Mad City Dream Homes Real Estate Blog, Madison WI

If someone asked me to go for a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26-mile run, I'd maybe be able to over the course of a year. Or two. 

And yet thousands of triathletes from around the world are about to accomplish that feat in just one day. They've been training for the Ironman Wisconsin, which returns to Madison on Sunday, Sept. 10.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the event without actually signing up, but you may still break a sweat.

Cheer them on!

Whether or not you personally know an Ironman, tens of thousands of fans show up each year to cheer them on during the grueling race. It starts Sunday at 6:40 a.m. and goes all day, ending on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., where there will be a finish line party from 10 p.m. to

1,395 Views, 0 Comments

growing and nurturing your sphere of influenceIn our latest real estate careers article we cover the basics of growing and nurturing your database, or "sphere of influence". Growing and nurturing your database is the single most important thing you can do to guarantee a rewarding and long-lasting career in real estate. Many agents are intimidated by this task, but the good news is our team offers a ton of support in this area. You can also make the "nurturing" part of your database a lot of fun - by staying in touch with your database in ways that are authentic to your personality. 

What is a real estate database?

Your real estate database is your network of friends, family, clients, and other people in the community that you stay in touch with. Ultimately these are the people who come to know

2,436 Views, 0 Comments

Joe Hanauer, owner of Landscape Architecture LLC, started the Madison-based business 21 years ago. A graduate of UW-Madison, he is a licensed landscape architect and also has a degree in horticulture.

"I'm well-versed in the issues that involve design, construction and engineering in the landscape architecture side of things, but I'm also really well-versed in the plants, what they need and what grows well where," he said.

He spent the first seven years of his career working in the Chicago area, where he learned a lot about design on a large scale. Moving back to Madison revealed a difference in companies, customers and style in regards to the landscape architecture industry, which took some getting used to. Unlike many contractors who have a

2,149 Views, 0 Comments

This weekend, make room for some delicious food from Madison area restaurants. The 2017 Taste of Madison will be open both Saturday and Sunday on the Capitol Square. With more than 200 menu items, provided by more than 80 restaurants, there is sure to be something for every age and appetite. 

The event is designed to allow you to sample a wide range of delicacies, family favorites and restaurant specialties, but at a modest price. Serving sizes are 6 oz. or less, and the cost for each item ranges from $1-$4. You can build full meals out of the variety of options, with appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts of all kinds.  Don't forget to stop at some of the 26 beverage stands scattered throughout. All tips you give at these stands, and all proceeds

1,085 Views, 0 Comments

communicating your offer to purchaseAs listing agents we're noticing some interesting shifts in practice as the world becomes more digitally dependent, in particular with how offers are being submitted and communicated to sellers. Specifically, we're noticing more communication being done through text and email, and less through telephone calls and conversation. 

A relatively common scenario is for a buyer agent to email the listing agent an offer and then follow that up with a text message asking the listing agent to confirm receipt. In other words offers are being submitted without the buyer agent initiating any conversation with the listing agent. These types of offers, in our experience, are the ones least likely to get accepted in a competitive situation. 

Which offers are the

5,799 Views, 0 Comments

Documenting features and upgrades is a great way to demonstrate your home's value and justify your list price to buyers and appraisers. This 30 second video offers 3 quick tips to help you get started with the process. 

How we help you sell your home's features and upgrades

Once we have your list of upgrades, we'll use this information to create professional marketing materials for your listing. If your list of upgrades is extensive, we can create an itemized list similar to this one from a recent listing. 

Example of a "features sheet"

Another great marketing piece is our "features sheet". Our features sheet displays your home's key selling points alongside your professional photos to create an eye-catching promotional piece. 

6,478 Views, 0 Comments

A community tradition that spans more than 50 years returns this weekend in Middleton. The Good Neighbor Festival runs from Aug. 25-27 at Fireman's Park, featuring plenty of food, fun and music for the whole family to enjoy.

"The Year of the Volunteer" is meant to honor and appreciate all individuals and volunteer groups who dedicate their time, talents and resources to give back to their community. The theme is fitting for an event that's the biggest fundraiser for many of Middleton's nonprofits and charities, which rely and thrive on volunteers.

Some of the groups that will be represented include Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, Lions, Optimists and local VFW Posts. They are working together to provide a food court in the park shelter featuring

2,467 Views, 0 Comments

Eight Common Home Pricing MistakesPricing a listing can be one of the trickiest parts of the home-selling experience, and it's very easy to get your pricing wrong if you rush through this part of the process. Over the years we've noticed a few relatively common mistakes that cause sellers to either over-price or under-price their listing. Here are 8 common mistakes to avoid as you go about the process of pricing your home. 

#1: Not taking seasonality into account

Time of year can have a big impact on a home's value. For instance, competing offers and bidding wars are most common in the springtime when buyers are out in droves. In the springtime it's easy to under-price a listing if the momentum of the market isn't taken into account. On the flip side it's easy to over-price in the

1,643 Views, 0 Comments

Wisconsin is known as the Badger State, but aside from Bucky have you ever seen the burrowing animal? Henry Vilas Zoo in the heart of Madison is home to three badgers that are easy to spot if they're not too sleepy or shy. 

The Wisconsin Heritage exhibit, the newest at the zoo, is definitely worth a look, but there are plenty of other things for all ages to do while there.

See the animals, of course 

While the zoo family recently had to say goodbye to Cyber, an amur tiger, among its additions are a polar bear, rhinoceros and pair of lion cubs.

If it slithers or swims and has hooves or wings, you're likely to find it there. Most animals are behind glass or fences, but people do have the opportunity to touch and feed goats.

Go for a

2,082 Views, 0 Comments

September is a great month to buy a home. The reason is we typically see a brief lull in the market as families focus on their back-to-school routines. Our 2016 market data shows how buyer activity dipped in September and then jumped back up again in October. This is a pretty typical pattern for the fall real estate market. 

Buying a home in September

When buyer activity decreases, sellers become more flexible

We know from experience that competing offers will be less prevalent in September and throughout the fall season. With fewer buyers and fewer bidding wars in the fall, sellers will lose some of their advantage. Some will become more flexible and more willing to negotiate in the months ahead. 

Sometimes it pays to go against the norm

Popular opinion says to

1,056 Views, 0 Comments

Sign up for email updates