Mad City Dream Homes Real Estate Blog, Madison WI

Home and condo prices rose again in July as the seller's market continued in Madison. Here's a brief market summary for the month of July. 

Madison Single Family Home Market

The price per square foot rose from $146 in July of 2017 to $158 last month - a record high for the single family home market. July home prices rose 8% year-over-year and 11% year-to-date. 

July 2017 Madison WI Home Prices

The days on market statistic also set a new record in the month of July - reaching a new low of only 22 days. On a year-to-date basis, the days on market averaged only 32 days, which is also a record low. 

Months of supply continued to trend along historically low levels. This snapshot taken a few days ago shows there are only 1.8 months of inventory in the Madison single family

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Bordered by a bike trail, golf course, Mineral Point Road and South Midvale Boulevard is a near westside Madison neighborhood filled with historic architecture.

Westmorland features an assortment of home styles dating from the 1860s to 1950s. Within a few block radius is a barn that has been converted into a house, a Frank Lloyd Wright prototype and other mid-century moderns, classic Cape Cods, Tudor revival and International styles, Sears catalog homes and a few made of steel.

The Westmorland Neighborhood Association -- the fourth oldest in Madison -- produced a video promoting its oral history book and described Westmorland as a "microcosm reflecting Midwestern America's progress throughout the 20th century."

That statement certainly

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Just over 20 miles west of Madison along Hwy. 14 are two suburbs with a lot in common: Black Earth and Mazomanie.

Established as villages in the 1850s, nearly 1,500 people now call each of these places home. And it doesn't take long to understand why.

With rolling hills, historic downtowns and plenty of room to breathe, you'll be drawn to the beautiful views that surround these close-knit communities.

They are both located near a railroad and Black Earth Creek (a hot spot for trout fishing), on either side of Lake Marion and south of the Wisconsin River. They are also covered by the local newspaper, Star News, and share a school district, Wisconsin Heights, that boasts small class sizes for K-12 in the countryside.

This summer, families

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Low Housing Supply in Madison WIRealtor.com says Baby Boomers are a major cause of the housing shortage in the US. According to these recently released survey results, Boomers are generally satisfied with their current home and reluctant to move onto a new setting. This generational trend, according to the survey, is keeping listing inventory low and freezing would-be buyers out of the market. Among the survey findings:

  • 72% of Boomers say their home meets their current needs.
  • 85% of Boomers don't plan to sell in the next year.
  • Up to 33 million properties are being withheld from the market due to this generational trend. 

There's much more to the story than this. 

The survey makes it clear Baby Boomers are generally content to stay put in their current home, but it

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This week from sunrise to sunset, The Friends of Pope Farm Conservancy in the Town of Middleton invites the public to attend its annual Sunflower Days. 

Bring the whole family and your camera to the free event, which runs from Aug. 12-20. Just be sure to leave your dog at home and refrain from touching the flowers.

Hundreds of thousands of sunflowers grew on the 9-acre field between Old Sauk and Blackhawk roads on a hill that overlooks Lake Mendota in the distance.

While most people pick a direction and walk around the field, this year there is also a trail that carves into one of the corners so they can get a closer look.

From a distance it may seem like all the sunflowers are alike, but as you walk the perimeter you'll notice

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We recently added a section to our blog focused on real estate careers. In this article, we cover 8 ways our team is growing for the long term. We feel very fortunate to know our business is growing at a healthy pace, even though inventory is low and sales in the larger market are decreasing. 

This says a lot about our agents - Chris, Shelley, and Tammy - who are all receiving awesome client feedback. Their consistent focus on customer service has attracted a lot of loyal fans who are happily referring their friends and family to our team. 

Our growing client base has created an opportunity for a new agent to join us in 2017. The next agent to join us will have the same client focus as Chris, Shelley and Tammy. Our next agent will also embrace our

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Ask Kari Apel, CPA, what her perfect client looks like, and she'll tell you, "It's the one who values what we're doing, and partners with us for their own success." Apel enjoys working with clients that are dedicated to making sound financial decisions, and who are ready and willing to let her and her team help with the process. "We've found that the investment in working with a good accountant is easily recouped in the tax and other financial savings our clients receive," Apel says.

Apel's focus is helping clients in all areas of their life. She knows that many times the business and the personal finances overlap. In these situations, she can help clients determine their tax options, including whether a home or other property can be listed as a

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Growing up in the country, I spent many summer days chasing swallowtail and sulphur butterflies through the hay fields. But one of Wisconsin's most recognizable butterflies, the monarch, has been facing a population decline over the last decade.

Some city neighborhoods, including many along bike paths in Madison, have established gardens with prairie plants like milkweed to try to bring back the orange and black beauties and other insects. If you're having trouble spotting them on your own, Olbrich Botanical Gardens on the east side offers a Blooming Butterflies exhibit that features thousands of butterflies for the public to see from mid-July to mid-August.

While some butterflies are naturally drawn to the outdoor gardens at Olbrich, the indoor

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On a sunny August morning, Val Murphy tends the flowers around her nearly vacant home on Madison's west side.

Having spent over 30 years in the Parkwood Hills neighborhood with her family, she's ready to downsize -- but she's taking decades of memories with her.

"We loved the neighborhood the whole time through," she said.

The Murphys moved into their first house in 1986 on South Yellowstone Drive, but they outgrew it when their third child was born. So in 1993 when their daughter was 6 months old, they found the perfect spot to continue raising their family: just a few blocks away on a quiet, tree-lined street at 310 Everglade Drive.

"There's tons of space," she said. "And it's a great house for kids."

Now they want another family

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Many of those living in the Parkwood Hills neighborhood on Madison's west side view it as the total package.

"It's very social and welcoming," said resident Peter Zarov. "I've been here for 14 years now and still love it."

Close to parks, a pool, community center and four schools, you'll often see families greet each other while walking along the quiet, tree-lined streets. And even though it's just around the corner from West Towne Mall and other stores and restaurants near Mineral Point and Gammon roads, it still has a small-town feel.

Kimberly Cowles, who has lived next to Everglade Park for the past six years, said her family is "very lucky" to have found a neighborhood that is "friendly and approachable."

"People will be walking

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