Invest in your sale.

By investing in your sale, we mean:

• Investing your time to study your market and select the right price. 
• Investing your resources into professional staging and smart cosmetic updates. 
• Investing your creativity into beautiful visual media, online media, and printed materials.
• And investing your expertise into an effective negotiation strategy.

Or you can hire a professional who will make all of these investments for you.

Sure, you could argue for cutting costs and taking shortcuts during this time of inflation. But in our new and evolving market, many sellers are learning that taking shortcuts usually ends up creating a host of negative side effects.

These negative side effects include:

Congratulations to our clients, Gail and Dan, who are selling their beloved home on the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and downsizing into a smaller home on the west side. Gail and Dan received two tremendous offers for their home, one of which ended up being from their longtime friends. We know the new owners will love and cherish their home (and the conservancy setting) just as much as Gail and Dan have over the last 20 years. 

So much great work went into this sale.

Shelley Lazzareschi, Debbie Lea, and Grant Priehs implemented the staging plan and oversaw the cosmetic work, which included some excellent work by Hellenbrand Painting. Tracy Kapela, Samantha Haas, and Arran Krantz contributed their beautiful visual media. Dan Miller oversaw the

It's that time of year for our annual real estate predictions. Here are 7 key reasons why we see low inventory and strong prices for Madison and Dane County in 2023. 

On the demand side

Population growth

Dane county is already the fastest-growing region in the state, and according to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission that trend will continue. The Commission projects our population will grow by more than 200,000 residents over the next 30 years. 

National reputation

For the second straight year, the city of Madison has been named by Livability as the #1 place to live in America. It's rankings like these that have put Madison on the map. And in a mobile culture like ours, where people can choose to live and work from just

For our client Mason, it actually took 4 of us to get the job done. And the truth is, due to all of the challenges that we encountered along the way, it would have been difficult for any one of us to complete this sale on our own. 

Mason’s sale was a great example of how we value teamwork:

For you, our client, we're always customizing our approach as we draw upon the skills and expertise of our entire team. And for our team members, and fellow realtors, we're always here to lend a helping hand whenever they need our support.

Thank you Max, Ann, Shelley and Dan for helping Mason to get to the finish line. It was a true team effort!

Congrats to our clients who have enjoyed some very successful sales in the month of October!

• To Kathy M, who received a full-price offer for her westside condo. 
• To Kathy I, who sold her Fitchburg condo for the full list price. 
• And to Ted and Kelsey, who received multiple offers and sold their Madison home for $50,000 above the list.

Thank you Chris and Ann for helping your clients successfully navigate our new and evolving market. We appreciate the personal attention and professional care you bring to every client!

Here are a few perspectives to consider if you're currently on the fence about selling your home this fall:

• Buyer demand has been decreasing as interest rates and inflation have been rising. Right now mortgage applications are 41% lower than they were at the same time last year.
• Even so, inventory in Dane County remains quite low, which is a positive for sellers. 
• Interest rates for a 30-year mortgage are at about 7 percent right now, but many people believe they will go higher. 

Will the market be better for sellers in early 2023? Not necessarily. Because we don't know what will happen with inflation, interest rates, buyer demand, and inventory next year. 

So, if you are thinking of selling your home in the near future...

We

Not long ago, back when money was real cheap, many buyers were willing to pay a premium for their home, even if their new home required an extensive amount of work. Buyers were willing to hire their own contractors after closing, and pay what they needed to pay, if that's what it took to secure a home and update it to their liking.

But now that interest rates are higher and the stock market is lower, buyer behavior has changed. Today's buyers are more selective and discerning. When they consider today's home prices, today's remodeling costs, and the amount of time it can take to hire and schedule a good contractor, they would much rather buy a move-in ready home instead.

So, what does it mean to sell a move-in ready home?

Move-in ready means

Earlier this spring we were asked to help a family sell their home under some very challenging circumstances. The owner had recently passed away, and her 22-year-old son who was in charge of the estate was overwhelmed by the responsibilities that were before him.

So needless to say we were more than happy to help our client clean the house, clean up the yard, and address a few much-needed repairs. But the house was still in rough shape. It was filled with the smell of cigarettes, and all of the carpet needed to be replaced. Even so, getting the house to this less-than-perfect state was a big accomplishment given our client's circumstances.

How it all played out

When we launched the listing, it was the height of the spring selling season. Back

Congratulations to our home-selling clients, who are enjoying a very productive fall season!

• To our seller, Ken, who accepted a full-price offer. 
• To our clients, Jenny and Robert, who accepted an offer for $10,000 above the list. 
• And to our clients, Cindy and Dwight, who received multiple offers and accepted one for more than $50,000 above the list. 

All three of these stories are great reminders that quality always sells, and that preparation and attention to detail matter. The repairs and maintenance. The cosmetics and staging. The photos and marketing. The pricing and negotiation. All of it matters. And all of it makes an impact. 

You're getting ready to sell your home and you're about to enter into one of the most significant financial transactions of your life. So how do you hire the right listing agent at a time when there are more realtors than there are homes for sale? Here are a few helpful suggestions for hiring the right professional.

First, ask the people you know for their recommendations.

You can start by reaching out to your friends and family and asking them to share a little bit about their recent home-selling experience. What did you friends and family learn about the home selling process? What worked well and what didn't work well for them? Do any of your friends and family HIGHLY recommend the listing agent that they worked with? If so, ask them to