Have you been cross-country skiing this winter? Have you taken a horseback ride on an Equestrian trail? Brought your dog to enjoy a dog park? Our neighborhoods make our community stronger, and parks play a vital role in improving our quality of life. In Dane County we're blessed with an elaborate park systems for all to enjoy, with more new projects on the horizon.

This year, the Dane County Parks system will open a floating boardwalk that will connect the Capitol Bike Trail and the Lower Yahara River Trail. The trail provides beautiful scenery and a unique way to travel from Stoughton to the State Capitol. The trail includes the shores of Lake Kegonsa, the Yahara River and Lake Waubesa. This is just one example of the sizable park systems in the

Home supply in the Madison area is low and the demand for housing is booming, yet home building levels have been flat for the last 4 years. So why aren't more homes being built in Madison and Dane County? One industry expert recently shared his insights with me (see below). 

Why aren't more homes being built in and around Madison? 

Before the 2005 housing downturn, activity with developers and financial institutions in various stages of planning and completion was robust. It was a financially rewarding time to be a lender or a builder. When the downturn hit, the emotional and financial shock took many by surprise and is reflected in the current reluctance of lenders to provide capitol, and developers and builders to take chances.

The one

It's going to be another wild and crazy year for real estate in 2017. Low supply will be the HUGE theme as the weather starts to warm. If you're serious about buying in 2017, you'll need to go "all in". The market is already playing its hand this year - and supply is trending lower. Here is some quick insight into the inventory trends at play in the Madison area real estate market. 

Madison Single Family Home Inventory is Historically Low

Right now there are only 1.1 months of inventory in the Madison single family home market. Last year at this time there were 1.6 months. What's more, active MLS listings are down 20% from where they were last year. Almost one-third of the listings on the market right now are under contract (a very high percentage

Do you need to sell your current home in order to buy another? Are you wondering how you can compete against other buyers who don't have a home sale contingency? Do you feel overwhelmed by the tasks in front of you?

Whether your goal is to "down-size" or "up-size", you and your agent can make it happen by putting a proactive plan in place. Read on to learn our seven tips for selling and buying at the same time. By following these tips you'll be taking the necessary steps that will get you into your dream home. 

7 Tips for Selling and Buying at the Same Time

Tip 1: Work proactively with your real estate agent so you're ready to sell your home as soon as you find the home you'd like to buy. This means getting your home staged and having your

In the month of December our real estate team helped 3 different clients sell their home and buy a new home on the same day. As you'll see below, each client took a unique approach to making their home purchase happen. The common element among all 3 clients was each one worked proactively to implement a specific, well-thought-out plan. See below to learn how each client sold one home in order to buy another.  

Client One: Creating a Plan A and Plan B

Our clients Jeff and Patsy wished to sell their home in Waunakee in order to buy a new construction home in Madison. We were confident we could accomplish this by selling their current home quickly and scheduling it to close on the same day as their purchase. Just in case, Jeff and Patsy put a

All of the photos below come from our 2016 listings. Each picture offers a great example of how professional staging and professional photography can work together to create a killer listing. These photos come from both upscale and modest homes, and from homes large and small. No matter what kind of home you have, you can have killer listing photos, too. 

A special thanks to Debbie Lea from Showcase Home Stagers, who shares her expertise with all of our listing clients. These listing photos wouldn't be possible without her expertise and guidance. Remember, we offer Debbie's consultation free of charge when you hire us to sell your home. 

Kitchen and Dining Room Photos

Living Room Photos

Our real estate team is moving in a great direction. Every agent on the team is growing their business and receiving awesome client feedback. Now we're rolling out a plan that builds on this momentum and ensures a prosperous career for everyone on the team. The plan helps each new agent get off to a successful start, enjoy a great career, and even fund their retirement. Below is the road map for our team going forward. 

Invest in the Team

Each month we invest $2,500 into our website to improve our brand and marketing. This long-term focus is paying off. New traffic from Google is up 19% from last year and 49% from the year before. Our site is receiving a ton of great feedback. Each year it's attracting dozens of great clients who are happy to work

Madison home prices will rise again in 2017 because inventory remains low and there is a large pent up demand for real estate. Despite modestly higher interest rates, expect a Spring market full of bidding wars and listings that sell in a matter of days or even hours.

If you're a serious buyer, begin your search in December or January rather than delay until the Summer or Spring. The competition for housing will become very fierce very soon. 

If you're a committed seller, know that in today's market you don't need to list in the Summer or Spring in order to have a successful sale. You can list in early 2017 and achieve positive results. The data below demonstrates why the market favors you.  

Signs of a Seller's Market

We just completed a

When you think about updating your home, maybe you think about granite counter tops? Flooring updates? Bathroom remodels?  While all of these updates can help you net more for your home, they also require cash up front.

What if you want to sell, but don’t want to put substantial money into these updates? Debbie Lea of Showcase Home Stagers says you can still improve your home’s visual appeal and perceived value. Debbie works with each of our clients, and her staging services are included as part of our marketing plan. Her innovative ideas, and eye for design have greatly enhanced our listings.

Debbie recommends looking at your home the way it will appear in the online listing. After all, your home’s online photos will be your first showing. Does

The Mad City Dream Homes mobile search app is the best app around for searching Madison area listings on the go. We've put a lot of thought into the design, which includes some great features you won't find anywhere else. Download our free app using the links below, and read on for a list of handy features. 

Mobile App Search Features

• Search Nearby Listings
• Search Polygon
• Search Radius
• Exclude Accepted Offers
• Search School District
• Search Open Houses
• Search by Days on Market
• Search Garage and Parking Spots
• Search by Location
• All Purpose Search Tools

Discover Which Nearby Listings Have Accepted Offers

Which listings are selling in your neighborhood? Our "nearby" feature provides answers by automatically