When it comes down to it, you really have just 3 basic steps for buying your dream home in the coming year: 

#1) You tell us about your dream home. 

#2) We create a customized home-buying plan for you. 

#3) Then we guide you through your financing, showings, offer, negotiations, and contingencies until you receive your keys at closing. 

Of course it all begins with a meeting.

Contact your Mad City Dream Homes realtor when you're ready to start working on your dream home. In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more from our clients about how our home-buying process has worked for them. We can't wait to help you make your big move in the new year. 

The traditional yellow oak cabinets can be made to look fresh and brand new again when you choose the right paint and the right painter for the job. Contact us when you'd like some guidance on your home improvement projects. We'd love to be a resource for you and help you make the right contractor connections. 

(professional photos of these freshly painted cabinets coming soon)

Do you have a preferred condo association that you would love to live in? You and your buyer agent can find the right condo by sending an authentic letter to all of the owners in the association. In our experience, the more low-tech the approach, the better. 

Here's our simple 3-step approach: 

1) Hand address each envelope and write your return mailing address on each envelope, too. 

2) Make the letter from you, the buyer, not your buyer agent. A letter written by the buyer will receive a much better response than one that is written by the buyer agent. 

3) Make it easy for the reader of each letter to contact either you or your buyer agent. Your letter should include your phone number and email address, and the number and email address

We recently shared our 2025 Madison area real estate predictions, and we feel it's important to share that we also expect homeowners insurance, property taxes, and the cost to maintain a home to rise in the new year. 

Climate change is having a real impact on insurance premiums and the cost to maintain municipal services, while a tight labor market is contributing to higher wages for contractors and the tradespeople who help us take care of our homes. 

Does this mean you should abandon your real estate goals for the new year? Absolutely not. There's still no place like home, and here in Dane County real estate will continue to be the best investment around. 

But, it would be wise for all of us to live within our means and to create a budget for

Here are our top 3 real estate resolutions for the new year: 

#1) Get your real estate advice from a reputable professional. You can find all kinds of information online. Some of it is helpful and accurate, much of it is not. A trusted professional will help you make the right decisions when it comes to buying, selling, and investing in real estate. 

#2) Take care of your property. There is no better investment than real estate. So protect your investment for the long-run by staying on top of your home maintenance projects. 

#3) Ask us for referrals to trusted contractors. We're here to connect you with contractors who will help you properly maintain your home and for a fair price. Reach out when you need a little advice and direction. It would

Too often realtors treat the other party in a negotiation as an adversary, which can create ill will and cause harm to their own client's best interests. Negotiations are not the time for ego, drama and spotty communication. 

The most effective negotiators actively engage with the other party, and always treat the other party with respect. The simple truth is we're able to most effectively advocate for our clients when we adhere to these basic principles. 

The winter season is an excellent time to schedule your interior painting projects. Painters generally have good availability in the wintertime, and rates may be a little more affordable, too.

Contact us if you'd like to be connected with a quality local painter, and stay tuned for our upcoming article on the latest color trends. 

We're receiving excellent feedback about Tyler Sabroff and his home remodeling team. From kitchen and bathroom remodels, to large window replacement projects, Tyler and his team are receiving rave reviews for their craftsmanship, customer service, and communication. To schedule your own home remodeling consultation, we encourage you to call Tyler at 608-445-9780. You'll be glad you made the connection. 

The truth is buying a home is more challenging than it was 5, 10 and 20 years ago. And we want you to know that we fully embrace this challenge; we love helping our clients take their leap into homeownership.

So, if you have a friend or family member who is aspiring to become a homeowner in 2025, please know we would love to help them. We're here to give them all of the time, attention and support that they need to make this important, life-changing event happen. 

We're excited for our clients Karen and Kurt, who just had their offer accepted for a condo in their preferred association. Karen and Kurt's condo search was a little unconventional. 

We found their condo by researching listings that had recently expired without selling, and this one met all of their most important needs. So we reached out to the previous listing agent to see if he could arrange for a showing. As it turns out, the owner was open to a showing, and our offer was accepted without any bidding wars or competition. 

As Kurt and Karen are picking out paint colors and getting ready for their move, we're reminded that scouring expired listings can be a great way to find an off-market property, especially during the winter season. More