The groundhog predicted another 6 weeks of winter in Wisconsin, but don't let the cold and snow keep you from living life to the fullest. Sara Ifert, wellness coach at Go Simple Wellness, offers several suggestions for healthy living this winter:

Enjoy Madison Parks: Get vitamin D, fresh air, exercise, and FUN at local parks. From sledding at Elver park, to the many free skating rinks (rentals available at some parks) there are plenty of ways to stay active and enjoy the outdoors in winter. Getting outside is a great way to beat winter blues and have fun!

Browse Willy St. Co-op: With a few locations in town, you can find a friendly co-op nearby with plenty of natural foods, organic fruits and vegetables, green juices, and an excellent hot food

There are two basic ways real estate teams assign credit for closings. One way is to give each agent credit for their closings on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and on the MLS. The other way is to assign the credit for each closing to the team leader. We believe the first approach is a great way to ensure the long-term success and stability of the team. Here are 5 reasons why.

5 Reasons Agents on Teams Should Receive Credit for their Closings

1. When agents receive credit for their closings, it gives them reward and recognition for their work. 
2. It shows each agent what they've accomplished and helps them set goals for the future.
3. It creates transparency and a sense of friendly competition. Sharing the credit means everyone on the team knows the

It's only February 1st but it's already beginning to feel like a Spring market. So far this year 4 of our transactions have involved cash offers. One of our listing clients just received 4 cash offers - all of them for above the list price. 

Single family homes are in short supply, and buyers are adjusting their tactics accordingly. Here's a quick overview of the competitive real estate market in Dane County.  

Madison Single Family Homes

The real estate market in Madison is hot under $400,000. Overall there are only 1.1 months of inventory available for sale. Almost one-third of all single family home listings have an accepted offer (a high percentage for this time of year).

Fitchburg Single Family Homes

The Fitchburg real estate

How do you sell a listing? It starts with an online showing, where potential buyers look at the photos you've posted, and determine if it's worth their time to come in person. Debbie Lea of Showcase Home Stagers knows this well. She works with each of our clients to transform their space, and make their homes truly photo-ready. It's not as simple as just making the rooms look nice. Debbie looks at the potential angles for photographs, and prepares each room to shine.

"People are shopping for an experience. They want to imagine themselves hosting friends, throwing a party, or relaxing in the quiet spaces of their new home. You can arrange the items in your home to help tell that story," she says.  When staging a room, Debbie looks for opportunities to

Thinking of selling your condominium? Your condo may be worth much more than you think. Right now there are more condo buyers than there are condo sellers, and prices are on the rise. Here's a quick rundown of the condo market in the greater Madison area. 

Verona Condo Market

Verona condos have become a relatively rare quantity. As of this post there are only seven Verona condos on the open market, and six of those condos have an accepted offer. The average condo price in Verona rose by more $20,000 in 2016. 

Middleton Condo Market

The average price for a Middleton condo rose by an even greater amount. In 2016 the average jumped by more than $36,000. 

Fitchburg Condo Market

In Fitchburg, the average increased by more than

Have you been cross-country skiing this winter? Have you taken a horseback ride on an Equestrian trail? Brought your dog to enjoy a dog park? Our neighborhoods make our community stronger, and parks play a vital role in improving our quality of life. In Dane County we're blessed with an elaborate park systems for all to enjoy, with more new projects on the horizon.

This year, the Dane County Parks system will open a floating boardwalk that will connect the Capitol Bike Trail and the Lower Yahara River Trail. The trail provides beautiful scenery and a unique way to travel from Stoughton to the State Capitol. The trail includes the shores of Lake Kegonsa, the Yahara River and Lake Waubesa. This is just one example of the sizable park systems in the

Home supply in the Madison area is low and the demand for housing is booming, yet home building levels have been flat for the last 4 years. So why aren't more homes being built in Madison and Dane County? One industry expert recently shared his insights with me (see below). 

Why aren't more homes being built in and around Madison? 

Before the 2005 housing downturn, activity with developers and financial institutions in various stages of planning and completion was robust. It was a financially rewarding time to be a lender or a builder. When the downturn hit, the emotional and financial shock took many by surprise and is reflected in the current reluctance of lenders to provide capitol, and developers and builders to take chances.

The one

It's going to be another wild and crazy year for real estate in 2017. Low supply will be the HUGE theme as the weather starts to warm. If you're serious about buying in 2017, you'll need to go "all in". The market is already playing its hand this year - and supply is trending lower. Here is some quick insight into the inventory trends at play in the Madison area real estate market. 

Madison Single Family Home Inventory is Historically Low

Right now there are only 1.1 months of inventory in the Madison single family home market. Last year at this time there were 1.6 months. What's more, active MLS listings are down 20% from where they were last year. Almost one-third of the listings on the market right now are under contract (a very high percentage

Do you need to sell your current home in order to buy another? Are you wondering how you can compete against other buyers who don't have a home sale contingency? Do you feel overwhelmed by the tasks in front of you?

Whether your goal is to "down-size" or "up-size", you and your agent can make it happen by putting a proactive plan in place. Read on to learn our seven tips for selling and buying at the same time. By following these tips you'll be taking the necessary steps that will get you into your dream home. 

7 Tips for Selling and Buying at the Same Time

Tip 1: Work proactively with your real estate agent so you're ready to sell your home as soon as you find the home you'd like to buy. This means getting your home staged and having your

In the month of December our real estate team helped 3 different clients sell their home and buy a new home on the same day. As you'll see below, each client took a unique approach to making their home purchase happen. The common element among all 3 clients was each one worked proactively to implement a specific, well-thought-out plan. See below to learn how each client sold one home in order to buy another.  

Client One: Creating a Plan A and Plan B

Our clients Jeff and Patsy wished to sell their home in Waunakee in order to buy a new construction home in Madison. We were confident we could accomplish this by selling their current home quickly and scheduling it to close on the same day as their purchase. Just in case, Jeff and Patsy put a