Spring is here! One of the special things about living in Michigan is the feeling of renewal that spring brings after a long winter. It is a season for cleaning up and a time when we appreciate warm weather and naturally desire to spend more time outside. Fitting in with both of these impulses, spring is also typically a time when yard work begins again; keeping this in mind I wanted to share with you a perspective on the importance of how the exterior appearance of our homes impacts the community.

From experience I can tell you with all confidence that whether it is a prospective resident considering Sturgis as a place to live or a business considering us as a place to grow, that one of the first impressions they have about our community is the appearance of our neighborhoods. Much like how your appearance is scrutinized when going for a job interview, potential businesses and homeowners are sizing us up and judging us by the external appearance of our homes and neighborhoods. For both job applicants and communities, a first impression is often a major factor in the outcome of either the hiring process or the selection of a place to locate.

For communities, the external appearance of our neighborhoods can communicate vibrancy and a wise investment or communicate decline and a poor investment. Junk, trash, and other blight will cause prospective residents to make investments elsewhere while tidy, well-kept properties will attract home buyers willing to make what will most likely be their largest investment. This is also true for businesses, which consider housing as a factor in growing or locating in a community -- after all, their employees need to live somewhere.

I make this point because the timing is right with spring, but more so because it is something each of us can do to ready Sturgis for the next potential homebuyer or business considering expanding or locating in our community. Let's all do our part to ready the community for our next interview.