"If we could give Shelley 10 stars we would...Shelley was always ready to show us houses at a minute's notice, was professional and knowledgeable, and was always upbeat and positive. We found a home that makes us happy every day and for that we thank Shelley!"

Shelley Lazzareschi routinely receives client feedback like this. She has a knack for making real estate appear easy, which for those of us who work in the field, we know is far from the truth. Here's a little more background on Shelley as a person and as a professional -- which helps to explain why Shelley receives so many referrals from her many loyal clients. 

#1: Shelley is a positive person. 

One of Shelley's unique gifts is that she is a consistently positive person. She shows up with

The Madison area real estate market continues to be very active at a time of year when listings and sales are typically slowing down. Here's a quick overview of the latest home and condo trends in Dane County. 

Dane County condo trends

New condo listings increased by 15% in the month of July, and buyers have responded by gobbling up the new supply. Accepted offers increased by 17% in July and 43% in August. As you can see from the graph below, AOs are trending much higher as we enter the month of September.  

Dane County single family home trends

The Madison area single family home market has also been very active. New single family home listings increased by 10% in July, and a record number of homes were placed under contract in July

Hi! I’m Samantha Haas, and I joined Mad City Dream Homes as a photographer and writer in 2017 when our team had just started partnering with a local nonprofit called the Foundation for Dane County Parks. Through that collaboration, I have been able to document what it’s like to explore many of these special parks, forests, trails, and wildlife areas throughout the Madison area. 

Several members of our team -- and their dogs -- have been enjoying these parks, too! For example, Shelley Lazzareschi recently brought her dog, Tucker, to join our team meeting at Mendota County Park in Middleton, where we can take a break from our screens and enjoy the beautiful summer weather while social distancing.

Ann Raschein likes to go to Capital Springs Recreation

Heading to an apple orchard in the fall is a great tradition held by many in the Dane County area. It’s a great opportunity to get outside on a beautiful fall weekend. COVID-19 is affecting the way many apple orchards are doing business, but they are still open and excited to welcome visitors. Since policies may change at any time, be sure to check the orchard’s website or Facebook page before your visit to familiarize yourself with their protocols.

Appleberry Farm, Cross Plains

Appleberry Farm small family-owned orchard in Cross Plains. They will be open to the public beginning in September. In order to limit the number of visitors at a time and to allow for physical distancing, they will be using a sign-up form on their website for visitors to

It's been a crazy year to the say the least. A global pandemic. Political chaos. And economic uncertainty. Despite all of the chaos, the competition for Madison area real estate is at an all-time high in 2020. According to our latest review of MLS data, 34% of all Dane County home listings received multiple offers through the month of June. This is up from the previous high of 33% in 2018, and up from 26% in 2016, when we first started tracking this statistic. 

How competitive is the market by price range? 

Here's how the numbers shake out:

The very high number of competing offers this year shows there's a lot of pent-up demand for real estate in the Madison area. A lot of buyers are writing offers this year, and a lot of those buyers

The month of July is almost in the books, and our latest market snapshot shows Madison area home and condo prices keep on rising. As of July 26th, Dane County home prices were up 6% year-over-year and condo prices were up 3%. 

How much is your home worth right now?

We can help you understand your home or condo's current market value and recommend a few simple cosmetic updates that buyers will love, too. Just reach out to your preferred Mad City Dream Homes agent to schedule a short consultation. We'll help you prepare for a successful sale and eliminate much of the stress that so many sellers are experiencing in this year's COVID-19 market. 

For more information on local real estate prices, here's our July 26th snapshot

Madison area home

If you take some time to browse a few local realtor websites you might come away with the impression that buying a home in this market is easy. For example, one local real estate website says they make buying "easy and comfortable". And another says "we make real estate easy". 

While every good realtor should work to simplify and streamline the real estate experience, we believe you should know that buying a home in this market can be a lot like embarking on a journey, too. And sometimes the journey is filled with a few twists and turns, obstacles, and challenges. 

Common buyer challenges in 2020

Many buyers this year are facing a hyper-competitive real estate market, inspection surprises, and logistical and safety concerns created by the

Groundswell Conservancy began as a collaborative effort with the city, county, university, local nonprofits, and individuals nearly 40 years ago to protect Wally Bauman Woods (part of the UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve) from condominium development along Lake Mendota. Since then, this Madison-based nonprofit has continued using a partnership mentality to permanently preserve hundreds of other special places throughout Dane County and the seven surrounding counties. 

College students with the Prairie Partners ecology restoration summer internship program crew remove invasive species at Patrick Marsh near Sun Prairie. Photo by Ben Jones.

One of more than 50 land trusts in the state, Groundswell Conservancy often consults the Dane County

Preparing to sell a home can be stressful, but we're here to guide you every step of the way. 

One of our recent home selling clients said the experience working with REALTOR Dan Miller and the rest of the Mad City Dream Homes and RE/MAX Preferred team helped put her mind at ease during what could have been an overwhelming process. 

After nearly a year on a waiting list for an apartment in Lancaster, Judy B. got word in April that a vacancy was available. Suddenly it was time to sell the home she had lived in for 28 years in Madison. She had to downsize and move quickly, and especially with an injury that’s not so easy to do. So Judy reached out to a friend who is a real estate agent up north to see if he had any recommendations for a good local

The real estate market continues to be competitive for buyers in Dane County. With low inventory and low interest rates, there are plenty of buyers looking to buy their dream home. Our full time Real Estate Agents have time-tested strategies to help their clients stand out from the competition. Mad City Dream Homes REALTORs Ann Raschein and Maureen Moran share a few of their favorite tips and tricks to get their buyer clients into a new home.

Strategy 1: Personalized Outreach

Sometimes a well-crafted letter to the right potential seller can lead to a perfect real estate match. Maureen and Ann have both used this strategy, either to find a yet-to-be-listed property or to augment an offer.

Maureen: I have had buyers know exactly which condo