Designer and color consultant, Wendy Broadhead, has been working in the home decor field for over 25 years, so she has a lot to offer on this topic. According to Wendy:

"Selecting your main home color can be daunting, but getting the right color makes everything else just fall into place. Whites and Off-Whites are so versatile, looking elegant and classic or rustic and relaxed."

(Swiss Coffee from Benjamin Moore -- photo from Benjamin Moore)

Choosing the right colors

Before you take on any large scale painting projects, Wendy recommends choosing your main color first. Some of her favorite colors include Benjamin Moore colors Simply White (OC-117, soft, slightly creamy), Swiss Coffee (OC-45, a touch of warm gray), and Chantilly Lace (OC-65,

If you could imagine a better future for you and your loved ones, 

If you could envision peace of mind, 

And if you could afford it right now,

What would you do?

Would you buy your dream home today? Or would you delay your purchase and wait for a different kind of market?

We're always available to talk about your future and the future of real estate, too. So please reach out to our team whenever you're in need of a real estate conversation. We'll share our honest insights and opinions with you, and help you choose the path that's the right one for you. 

Are you getting ready to begin the home-buying process? Realtor Max Woods has a weekly video series that simplifies the home-buying process for you. In one recent video, Max covers three great tips for anyone who's just getting started with their search.

3 showing tips from realtor Max Woods

Tip #1: Treat your showing as an opportunity to learn more about the surrounding area by going for a short walk or a short drive around the neighborhood. Who knows, you might even meet a few friendly neighbors?

Tip #2: Use your showings as a time to refine and clarify what you're looking for -- as you and your realtor discuss the features and finishes of each property you tour. 

Tip #3: Be mindful of home surveillance systems. Many homes are

In a market like ours, it's whenever the perfect opportunity presents itself. It could be in the heart of the spring selling season, during the cooler fall season, or in the quiet of winter. You just never know when. 

Our clients Roger and Jennifer just learned this lesson when their perfect home became available right before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Their home search took a few weeks longer than they were planning for, but they're so glad that they remained patient and focused and had Chris Venden guiding them along their journey.

As Jennifer told us the other day, "Our new home is absolutely perfect for us. We're so glad that we didn't settle, this home is so worth the wait."

So, if you're planning to buy your dream home in 2023, here are

Don't confine your search to the springtime.

Instead, act as if your search is a 12-months-out-of-the-year endeavor. Because in a market like ours, you just never know when your dream home will become available. It could be in the heart of the spring selling season, during the cooler fall season, or in the quiet of winter. There's no telling when the perfect opportunity will present itself, and you want to be prepared to act as soon as your dream home hits the market.

Do you have questions about buying or selling a home in the Madison area? Please reach out to us whenever you're in need of a real estate conversation. We're here to be a resource for you and help you plan for your future.

Your friends at Mad City Dream Homes

It's that time of year for our annual real estate predictions. Here are 7 key reasons why we see low inventory and strong prices for Madison and Dane County in 2023. 

On the demand side

Population growth

Dane county is already the fastest-growing region in the state, and according to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission that trend will continue. The Commission projects our population will grow by more than 200,000 residents over the next 30 years. 

National reputation

For the second straight year, the city of Madison has been named by Livability as the #1 place to live in America. It's rankings like these that have put Madison on the map. And in a mobile culture like ours, where people can choose to live and work from just

Lately we've been hearing from more people in the Madison area who are hoping to buy a foreclosure as an "instant equity", "fix and flip", or a long-term "buy and hold" investment. But the reality is that there just aren't that many foreclosures out there, which the numbers from the Wisconsin Circuit Court database make abundantly clear: 

Will foreclosures rise from here?

We don't expect a significant rise in foreclosures anytime soon, and for three key reasons:

• Lending practices have improved significantly from the practices that preceded our nation's foreclosure crisis 15 years ago, so there just aren't that many bad loans out there. 
• Most homeowners right now are locked into a low interest rate and a low monthly mortgage payment. 

You could be waiting for a long time, and perhaps, many years. 

Why do we expect prices to remain elevated?

The big reason is consistently low supply.

And one huge factor driving low supply is our region's rapid population growth. Dane County is currently the fastest-growing region in the state, and according to a recent study by the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission, that trend will continue. The study projects the county's population will grow by more than 200,000 residents by the year 2050.

And yet there's very little new supply in the pipeline to accommodate that growth.

Yes, Dane County has added hundreds of new housing developments over the last decade, but most of that new construction has been for apartments, not homes and

Recently a friend called us and asked for a referral to a trusted lender. Her daughter Emma, a first-time home buyer, was already talking to a mortgage lender. But Emma wasn't getting the time and the information that she needed to better understand the mortgage process.

So we referred Emma and her mom to Karen Wedvick from Wintrust Mortgage. And as it turned out, Karen's approach was exactly what Emma and her mom were looking for. Karen gave Emma a great introduction to the mortgage process and helped Emma map out all of her next steps. 

Emma's story is a common one. With so many lenders to choose from in the Madison area, sometimes it can take a little time to find the right fit. 

At Mad City Dream Homes, we're always available to refer you to

Congratulations to our fall buyers, who are making the most of this new season in real estate:

• To Ted and Kelsey, who purchased their home in Stoughton for $4,900 below the list price. 
• To our client Brenton, who bought his near west side condo for $9,000 below the list. 
• To Chad and Samantha, who purchased their east side home for $10,000 below. 
• To our client, Mason, who bought his move-up home for $14,900 under. 
• And to Dan and Erica, who moved into their dream home in the country for $24,900 under the list. 

All 5 of these stories are great examples of how good planning, local expertise, and skillful negotiation are so beneficial to buyers in today's market. And why having a strong buyer advocate can make all the difference.