April 2019

Found 8 blog entries for April 2019.

It came later than expected this year, but the hot spring real estate market has officially arrived to Madison. Right now over 50% of the home and condo listings in Madison have an accepted offer, which is one of our key indicators of a fast-moving market. Last year, the market hit this milestone in the month of February. This year, the market didn't reach this mark until the month of April. 

Spring Real Estate Market in Madison WI

Why was the spring market delayed in 2019? 

Certainly, weather was a big factor. This year's long and unusually harsh winter caused both buyers and sellers to delay their plans for this year's market. Higher interest rates in early 2019 were also a factor, but then rates dropped at the end of March and the market responded positively. 

What to expect in

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It can be easy to watch the market reports, and to obsess over the mortgage rates rising or falling. But Laurie Ellis-McLeod of AERIE Preferred Financial Group, LLC, says the market isn't the most important thing to consider. "Your purchase will ultimately be more dependent on factors you can control, like your credit score, or the amount you've saved for a down payment."

The credit score is key to getting the best rates, and it can be improved. Do you have debts? Do everything you can to pay them off, or develop a plan to do this efficiently. Avoid making large purchases, or opening (or closing) credit card accounts. Your credit score has great impact on the mortgages and other loans for which you can qualify. Do everything you can to pay your bills

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At the turn of the 20th century, many new house styles emerged in America in opposition to the ornate, Victorian influences from Europe. Through the Arts and Crafts movement, Craftsman style homes were built to be more simplistic and to incorporate quality, natural materials like stone and wood. Frank Lloyd Wright also created the Prairie style of “organic architecture” during this time, with lower profile buildings that blended into the landscape and utilized sunlight. This movement made its way to Madison in the early 1900s, and Craftsman-progressive-prairie styles account for a third of the houses in the Sherman Avenue and Orton Park historic districts, for example.

Nearly 100 years later, Craftsman homes have edged out ranch homes for the most

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Whether you enjoy running, walking, skating, or biking, the Madison area offers countless paths to explore.

Fitchburg is one of 18 communities in Wisconsin that has been named a Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists since 2012. For a map of the trails in this growing city, click here.

Fitchburg is also home to the area’s first bike roundabout, which can be accessed from the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Community near Arrowhead Park. Here you’ll have the option to connect to five paved trails depending on which direction you take from the roundabout.

  • Badger State Trail (pass required): 40-mile trail from Fitchburg south to Illinois border

  • Capital City State Trail (pass required): 17-mile trail from Fitchburg

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The Village of Oregon is over 175 years old, but the last few years have been particularly noteworthy for the nearly 10,000 residents in this community just 10 miles south of Madison.

New building projects have been popping up all over -- from single-family homes on the south and west sides to the village’s first hotel in recent history on the east side. And downtown, several Main Street buildings have been refurbished while others have been cleared to make room for a high-demand apartment complex.

But perhaps the most memorable project has been the village’s new welcome center, located in the restored 1899 pump house beneath the “Tin Man” water tower on Janesville Street. Shortly after moving here around 2013 for the “small-town and

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One of the unique traits of our real estate team is our true commitment to helping our clients achieve their home-selling goals. Here are a few examples from the last few months which show how our listing agents routinely go above and beyond to serve our clients. 

Commitment to Client Success 

Home selling success stories

Shelley Lazzareschi: Shelley recently assisted a new client who was undergoing challenging family circumstances and whose listing had expired with another real estate brokerage. When Shelley toured the property she identified several inexpensive cosmetic improvements that would greatly benefit the sale of the home. Our client had already moved out-of-state, so Shelley secured a reliable and affordable contractor for our client and oversaw the completion of

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You have made an offer to purchase and are going through the property inspection. The inspector finds an issue with the property, and now you, as the buyer, need to determine the next steps. I asked the Mad City Dream Homes team how they handle these situations, and they shared good advice for buyers to consider.

First: Know what matters.

Not every issue raised is worth pursuing with the seller -- especially in a fast-paced market, with low supply. “In some cases, buyers need to have a plan in place for simple repairs. The quick fixes are rarely worth risking the sale, especially when there is a line of buyers behind you, ready to buy the property,” says Tammy Steiner.

Maureen Moran agreed. “You really need to consider, what is a significant

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Mortgage rates have plunged to their lowest levels in over a year. Check out this chart courtesy of Freddie Mac, which shows the average rate for a 15-year fixed rate loan dropped to 3.75%, while the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped to almost 4% at the end of March. 

 

Rates are very attractive right now as many buyers are gearing up to purchase a new home during the spring buying season. This is great news for sellers, too. Here are a few timely tips that will help sellers take advantage of lower rates in 2019. 

5 Tips for Sellers in 2019

1) Take advantage of the spring selling season while rates are attractive. Remember, the best months for sellers are typically March, April, May and June. Strong seasonal demand and low

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