These days a lot of our real estate news comes from social media chatter and headlines. In this post we summarize the latest market trends with some objective data straight from the MLS. Here are the latest scoops on the 2016 Spring markets in Fitchburg, Madison, Middleton and Verona. 

Fitchburg Homes and Condos

Inventory is tight in both the single family home and condo markets. Below are a couple of quick nuggets followed by more market info on our SlideShare real estate page. 

• Fitchburg single family home inventory is especially tight for properties priced under $400,000. Right now there is only 1 month of supply for listings in this price range. Sixty-two percent of these listings are under contact and scheduled to close soon. 

Madison is an eclectic place. The variety of restaurants, shopping and activities make it possible to experience so much variety for the size of our city. Take a look at the activities happening around town, and you get an idea of the possibilities:

Synchronized Swimming

More than just splashing and smiling, Mad City Aqua Stars offers a club sport that requires athletes to learn a number of complicated and graceful underwater moves. Swimmers age 8-18 are included in both recreational and competitive teams. Over the weekend, the team hosted the Wisconsin Association Synchronized Swimming Championship at the Middleton Area Indoor Pool. The top three teams in each division are moving on to regional competitions. From there, the top regional finishers

Where are the hottest markets in Dane County? In this post we take a quick look at the larger markets in the western half of the county, specifically Fitchburg, Madison, Middleton, and Verona. 

We use two key measures to gauge market momentum - months of supply and the percent of listings with accepted offers. When we use these two statistics there are two markets which stand out above the rest. 

Dane County's Hottest Condo Market

Condos are selling very well across all of Dane County, but the Verona condo market is the market that stands out above all others. Right now there are only 1.5 months of condo inventory available for sale in Verona. Amazingly, 64% of the condo listings in Verona are under contract and are scheduled to close soon. 

Almost 10 years ago the real estate market began its infamous decline. Buyers stopped buying, and Downtown Madison suffered from a glut of vacant, unsold condos. More than 2 years of inventory sat on the market, and condo prices plunged. Over time, market conditions improved along with the overall economy. Consumers started buying again when prices became more attractive. Downtown inventory eroded until eventually all of the new construction condos sold out. 

Condo Values are Rising Again in Downtown Madison

Our market data shows Downtown Madison condo prices bottomed out in 2013. In 2013, the average price per square foot was $223. In 2015, the price per square foot jumped to $267. That's an increase of 19.7% in only two years. We expect the price

April is the perfect time to sell a home in Madison. In fact it may be the best month out of any month in the year to put your home on the market. Below we offer 5 reasons why right now is an excellent time to sell your home. 

Reason #1: Seasonality

Year in and year out April is one of the hottest months for real estate in Madison. In 2015, more offers were submitted and accepted in the month of April than in any other month of the year. If your goal is to list your home when buyers are most active, April is the month to make it happen. 

Reason #2: Low Supply

Housing supply remains unusually low in Madison. As of this post there are only 1.3 months of inventory available for sale in the single family home real estate market. This

I love shopping at Metcalfe's because from the moment I enter until the moment I leave I feel relaxed and calm. The store is organized and visually appealing, and there is plenty of room to maneuver throughout the aisles. Metcalfe's is filled with products that I'd like to buy, and the staff throughout the store are happy to help me. In fact at Metcalfe's I don't need to ask for help. Very often an employee will notice that I'm searching for something and offer to guide me to my destination.

The best part about MetCalfe's is the check-out. There are no long lines and no long wait. There's always a friendly cashier available to help me on my way out the store. 

The Opposite Experience

There are other stores in town where the experience is the

This Sunday, March 13th, we're working with other local brokerages to coordinate a high-end open house event in the city of Fitchburg. All of the homes on our open house tour are loaded with amenities and priced at $350,000 and above. Below is an overview of participating listings. More than a dozen high-end listings will be open for viewings. Check back often to view the latest properties added to our tour!

5597 Nutone Street, Open March 13th from Noon - 2:00 PM

Listed at $525,000 by Dan Miller of Mad City Dream Homes and RE/MAX Preferred. Click here for listing details. 

5673 Longwood Lane, Open March 13th from Noon - 2:00 PM

Listed by Jane Marie Pechauer of JMP Properties for $799,900. Click here for details. 

5766 Dawley Drive,

What's the hottest condo market in Madison? When we look at two key statistics, there is one clear winner, and the answer is likely to surprise you.

The Southwest Side of Madison

The hottest condo market in Madison is the southwest side of the city. The southwest side is roughly bounded by the Beltline to the north and Cross Country Rd to the south, and Verona Rd to the east and High Pt Rd to the west.

The Madison Condo Market by the Numbers

The table below shows the percent of listings with accepted offers and the months of supply for every part of town. The numbers for the southwest side are truly remarkable. 

As of this post, 75% of the condo listings on the southwest side of Madison have an accepted offer. Viewed another way,

Snow is melting, air is warming, and buds are showing up on some of the trees. Forecasts for the next week or so show warmer temps, and spring fever is hitting. But at the end of February, is it really safe to assume winter is over? Plenty of gardeners are hoping so. More than 18,000 people showed up at Wisconsin Public Television's 24th Annual Garden Expo earlier this month. Seminars for all things garden related started the planning.  And now- there are opportunities to apply this knowledge beyond your own backyard.

This weekend, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum is hosting a free "end of winter" walking tour. Trained naturalists will join guests to explore the arboretum and identify the signs of spring. The hour long tour is a gentle walk,

It's only February, but the hot Spring market has already arrived in Madison. This year's single family home and condo markets are already chaotic with buyers fighting over a limited supply of properties.

Sellers will enjoy 2016. Buyers will need a solid game plan for finding the right home at the right price. Below are a few quick real estate stats which show why 2016 is already proving to be a hot seller's market. We also offer some tips for making your real estate goals happen in 2016. 

Current Trends: The Madison Condo Market

The $250,000 and under price category is the hottest segment in the Madison condo market. As of this post there are only 1.6 months of supply available for sale in this price range. An amazing 46% of the listings in this