Would you have peace of mind?

Would you have financial peace? 

And would you be excited? 

We often ask our clients these 3 questions as they consider a big purchase. When they answer "yes" to all three, then that's a sign that they're about to make the right decision. 

These questions are a reminder to us that we all have important questions to address in every season of life. And there's no time like the present to reflect on the ones that help us choose a new and better direction.

You don’t want to find your perfect home, and then realize you can’t afford it. Likewise, you don’t want to underestimate what you can afford, and limit yourself to less than your dream. The first step to starting a real estate search is to talk with a lender. 

There was a time when a buyer needed 20% down to consider purchasing a home. Today, the market has changed, and the rules for qualifying have too. Buyers are finding they can afford more home than originally expected, or that qualifying is possible, even without a sizable down payment.  A variety of options exist to allow buyers to purchase with as little as 3% or possibly even 0% down.  Between gifted down payments, reductions in closing costs, or seller-assisted closing costs, there are many

Although Madison mortgage rates rose in May of this year from rock bottom levels, rates continue to trend in a favorable direction for anyone thinking of buying or refinancing a home.

Mortgage Rates from a Historical Point of View

This data from Freddie Mac trends mortgage rates dating back to 1992. Mortgage rates for 30 year fixed rate loans are currently well below 4.5%, putting current rates among the lowest for any time period in the last 22 years.

View Madison WI Mortgage Rates Updated Daily

Great Midwest Bank publishes its mortgage rates daily and online here. Looking to closely monitor rates? Sign up for the Great Midwest Bank mortgage rate watch.

Upcoming Changes in the Mortgage Market

Mortgage underwriting guidelines will

Are you the type of person that prefers vintage, old-school homes? Then you'll be very interested to learn about our new historic home listing at 2809 Columbia Rd in Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin. This authentic, prairie style home was built in 1916 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The photo to the right shows this home in an early promotional brochure for Shorewood Hills real estate (see photo center left). This home offers a combination of features that is unique in Shorewood Hills. The house resides on a double lot with mature trees and gardens and features a separate cottage in the back yard. The cottage can be used for a variety of different purposes - as a studio, as a guest house or mother-in-law suite, or as rental income.

We posted earlier this year how Downtown Madison condo prices were set to rise in 2013. As we make our way into the Spring buying season, we are in fact seeing prices rise in many areas of Madison, and especially downtown. The inventory of condos for sale in Downtown Madison is much lower than in previous years, and sales are up significantly. Consider these numbers for the first 3 months of 2013 which come from our review of data from the South Central Wisconsin MLS:

Dane County condo sales were up by a whopping 59% from the first 3 months of 2012, but even more startling downtown sales were up by 89%.  That's right, during the January through March time period, downtown condo sales totaled 34 purchases versus 18 the year before. We expect this pace

What makes Madison, Wisconsin original and unique? The neighborhoods. Madison is home to an amazing variety of local settings, each with its own identity and character. There is no better example of this than the neighborhoods on Madison's Near East Side. Authentic. Ecclectic. Urban. Unique. All of these terms have been used to describe the neighborhoods on the Near East Side of Madison.

The real estate on Madison's Near East Side dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. With homes lining Madison's Isthmus and the city's two iconic lakes, the setting of the Near East Side is like no other in Madtown.

The Near East Side is home to Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, Atwood Avenue, "Willy Street", James Madison Park, and Olbrich Gardens. It's the unique

Many Madison area home buyers gravitate toward bank owned properties and short sale listings. In the right situation, an REO or short sale property can offer the prospective buyer an incredible value. We've assisted many clients with their purchase of a foreclosed home or condo, and we've seen our buyers achieve some amazing deals. But there are some caveats related to buying foreclosures in Madison. If you've been thinking of buying a distressed property, here are five things for you to keep in mind.

Before you Buy, Keep these 5 Things in Mind:

1. Distressed properties represent only one piece of the market, and the supply of foreclosures is decreasing. If you limit your search to REOs and short sales, you're missing out on the possibilities that

Searching for a Madison home or condo? Our new polygon search tool allows you to customize your property search according to the boundaries that you define on our MLS map.

Our polygon search works in conjunction with all of the other search settings that we make available, so you can customize your search by property type, price range, and size - along with the map boundaries that you specify. Even better, you can save your polygon search settings and receive email updates new listings hit the MLS and when existing listings undergo a price change.

Try our property search now. Or sign up for our home finder, and we'll locate your properties and coordinate your showings for you. We're here to help!

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

Buying a home in the Madison area and in need of a loan? We've worked with hundreds of buyers over the years, and we've collected their feedback about the lenders who assist them with their mortgages. Over time we've developed a network of service-oriented lenders who are universally loved by their clients for their exceptional service. Each of these lenders has different strengths and areas of expertise, so we're happy to refer you to a lender who is a good match for you and your specific situation. Just let us know how we can help!

One of our preferred lenders who consistently receives raving feedback is Great Midwest Bank, where John Schroder works out of the Odana Road office on Madison's west side. Below are a few reasons why our buying clients