractors, like painters, who may offer discounts to you.  You may also wish to hire a home stager, who not only utilizes what you already have, but who has a warehouse of furniture and accessories to give your home a fresh, new, modern feel.  Home staging may seem pricey up front, but it is generally a lot cheaper than a price reduction once your property is on the market.

If you want home buyers, who tour your home, to elicit squeals of joy and amazement like the family and friends of reality T.V. makeover recipients, than give your house a makeover too!

I confess, I’m a summer girl.  Nothing makes me happier than a good book, a beach and a comfortable chair.  However, in Mid-Michigan, winter is a fact of life.  You can huddle-up inside and wish it away OR you can embrace it!

One winter activity available in Meridian Township is cross- country skiing.  It’s fun and great exercise too!   The Harris Nature Center on Van Atta Road in Okemos and the Lake Lansing North Park in Haslett are both great places to give cross-country skiing a try.

Lake Lansing North Park is run by the Ingham County Parks System.  There are several miles of groomed trails available as well as rental equipment, but hours vary each week.  You can call the Ingham County Parks at 517/676-2233 to inquire.  The Harris Nature Center is operated by Meridian Township.  They are open daily and rental equipment is available by the hour or day.  Fees are $5 an hour during the week or $7 per hour on the weekend.  Daily rates are $15 and $20 respectively.  Harris Nature Center has some nice trails that run along the Red Cedar River.  You can also rent your equipment at Harris then take it elsewhere.  Snow shoes are available for rent at the same rates.

Another fun winter activity in Meridian Township is sledding.  Meridian Hill, located on the west side of Meridian Road, just south of Haslett Road is a great place to sled.  It’s free and really fun for all ages.

Next time you are looking for a fun winter activity close to home, I encourage you to check these activities out!

Haslett Neighborhood

Haslett is a great Mid-Michigan Community with a highly regarded school system.  It is located on the eastside of Lansing and is known for Lake Lansing and the recreational opportunities the lake and surrounding parks provide.

There is truly a price point for everyone in Haslett.  In 2011, the highest sale price was $1,059,000 and the lowest sale price was $19,900.  The average sale price last year was $188,705.  A total of 130 homes sold in Haslett in 2011 and that was down slightly from 2010 when 138 homes sold.

During the 4^th Quarter of 2011, home sales increased 38% over the 4^th quarter of 2010.  The average sale price in the 4^th Quarter of 2011 was $171,681.

Currently, there are 111 homes for sale in Haslett.  The highest list price right now is $3,000,000 and the lowest current list price is $29,900.  The median list price right now is $219,900.

Average time on the market over the last year has been approximately 90 days.  Homes that are priced properly for the market are selling.