Living In Greater Lansing

🍔 **More Than an Olive Burger — It's Part of Lansing History**

I stopped at Weston's Kewpee in downtown Lansing recently and ended up having a wonderful 10- to 15-minute conversation with Gary Weston.

Gary shared stories about his grandmother, Gladys Bowlin, his family, and a Lansing tradition dating back to 1923.

One of the things I enjoyed most was simply looking around. The walls are filled with old menus, photographs, newspaper stories, awards and reminders of more than 100 years of Lansing history.

And yes, I left with two of their QP olive burgers with cheese. My personal opinion? Still my favorite olive burger in town. 😊

I put together the story of my visit and some of the history Gary shared with me:

https://www.mikebowler.com/more-than-an-olive-burger/

If you've been to Kewpee over the years, I'd love to hear your memories. **What's your usual order?**

Fall has officially arrived in Greater Lansing. 🍂

This is one of my favorite times of year in Mid-Michigan—the cooler mornings, changing leaves, football weekends, cider and those first drives where you suddenly notice the trees beginning to turn.

Sharon and I have always enjoyed getting out for fall color drives and cider mill visits, and we're getting into that season again.

What's one Greater Lansing or Mid-Michigan fall tradition you look forward to every year?

Cider mill?
A favorite color-tour drive?
Football?
A local festival?
Something else?

I'd enjoy hearing some local favorites.

What did the Greater Lansing housing market look like in August?

🏠 Median sales price: $250,000
🤝 Closed sales: 426
⏱️ Median time on market: 12 days
📊 Active homes for sale: 1,048
⚖️ Housing inventory: 2.5 months

Compared with August 2025, the median price was unchanged, closed sales increased 7.3%, and active inventory increased 6.9%.

That means buyers had more homes to consider, while well-prepared and appropriately priced properties continued to move relatively quickly.

Real estate conditions can vary considerably between Lansing, Holt, Delta Township, Grand Ledge, DeWitt, Haslett, Okemos and East Lansing, but these numbers provide a helpful snapshot of the overall Greater Lansing market.

What are you seeing in your community—more homes coming on the market, more sold signs or properties taking longer to sell?

Data provided by the Greater Lansing MLS. August 2026 market review.

Where do you begin when a longtime family home is filled with decades of belongings?

Start with a plan—not the nearest box.

My new Clean-Out & Property Readiness Checklist helps families organize the process, protect important documents and valuables, decide what happens to belongings, identify safety or repair concerns and prepare the property for its next chapter.

The process can be emotional, especially when helping a parent move or handling a family estate. Taking it one step at a time can make an overwhelming job feel manageable.

Explore my Greater Lansing real estate resources:
https://www.mikebowler.com/your-next-step-starts-here/

Mike Bowler | Associate Broker
SRES® • CRB® • ePRO®
Expect The Best

What makes Greater Lansing a good place to call home?

For me, it is the variety.

You can enjoy the energy surrounding Michigan State University, the history and activity of downtown Lansing, established neighborhoods, nearby small-town character, local parks, community events, and many different places to live—all within a connected region.

Delta Township, Grand Ledge, Holt, DeWitt, Haslett, Okemos, and East Lansing each have their own personality. The best fit depends on the lifestyle, location, and connections that matter most to you.

That is why I enjoy sharing more than homes for sale. I also want to introduce the communities, local resources, and people that make Greater Lansing special.

What is one thing you enjoy most about living in Greater Lansing?

Explore local communities and current homes for sale:

https://www.mikebowler.com/greater-lansing-homes-for-sale/

There’s more to Greater Lansing than real estate.

One reason I started sharing more community content is simple: a community isn't defined by houses and statistics.

It's the parks where families gather. The local events we look forward to. The businesses and organizations that serve our communities. MSU. Our trails. Our neighborhoods. And, most importantly, the people who call this area home.

After more than four decades working throughout Greater Lansing, I still enjoy getting out and discovering—and sometimes rediscovering—the places that make our communities special.

That's what Living in Greater Lansing is really about.

If you have a favorite Greater Lansing place you think Sharon and I should visit, I'd enjoy hearing about it.

Community Connections | Sharp Park — Delta Township

Live music, neighbors gathering, and a beautiful summer evening in Delta Township.

Sharp Park recently wrapped up another Music in the Park season, with Global Village and 11 Across entertaining a few hundred local residents.

I'm especially pleased to see events like this continue because the Delta Waverly Rotary Club is a major sponsor of Music in the Park. It's a great example of local organizations, businesses and residents working together to create experiences everyone in the community can enjoy.

Events like Music in the Park also remind us that our parks are much more than green spaces. They're places where neighbors meet, families gather, and community connections are made.

Sharp Park offers plenty to enjoy throughout the year:

• Amphitheater with seating for approximately 300
• Picnic shelter with seating for 72, plus accessible seating
• Playground equipment
• 2-acre fishing pond
• Basketball court
• Four softball fields
• Three tennis courts
• Two sand volleyball courts
• Paved walking trail
• Restrooms and grills

That's what Community Connections is about — highlighting the people, organizations, places and activities that make Greater Lansing a great place to call home.

📍 Sharp Park | Delta Township, Michigan

What's one of your favorite community events in Greater Lansing?

“How do I even bring this up with Mom or Dad?”

That's a question many adult children struggle with when they begin thinking about a parent's future.

Talking about downsizing, moving, or changing housing needs can be uncomfortable—especially when a longtime home represents independence, memories, and decades of family history.

But the conversation doesn't have to begin with:

“I think you need to move.”

In my newest video, How to Start the Conversation With Aging Parents About Moving, I share a different approach:

❤️ Listen first
❤️ Ask about their goals
❤️ Don't force decisions
❤️ Talk about safety without creating fear
❤️ Keep independence at the center of the conversation
❤️ Give the process time

Most importantly, remember that this usually isn't one big conversation. It's a series of smaller conversations that can happen over time.

🎥 Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/OJKtdJz3Kzg

If you're helping an aging parent, I'd be interested in hearing from you:

What part of starting this conversation has been the most difficult for your family?

Please feel free to share this with another Greater Lansing family who may be trying to figure out where to begin.

How to Start the Conversation With Aging Parents About Moving | Helping Parents Move Talking with an aging parent about moving, downsizing, or future ho...