Whether you just bought a home or are getting ready to sell, there are many ways you can improve the look and functionality of your front yard. Landscape architect Paul Ganshert shares the following tips for adding plantings, lighting, and other outdoor elements to enhance your home.

Keep it clean and simple

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don't just install an expensive pond or retaining wall because you think you should -- it may end up being a maintenance headache for you and future homeowners. For starters, focus on the basics that appeal to a broader audience, like making sure your plants are manicured and the beds and lawn are free of weeds.

Adjust plant material

Begin by pruning existing plant material correctly and

After being cooped up inside with all of the rain, this weekend is shaping up to be a great time to go outdoors and celebrate the start of summer. In Dane County, two free events will offer lots of family fun, music, and even fireworks: Festival Foods' Shake the Lake and Oregon's Summer Fest.

Summer Fest

When: June 21-24
Fireworks: Around 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kiser Firemen's Park, 245 Brook St., Oregon
Info: www.oregonwisummerfest.com
Activities: Carnival rides and games, food vendors, and softball, volleyball, and cornhole tournaments; nightly live music featuring Cherry Pie on Friday and Angels & Outlaws on Saturday; Saturday arts and crafts market, run/walk, pork dinner, and fireworks; Sunday car show, parade, bbq rib or chicken dinner with

Make sure your ears are tuned to the many restaurants, parks and even front porches playing music on Thursday! The 6th Annual Make Music Madison includes more than 300 live music events across the city. What better way to enjoy the longest day of the year?

The event is part of the larger International Summer Solstice Music Celebration, which began in France in 1982, and now stretches to more than 800 cities and 120 countries around the world. The goal of this celebration is to expose as many people as possible to live performances, encourage enjoyment of the day and to do it at no charge. Anyone who wants to play music is invited to perform. In Madison, this means there will be music in front yards, in area parks, and in the many restaurants that

We recently wrote how the city of Madison has become a perpetual seller's market. Our latest single family home and condo reports show the month of May was no exception. Here's a short summary of the latest market trends in Madison.

Home and condo inventory

The Madison single family home market has had less than 2 months of supply since December of 2015. Right now there are only 1.2 months of inventory in the city, which is down from 1.4 months from the same time last year.  

Supply is also very low in the local condo market. Right now there are only 1.3 months of inventory available for sale in the Madison condo market, which is down from 1.5 months in June of 2017. 

New MLS listings

New MLS listings are in short supply in 2018 -

Nearly every day in summer you can visit a farmers market in the area. But did you know that there is another option for getting fresh, local produce? By becoming a member of a CSA, or community supported agriculture, you can receive a weekly or biweekly box of seasonal produce that is often available for pickup at the nearby farm or distribution sites throughout the county. Purchasing a "share" in advance helps to cover some of the farm operating costs, so members are directly supporting the farmers who grow their food.

CSAs have gained popularity over the last decade, and one of the earliest adopters for this model in Dane County was Vermont Valley Community Farm, LLC. Barb and David Perkins started their family-owned farm on 5 tillable acres in Blue

Wallethub ranks Madison as #6 on its list of healthiest cities. It takes into consideration the variety of fitness activities available, the cost to get and stay fit, and the resources found in town. With this in mind, it seems appropriate that Madison will again host the Ironman Wisconsin competition this weekend. Athletes from around the country ranked Madison as the best for both the host city experience and the overall run in 2017. The Ironman Race organization calls Madison endearing, for its Midwestern hospitality, experienced, for Madison's big-city skills for hosting events, and energetic, for the rambunctious crowds and after-race party the city provides. This year, Madison will be up to the challenge, and provide another beautiful, green

One of the biggest concerns people have when downsizing is figuring out what to do with all of their stuff. That’s why decluttering, organizing, and making other preparations for selling your house can go much more smoothly with the right help.

To empower people to begin this process, Capitol Lakes retirement community in downtown Madison recently hosted an educational event with representatives from local businesses, followed by a question and answer session and building tour. Presenters included Kathy Rounds of Trusted reLocation Consultants (TLC), a full-service moving and organization company; Marianne Gariti of Moving Forward, which specializes in senior move management; and Chris Venden, an experienced Realtor with Mad City Dream Homes.

Some neighborhoods are just perfectly suited for outdoor fun.  The Marquette/Willy Street area recognizes the benefits of their neighborhood and, each year, invites the greater Madison community to enjoy it, too. This weekend they celebrate their waterfront location with the Marquette Waterfront Festival. The festival highlights the neighborhood's easy access to the shores of Lake Monona and the Yahara River. Expect to enjoy the water, but to spend lots of time on land, jamming to the wide variety of live music scheduled both days.

The celebration begins with the Dandelion Dash, a 100 yard dash for kids. The dash begins at 9:30, and there will be two races, to ensure that kids race with their age group. Then at noon, bands will begin performing on two

It's been 50 years since Mount Horeb hosted its first Summer Frolic. And, even after all this time, some of the original volunteers are returning to make this year's event another big success.

"It is truly a special event that takes a village to put on, and each year it amazes me how dedicated our community is to coming together to handle all the details needed to make it happen," says Amy Mertz, a member of the Frolic Committee.

The annual Summer Frolic kicks off Thursday night at Grundahl Park. The event raises money for a variety of local charities, and it's designed to provide a fun, family atmosphere to connect with neighbors and friends. 

To start the weekend, check out the carnival rides, a beer tent, and refreshment stands, all which open

If you follow conventional thinking the best time to buy a home in Madison is in the springtime, when many new listings traditionally enter the market. Times have changed, however. The Madison area has evolved into a perpetual seller's market, one that is especially challenging for buyers during the spring season.

To illustrate this point, take a look at our 2017 market data below. It shows multiple offers are most common in the months of March, April and May - which is a typical pattern for the Madison area. In our market more offers are rejected in the springtime than in any other season of the year. 

Is the springtime really the best time to buy a home?  

According to our data, the answer is "no". Your odds of having your offer accepted