We have just one more month until the beginning of the new school year, which means just one more month of the summer real estate market. Here's our quick preview of what buyers and sellers can expect from the Dane County market this August. 

 (Lunney Lake Farm County Park - Prairie Learning Center) 

Expectations for buyers this August

New listings will enter the market at a more moderate pace in August, but available inventory will continue to grow due to fewer homes going under contract. This means buyers will find some real opportunities to purchase a home from more flexible sellers — with less competition, and for a fair price.  The second half of 2026 will offer some excellent opportunities for buyers who remain patient and persistent

Some days, communicating with a business owner and getting answers to basic questions may feel like an impossible chore. The business owner didn't follow through with their service the way they said they would. Now they won't pick up the phone or respond to your emails. And you're left wondering if they're just too busy to attend to you, or worse, if they simply don't care.

The truth is, the whole notion of customer service is slipping in many industries — including real estate. But that's not the way it needs to be. Here at Mad City Dream Homes, you can always count on these three service standards from our team:

• When you call us, we'll pick up the phone, or call you back promptly. 
• When you have questions, we'll do our best to answer each

Is a home inspection pass/fail? The short answer is no: a home inspection in a residential real estate transaction is not pass/fail.

Unlike a building code inspection when a new home is being built, the home inspection during a home inspection contingency is not completed by the municipality, but by any Wisconsin-licensed home inspector that the buyer chooses. This is a time for the buyer to learn about the home, including defects, needed repairs, and ongoing maintenance items. The inspector will also provide a detailed report after the inspection.

The inspector will not give a Pass/Fail grade on the home, but rather provide the buyer with thorough information for them and their Mad City Dream Homes agent to use during negotiations.

We have a long history of land preservation and environmental stewardship here in Dane County and across Wisconsin. Our protected spaces enrich our quality of life every day — and they're a big part of why so many of us love calling this area home.

Volunteering outside is a wonderful way to carry on that tradition. It's also a chance to connect with the natural world, learn something new, and meet fellow nature lovers along the way. Here are three ways to get involved.

(Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton — one of the many local spaces cared for by dedicated volunteers)

1) Become a "friend" of a city, county or Wisconsin state park 

Friends groups steward the land by participating in conservation projects, maintaining trails and

At Mad City Dream Homes, we believe in approaching each sale as its own individual project. That means no cookie-cutter marketing. Everything we do is tailored to best meet the unique needs of each client. Here's what that process looked like for our recent clients in Midvale Heights. 

Cosmetics consultation and project coordination 

We toured the home with our clients and recommended the following: 

• removing dated window treatments
• touching up with paint
• installing new light fixtures
• removing old carpet
• and refinishing the hardwood floors underneath

For each project, we coordinated the work with trusted contractors who did an excellent job and for a fair price. 

(fresh paint and refinished hardwood floors - all photos

You might be wondering this based on recent national headlines that mention rising and surging foreclosures across the U.S. These headlines are a bit startling, but here in Dane County the numbers paint a slightly different picture. 

According to our latest Dane County foreclosure report, Madison area foreclosure filings are up 9 percent through the first six months of the year, but remain low compared to most other years this century — see the chart below. 

This is just another example of how all real estate is local, and why it's always beneficial to have a trusted, local resource to rely on for insight and advice. At Mad City Dream Homes we're here to be that resource for you. Reach out whenever your have questions about the Madison area real

You might be thinking about becoming a real estate agent because you like the idea of flexible hours and being your own boss. You've probably also thought about the income-earning potential that real estate offers.

All of that is true — being a realtor can offer freedom, flexibility, and real earning potential. But carving out a productive, long-lasting career requires a unique combination of personal traits. Here are four questions worth sitting with before you choose real estate as a career.

1) Do you enjoy helping other people? 

Most productive realtors are where they are today because they've earned a reputation for helping other people — for being known as a trusted resource, not just someone trying to close a deal. When you focus on meeting

There are many Madison area property management companies that don't have a stellar reputation, but we'd like to share our enthusiastic recommendation for one company that has earned our trust: Dobson Property Management. We've referred DPM to several income property owners, and all of them have been pleased with the attentive and reliable service that Justin and his team have become known for.

One nice benefit of working with Dobson, is that they can share their insights into the rental market for a property that you might consider purchasing. Can the rents be raised above current levels? Are rents trending higher, lower, or plateauing in the surrounding area? These are helpful questions to ask before your consider making an offer. 

We appreciate

It's July in Dane County, which means we're in the thick of the summer real estate market. And perhaps the most predictable trend we can count on each summer is rising home and condo supply. The summer of 2026 is no exception. 

As the charts below show, home and condo inventory is steadily rising this summer, and will continue to rise well into the fall season, as it does each year. 

Chart 1: Madison area home supply is rising this summer. 

Chart 2: Madison area condo supply is also rising. 

What does rising supply mean for Madison area buyers? 

Along with having more properties to choose from, buyers will enjoy a more relaxed market this summer. Generally speaking, competition from other buyers will lessen and many sellers (not

Our buyer clients, Tracy and Gail, recently received an inspection report that revealed a few significant defects: 

• a chimney in need of repair
• several structural posts in the basement needing to be replaced
• a furnace that was improperly vented 
• an electrical panel with safety issues 

All of these defects were concerning to our clients, but the good news is our team was able to quickly gather estimates from professional contractors for each issue. In the end, we successfully negotiated $17,000 worth of repairs for Tracy and Gail, by showing the sellers how much it would cost to correctly address each defect. 

Tracy and Gail's story is an excellent example of how a good buyer agent represents your best interests throughout your