If you enjoy spending time in or around water, you'll be right at home in the Mariners Cove Condos. It truly is a "mariner's paradise," said Judy Wagener.

While Judy and her husband, Walt, used to sail together, they decided to buy a pontoon boat when they moved here to take more friends out on Lake Mendota -- especially since a boat slip is included in the condo fees.

"The boating life was a big draw for us ... and it's an easy walk to the docks," she said.

There is year-round water activity here, from water skiing or ice skating on the lake to kayaking the Yahara River toward Cherokee Marsh.

And the same is true at the condos, where you'll find people swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools. People seem to congregate in these spaces,

We're excited to be listing unit 903 at the 100 Wisconsin Ave Condominiums on the capitol square. This corner condominium is actually two combined units with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a home theatre, and over 3,200 finished square feet. It features sweeping skyline views of Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, and the State Capitol building. The new owner will have the option to purchase the condo fully furnished, with decorating by Decker-Cole Interiors and furniture selections from The Century House and Crate and Barrel. 

A Dramatic Foyer with Marble Tile

The entrance to this downtown luxury condo is through a dramatic, curved foyer with column and marble tile. 

An Open Concept Floor Plan with Panoramic Views

Unit 903 features a chef's kitchen

Thinking of selling your condominium? Your condo may be worth much more than you think. Right now there are more condo buyers than there are condo sellers, and prices are on the rise. Here's a quick rundown of the condo market in the greater Madison area. 

Verona Condo Market

Verona condos have become a relatively rare quantity. As of this post there are only seven Verona condos on the open market, and six of those condos have an accepted offer. The average condo price in Verona rose by more $20,000 in 2016. 

Middleton Condo Market

The average price for a Middleton condo rose by an even greater amount. In 2016 the average jumped by more than $36,000. 

Fitchburg Condo Market

In Fitchburg, the average increased by more than

Almost 10 years ago the real estate market began its infamous decline. Buyers stopped buying, and Downtown Madison suffered from a glut of vacant, unsold condos. More than 2 years of inventory sat on the market, and condo prices plunged. Over time, market conditions improved along with the overall economy. Consumers started buying again when prices became more attractive. Downtown inventory eroded until eventually all of the new construction condos sold out. 

Condo Values are Rising Again in Downtown Madison

Our market data shows Downtown Madison condo prices bottomed out in 2013. In 2013, the average price per square foot was $223. In 2015, the price per square foot jumped to $267. That's an increase of 19.7% in only two years. We expect the price

What's the hottest condo market in Madison? When we look at two key statistics, there is one clear winner, and the answer is likely to surprise you.

The Southwest Side of Madison

The hottest condo market in Madison is the southwest side of the city. The southwest side is roughly bounded by the Beltline to the north and Cross Country Rd to the south, and Verona Rd to the east and High Pt Rd to the west.

The Madison Condo Market by the Numbers

The table below shows the percent of listings with accepted offers and the months of supply for every part of town. The numbers for the southwest side are truly remarkable. 

As of this post, 75% of the condo listings on the southwest side of Madison have an accepted offer. Viewed another way,

We recently wrote about 10 of the hottest condo communities in Madison. In this post we build upon our list by highlighting 15 "exclusive" condominium developments in the greater Madison area. What makes these communities exclusive? It's not about the price. It's all about availability. All of the condo developments below are extremely popular with local buyers, and the competition for listings is fierce. 

Many of the communities to make our list are smaller, "boutique" associations with a low number of condominiums. In addition, the owners within these developments tend to stay for a long time, so listings are few and far between. If you're planning to buy within one of these popular condo communities, recognize you're not the only one. We recommend

Note from Dan 4/10/2015: This article has been updated to include the latest market statistics from March of 2015.

We recently wrote a short post about the low levels of condo inventory in the Madison area. In this article we'll dig a little deeper to show why the Madison metropolitan area needs more condominiums. We'll take a look at some key condo statistics for the county, city and some of the major condo developments in town. The picture we paint will show more than a tight condo market but a market where there is a clear shortage of condominiums. In this market buyers face some clear challenges, while sellers have never experienced a time of greater opportunity. 

Dane County Condo Trends - Active Listings

Each month we publish the number of

Who would have ever thought we'd see bidding wars over downtown condos with many units selling in a matter of hours and days? This is the reality of the Madison condo market. The condo lifestyle is "in". First-time buyers and down-sizers alike are jumping into a market that has a limited supply of inventory. Prices are rising and many units are selling very quickly.

This isn't the dynamic for every condo development in town, but there are a number of Madison condominium communities that have become extremely popular with local buyers. These popular communities have become "mini sellers markets" where a well-priced unit is almost guaranteed a quick sale.

Our list of popular condominium communities covers the hottest developments in town. For every

Not long ago this question would have seemed ludicrous. Just a few years ago, a large number of Madison condo developments were holding onto a very large number of unsold units. Demand was low. Many consumers were wary of buying into the condo market and were opting to rent instead. In some areas, such as in Downtown Madison, there were over two years of supply sitting on the open market along with a large amount of shadow inventory lurking behind the scenes. And so condo prices fell, and they kept falling, until they bottomed out in 2012.

That's when we began to see big changes in the condo market. Suddenly for many consumers it was cheaper to buy than it was to rent. Condo purchase activity picked up considerably in 2012 and then moved much higher in

Our Ballpark Estimator is a free tool you can use to estimate the market value of your Madison area home or condo. In fact it offers one of several ways you can use our website to learn more about the real estate market in your neighborhood. How does it work? The tool itself is very simple. 

Ballpark Estimator: How it works

1. You enter the address of your Madison area home or condo, as well as the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, and the finished square footage. 
2. The Estimator then presents you with a list of 12 recent sales in your area. 
3. You select 3 of the 12 properties that are most similar to yours. 
4. The tool then presents you with a "ballpark price". The ballpark price is based on the price per finished square foot of your 3