Even in a hot seller's market there are plenty of over-priced listings which won't sell until the owner gets realistic about pricing. For some sellers, that realization is happening right now. The over-heated spring market has given way to a more balanced summer market, motivating some owners to drop their price in order to get their property sold.  

Opportunistic buyers are pouncing on price reductions

Some buyers have given up on their search because they don't believe there are enough listings to go around in the summer market. Other more opportunistic buyers are staying in the game and acting immediately as soon as the right price reduction or right listing comes along. 

It's true, there are fewer new listings to choose from in the

"Let's eat out." 

It's a phrase often uttered begrudgingly at the end of a long work day when there's little time – or motivation – to cook. But add an exclamation point and suddenly it takes on a new meaning.

Let's Eat Out! is a summer series of rotating food cart dinners at more than a dozen outdoor locations in the Madison area. People can stop by various parks from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, weather-permitting, until Aug. 3 to grab a bite to eat from nearly 30 local vendors.

"Let's Eat Out! promotes and advocates for the success of local mobile food entrepreneurs while bringing neighborhoods together and expanding access to local food," according to its Facebook page.

Even though many meals are made quickly, you don't

Imagine you've come across a new listing with a beautiful, recently upgraded kitchen. The kitchen space is perfect for you and your family, but you're wondering who did the work and whether or not permits were pulled for the plumbing and electrical. If the property is located in Madison, there's a great online tool you can use to get answers to your questions. 

City of Madison Licenses & Permits Webpage

The City of Madison Licenses and Permits Webpage helps consumers research building permits pulled for individual properties. To access the page, go to https://elam.cityofmadison.com/CitizenAccess/. If this is your first time using the site, you'll need to start by registering for an account. 

Once you've registered for an account, select the

In addition to staging, there are 4 other low-cost, high-impact improvements that can dramatically increase your home's value and mass appeal. This 30 second video covers our top 4 home improvement tips.

12 Ways a Painter Can Help You Sell Your Home

Our #1 home improvement tip is to hire a professional painter to freshen up your home. Painting by a professional always pays for itself, usually many times over. Here are 12 ways a professional painter can add sparkle and value to your listing. 

1. Remove dated wallpaper and replace with a fresh coat of neutral paint. Kilim Beige from Sherwin Williams is a great all-around color for the purposes of selling a home. 
2. Replace bold colors with neutral colors that give your home more mass appeal. 

On any given summer day at the UW Arboretum, you'll likely cross paths with bikers, runners and perhaps even a turkey.

The free, public space south of Lake Wingra includes 20 miles of trails that wind through woods, gardens, prairies, marshy ponds and oak savannas. This time of year they are bursting with colorful wildflowers and chipper critters.

Take in the beautiful sights and sounds at your own pace from dawn to dusk. And be sure to stop by the visitor center to fill up your water bottle, ask a volunteer for a map, and check out the bookstore and art gallery.

You can also bring along your binoculars or camera during guided hikes, often held Sunday afternoons, and learn about everything from butterflies and birds to blooming plants and

We're excited to be listing unit 903 at the 100 Wisconsin Ave Condominiums on the capitol square. This corner condominium is actually two combined units with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a home theatre, and over 3,200 finished square feet. It features sweeping skyline views of Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, and the State Capitol building. The new owner will have the option to purchase the condo fully furnished, with decorating by Decker-Cole Interiors and furniture selections from The Century House and Crate and Barrel. 

A Dramatic Foyer with Marble Tile

The entrance to this downtown luxury condo is through a dramatic, curved foyer with column and marble tile. 

An Open Concept Floor Plan with Panoramic Views

Unit 903 features a chef's kitchen

Our newest condo listing at 8237 Starr Grass Drive is off to an excellent start, thanks to stager, Debbie Lea, and photographer, Beau Meyer. Traffic has been very brisk and the feedback very positive during the first 4 days of the listing. We're looking forward to reviewing offers on Thursday, June 29th. Here's a little more info about this Midtown Commons condominium on Madison's west side. 

Photos & Features of 8237 Starr Grass Drive

This 2 bedroom/2.5 bathroom townhouse is value range priced from $185,000 to $195,000. The main level features 9' ceilings, upgraded flooring, and a gas fireplace with tile surround. 

An open concept dining area flows into the living room. 

A nice kitchen with breakfast bar, recessed lighting, and ample

It is odorless, colorless and has no taste, but radon is a naturally occurring gas that exists throughout Wisconsin, and its radioactive properties make it a health hazard. Fortunately, there are ways to detect it, and remove it from the air you breath.

Lindsay Mefford, of Madison Radon Testing, offers radon testing as part of a home inspection, or as an independently completed process. To do the test, a box (smaller than a shoe box) is temporarily installed in the lowest level of your home. It's installed in a way that prevents tampering. The box takes air samples every hour, and measures the radon content in each sample. After 48 hours, the box is collected, and the measurements are averaged. Madison area homes can fall into three categories. Either

Which price ranges are most competitive in the Madison real estate market? One way to measure the competitiveness (or popularity) of a price range is to look at the percent of offers within the range that involve competition from multiple buyers. In the Madison single family home market, our accepted offer data shows properties priced below $350,000 are in highest demand. Within this range, the most popular price category is $200k - $250k where a full 50% of all accepted offers involve competition from 2 or more buyers. 

In the Madison condo market, condominiums priced below $300,000 are most popular with buyers. Our 2017 data shows condos priced between $250k and $300k are in highest demand, with 43% of the accepted offers in this price category

When tents start popping up next to gas stations along country roads, you know it's fireworks season. 

But sometimes it's best to let the pros handle the big shows.

The Madison area is full of events where you can watch the colorful displays and hear the booms, from summer festivals to Fourth of July celebrations.

Most of the 10 events listed below around Dane County for 2017 are free to attend and also offer live music, food and kids activities. Fireworks will kick off around dusk (most start between 9:20-10 p.m.), so be sure to get there early and check the event websites just in case they are canceled due to unfavorable weather. And have fun!

Friday, June 23

Oregon Summer Fest
Kiser Fireman's Park, 245 Brook St., Oregon

Saturday,