Mortgage rates were projected to rise in 2019, but they continue to defy all of the projections put forward by industry experts at the end of last year. In fact, as of this writing, rates are at their lowest levels in a long time. Thirty-year fixed rate loans are currently running around 3.75%, and 15-year fixed rate loans are trending around 3.25%. 

This chart from Freddie Mac shows how mortgage rates have fluctuated over the last year. As the graph shows, rates have improved by more than a full percentage point since last November. 

How do lower mortgage rates impact you? 

For starters, if you've purchased a home or condo in the last couple of years, now is a good time to check with your lender and see if it makes sense to refinance. Ask

We've learned over the years that some folks can get a little confused about assessments, inspections, and appraisals - and the role each plays as part of the buying and selling process. If you're a little unclear yourself, this short overview will answer a lot of your questions.  

Assessments

An assessment refers to the "value" that the local taxing authority assigns to your property. Your local assessor assigns an assessed value to your property each year, that along with the mill rate, determines the amount of property tax you owe.

As a general rule of thumb you shouldn't use your property's assessed value to approximate how much it can sell for on the open market. That's because in most cases your local assessor has never been to your

Eight members of the Mad City Dream Homes and RE/MAX Preferred teams volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Dane County for a build day in Fitchburg this spring.

They joined Habitat construction site supervisors Greg Kazda, Allissa Tway, and Chad Moen and regular volunteer Greg Louden by installing siding and flooring in two Habitat homes along Unity Lane in the Renaissance On The Park neighborhood.

One of the future homeowners, Tara Rai, was working right alongside the group as he often does -- well exceeding the minimum amount of sweat equity hours required by Habitat. Tara said his wife likes to garden and plans to plant tomatoes and potatoes in their backyard, and his daughter and son are looking forward to having their own bedrooms.

Wondering what's going on with the Madison area real estate market? Check out our brief snapshot below, which shows the latest trends for both homes and condos. 

Accepted offers

Buyer activity was below expectations during the first quarter of the year, but picked up significantly in April and May. Dane County single family home accepted offers increased by 1% in May, and were lower by 8% year-to-date. 

Condo accepted offers were lower by 5% in the month of May and by 10% year-to-date. 

Closings

Single family home sales (closings) increased by 8% in May and were lower by 3% year-to-date. 

Condo sales were up 4% for the month and down 5% year-to-date. 

Expired listings

Expired listings are increasing in 2019, as we

At Mad City Dream Homes we're producing some amazing results for our home-selling clients in 2019. Here are more recent success stories which demonstrate how we routinely go above and beyond to help our clients achieve their goals. 

More Home Seller Success Stories in 2019

Chris Venden: Chris recently listed a luxury condo for sale in Madison. For this listing, Chris carried out an ultra-aggressive marketing plan which demonstrated the creativity our team brings to the table. Chris's marketing plan included extensive staging support from Debbie Lea (the best stager in the business), eye-popping professional photos, a 360 degree virtual tour, Google AdWords, a magazine quality book, and marketing that thoroughly documented this condo's many fine