Which price ranges are most competitive in the Madison real estate market? One way to measure the competitiveness (or popularity) of a price range is to look at the percent of offers within the range that involve competition from multiple buyers. In the Madison single family home market, our accepted offer data shows properties priced below $350,000 are in highest demand. Within this range, the most popular price category is $200k - $250k where a full 50% of all accepted offers involve competition from 2 or more buyers. 

In the Madison condo market, condominiums priced below $300,000 are most popular with buyers. Our 2017 data shows condos priced between $250k and $300k are in highest demand, with 43% of the accepted offers in this price category

In this year's hot real estate market, many Madison area property owners will learn they can successfully sell their home any month of the year. The reason is a long-term trend of low supply. Our latest single family home inventory report shows the Madison market has had less than 2 months of supply since December of 2015. 

More insight into our seller's market

Historically low inventory has created a large pool of unsuccessful buyers who are still searching for the right property. This is more than a hunch. MLS data shows the percentage of listings receiving competing offers is up significantly from last year. For example, 48% of all accepted offers in April involved competition from multiple buyers. Last April, the percentage was only 33%.

Our newest listing at 540 Highway 92 just outside of Belleville has been a lot of fun to work on so far. This property offers some beautiful views and a countryside setting just 15 minutes from Verona and 30 minutes from Madison. Justin Lackner has done a great job capturing the natural beauty surrounding the property. Here are a few of Justin's photos. 

Outdoor Photos of 540 Highway 92

This 2 acre property is set up on a hill with mature trees. The lot is surrounded by fields and rolling hills on all sides. 

This shot of the surrounding countryside is taken from the front yard. 

Here's another great shot of the countryside setting - taken from the side lot. 

From this property you can see for miles in all directions. 

These photos come from the historic "Johnson House", an 1875 farm house in McFarland. This property sold last month after receiving multiple offers and having 100 people attend the weekend open. You wouldn't know it from the pictures, but this was actually a staged, vacant home. The Cozy Home provided all of the staging and Beau Meyer shot all of the listing photos. The photos drove a huge amount of traffic to this listing and ensured a quick sale.

Photos of the Historic Johnson House in McFarland

Thanks to thoughtful staging and beautiful photography, all of these images convey a warm and cozy feel while capturing the rustic charm of the home. 

Photos of a Vacant Staged Condo

A different property, same concept. These

Yes, home staging really does work. According to a recent survey by the National Association of REALTORS, staging provides a great return on investment. Among the key findings:

• 96% of all buyer agents report their clients are positively impacted by home staging. 
• 81% of all buyer agents report home staging makes it easier for clients to visualize a property as their own. 
• 71% of all listing agents report staging increases a property's value by a minimum of 1%. 

In another report issued by the Real Estate Staging Association, properties staged prior to listing sell 90% faster than "un-staged" properties on the MLS. 

In our own experience, professional home staging is a huge reason why our sellers average a full-price offer within 15

One of our 12 team values is to partner with reputable service providers who help our clients achieve their goals. Our partnership with Justin Lackner is a great example of this team value at work. Justin is one of our favorite photographers because he captures some amazing images for our listings. Whenever we have a client with a beautiful kitchen or a unique landscape, Justin is the photographer we call. Here are some recent examples of his work. 

Recent Listing Photos by Justin Lackner

This photo captures the simple elegance and charm of this nearly 100-year-old home in the Greenbush neighborhood. 

In this photo, Justin displays a beautiful interior and panoramic views from this Weston Place high-rise condo. 

This picture was a big

When it comes to selling your home, there's no substitute for planning and preparation. Our initial consultation is all about putting a good plan in place for your sale. During our planning meeting we learn why and when you plan to move. Then we outline the key steps for making your move happen.

For example, let's say your goal is to sell your current home and move into your new condo by August 15th. Your move plan could look a lot like this example below. 

Example Move Plan: Sell and Buy by August 15th

• Meet with our stager on June 1st
• Stage your home's featured space (for example a great room, sun room or kitchen) with our stager's assistance by June 4th 
• Mad City Dream Homes obtains professional photos of your featured space by June

If we were to choose one word to describe the spring real estate market, it would be "over-heated". The spring selling season has been full of bidding wars and huge price increases. If you know anyone who's bought or sold this spring, no doubt you've heard a few interesting stories about our crazy market. 

But real estate is all about the seasons, and right now our over-heated spring market is giving way to a more balanced summer market. As the graph below shows, buyer activity decreases in June from the peak months of March, April and May. Plenty of real estate gets bought and sold in the summertime, but at a slower pace compared to the spring season. 

How does this shift affect buyers and sellers?

If you're still planning to buy or sell in

You’ve done your homework, worked with the stager, and made the improvements necessary to make your home attract buyers. You kept it perfect for showings, and generated great interest. Finally, you accept an offer, and believe you will soon move on to a new adventure. But then it happens. The buyer's home inspection report includes mold. What do you do?

We’ve walked many sellers through this predicament, and have found some excellent solutions. One of our favorite mold experts is Rapid Response Remediation. This company has effectively cleaned up several of our clients' properties, and has done it in a timely and affordable manner. Rob Mozgawa, managing partner of the company, says that people are more afraid of mold than they need to be.

“It's an

How often do Madison area real estate listings receive multiple offers? The South Central Wisconsin MLS actually started tracking this statistic in 2016. We like following this stat because it gives us some great insight into the market and the performance of our team.

Competing Offers Give us Insight into the Market

As we posted a few weeks ago, competing offers are most common during the springtime. If you're looking to time your sale just right, then right now is the perfect time to sell. Your odds of attracting multiple offers and getting a fantastic price are highest in the Spring. 

Competing Offers Help us Measure our Team's Performance

We design our marketing to attract multiple offers, because competing offers allow us to