The fall season is a real estate market unto itself, with its own unique dynamics and opportunities. Below we share a few aspects of the autumn market that are good for buyers and sellers to know. 

Opportunities for buyers in the fall market

Right now is a great time to be shopping for a home, and here are two big reasons why:

There are fewer buyers to contend with in the fall

Take a look at this chart below, which shows Dane County buyer activity throughout the calendar year. Right now there are roughly 40% fewer offers being accepted compared to the peak months of March, April, May and June. The pace of the market is slower in the fall, and easier on buyers. 

There are fewer multiple offer situations and bidding wars in the fall

At Mad City Dream Homes, we implement a customized marketing plan for all of our home-selling clients. This philosophy allows us to produce some amazing marketing campaigns for our sellers, in particular for our clients who own a luxury home or condo. Below we share a marketing plan from Chris Venden and a few marketing examples from one of her recent luxury listings. Chris's listing attracted competing buyers, including an offer from one buyer who wrote a very strong offer for above the list. 

Marketing plan for a recent luxury listing

Mad City Dream Homes implemented all of the marketing strategies below. All marketing costs were paid for by our real estate team, which is the standard for all of our listings.   

Unlimited support from

In this short question and answer topic we cover inspections and appraisals, and whether or not sellers are advised to attend. 

Can I attend my buyer's inspection? 

A home inspection is conducted by a licensed home inspector in order to assess the physical condition of the property. We generally advise our selling clients to vacate their property during the home inspection so the buyer, buyer agent, and inspector can speak freely about any issues that are found during the inspection. This is the commonly accepted etiquette in our market. If questions arise during the inspection which the seller is capable of addressing (for example, when was the furnace last serviced or the roof last replaced), these questions can be addressed shortly after the

I walked into the Mad City Dream Homes team office recently and found their marketing team gathered around a table, working on a new way to feature nonprofits and give back to the community.

“We have the freedom to experiment here, and to do good for the community, without having to justify every project to a specific budget,” said Samantha Haas, marketing writer for the team.

“We love doing these types of projects. When you do something because it feels right, it eventually comes back around,” added Dan Miller, a Realtor and leader for the team.

The Mad City Dream Homes team includes several realtors, but many clients don’t realize that there is also a robust team of skilled marketers who are focused on promoting listings, community

Every client with a home to sell has a unique property and unique goals. Because of this we treat each new listing as a unique and individual project. Our project-based approach allows us to exercise our creativity and professional judgment as we help our sellers make the most of their individual situation. 

Such was the case with our recent condo sale at Mariners Cove. Our clients lived out of state and needed a full-service team who would assume responsibility for their sale and produce a showcase listing for their property. They hired Shelley Lazzareschi to list and sell their condo, and Shelley did not disappoint. Below we share a few elements from Shelley's marketing plan, which led to the highest sales price ever within the association. 

Here's our latest objective look at the home and condo markets in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on the larger market in Dane County, check out this recent update on our blog. 

Madison home and condo prices

Madison single family home prices reached an all-time high in July, increasing by 4% in the month and 4% year-to-date. 

Madison condo prices also set a new record in July. Condo prices increased by 4% year-over-year and were higher by 2% year-to-date. 

Madison accepted offers

Single family home accepted offers decreased by 10% in July and by 6% year-to-date. From an historical perspective, buyer activity was still quite strong in the month of July. 

Condo accepted offers increased by 10% year-over-year and

Here's our quick update on the latest real estate trends in Dane County. How does the current market impact you and your real estate goals? Reach out to us for a short conversation. 

Dane County Home and Condo Prices

Dane County single family home prices reached an all-time high in July. Prices increased by 1% in July and were up 2% year-to-date. 

Dane County condo prices were also at an all-time high, increasing by 8% in July and 4% year-to-date. 

Dane County Accepted Offers

Single family home accepted offers decreased by 7% in July and were lower by 5% year-to-date. Still, buyer activity in July was quite strong when compared to each July over the last 20 years. 

Accepted offers for condos decreased by 6% in July and were

We all know there is a seasonal aspect to the market and the spring months typically are the best months for sellers in the Madison area. However, there are some Dane County properties which are always in high demand and can sell quickly any time of year. Below we share 10 different types of properties in the Madison area that benefit from a perpetually strong market. 

Hot properties in the Madison area

1) Condos priced under $250,000

The shortage of affordable housing in Dane County has many buyers standing on the sidelines waiting for the right condo to be listed for sale. A nice condo priced under $250,000 is always a hot commodity in our low inventory market. 

2) Homes priced under $350,000

Single family homes priced under $350,000

Madison mortgage rates keep falling, and are now at their lowest levels since November of 2016. Check out this chart from Freddie Mac, which shows how interest rates have trended over the last 3 years. 

Locally, some Madison area lenders are publishing rates for a 30-year fixed rate loan as low as 3.5%. 

How do lower rates help you right now? 

If you're planning to buy right now, here are the two big benefits:

First, today's low rates give you more homes to choose from by lowering your monthly mortgage payment, which is a big plus in our low inventory market. 

Second, the timing of this rate drop is very beneficial to anyone who's serious about buying right now. That's because many sellers are becoming more flexible with their pricing

The trails and surrounding waterways that provide recreation, tourism, and transportation opportunities contributed to the Village of McFarland’s branding initiative in 2018, which generated a new logo and slogan: Naturally Connected. “We are a place of nature...with a small town feel but not too far from Madison,” said village President Brad Czebotar.

When the Lower Yahara River Trail opened in 2017, it created an important link between the southeast side of Madison at the newly renamed William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park and McFarland at McDaniel Park. Bicycle commuters now have a safer and quicker way to get to work using the floating boardwalk and pedestrian bridge -- the longest in the state and what village Administrator Matt Schuenke