Dane County home supply is rising right now, as it does every summer, making this a good time for buyers in search of a home before the school year begins. Here's a quick overview of local neighborhoods with some of the best availability in the area. 

(Buyers have options for higher-end homes; listing photo courtesy of Step Inside Media)

Madison East 

• Grandview Commons 
• Sherman Village 
• Village at Autumn Lake 

Madison West

• Acacia Ridge 
• Blackhawk 
• Eagle Trace 
• Fox Knoll 
• Hawks Landing 
• Midpoint Meadows 
• Nakoma 

Cottage Grove 

• Quarry Ridge 
• Shady Grove 
• Westlawn 

Cross Plains

• Creek Crossing 
• Scenic Valley 

Fitchburg 

• Harlan Hills 
• Highfield Reserve 

We admit it: getting preapproved isn’t the most exhilarating process. No one is excited to dig up their 2024 tax return. But this step is vitally important to having a smooth, informed, and more enjoyable home-buying experience. Even if you anticipate the preapproval process to be hiccup-free, here are a few reasons why it pays to get preapproved early, before you start looking at homes:

• You can compare rates, services, and personality fits across different lenders. It’s important to trust the lender you are working with, since they will be guiding you through (possibly) your biggest financial investment.

• Many lenders offer educational sessions as a “first step,” which you may miss if the process is rushed or

Dane County condo supply is improving, with a number of local condo associations offering multiple units to choose from right now. We've highlighted a few of these developments for you below. 

(Fourth Ward Lofts in Downtown Madison; photo courtesy of Step Inside Media) 

Downtown Madison

• 4th Ward Lofts 
• Bedford Court 
• Capitol West 
• Metropolitan Place 
• Nolen Shore 

Madison East 

• Cherokee Condos 
• Holborn Village 
• Stonebridge Condos 
• Town Center 

Madison West

• Bentley Green
• Greystone Condos 
• Marbella Condos
• Sequoya Commons 
• Stratton Glen Condos 
• Tamarack Trails 
• The Vue 
• Weston Place 

Cottage Grove

• Cottage Grove Commons 

Deerfield 

• Drumlin Woods 

A friendly reminder to check to make sure your insurance coverage is what you expect, and you would feel comfortable using. 

Amanda recently had a transaction where her buyers got an accepted offer on a house with a hail-damaged roof. The seller was hesitant to submit an insurance claim because she had a high deductible. The negotiations eventually led to the seller replacing the roof, but it was an important reminder that when considering insurance coverage, choose a policy you’d be willing to use in a worst-case scenario. 

If you need help finding a reputable insurance provider, don't hesitate to reach out.

If you put your Madison area home on the market this year, there's a good chance a local realtor will pitch you on something called a "private listing". It's worth understanding what you'd be giving up before you say yes to a private sale.

What are private listings? 

A private listing is one that's never exposed to the entire market. Only the listing firm's own buyers — less than 5 percent of the total buyer pool — ever get the chance to make an offer. These programs are often marketed as "exclusive", giving sellers the chance to test their price quietly and gather buyer feedback, without all of the showings that come with a traditional sale. On paper, that sounds appealing. In practice, that convenience can come at a real cost to your bottom line.

It could be one of the biggest questions you'll face in your home search — and there's no single right answer. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and for most people the decision takes time after carefully weighing the options. In the end, it comes down to which preferences are most important to you.

(an established neighborhood on Madison's westside — Ice Age Falls; photo courtesy of Step Inside Media)

Common Considerations

For example, you may value the advantages of a new construction home:

• Rooms that offer all of the modern conveniences and finishes
• A floorplan that's designed to fit your lifestyle
• A scenario that gives you peace of mind — knowing you won't have any costly repairs to address shortly after you move

Why is it that some Dane County homes and condos sell quickly, while others sit on the market? Here's a look at what's separating the two this summer, along with what it means whether you're buying or selling.

(listing photo courtesy of Step Inside Media) 

What's hot

Move-in-ready and impeccably maintained homes. Many buyers are willing to pay a premium for a turnkey home where the time-consuming and expensive projects have already been handled. Most buyers would rather roll those costs into their mortgage than pay out of pocket after closing — so a home that's already updated has real appeal, even at a higher price point.

What's not

Deferred maintenance and overly-aggressive pricing. With the cost of nearly everything on the rise,

It's summertime in Dane County, when everything is growing quickly (including the weeds!) in our yards. If you're looking to mix things up in your yard a little bit — with some new flowers, shrubs, or even a tree — we highly recommend visiting K&A Greenhouse.

K&A has a wonderful selection of indoor and outdoor plants, and a nice selection of native wildflowers and grasses, too. Even better, the staff at K&A are knowledgeable and eager to help. They can help you select the right plants for your yard and offer tips for tending to your plant babies.

Whether you are a budding or an experienced gardener, we know you will enjoy your visit to K&A!

Scrolling through listings, buyers can have a hard time picturing themselves in an empty room. But selling a vacant home doesn't mean your listing has to be full of cold, lifeless photos. Just the opposite — you have options for creating a beautiful listing presentation that helps buyers see the potential in every space.

One option is to professionally stage your home with rented furniture and artwork. A more efficient and affordable route is to virtually stage your home with digitally enhanced photos. Here are our three tips for a beautiful, virtually staged listing. 

(listing photos courtesy of Step Inside Media)

Three tips for virtually staging your home

1) Choose low profile furniture.

Low profile furniture exposes the windows and

Dane County and Wisconsin have a long history of land preservation. Thanks to the foresight of conservation-minded citizens, our parks, trails, and protected spaces will be here for generations to come. We're lucky to have such an abundance of natural beauty to explore — and conservation work continues so it stays that way.

If you're looking to get outside and get curious about the world around you, here are three apps we love for exploring and learning more about Wisconsin's natural spaces.

(the Ice Age Trail at Prairie Moraine Park)

Three apps for enjoying beautiful Wisconsin

FarOut for the Ice Age Trail

The FarOut app helps you plan your hiking trips on Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail. If you're feeling ambitious, you can track each