We recently wrote about 10 of the hottest condo communities in Madison. In this post we build upon our list by highlighting 15 "exclusive" condominium developments in the greater Madison area. What makes these communities exclusive? It's not about the price. It's all about availability. All of the condo developments below are extremely popular with local buyers, and the competition for listings is fierce. 

Many of the communities to make our list are smaller, "boutique" associations with a low number of condominiums. In addition, the owners within these developments tend to stay for a long time, so listings are few and far between. If you're planning to buy within one of these popular condo communities, recognize you're not the only one. We recommend

This weekend, forget your grill.  Join thousands at the Alliant Energy Center grounds for Brat Fest 2015. The event, presented by Johnsonville and produced by Metcalfe's, provides tasty and inexpensive brats and coordinating menu items, concerts, play areas and even exercise for the whole family. And after you've had a chance to try all the delicious grilled food, exercise isn't a bad idea.

There are multiple opportunities for races, rowing, climbing and exploring throughout the weekend. Friday includes sack races for kids and soccer demonstrations by Keva coaches. On Saturday morning, the Bun Run begins at 8:30 a.m. Runners can choose a 5K or 10k route. Following the adult run, kids can do the MUDstard run, an obstacle course that includes ketchup,

With just about a month left before local schools take summer break, we're in the "peak" of summer camp research and reservations. Many camps require a registration by May 31, or sooner. And while there are countless opportunities for kids- with YMCA, Madison School Community Recreation and other groups offering weekly camps, there are some additional, interesting options for Dane County Youth.

Suppose your child is more interested in technology than outdoor exploring. iD-Tech, in conjunction with UW-Madison, is offering week long options including Adventures in Minecraft Game Design, Intro to Java Programming and Role-Playing Game Design. The program insists your child will be with a professional, adult instructor, with a student/teacher ratio of 8-1.

We recently posted about 10 of the hottest neighborhoods in the city of Madison. That article was well-received, so we decided to build upon this topic by taking a look at the hottest neighborhoods in suburban Madison. For our suburban review we analyzed neighborhoods in the communities of Fitchburg, Middleton, Monona, Sun Prairie, Verona, and Waunakee. 

We identified 13 hot suburban markets in all. All of these markets met our criteria for low months of inventory, low days on market, and high selling prices relative to the original list. We used statistics from the South Central Wisconsin MLS to determine each neighborhood's inclusion in our list. The specific criteria are laid out in more detail toward the bottom of this article.

The results of

How can you get an accurate market value for your home? We use a six-step market analysis approach, which includes a close look at all of these market dynamics:

• the recent sales in your neighborhood
• the current listings with accepted offers
• the current listings without accepted offers
• the recently expired listings in your area
• the months of supply in your neighborhood
• the impact of seasonality on pricing

The sample market analysis below shows how we bring all of this information together to help you accurately price your home. This particular analysis is for a home in the Westmorland neighborhood on Madison's near west side. Note: we've removed the property address from the analysis in order to preserve the owner's

Changing homes can mean so much more than adjusting to a new commute, improving a floor plan or selecting the right schools. Many buyers are also bringing Fido along for the transition. And considering four legged family members means considering recreational areas that are pet friendly.

The Dane County Parks Department is on the forefront of dog park implementation and design. In 1994 it was the first county in the nation to create a dog park program. Since then, it has expanded to include 7 county parks allowing off-leash areas. Dogs are also welcome at all county parks with a leash. "We found out over time, it's not only a benefit for dogs, but for the community as well. Everyone gets exercise and enjoys the outdoors," says Darren Marsh, Dane County

A good market analysis can help you discover your home's value with a high degree of accuracy. We begin every market analysis with a visit to your home. During our visit we tour your house with you in order to gain a good understanding of your property's features and finishes. We take a lot of notes, and we may even take a few pictures (for our eyes only).

We also use our visit as an opportunity to discuss staging and low cost cosmetic improvements. At this stage in the process, we often call on our home stager, who will help you put a game plan in place for preparing your home for sale.

After our visit we head back to our office and complete your market analysis for you. Our analysis covers 6 key areas. These 6 areas are summarized below.

We recently posted an update on the status of the Madison area condo market. In this post we take a similar view at the latest trends for single family homes. All of our data comes from the South Central Wisconsin MLS, and is updated through March of 2015, unless otherwise noted. Much of the data comes from our sister site, DaneCountyMarket.com. As the data below shows, we're in the throes of a seller's market.

Madison Area Single Family Home Trends - Active Listings

The graph below shows the number of Dane County active single family home listings at the end of every March going back the last 8 years. Active listings have decreased steadily since 2010 and are now more than 36% below the peak. It's important to note that these listings include

Note from Dan 4/10/2015: This article has been updated to include the latest market statistics from March of 2015.

We recently wrote a short post about the low levels of condo inventory in the Madison area. In this article we'll dig a little deeper to show why the Madison metropolitan area needs more condominiums. We'll take a look at some key condo statistics for the county, city and some of the major condo developments in town. The picture we paint will show more than a tight condo market but a market where there is a clear shortage of condominiums. In this market buyers face some clear challenges, while sellers have never experienced a time of greater opportunity. 

Dane County Condo Trends - Active Listings

Each month we publish the number of

There is nothing quite like a fresh-picked tomato, or the crunch of a newly harvested sugar snap pea. In just a few short weeks, residents will enjoy fresh, Wisconsin-grown produce again. It's time to think spring. And with spring in Madison, comes the re-opening of numerous farmer's markets. The Dane County Farmer's Market returns to the Capitol Square April 18, and leads the way for a large variety of markets to reopen all over the county. There are more than 50 distinct farmer's markets in the region, with Madison offering at least 9. In many cases, the markets are within walking distance from popular neighborhoods like Hill Farms, Sunset Village and Bay Creek. If you ask the locals, one of the major perks of life in Madison is the abundant supply of