At Mad City Dream Homes, we're always in learning mode. One of the ways we’re honing our craft this year is by participating in “market analysis mastermind” sessions. In preparation for each session, each agent performs an independent market analysis for an upcoming listing. Then we meet over Zoom to share our individual price opinions and form a consensus on the best price for the property. 

We're noticing two nice outcomes from our sessions. First, our mastermind sessions are resulting in some great discussion and helping all of us stay sharp in this year’s fast-paced market. Plus, each session allows us to tap into our collective expertise as a way to add value for a home-selling client.  

Are you someone who needs help pricing your home in

We love connecting our friends and clients with trusted businesses. This is just one of the ways we strive to keep serving you day-after-day and year-after-year. So please reach out to us anytime you need a referral to a reputable service provider. We’ll do our best to connect you with a business who’s a good fit for your needs. 

With working by referral in mind, we want to remind you we’re never too busy to serve your friends and family whenever they need real estate help. And as you already know, we'll always give your referrals our best service and advice -- and never with any sales pressure.  

At Mad City Dream Homes, the majority of our clients are repeat and referral customers. This is our sweet spot -- helping and serving others. We

Inventory is tight for single family homes, and it's tight for condos, too. Here's our latest scoop on the Madison area condo scene covering the first 6 weeks of the year. 

Percent of listings with accepted offers and months of supply

Right now 58% of all Dane County condo listings are under contract with an accepted offer, which is a very high number for mid-February. Competition is especially high for condos priced under $350,000. Overall there are only .7 months of condo supply in Dane County. This is the lowest inventory level that our team has ever reported for our market. 

New MLS condo listings

Only 130 new listings entered the Dane County condo market in January. This was the third lowest total on record for the month. 

What's going on with Madison area real estate? The story of the year so far is low inventory. Here's our latest snapshot of the Dane County single family home market -- covering the first 6 weeks of 2021. 

Percent of listings with accepted offers

Right now 54% of all Dane County single family home listings are under contract with an accepted offer, which is a very high number for this time of year. The market for homes priced under $500,000 is especially competitive. 

Months of supply

Right now there are only .6 months of single family home supply throughout all of Dane County. Inventory is especially low for homes priced under $500,000. 

New MLS listings

Dane County property owners have been slow to put their homes up for sale

If you're thinking of selling your home in 2021, now is the time to put your home on the market, even though we're in the middle the winter season. Here's why: so far this year new listings are entering the market at an extremely slow pace. And with so much demand in the marketplace, many sellers are receiving multiple offers and selling for tens of thousands of dollars over the list. 

For a little more context, here's a quick look at how new MLS listings are trending in early 2021. 

Dane County new single family home listings

New single family home listings reached a new low in January and fell by 32 percent from January of 2020. Last month was the only January on record to log fewer than 400 new listings. 

Dane County new condo

Are you looking for a home in an established neighborhood, but can’t seem to find any options? We rounded up a selection of established neighborhoods that consistently have a good amount of inventory available. From communities with historic bungalows to houses in growing neighborhoods with a wide variety of inventory, these neighborhoods have options for many types of buyers. Check out the neighborhood profiles for each community to see all the latest listings.

Are you searching for your perfect home? Contact one of our experienced agents for a consultation. We would love to help guide you through the process of buying your dream home!

Birchwood Point - Located on the far west side of Madison, Birchwood Point is near shops and dining in Madison

It may seem hard to believe, but there are some real dangers for sellers to be aware of in this year’s real estate market. If you’re planning to sell your home this year, these 3 tips will help you avoid the pitfalls that some Madison area sellers are experiencing in 2021. 

Our 3 big tips for Madison area home sellers in 2021

#1: Don't get caught up in the hype. 

These days it’s so easy for sellers to read the news headlines and social media hype and be lulled into overconfidence. Perhaps you’ve come across a few of these sellers. These are the folks whose listings are sitting on the market, with no real prospect of selling, because they’ve underestimated all that is required for a successful sale.

#2: Remember to focus on the

We're excited to announce that Jake Johnson has joined our team as a full-time and full-service realtor! Jake brings with him 15 years of experience in customer service and people-focused industries, while serving 10 of those years in leadership roles. 

Jake is a former client of our team, so he knows all about our focus on community, relationships, and real estate. He has a strong work ethic, a knack for building positive relationships, and a sincere appreciation for mastering the fundamentals of our business -- as he applies them in ways that are authentic to his personality and his strengths. And Jake has certainly hit the ground running. He's already adding a ton of value to our clients. 

We're grateful to have someone of Jake's caliber join our

The Madison area condo market was very active in December, as condo closings and accepted offers increased big-time to close out the year. Here's our latest market update along with our commentary on what to expect in the year ahead. 

Madison area condo sales

Despite low inventory, Dane County condo sales grew to the second-highest total on record for the month of December. Sales increased 29% year-over-year and 14% during the calendar year.  

Accepted offers

Local condo buyers were very active last month and almost set a new record for the month of December. Accepted offers increased 28% from the prior December and 14% during all of 2020. We expect strong sales totals in January based on the number of contracts signed in December. 

After years of in-person and hands-on staging with Debbie Lea of Showcase Home Stagers, our team quickly adjusted to doing business virtually because of the pandemic in order to prioritize everyone’s safety. 

Because of Debbie’s incredible eye for design -- even through video chats and emailed photographs -- and close collaboration with our nimble agents and marketing staff, our sellers continue to reap the benefits of home staging services (free of charge as part of our complete marketing plan). 

In a previous post we shared what sellers can expect during a virtual staging consultation with Debbie. As a follow up to that blog, Debbie and agents Ann Raschein, Maureen Moran, and Shelley Lazzareschi reflect on the importance of making a great first