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        <title>Mad City Dream Homes Real Estate Blog, Madison WI</title>
        <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/2013-04/</link>
        <description>Your Madison WI real estate blog. News &amp; views about Madison area homes, condos &amp; South Central Wisconsin real estate. Questions? Call 608-852-7071</description>
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    <guid>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/maximize-your-selling-price.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/maximize-your-selling-price.html</link>
        <author>contact@madcitydreamhomes.com (Dan Miller, REALTOR)</author>
        <title>5 Ways to Maximize Your Selling Price</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Thinking of selling your Madison home or condo? It's a seller's market this year and prices are rising. With lower inventories and increased demand, many Madison area sellers are learning they can win back much of their equity that was lost during the real estate downturn.


So how can you knock your sale out of the park? Below are 5 ways you can maximize your selling price in this year's market. The first two tips focus on market analysis. The last three tips involve specific marketing strategies.


5 Tips for Selling at a High Market Price




Know the months of inventory in your neighborhood. Your listing agent can assist you with this when he performs your market analysis for you. Neighborhoods with low months of inventory are prime locations for price appreciation. If you live in an area where the demand is very high for a limited supply of homes, talk to your agent about how you can leverage this market dynamic and push the envelope with your pricing. 


Know the inventory of pending sales in your neighborhood. Once again your agent can assist you with this exercise. Pending sales represent the listings which have received accepted offers but have not yet closed. This group of listings provides the most current view of the market. At what price did each of the homes on this list receive its accepted offer? How long was each property listed before its offer was accepted? The answers to these questions will provide a good view of the market momentum in your neighborhood. If the momentum in your area is strong, you and your agent may decide to price your home on the leading edge of the market. 


List your home within the next two weeks. Why? Year in and year out, the month with the largest number of accepted offers in Madison is the month of May. Right now, with buyer activity about to peak, the laws of supply and demand favor sellers. If you list your home soon, you'll be listing your home at a time when the most Madison buyers are actively searching for and writing offers on homes. 


Maximize the visual appeal of your listing. In this day and age almost every buyer's first introduction to a listing is online. Work with a Realtor whose marketing includes professional staging, professional photos, and professional video. Gorgeous pictures and videos elicit strong responses from buyers. They generate a ton of showings, and they motivate buyers to act decisively.


Go live with your listing on a Thursday and aggressively advertise your open house for the upcoming weekend. This puts all buyers on notice that your home is about to be toured by many other competing buyers. It creates a sense of urgency for the buyer who can't stand the thought of losing her dream home to someone else.




Need advice on how to sell your Madison WI home quickly and at a high market price? Contact us online or call us at 608-852-7071 for your complimentary home selling evaluation.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:38:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/ten-home-buyer-tips.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/ten-home-buyer-tips.html</link>
        <author>contact@madcitydreamhomes.com (Dan Miller, REALTOR)</author>
        <title>Ten Tips for Madison Home Buyers in 2013</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
The pendulum has swung for Madison real estate. It's a seller's market this year. Many Madison listings are receiving multiple competing offers. Homes and condos are selling quickly. And they're selling for higher prices.


So what's a buyer to do? Below are ten tips to help you land your dream home in 2013.


Ten Home Buyer Tips




Don't rely on open houses as your method for finding a home. Buyers this year are learning many new Madison listings are selling within days of going on the market, even before the first open house


Don't limit your search to distressed properties. The inventory of bank owned-properties and short sales is shrinking, and many other buyers and investors are already combing over these listings.


Don't assume the condo market is a buyer's market. Condo sales are surging this year, and in many developments the condos are selling quickly and for higher prices.


Obtain your loan pre-approval before you start looking at homes. Know up front how much home you can comfortably afford, and be prepared to submit your pre-approval letter when you submit your offer to purchase.


Hire a buyer agent. A savvy buyer agent will help ensure you don't miss out on the home that is the perfect fit for you. A buyer agent who is keyed in on your particular neighborhood can you help find homes for sale before they hit the larger market. 


Schedule a sit-down consultation with your buyer agent and clearly lay out your criteria for your new home.


Be prepared to compete with other buyers. Discuss with your agent what strategies you can employ to ensure you are the one to land the home. Competing with other buyers is not all about price. A savvy agent will help you finesse your offer so it stands out above the competition.


Schedule showings that are highly-focused on your most important criteria. When you view your properties emphasize quality over quantity. Remember, you goal is to find the right home for you, before it gets taken by another buyer.


Have your agent send you immediate listing updates whenever a new listing matching your criteria hits the market, or when an existing listing matching your criteria undergoes a price change. Review your listing updates as soon as your receive them.


Take immediate action. When a promising new home hits the market, schedule your showing immediately. That means scheduling your showing for the same day the listing goes live on the MLS or the day after. When you've found the perfect home for you, work with your agent to submit your offer quickly. In this market every day, and sometimes even every hour, is crucial.




Do you need help buying a home in Madison, Wisconsin? Our agents have the experience and expertise to help you find and close on your 2013 dream home. Contact us for a no-nonsense consultation. We're here to help
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/rising-condo-prices-downtown-madison.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/rising-condo-prices-downtown-madison.html</link>
        <author>contact@madcitydreamhomes.com (Dan Miller, REALTOR)</author>
        <title>Rising Prices for Condos in Downtown Madison</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
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 to continue as we make our way through the 2013 selling season based on the activity we are seeing in the market right now. 




Here's another amazing development downtown: One Downtown Madison condo development recently raised its prices for new construction condos. This is a new dynamic for our condo market, and demonstrates how sellers have gained the leverage in Downtown Madison. Sellers are able to fetch higher prices compared to many years in the recent past, and buyers are learning they need to change their ways. 




We'll keep you up-to-date on our market as we make our way through the selling season. 


Thinking of buying or selling in Downtown Madison, WI? Contact our condo specialists for a free consultation.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:57:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/wisconsin-film-festival.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/wisconsin-film-festival.html</link>
        <author>contact@madcitydreamhomes.com (Dan Miller, REALTOR)</author>
        <title>This Week in Madison: The Wisconsin Film Festival</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
The 2013 Wisconsin Film Festival takes place from April 11th to the 18th at the Sundance Cinema on Madison's near west side and at various venues in Downtown Madison. Believe it or not, this year marks the 15th anniversary of the festival, which has quickly become one of Madison's signature annual events. 


This year's film fest offers an excellent opportunity to take in some great cinematic entertainment in two great areas of town. Visit the Great Dane Brew Pub after a show at the Sundance, or dine at one of many other excellent restaurants in the Hilldale area.


If you're hanging out Downtown, kick back and relax at one of the many fine food and drink establishments near the center of town. This weekend you have dozens of movie and restaurant options to choose from in Downtown Madison.


Enjoy Madison this weekend
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:04:00 -0500</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/bulding-a-new-home-in-madison.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.madcitydreamhomes.com/blog/bulding-a-new-home-in-madison.html</link>
        <author>contact@madcitydreamhomes.com (Dan Miller, REALTOR)</author>
        <title>New Home Construction on the Rise in Madison</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Thinking of building a new home in Madison, Wisconsin? You're not alone. Housing starts in the Madison area are up by more than 75 through the first two months of 2013. And we see the trend toward more home-building continuing throughout the year.


Here are a few reasons why:




The inventory of existing homes is at its lowest point since 2005.


Foreclosures continue to decline rapidly, which well help to keep inventories of existing homes low.


Demand is high. Madison homes are selling at their fastest pace in the last 6 years.


There is a large, pent-up demand for real estate, which suggests we'll continue to see robust sales in the year ahead. Contrast this to the last several years when home sales were at depressed levels and consumers shied away from real estate. Many opted to rent instead of buy. But now renting is more expensive; homes are more affordable; consumers have been saving their cash. They have confidence in the market now, and they've decided now is the time to own.




With low inventories, high demand and more confidence in the market, more buyers see building a home as the logical choice.


There are many details that go into building your own home: You select your location, your builder, your lender, your design, and your finishes. We are here to help you navigate the home-building process from start to finish. We'll cover how we can help you with the home-building process in a future post.


Thinking of building a new home in Madison, Wisconsin? Contact our buyer specialists for a free consultation. We can help you successfully navigate the home building process from start to finish
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 06:04:00 -0500</pubDate>
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