You have a lot weighing on you when you're the personal representative of an estate. You feel the weight of your loss, and the weight of your responsibilities. You want to faithfully carry out your duties. At the same time there are so many details to be attended to, so many decisions to be made. 

Selling your loved one's home

It can be tremendously helpful to think of the sale as a group effort, where you bring in local specialists to address the work that needs to be done. With each specialist doing their part, your physical and emotional load become much more manageable. Here are 5 key areas to focus on in advance of the sale. 

Item disposition/removal 

You and your family members will decide what personal items will stay with the family.

When a large goal looms, it can be hard to know how to begin - or when. If you have a dream of owning a home, but don’t know when or how you will turn that dream into concrete steps, reach out. We’d be happy to reverse engineer a timeline based on your lease, savings goals, or other milestones in your life. Once you see the path to homeownership more clearly, you can confidently take the first step.

The Madison area real estate market is predictably quiet in late December, but the rhythm of the market will be changing real soon. Here's what buyers and sellers can expect from the market in January of 2026. 

Buyers

Madison area buyers will have more properties to choose from in January, as new listings will begin entering the market at a much faster pace. But along with improved selection, buyers will also experience increased competition. Buyers should be prepared to act quickly and write a competitive offer when their dream home becomes available in early 2026. 

Sellers

Madison area sellers will experience an uptick in showings, as market dynamics will become more favorable for sellers in January. Along with more showings, local sellers

You love your first home, but your family is growing, and it's time to think about moving up to a home with more space and a larger yard. Here are 3 practical tips that will help you and your family successfully "move up" to your next dream home. 

(listing photo courtesy of Step Inside Media) 

3 tips for move-up buyers

1) Find out how much equity you have in your current home, which you'll use as a down payment for your next home. We can help you determine your current home's value (and equity), and recommend simple solutions for increasing your home's value further. 

2) Meet with a trusted, local lender. We recommend working with a local mortgage expert who will help you tap into your home's equity, while identifying solutions that will

We're in the thick of winter season, but in only a few weeks we'll be entering a brand new season for real estate. Here's a quick review of how the Dane County real estate market will be changing on the other side of the holidays. 

New listings

New listings are entering the market at a slow pace in December. However starting in January of 2026, listing activity will pick up significantly. Listings will peak in the springtime, before gradually decreasing throughout the year. 

Showings

Buyer activity will speed up quickly in January, too. As the chart below shows, property showings will increase in January, max out in the springtime, and then slowly decrease throughout the year. 

Accepted offers

More properties will go

This is how our clients, Kate and Ryan, described what it felt like to buy their first home with Lane as their realtor. In their review, Kate and Ryan went on to say that they appreciated Lane for explaining the home-buying process in ways that made sense to them, as Lane helped them navigate the process at their pace. 

Just like Kate and Ryan, your journey into homeownership will be an exciting time in your life. It's also a time when you’ll have many questions. As your professional buyer agents, we'll be here to educate, guide and encourage you every step of the way. 

To learn more about the home-buying process, all you need to do is reach out when you're ready for a helpful conversation. Helping first-time home buyers is one of the most

This month, we would like to highlight a moving company that does their job with skill and integrity: A1 Movers. 

Amanda recently sent the owner of A1 Movers, Brandon, an email about a fantastic client testimonial - from a client who hadn't even hired them. Here's a slightly edited snippet of that email:

"[My past client's condo] unit faces the parking lot. We were reminiscing about when her friend down the hall moved out two summers ago, and she commented on how stellar of work your team did. Since [her] place faces the parking lot, she told me she sees a lot of bad behavior from moving companies who "don't think anyone is watching." However, she reported the A1 crew did a thorough, careful, and conscientious job even when they probably suspected no one

You're ready to buy a condo, and you believe you may have found the one. But wait, before you go ahead and ask your agent to draft your offer, you would be wise to pause and ask these 3 important questions. 

(photo courtesy of Step Inside Media)

Three questions to ask before buying a condo

1) How long will the condo meet your needs? When it comes to the size of your household, your commute, and your entertainment and recreational activities -- will the condo meet your lifestyle needs three years from now, too? We recommend planning to stay in your condo for at least 3 years, so you'll have an opportunity to earn a nice return on your investment when it's time to sell. 

2) Are there any large projects or pending assessments planned for the

Wire fraud is still prevalent in our industry, and there can never be too many reminders to stay vigilant to this type of cybercrime. Wire fraud occurs when a scammer impersonates a reputable company or a person that a client is working with via email, and requests that money be sent to keep the transaction moving forward.

Scammers are getting more creative and convincing; Isabella recently had clients who received a fraudulent email impersonating the builder they were working with, requesting payment mid-build for recent upgrades. Thankfully, Isabella had educated them about wire fraud, and they did not pay.

The solution? Before sending any money, reach out to the person requesting it with contact information you have independently verified. Or

We recently discussed as a team why we enthusiastically refer our clients to other professionals, and a few clear themes emerged from our conversation. 

Why we recommend other professionals -- 4 themes

First and foremost, we refer to other professionals because they have a track record of being reliable and competent. They've proven over time that they are very good at what they do, and that they will do right by each person we send their way. 

Another common theme was honesty. We recommend certain professionals because we know they will always be truthful, even when they have nothing to gain by offering their honest advice. Sometimes their advice is, "I'm not the best professional to serve you, but I know just the right person who can help."