We are seeing more national headlines about real estate agents using AI to edit their sellers' listing photos, sometimes in a misleading fashion.

Our commitment to you is that we will always be transparent when we edit our photos with a "Virtually Staged" label in the corner. If we crop the photo, we'll add a new disclaimer back in. Buyers should feel inspired, not deceived, when looking through one of our listings. 

Virtual staging is a powerful marketing tool Mad City Dream Homes uses with the help of Step Inside Media. It is beneficial for buyers, so they can imagine what their belongings and lifestyle would look like in a vacant room, and beneficial for sellers who prefer to move out before getting photos taken.

Shelley's beautiful listing at

When we begin the listing process with each seller, we customize a marketing plan for their home. One of the most exciting tools we have is creating a virtual “dollhouse” tour with the help of Step Inside Media.

Click on the “Virtual Tour” link when you browse our listings at madcitydreamhomes.com/listings.php

This type of virtual tour allows you to “walk through” the home as if you were touring in person, room by room. You can turn around and view your surroundings in 360 degrees. This is a useful tool for buyers who are out of town or for serious buyers who want to look through the property again before making an offer.

Check out one of these virtual tours, in collaboration with Maverick Homes, with some spooky

We often hear this phrase when buyers are putting together an offer for a home. A buyer may choose to write an offer with their ideal terms, commenting that the "seller can always counter" their offer and negotiate with them. This is a reasonable strategy, and could save the buyer money or reduce risk. 

However, our team is always quick to point out that a seller is not obligated to counter a buyer's offer before accepting another. Some sellers are fatigued from the selling process by the time they begin reviewing offers, and decide to choose the best option they have on the table rather than negotiate terms with each buyer individually.

When competing with other buyers, it's prudent to put your best foot forward in your offer without overextending

Written by Amber Kolner, Communications and Stewardship Manager of Madison Area Community Land Trust

Madison Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing affordable and sustainable homeownership opportunities for low-income families in Dane County. MACLT is Dane County's only non-profit focused on permanently affordable homeownership, and part of a movement of over 300 community land trusts across North America. 

Through their innovative land trust model, MACLT helps individuals and families purchase homes at below-market rates, while preserving long-term affordability of the homes in the land trust. MACLT’s resale formula ensures that these homes remain affordable for future generations, which helps to

Congratulations to our clients, Kelsey and Ted, on the purchase of a beautiful home in Stoughton! Over the last few years, agent Ann Raschein has worked side by side with them to both buy and sell as their family has grown and their needs have changed. 

In February of 2018, Kelsey contacted Ann that she and Ted were ready to become homeowners. They started looking at homes – mostly on the eastside of Madison – right away, at the same time of year that many other homebuyers were, too. Then in June, Kelsey and Ted saw a home on Waunona Way and were instantly drawn to the big yard, the proximity to the lake, and the idea of being on the bike path! 

The house was also loaded with charm that included arched doorways, original hardwood floors, and a

At Mad City Dream Homes, we're always seeking to meet new people who we can refer with confidence to our clients and friends. We love referring professionals in the trades, as well as service professionals like financial planners, accountants, attorneys, insurance agents, mortgage lenders, architects, interior designers, and so on.

So, we would absolutely love to meet a trusted professional in your life -- someone you admire and respect -- and get to know that person better. Just reach out to your favorite Mad City Dream Homes realtor to make an introduction.

Thank you for helping us better serve you, our clients, and our friends.

Sincerely, 

Your friends at Mad City Dream Homes

If you're buying in 2022, your offer to purchase will likely be up against offers from other motivated buyers. Below are 28 ways you can make your offer stand out from the competition and be the one that gets accepted. Of course the strategies you use will depend a lot on the type and condition of the property, your level of motivation, and how much competition you have from other parties. 

28 Ways to Write a Winning Offer

#1: Submit your mortgage pre-approval from a reputable, local lender. A pre-approval from an out-of-town or big box lender can create doubt in the mind of a seller. For example, we've seen sellers disregard offers from buyers who are pre-approved by an internet lender. Give your seller every reason to believe your pre-approval is

At Mad City Dream Homes, we're always sharing our knowledge and learning from each other. One of the ways we accomplish this is through our weekly meetings where we share our "learning moments" from the week before. Our learning moments offer a way for all of us to share our challenges and successes with each other so we're always enhancing our collective knowledge and furthering our professional development. 

Each week is full of new learning opportunities 

Our team meetings are resulting in some incredibly productive conversations that help all of us better serve our clients. For example, in one recent meeting Shelley Lazzareschi shared how she successfully negotiated a $7,000 credit for her buyer after a last-minute surprise popped up at the

The home inspection is an important milestone in the home buying and selling process, and sometimes it can be a big sticking point. It’s not uncommon for a home inspection to reveal a few issues that buyers feel need to be addressed and the sellers say, “no way.” How can buyers and sellers work through this apparent impasse? A few of our realtors share some of the strategies they have used to help buyers navigate their inspection contingency - without jeopardizing the sale.

Five ways we help buyers navigate tricky inspections

1. Be professional

Sometimes inspections bring forth issues that sellers weren’t aware of, or disagree with. Sellers can even be offended by the results. We help by focusing the conversation on issues that negatively

Making your way around the Lake Edge neighborhood, you’ll find businesses adorned with beautiful murals, homes being renovated, and new businesses opening their doors. The community is close to everything on the east side of Madison, plus Lake Monona. Lake Edge is a community with a lot to offer for homeowners and visitors alike. 

The Lake Edge neighborhood has a surprisingly natural feel for being located right within the city. Mature trees provide a peaceful canopy over the community, and large lots give homeowners room to spread out. Most of the homes in this community are ranch or bungalow style, built between 1940 and 1960. Mad City Dream Homes Realtor Ann Raschein lives in the neighborhood. “I love so much about the Lake Edge