This summer we're hearing from a lot of you who need help estimating your home or condo's current value, along with some recommendations on how you can best prepare for your future sale. Of course we're more than happy to help you with both of these goals. 

Remember, Madison area home and condo inventory is gradually increasing, so the fundamentals of pricing, preparation, and presentation are essential for the seller who wants to maximize their return on investment. Call us when you need some professional guidance and support. We'd love to help you. 

We wholeheartedly recommend Kirch Appliance for their expertise In home appliance repair. The staff at Kirch are easy to schedule and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to diagnosing and repairing issues with washers, dryers, and kitchen appliances. 

And if it's time to replace your current appliance with a new one, your Kirch technician can offer insight into which brands and models are the most reliable and break down the least, saving you time and money over the long run. You can also save money (and limit consumption) by buying one of their reconditioned appliances at their 2302 Mustang Way store. 

Like a good appliance, Kirch has been in operation for decades. Reach out to them at 608-246-4246 when it's time for a house call. You'll be glad

We often hear this phrase when buyers are putting together an offer for a home. A buyer may choose to write an offer with their ideal terms, commenting that the "seller can always counter" their offer and negotiate with them. This is a reasonable strategy, and could save the buyer money or reduce risk. 

However, our team is always quick to point out that a seller is not obligated to counter a buyer's offer before accepting another. Some sellers are fatigued from the selling process by the time they begin reviewing offers, and decide to choose the best option they have on the table rather than negotiate terms with each buyer individually.

When competing with other buyers, it's prudent to put your best foot forward in your offer without overextending

Our office on Monroe Street is always open for buying or selling consultations. However, we often hold these consultations at our clients' favorite coffee shop or a nearby public venue, too. If having a meeting at a familiar spot feels more comfortable to you, or fits better into your schedule, we are happy to accommodate. 

Our consultations are never meant to feel stressful: we don't bring a contract, and we don't charge a fee. We are here to listen to your goals and give you our honest, professional advice on how to reach them. 

Reach out if you're ready to take this first step.

When we recommend a list price for your home, we want you to see how we came to our recommendation: So we show you the recent trends in your neighborhood and in the broader market. We share what's happening right now with inventory, pending sales, and market momentum. Is the market slowing down or speeding up? 

The market is always changing, so a good price recommendation is less about knowing the market and more about showing you the market. It's about doing our due diligence and showing our work. 

Congrats to our client, Logan, who received multiple offers this past weekend for his home in the county. Our team provided a professional market analysis, hands-on staging, a 3D tour, a custom floor plan, aerial photos, and a touch of virtual staging to make this listing top-notch. All with no extra fees for Logan.

Do you know someone who needs our help? 

Thank you Step Inside Media for your stellar photos and customer service. It is always a pleasure to partner with you.

Are you considering new construction? A new Dane County builder might be a good fit for you: Maverick Homes. Maverick Homes was founded last year by a team with over seventy years of collective industry experience. Shawn, Mike, Matt, and Dan know quality construction and prioritize customer service.

For example, pricing is upfront when you tour a model home. Everything you see walking through one of their spec homes is included in the price presented to you (yes, the fireplace and 9-foot ceilings, too!). Maverick Homes clients enjoy flexibility while this company builds its floor plan portfolio, too.

Choose from one of their three affordable floor plans, or design something semi-custom, like a current client's layout with two first-floor primary

It is too soon to tell how tariffs may impact building costs long-term, according to Mike Fujihira, Director of Operations at Maverick Homes. However, we definitely have started to see and feel some of the impacts, and Mike has some wise advice on the issue: work with companies that care about their customers and maintain good relationships with outside vendors. 

These companies will do more to mitigate any unexpected costs, and have a business model that better protects you from future tariffs. Partnering with the right people is invaluable when looking for as much certainty as possible in the build process. 

Reach out if you could use some extra guidance - we'd be happy to find solutions that meet your goals with you.

Aerial photography by

Summer invites us to play, enjoy the outdoors, and soak in carefree moments. Dan O'Kane is an inventive and caring member of our community who is helping a deserving group of kids do just that.

In 2016, Dan and his wife, Laura, founded Josie's Gift. Through this organization, Dan creates personalized fishing rods for kids who are facing or have overcome medical challenges. Dan's craftsmanship and attention to detail create extra-special moments for these kids who may be overlooked when planning an outdoor adventure. So far, Dan has handcrafted over 80 custom fishing rods, including a Big Bang Theory-themed rod and a Green Bay Packers rod. 

Most notably, Dan's first fishing rod was the one he created for Josie, the nonprofit's namesake. Dan met

Somewhere along the way it became a best practice in our industry to invest a significant amount of our time into social media, and to measure ourselves based on our number of followers, likes, and views. 

But if we're honest with ourselves, most of us don't enjoy the 24/7 self-promotion. It feels more than a little forced. And yet we do it anyway. The pressure to post is real. 

Fortunately we do have a better way forward: We can spend less time posting on social media and more time helping others. We can choose to be professionals who serve while upholding our values.

The path forward isn’t easy, but it’s 100 percent worth the effort. Slowly but surely, day by day, our reputation, referrals and our business will grow with each person we