It's been a crazy year for real estate, especially for buyers who entered the fray this spring. So many buyers were forced to endure bidding wars earlier this year, with sometimes as many as 20 or more other buyers competing for the same home. A lot of buyers ended up feeling discouraged and burnt out, and some put their homeownership plans on hold. This was especially true for buyers who needed to sell their current home in order to buy a new one. They felt that they just couldn't compete with a home sale contingency. 

Reasons for optimism this fall

If you are one of those discouraged buyers we want you to know that there is hope for you this fall. That's because the market has cooled since this spring, and were are seeing more balance as we

Over the years we've had the pleasure of photographing some amazing kitchens! Here are a few of our favorite kitchen shots from the last few years. Thanks to our stager, Debbie Lea, and to our marketing team for making these photos possible. And of course, thank you to our wonderful clients!

350 S Hamilton St #204

350 S Hamilton St #901

927 Rumley Run

1110 Red Tail Drive

1880 Deer Haven Trail

3080 Yarmouth Greenway

2205 Town Hall Rd

4322 Rolla Lane

5035 Enchanted Valley Rd

Are you in search of your dream kitchen? 

We can help you find and buy your next home that comes with your dream kitchen already built. Give us a call and tell us about your dream home. We'll work closely with you and

While many of our clients live in the homes they are selling, we also work with out-of-town owners who are ready to let go of their investment properties or second homes. We are proud to offer sellers -- whether they’re nearby or far away -- peace of mind during the entire process. 

For example, when LouAnn H. chose our team to sell her Jamestown Newbury condo, she entrusted us with her keys and we took care of the rest. Agents Jake Johnson and Dan Miller collaborated to co-list the 2 bed/1 bath property, which had multiple offers and sold above asking price. 

2150 Allen Blvd #1, Middleton

Listed for $145,000 and sold for $150,000 -- $5,000 above the list.

Rather than having LouAnn spend two hours driving one way to open up her condo for

At Mad City Dream Homes, we don't have a budget for our real estate listings because customized marketing always helps our clients achieve the best results. Chris Venden's newest listing at 7538 Fallen Oak Drive is a great example. Here are just a few of the marketing pieces from Chris's latest luxury listing. 

Over 160 professional photos

For this nearly 10,000 square foot home we captured over 160 interior, exterior, and aerial photos. 

A video tour and doll house tour

Our marketing partner, Shutterzone Media, also produced a 4-minute video tour and a self-guided doll house tour for the home. You can click on the images below to view each tour. 

Floor plans for each level of the home

Tracy Kapela from our marketing

Low appraisals have become more common in the Madison area due to home and condo prices rising at an accelerated pace. If you're planning to sell your home soon, you should know this year's market can be tricky, because a low appraisal can potentially sidetrack your transaction, resulting in either a negotiated price reduction or even a canceled offer. 

Fortunately there are a few things you can do to protect your listing from appraisal issues. Below we share 7 ways you and your real estate agent can work together to prevent a bad appraisal from derailing your listing. 

7 ways to protect your listing from a low appraisal

1. Choose a listing plan that's designed to attract multiple offers. Your odds of receiving an offer with no appraisal

For Shelley Lazzareschi, helping her clients stage their home has become a passion that sets her apart as a professional in our field. Working alongside her partner in crime, Debbie Lea, Shelley invests an amazing amount of hands-on support as she helps her clients prepare their home for the market.

Very often this means she's donating her own furniture, artwork, accessories, and bedding for the benefit of her clients. With her eye for design and through her own hard work, Shelley has developed a reputation on our team for transforming properties into beautiful, showcase listings. 

Shelley's staging collection has grown tremendously over the years -- so much so that she now rents a storage facility to house all of her supplies. And her inventory

We've all heard stories of this year's hot real estate market and about properties selling for way over the list price. According to the latest stats from the South Central Wisconsin MLS, Dane County single family homes are selling for an average of 1.9% above the list. For Mad City Dream Homes clients, the results are even stronger. So far this year our single family home listings are selling for 4.9% above the list price. 

The bottom line

On the whole, Mad City Dream Homes clients are receiving 3% more above the list price than the typical seller in Dane County. Put another way, for the typical $400,000 listing, our clients are netting $12,000 more toward their bottom line. This is more real life proof that skilled staging, pricing, marketing,

Our home selling clients continue to experience tremendous results in 2021. Here are four examples from this spring that show how skilled staging, pricing, marketing, negotiation -- and great teamwork -- are helping our clients attract some very clean offers and some amazing prices.

231 S Musket Ridge Drive

Listed for $250,000 and sold for $270,000 -- $20,000 above the list. 

3130 Dorchester Way #3

Listed for $250,000 and sold for $275,750 -- $25,750 above the list. 

10 Chelsea Ct

Listed for $285,000 and sold for $315,100 -- $30,100 above the list. 

5930 Mayhill Drive

Listed for $295,000 and sold for $330,000 -- $35,000 above the list. 

What do sellers want most in this year's market?

They want a great price,

Wonderful things happen when preparation and opportunity meet, which is certainly true for our home-selling clients who are focusing on the fundamentals during this year's favorable market. Here are three quick examples that show how our clients are experiencing some amazing results in early 2021. All three of these examples show how skilled staging, pricing, marketing, and negotiation always lead to the best results.

6 Shiloh Ct

Sold for $60,000 above the list. 

2205 Town Hall Rd

Sold for $25,000 above the list. 

805 Swallowtail Drive

Sold for $15,000 above the list. 

Skilled marketing, multiple offers, and effective negotiation

For each of these listings we worked closely with our clients to create a beautiful listing

When it comes to hiring the right realtor, it can be very beneficial to reflect on a few good questions before choosing your agent. By asking the right questions upfront, you can feel confident that you've chosen the right agent to guide you along your buying or selling journey. With this spirit in mind, here are 4 key questions buyers and sellers should be asking before partnering with a realtor in this year's complex market. 

Four key realtor interview questions in 2021

1) As a seller, how should I price and market my home in order to take full advantage of this year's market? 

2) As a buyer, how can you help me find my dream home when supply is so low? 

3) What strategies do you recommend for writing an offer to purchase in this year's