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

We recently shared with you our recommendations for Kristi Bertelson and Cody Helmer -- two local business owners we know and trust. Luis Rios is another local contractor we've grown to appreciate over the last few years. He's helped many of us on the team -- and many of our clients -- with valuable work that many other contractors aren't interested in providing. For example, Luis has helped us with lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, leaf raking, mulch spreading, weeding, brush removal, and the removal of fallen tree limbs.

In addition to his yard care services, Luis also helps his customers with painting and light handyman projects inside the home, too. 

We've learned over time that Luis is a friendly, hard-working and reliable person. In many cases

Are you a new or newer real estate agent seeking a successful career that is sustainable for the long-term? Here are five great reasons to explore a career with Mad City Dream Homes.

5 reasons to work with Mad City Dream Homes

#1: You receive ongoing mentoring, training and support.

At Mad City Dream Homes, we pair you with a mentor who helps you make a successful transition to real estate and to our team. We also offer weekly coaching sessions, regular team meetings, and training opportunities that help you stay on track with your business plan and your professional growth. 

#2: You build a career that grows from your relationships and reputation.

Throughout your whole career we help you nurture positive relationships with people who

Madison area condo prices continued to reach new highs in the month of July. Here's our latest Dane County condo report covering prices, inventory, days on market, and more. 

Dane County condo prices

Dane County condo prices set a new record last month, increasing by 7% from July of 2020. Year-to-date prices were up 14% compared to prices through the first seven months of last year.

Accepted offers

Condo buyers were extremely active in July of 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic on the market. Condo buyers were very active in July of 2021 as well, but accepted offers were lower compared to last year's unusually strong numbers.

New MLS listings

New condo listings continued to enter the market at a subdued pace. A lack of supply

Dane County home prices increased by double-digits for the 5th straight month in July, but we're seeing signs that price growth may be moderating soon. Here's our latest update on the Madison area single family home market. 

Dane County home prices

Dane County home prices increased by 10% year-over-year and by 12% year-to-date. The average July home price was a whopping $419,402, and July was the fifth straight month that the average home price landed above $400,000. However, we do believe price growth will moderate in the months ahead based on some of the trends that we are observing right now. 

Percent of sales with competing offers

Our preliminary data through the month of June suggests that the percent of home sales with multiple

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

Inventory is increasing across the country and it's rising locally, too. As of this writing, there are almost 600 Dane County single family homes listed for sale on the MLS without an accepted offer. Earlier this spring, during the height of the home buying frenzy, there were only 300 homes available.

With more homes available for sale, the market is becoming more hospitable for Madison area home buyers. Generally speaking, there are fewer competing offers and fewer bidding wars right now compared to the height of the spring buying season. More opportunities are opening up for buyers who are staying in the game and who are staying committed to their search. 

Are you still searching for your dream home? 

We are here to help you with all of

It's been a very competitive market this year involving a lot of long hours and a lot of hard work, so the timing seemed right for a get together with some of our industry peers at the Memorial Union Terrace. When we casually pitched this idea over Facebook, we were amazed by the response. 

In all a couple dozen agents from a few different brokerages gathered for an afternoon of relaxation and collaboration, and it was a great event. We all got to know each other a little better as we openly shared our ideas and philosophies. Many people who attended the event (as well as those who couldn't make it), have said they would love to make this a regular meeting.

Even though we're technically "competitors", we all have a need for connection and

Most business owners would not choose to go through the trouble of creating and mailing over 1,700 newsletters each month when the world went digital a long time ago. After all, newsletters are time-consuming and costly. And unlike an online ad, they don't provide any measurable boost to the bottom line. 

All of this is true. But over time we have learned that producing a monthly newsletter has become fundamental to the way we do business. Here are three reasons why we're committed to creating an 8-page newsletter month-after-month.

Mad City Dream Homes Newsletter from March, 2021

Why we publish a monthly newsletter

For starters, creating a monthly newsletter requires collaboration, commitment, and consistency by all of our team members.

As listing agents we're able to observe and interact with many different buyer agents with each property we sell. And one trend we've been noticing lately is a surprising number of offers being written where the buyer agent assumes -- rather than verifies -- that a listing is receiving many offers.

What this means for some buyers is that they are paying way more than they need to for their home. As an example, our team recently sold a home for more than $30,000 above the list, even though only one offer was submitted for the listing. Unfortunately for these buyers, they could have purchased their home for a much lower price if their agent had invested a little more time and thought into their offer.

The market is always in flux

Our late