Spring means blossoms, green grass, buds on the trees, and the perfect time to tap a maple tree. In Wisconsin, maple syrup production begins in March. Trees are tapped while temperatures are still below freezing at night, but are warmer during the day. The United States is the only country in the world producing commercial maple syrup. Wisconsin plays a key part in this industry, producing roughly 250,000 gallons of maple syrup each year, according to the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association.

This weekend, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona will celebrate Wisconsin's maple syrup industry. The 13th annual Maple Syrup Festival is planned for Sunday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. Visitors will enjoy the wide range of indoor and outdoor activities

These days we're using technology to get just about anything we want. When we feel the need to buy, we shop online at Amazon and have our purchase shipped directly to our door. When we have a question, we turn to Google where the world of information is at our finger tips. And when we feel the need to connect, we use social media to reach out to our friends online.

But when it comes to the world of real estate, can we expect to buy a home in the same way?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The truth is there is no easy button for buying in this market. As many consumers are learning, there's a lot more that goes into buying a home than casually searching for properties online. Shopping with your Zillow app just isn't good enough - because half of

Your property could be worth much more than you ever imagined. Even though interest rates have changed, Madison home and condo prices keep rising in 2018. Here's our summary of the latest trends in the Madison area real estate market.

Prices

Madison home prices rose to $154 per square foot through the month of February. This was a record high for our market and a 9% increase from last year. 

Madison condo prices also rose to record highs through the month of February.  

Inventory

Prices are rising because demand is strong and housing is in short supply. In February and March, there were only .7 months of single family home inventory in Madison - a rock bottom low for our market. 

Condo supply is also very low. Right now there is

This weekend, don your best green attire and head downtown to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Several restaurants and bars have special events planned for the weekend, but the fun isn't just the food and drink. Be sure to check out these events, beginning Saturday morning:

Shamrock Shuffle

This 5K run/walk or 10K race raises money for the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the Dyslexia Center of Madison. Participants meet at the Pyle Center, and race starts at 10 a.m. near the corner of State and Lake Streets.  Green attire, fun costumes and St. Patrick's Day themed props are encouraged. Strollers are welcome, but organizers ask that you leave your dogs at home (an insurance issue). There is still time to register, but registration is capped at

Statistics show that the average American household has "300,000 things." And as more baby boomers downsize, move to assisted living facilities, or pass away, "the volume of unwanted keepsakes and family heirlooms is poised to grow -- along with the number of delicate conversations about what to do with them," the New York Times reports.

From your great aunt's rocking chair to that unopened box of hand-me-down china, the weight of what we own and what we no longer use could easily be lifted off of our shoulders. Wouldn't it be nice to ditch the guilt and declutter your life by finding a new home for some of your belongings?

While some trinkets should just go in the garbage bin, many other items don't need to be relegated to the curb. You might not

Some parks require hiking to the top of a hill to experience a beautiful vista, and other sites can be enjoyed while seated. That is just one of the many reasons the Jenni and Kyle Preserve is so special.

This natural area near Madison and Fitchburg provides educational and recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Of the handful of Dane County Parks that offer accessible fishing sites, the Jenni and Kyle Preserve has the most at eight, as well as accessible nature trails, a sheltered picnic area, and two wheelchair swings.

The park was named in memory of siblings Jenni and Kyle Geurkink, who both died in the 1980s of a degenerative neurological disorder before they turned 4. Their grandparents, Harvey and Patricia

Ready for outdoor recreation? Spring is almost upon us, and soon the area will be bustling with bikers and paddlers. Madison, with its abundance of parks, trails, and lakes, was ranked by WalletHub as one of the best cities in the country for an active lifestyle. And this weekend, March 9-11, the city is hosting two converging expos at the Alliant Energy Center with great deals, prizes, and tips: Bike-O-Rama and Canoecopia. Note that admission does not include parking fees.

Bike-O-Rama
When: Noon to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: New Holland Pavilion, Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison
Admission: Free

The Midwest Bicycle Show and Sale "Bike-O-Rama" is the largest bicycle sale in

We recently had an opportunity to do 2 market analyses which showed how dramatically market conditions can differ from one location to the next. One property was located in a clear seller's market in Madison's Westmorland neighborhood. The other property was a higher priced listing located in a more rural buyer's market. Below we share a few examples from both market analyses which demonstrate how buyer's markets and seller's markets differ.  

Seller's markets typically have low inventory levels and a high percentage of listings with accepted offers. These two traits run very strong in the Westmorland neighborhood. At the time of our analysis the Westmorland market had only .6 months of supply available for sale on the MLS. In addition, 50% of

In a hot real estate market, making a strong offer to purchase is the key to success. If you include a contingency to sell, it can be enough to prevent you from obtaining an accepted offer. Because there are a limited number of properties available this spring, we encourage our buyers to do everything they can to avoid having a sale contingency on their offer.

Karen Wedvick, of Johnson Bank, offers a few suggestions to help buyers have a good offer ready, without selling first.

1. Get a Home Equity Line of Credit BEFORE you List your Home.  A line of credit allows you to use your home equity to work for you, including the option to use it for a down payment. This option can be appealing, because it typically allows you to access 90% of your current

Enter Monona Terrace today or tomorrow, and the smell of all things dairy will be wafting through the air. More than 3000 unique cheese, butters and yogurts will be on exhibit, hoping to gain recognition and earn rewards at the World Championship Cheese Contest.  This 32nd biannual event is hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, a trade association that includes more than 500 companies dedicated to making the best dairy products possible. And, while Wisconsin is famous for cheese, entrants in this competition include cheese makers from around the world.

The contest is open for public visits until 4 p.m. today and Wednesday. Stop in to enjoy the smells, taste the samples, and see what leading cheese makers are doing with their products.