As another entry in our series of neighborhood profiles, The Crossing, also known as Glacier Ridge, has earned the attention of families and professionals for its attractive setting within Madison city limits. Its appeal begins with the large amount of green space, and several large parks along its borders. The Crossing is the kind of neighborhood where you'll find residents strolling along the sidewalks each evening, and taking advantage of the expansive trail network along its western edge. 

The Ice Age Trail Park borders the community on the west side. This park provides beautiful space to hike and bike on wooded trails and natural prairies. We recently featured it here:

Mad City Dream Homes Neighborhood Tours - The Ice Age Trail from Dan

Some people just have an "eye" for capturing beautiful things. At Mad City Dream Homes, we've been working with Justin Lackner of Lackner Photography, because he has this "eye." Take a look at his photography, and you'll agree that he's gifted at finding and capturing Madison's natural beauty.

"I've always loved Madison. The more places I've been, the more I love this city. It has the amenities of a big city, but is so easily accessible by car, bike or public transportation. And the parks- they are beautiful- and there are plenty of them to explore and enjoy," he said. Lackner is responsible for the park photography we feature on our website. His talent for capturing these natural spaces is invaluable. "With nature photography, you have the time to sit

In a real estate market that proves to be highly competitive, we encourage our clients to work with lenders that provide high quality service and efficient results. One of our favorite lenders is Patrick Averill of Thompson Kane. Averill has proven himself as a lender who consistently puts his clients' needs first, and who ensures they understand the lending process from start to finish.

"I take what I do very seriously. This is my clients' largest purchase, and often their largest asset. I do everything I can to make the process go as smoothly and stress-free as possible," he says. Averill is familiar with the competition many buyers face to get their offers accepted. He educates his clients on their financial options, their approved purchase range,

Many buyers are getting sticker shock in this year's hot real estate market. They're realizing they can't get the home they were hoping for within their original budget. Some buyers are dropping out due to rising prices. Others are adjusting their expectations about the market and moving forward with their home-buying plan. They're doing this by "living in their payment, not their mortgage". 

Living in your Payment

"Living in your payment" refers to looking at your purchase in terms of your monthly payment, not the purchase price of your home. For example, suppose your original budget for buying a home was $300,000, but due to rising prices you're considering increasing your budget in order to find the right property. The chart below shows for every

Remember the "good old days" when kids got up on a summer morning, played outdoors, and returned home at night?  Parents didn't fear danger, and kids were free to roam the neighborhood. People assume that this is a throwback to another time, but in Madison, it's still happening at the neighborhood pools. The city is home to at least 13 neighborhood pools. Many are membership driven, but a few offer paid admission to the public. In either case, they are typically centrally located within neighborhoods, and offer a place where neighbors gather, children are known by name, and the staff keep a close eye. Between the neighborly atmosphere and the schedule of daily swim lessons, swim team, water ballet, and other events, kids can stay busy from morning to

The market this year is playing out as expected. Inventories are historically low. Properties are selling quickly. And prices are rising rapidly throughout Dane County. Here's a quick market snapshot covering a few of the county's largest communities. 

Home Prices

We use the price per square foot to track the change in local home prices. Property values are rising rapidly and setting new highs in Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, Verona and Waunakee. We expect Middleton home prices to reach new highs within a few months.

Low inventories and strong demand are driving prices higher. Bidding wars and "escalation clauses" have become very common this spring, especially for listings priced under $350,000. 

Condo Prices

The condo market used to be

You’ve done your homework, worked with the stager, and made the improvements necessary to make your home attract buyers. You kept it perfect for showings, and generated great interest. Finally, you accept an offer, and believe you will soon move on to a new adventure. But then it happens. The buyer's home inspection report includes mold. What do you do?

We’ve walked many sellers through this predicament, and have found some excellent solutions. One of our favorite mold experts is Rapid Response Remediation. This company has effectively cleaned up several of our clients' properties, and has done it in a timely and affordable manner. Rob Mozgawa, managing partner of the company, says that people are more afraid of mold than they need to be.

“It's an

When is the best time to start your estate planning? Age 18. The reality for most people is that this planning doesn’t happen until much later, but Bob Nennig of Nennig Law Offices, LLC can help clients of all ages prepare for the future. Nennig knows that most clients aren’t experts on estate planning. He prides himself in walking them through the process, explaining the options, and making sure that they are both pleased and protected by the final results. You don’t have to be exceptionally wealthy to make plans. If you own a home and have a retirement plan, you're ready to make an estate plan.

Estate planning is different from financial advice. It is designed to look at your assets and then create the best possible way to share them with your loved

How often do Madison area real estate listings receive multiple offers? The South Central Wisconsin MLS actually started tracking this statistic in 2016. We like following this stat because it gives us some great insight into the market and the performance of our team.

Competing Offers Give us Insight into the Market

As we posted a few weeks ago, competing offers are most common during the springtime. If you're looking to time your sale just right, then right now is the perfect time to sell. Your odds of attracting multiple offers and getting a fantastic price are highest in the Spring. 

Competing Offers Help us Measure our Team's Performance

We design our marketing to attract multiple offers, because competing offers allow us to

Market conditions on the west and near west side of Madison are optimal for sellers right now. In fact several neighborhoods stand out as very hot seller's markets due to historically low levels of supply. For example, all 6 of these west-side neighborhoods have less than a month of housing inventory. 

Crestwood - Featuring Unique Properties and Unique Parks

Faircrest - Walk to Parks, Schools and the Neighborhood Pool

Hill Farms - Next Door to Hilldale Mall

Midvale Heights - Home of the Buffalo and Bike Path

Westmorland - Mid-Century Homes in a Convenient Setting

Wexford Village - Home to a Library, Restaurants, Parks and Pool

More Hot Neighborhoods on the West Side

Not far behind are Parkwood Hills, Sauk