If you've been searching the internet for Madison real estate, you've seen plenty of listings for vacant homes and condos. Yes, some of these units are foreclosures. The problem with many vacant home listings is they often present as a foreclosure, even if they are not! Bland photos with no color. And no online video tours. What it is that makes these homes special? That can be hard to discern from the listings themselves.

The good news for the vacant home owner is that great staging requires only a small investment, and the results are worth every penny and more. The goal of staging a vacant home is to give the home some color and life so the listing photos capture the attention of online buyers. Great photos generate more showings; more showings

Getting ready to sell your Madison area home or condo? There are many different factors that will influence the success of your real estate marketing plan. One of the most important of factors is how your home presents online. Remember, over 90% of all buyers first learn about a listing by viewing it on the internet, and the number one reason buyers use the internet is to evaluate a listing's aesthetic appeal.

This means your staging and your professional photos are two critical elements that will play a huge role in the overall success of your sale. They'll greatly influence the number of showings that your listing receives, the amount of time that your home is on the market, and the price at which your home sells.

Below are some examples of high

You're not alone. Verona real estate is in high demand. Home sales are off to a good start in 2013 after increasing by more than 25% in 2012. With just over 5 months of inventory, many homes in Verona are selling quickly. Verona building contracts are on the rise, too.

What makes Verona WI homes so popular?

Many buyers appreciate the city's small town charm and convenient location just outside of Madison. Verona is also home to Epic Systems, one of South Central Wisconsin's largest employers. Many of the employees from this fast-growing company choose to lay down their roots in Verona, where there's a diverse selection of mid-century and new construction homes.

We expect 2013 to  be a good year for Verona home sellers. With lower inventories and

This weekend I came across this sign at the intersection of Midvale Blvd and Mineral Point Rd on Madison's near west side. This intersection is surrounded by the Westmorland, Sunset Village, Hill Farms and Midvale Heights neighborhoods. It's an interesting place to post a sign targeting distressed sellers. The near west side is Madison's most stable real estate market, where the home values have held up amazingly well, even through the worst of the real estate downturn.

Most sellers on the near west side are far from distressed. Sellers on this side of town benefit from a strong demand for a limited supply of homes. With the Spring market right around the corner, the buyers will be out in full force very soon, and many of them will be targeting

Downtown Madison condos are on the rebound. Prices in Madison's Downtown dropped by 20% from 2006 to 2011. In 2012, Madison buyers responded to lower prices and returned to the downtown condo market in a big way. As you'll see from the graph at the bottom of this post, the price per square foot actually increased in 2012, as the market settled into a much better balance between supply and demand.

This is welcome news for buyers and sellers alike. Sellers have been waiting for a bottom to the condo market, while buyers have been seeking some reassurance that their investment will hold its value over time.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about condos in Downtown Madison, Wisconsin. We can help you better understand the