Madison area home prices continued to move higher in the month of January. Here's our latest update on the Dane County single family home market.  

Dane County home prices

Home prices in the month of January:

• The price per square foot increased from $211 to $225 (6 percent).
• The average price increased from $471,524 to $494,110 (5 percent). 
• The median price increased from $430,000 to $450,000 (5 percent).

New listings

New listings rose for the third straight month (a positive trend), but were still very low by historical standards. A total of of 387 single family homes were listed for sale in the month of January, which was the second lowest January total this century. 

Active listings

Active listings (those

If one of your life goals is to become a homeowner, you might try embracing the mindset of "better over perfect". In other words, the home you buy this year may not be your perfect home, in your perfect location, and at your perfect price. But it can be the home that helps you create a better life -- and build a stronger financial foundation.  

Simply by paying your mortgage each month, and by making the right improvements, you can start building equity right now that will help you move up to your next home a few years down the line. You can experience your dream of homeownership, and you can start building wealth for your future, when you embrace better over perfect. 

For the first time in a long time, the number of new single family home listings in Dane County has increased for 3 consecutive months. Yes, these are all very modest increases, but it's a trend in the right direction. 

It's important to note that we aren't seeing the same trend with condominium listings. Condo listings remain stuck at historically low levels for a variety of reasons, most notably a lack of new construction. We'll have much more market info to share in our January home and condo updates, coming real soon...

You don't need to substantially remodel your home in order to prepare for a successful sale. But you can create instant value by addressing the simple projects that eliminate common buyer objections. 

Here are a few common buyer objections that all come with simple fixes:

1) Dated wallpaper and paint colors

2) Dated light fixtures

3) Dated cabinet hardware 

4) Old bathroom mirrors and medicine cabinets

5) Soiled, worn, or dated flooring 

6) Old curtains and blinds 

7) Soiled and dirty siding 

8) Weeds and overgrown shrubs in the yard

Whether you plan to move in the near future or stay in your home for years to come, we're happy to help you with any type of home improvement project -- and refer you to reputable

As we prepare for the year ahead, Mad City Dream Homes would like to highlight a vital community organization that is preparing - and equipping - young adults for success in Dane County. Operation Fresh Start (OFS) helps emerging adults carve out new pathways to success by overcoming barriers.

In tandem with personalized mentorship, OFS helps participants finish their high school diplomas, obtain drivers licenses, build trade industry skills via apprenticeships, and network in preparation for their professional lives, (among other initiatives). As Gregory Markle, OFS’s Executive Director put it, “For our young people, we build opportunities to let them know that we care. We focus on the moment when we encourage them to make a leap of faith

Let's have a quick look at the numbers: Last year, Dane County's population grew by almost 8,000 people, and yet we built just under 1,300 homes. This is a very familiar pattern in Dane County. As the chart below shows, new home construction has been subdued for the last 18 years, even though our county has consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing regions in the state. 

What does the future hold for Dane County?

While many counties in Wisconsin are experiencing population declines, it's important to note that Dane County's population is projected to grow by another 200,000 people over the next 30 years. For this and a host of other reasons, we fully expect local home values will continue to appreciate for the foreseeable future. 

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting a new client for a staging and cosmetics consultation. Our visit included a color consultant, a home stager, a handyman, and two agents from our team. And it was a wonderfully productive meeting. We identified painting projects, chose paint colors, picked out light fixtures, and prioritized a few home repairs. And of course, we scoped out our staging plan. 

We're excited to help our client transform her home in the weeks ahead. This one is gonna be a lot of fun...

Rates for a 30 year mortgage were approaching 8 percent just a few months ago, but now they're much closer to 6.5%. What new possibilities do lower rates create for you? Now is a great time to explore your opportunities with a trusted local lender. Contact your Mad City Dream Homes realtor for a referral to a lender who will help you understand your options and make good financial decisions. We'd love to help. 

 Chart and data are provided courtesy of the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. 

Done the right way, the best home improvement projects offer a 300 to 500 percent return on investment, and with relatively little up-front cost. This has been our experience, over and over again, with dozens and dozens of clients. 

Which projects offer the biggest impact?

Usually it's the simple, low-cost projects like painting, flooring, lighting, window treatments, and cabinet hardware. Then add in a little staging and a little art, and you'll feel like you live in a brand new home. 

Would you like a complimentary cosmetics consultation for your own home? We'd love to be a resource for you and help you make the most of your investment. Contact your preferred Mad City Dream Homes realtor to schedule your own consultation. 

Madison consistently ranks among the top cities in the nation to live. For what reasons? And for whom? Those answers vary depending on who you ask.

“As a lifelong Madisonian, I’ve noticed that this is a wonderful community but it's more wonderful for a certain group of people than it is for others,” said the Rev. Dr. Alex Gee, who serves as the lead pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church (Fountain of Life), founder and president of the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development (Nehemiah), and host of the podcast Black Like Me. He is also the founder and CEO of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture (The Center), a new nonprofit which is in the final stages of its fundraising campaign to create a welcoming and inspirational space for the