It may seem YoYo’s are a toy of the past but you’d be surprised to know there are national and international competitions for the best YoYo masters of the world. While the YoYo appears to be quite a simple toy, with enough skill, patience and elegance, a YoYo master can create a mesmerizing performance that will entertain anyone. Similarly to a YoYo, life can be challenging and full of surprises, but with time, we gain knowledge and skills to make an amazing journey where we can help others do the same.

Whether you are starting a new sport, buying your first house or traveling somewhere for the first time, it can be nerve wrecking and scary at times. The beauty of this moment is being able to get past your fears and into action. In order to make a

When interest rates started rising last year, we knew that higher rates would result in fewer people choosing to buy a home or condo. What we didn't expect, is the profound impact that higher rates would have on the number of people choosing to sell. The chart below makes this relationship perfectly clear. MLS listings dropped noticeably last summer and have been trending lower ever since. 

Who's selling and who's not? 

Right now most of our clients who are selling are selling due to major life changes. Changes like death, divorce, downsizing, and relocation. What we aren't seeing so much are the people who are choosing to sell in order to "move up" to a larger home. The prospect of higher rates (and a higher monthly payment) is causing this

We interviewed Wild Harvest Nature Connection founders Alexander Britzius and Heather Hutchinson to learn more about their programs that involve intentional mentored time for children and adults in the outdoors – specifically at Madison and Dane County parks. 

Dan Miller’s son has participated in activities through the organization, including foraging for “hen of the woods” mushrooms and tapping maple trees to make syrup. “Thanks to the mentoring and teaching provided by Wild Harvest Nature Connection, he's developing a real appreciation and passion for the natural world,” Dan said. 

According to the organization, the foundation of this mentoring is finding each person’s curiosities and passions and asking questions to lead the learning. Heather

Capitalism is constantly trending toward automation. And with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, the trend toward automation now includes virtually all forms of content. Content like articles, social media posts, online videos, and online ads. And even music and art. More and more, the content we are being asked to consume is being produced by AI, not people. 

One of the challenges that we see with this trend is that it's really hard to share stories, insights and observations in a genuine and impactful way when the content is auto-generated. From a practical and an ethical perspective, we can't offer you sound advice if that advice doesn't come from our own experience.

Which is just one more reason why we're committed to publishing our monthly

Condominium prices continue to rise throughout Dane County, and by all measures. Here's our latest Dane County condo market update covering the latest price trends, and much more. 

Dane County condo prices

The price per square foot increased to $210, which was a 3 percent increase from last April. The median price jumped to $301,500, an increase of 10 percent. While the average moved to $338,991, an increase of 7 percent.

New condominium listings

One of the biggest reasons for high prices is a low influx of new listings. Only 148 condominiums were listed for sale on the MLS in April, which was a 22 percent decrease from last year. Overall, condominium listings were down by 23% through the first 4 months of the year.

Available

You have probably seen a No Mow May sign in your neighborhood and maybe you have heard some debate over the pros and cons of waiting until late spring to mow. Our intent is not to join in on the debate but to break down some of the options and the theories behind the movement of changing mowing behaviors and providing a better habitat for bees. 

BeeCityUSA.org says that No Mow May is a gateway to understanding how we share our lawns with small creatures. Spring is a crucial time for emerging native bees. When we allow lawns to grow longer and let flowers bloom our lawn can provide nectar and pollen for bees to thrive! 

Here are 3 options to consider:

• No Mow: Don’t mow for the month of May.  

• Low Mow: Mow twice a month instead of

We'd like to offer our enthusiastic endorsement for Stephen Meyer from Phenomenal Carpet Care. For many years now, Stephen has been serving our clients with impeccable service and amazing results. To learn more about Stephen, and to schedule your own service, visit phenomenalcarpetcare.com. We're confident you will love Stephen's work! 

Spring market conditions continue to be very favorable for sellers as prices continue to rise throughout the Madison area. Here's our latest single family home update, covering the month of April, 2023. 

Dane County home prices

The price per square foot increased to $227, up 6 percent from the year before. The median price grew to $440,000, an increase of 4 percent. While the average price jumped to $508,022, an increase of 9 percent. 

New MLS listings

A limited supply of new listings is the biggest reason why prices keep rising in the Madison area. New MLS listings were down 30% in April and by 25% year-to-date. 

Active listings

Although active listings (those without an accepted offer) have risen slightly year-over-year, they

It's safe to say that no one expected competing offers to increase when interest rates more than doubled, but that's exactly what's happening in our spring market. According to our preliminary data for the month of March, competing offers for single family homes are at an all-time high here in Dane County. 

While the competition for condominiums is at an all-time high, too. 

Why is the real estate market so competitive in the Madison area?

This short article shares 9 reasons why competition remains strong and why we expect prices to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. 

Stay tuned for our upcoming home and condo market updates, which will offer a lot more insight into our spring market. In the meantime, you can always reach out

Even with so much technology at our fingertips, there's still no substitute for face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication. Especially when it comes to questions about real estate.

That's because the most helpful answers are rarely all black and white. Usually, they involve some shades of gray that are only revealed through conversation.