At Mad City Dream Homes we create a customized marketing plan for each home-selling client. A key part of our marketing is the staging plan that we develop for each new listing. As you'll see from the 5 recent listings below, we customize our approach according to the needs of each individual property. 

Success story #1: staging an occupied home by Debbie Lea

This listing was prepped for sale by home staging extraordinaire, Debbie Lea. Debbie's staging plan helped our seller receive multiple offers and a record sales price for this condo association. 

Success story #2: staging a luxury property with rented furniture

For this luxury listing, Debbie Lea collaborated with Brook Furniture Rental by selecting the furniture, artwork and

This year has been the most competitive real estate market we've ever witnessed in Madison. Due to persistently low inventory, many buyers have missed out on their dream home and are still searching for the right property, in the right location, and at the right price.

Fortunately the upcoming holiday season offers a window of opportunity for buyers who stay engaged with their search. That's because the market slows noticeably during the holidays, as fewer offers are written in November and December than in any other month of the year. Over the years we've identified two other market trends which show the opportunities available during the holiday season. For more information, read on below... 

1) Competing offers are less common during the

The season of pumpkins, mums, and changing leaves is here! Several communities in Dane County are preparing for their annual fall festivals with plenty of games, crafts, and autumnal treats for the whole family to enjoy. Mad City Dream Homes will also have a presence at one of these events on Friday, the second annual Verona Fall Fest.

Verona Fall Fest

When: 4-10 p.m. Friday, October 5
Where: Hometown USA Festival Park, 111 Lincoln St., Verona
Info: www.visitveronawi.com

Our Hometown real estate agent, Mark Hewitt, will be sponsoring a face painting booth for kids with free designs, including some to go along with the outdoor screening of the movie "Coco" that night, as well as candy and interactive games. Meanwhile, adults can check out a

Each year the Madison real estate market slows down in September due to the Labor Day holiday and the back-to-school rush. We see this slow-down in both the single family home and condo markets. As an example, see the graph below which shows the number of accepted offers in the Madison condo market for each month in 2017. Notice how market activity dipped significantly in September and then bounced higher in October. This is a pretty typical pattern for our market. 

As expected, this pattern is repeating itself in 2018. The first half of September was a slow time for real estate, but now we're seeing market activity pick up again as we approach the month of October. 

October = Opportunity for Sellers

If you have a home to sell, you now know

Summers in Wisconsin can be sweltering, and that often means electricity bills skyrocket with air conditioning units running to keep us cool and comfortable. But there are eco-friendly ways you can save money while staying safe this season. Leah Samson, residential services manager with Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E), shares the following energy tips and resources for homeowners.

Safety first!

• If you smell natural gas, (yuck it stinks!) call your gas utility immediately. For MG&E it is (608) 252-1111.
• Digging in your yard? Call 811 for the Diggers Hotline or visit www.diggershotline.com. Flags will be placed so you know where NOT to dig.

Be comfortable

• Cook outside or with a microwave oven instead of a stove. Your AC unit will

The Blackhawk Ski Club is thriving and, as fall begins, the club is preparing to welcome new members. With six alpine skiing and snowboarding trails and miles of cross country skiing trails, more than 5 miles of mountain bike trails, 60 acres of land, even targets for biathlon participants, the club aims to make winter weather fun, and to make summer trails worth a visit, too. Blackhawk Ski Club is located in the Town of Middleton, on Blackhawk Road. It was founded 71 years ago by a group of ski jumpers who were seeking more space to practice. Today, the club sits next to Pleasant View Golf Course. It has expanded its offerings and aims to teach new generations to love the outdoors.

"I wanted my kids to learn how to ski, and this was the perfect

For the last few summers we've invited our eldest niece stay with us in Madison for a weekend, and each time we try to do something new together. This year, in an attempt to captivate her 8-year-old interest (aside from her handheld gaming device), we decided to explore some sights on the city's east side.

After enjoying sandwiches and macaroni and cheese at Monty's Blue Plate Diner and checking out the rising lake levels at Olbrich Park, we headed across the street at dusk to Olbrich Botanical Gardens for its opening viewing of "GLEAM: Art in a New Light."

Before we got in line for admission we snapped a picture with the "Grow" Bucky on Parade statue in front of the building, which features textured poppy flowers, grass, roots, and clouds.

On a sunny August morning, dozens of volunteers sporting green "Project Home" T-shirts surrounded a house on Madison's east side, paint brushes and ladders in hand. It was one of the stops for the nonprofit's 30th annual Paint-a-thon, an event that brings people of all ages together to give a new coat of paint to houses of local owners who could use some assistance. (Click here to view video.)

Project Home got its start in 1970 as a group of neighbors helping neighbors with their homes. Over the years as the needs have grown, it has added more trained and certified staff, but it still continues its mission to improve the quality and affordability of housing for low-to-moderate income residents in Dane and Green counties.

The painting program is

Sometimes it takes a turn of events for you to find your passion. For Grant Priehs, a move to Madison was the impetus to explore new opportunities and do what he loves.

Priehs left work as an Art Director at a fast-paced marketing agency and began a successful career as a handyman in Madison. His company, Honey Do Handyman Services, has provided a rewarding way to help others. “Every homeowner has a list of things they notice every day - small tasks or updates that they just never get to; their ‘Honey-do’ list. But when you’re selling your home, you don’t want to have potential buyers leaving a showing with a dozen things they’ve noticed,” he says.

Priehs enjoys helping people complete projects they may not have the time or ability to complete on

Late last year we published our predictions for the 2018 real estate market. So far 2018 is playing out largely as expected. Here's our quick overview of this year's predicted and actual trends.

Prediction: Madison condo prices will rise by at least 8 percent. 

Actual: The average Madison condo price is up by 9 percent through the first 7 months of the year; the price per square foot is up by 7 percent. 

Prediction: Madison home prices will rise by at least 5 percent. 

Actual: Both the average price and the price per square foot are up by 4 percent through the first 7 months of the year. 

Prediction: New home construction will remain low. 

Actual: Housing starts remain low by historical standards. Building permits are up by only