Over the years we've noticed some relatively common mistakes home owners make when putting their property up for sale. Unfortunately, each of these mistakes can cause a property to sit on the market and sell for well below its potential. Even worse are the emotional consequences that follow as a result. A bad listing experience can be emotionally draining and a huge source of anxiety and stress. 

The good news is all of these mistakes are preventable. You can avoid all of these common pitfalls by consulting with your agent well before you plan to list. Seek some proactive and professional guidance, and make the right choices that will lead to a successful sale.

Five Common Home Seller Mistakes

Below are 5 common pitfalls to avoid when selling

Just about 150 years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright was born right here in Wisconsin. He went on to become a renowned architect, and many of his unique homes and buildings can be found in Madison. His belief that structures should be designed in harmony with the environment influenced other architects to adopt a "modern" style after World War II.

Many of these mid-century modern homes were built from the 1940s-60s, with an emphasis on being open and functional. They can often be identified by their flatter roofs, asymmetrical exterior and large windows that make nature the focal point.

The mid-century modern style has gained popularity in the housing market in recent years, and there are quite a few scattered throughout the Madison area - especially on

Through the first half of 2017, the Dane County real estate market is setting new records in a continuation of the trends we shared earlier this Spring. Dane County properties are selling quickly. Inventories are low, and prices are increasing. Sales are declining in most locations due to low supply. Here's our market summary covering a few of the county's largest communities. 

Home Price Per Square Foot

The price per square foot is our best statistic for measuring property value because it's adjusted according to the square footage of each sold listing. As you can see in the table below, home values are historically high in every community we track. Prices are increasing by some large amounts, especially in Cottage Grove, Madison, and McFarland -

We recently blogged about the shifting summer real estate market, and how buyers and sellers should adjust their expectations accordingly. This confuses some people, because media headlines can lead us to believe the market is always in a crazy, hyperactive state. The truth is the market is constantly changing throughout the year.

Another thing to keep in mind about real estate headlines is most of the time they're based on old data. For example, very soon we'll be reading about the latest market data for closings that occurred in the month of June. The important thing to remember about the June data is it's based on offers that were written in the months of April and May. By default, most of the headlines we read are the result of market dynamics

Here's the vision we have for our real estate agents as our team continues to grow:

We're known as being among the best real estate agents in Madison and South Central Wisconsin. Our clients trust us because they know we're competent, they know we care, and they know we devote extra time and attention to their goals.

The best part of our real estate team is the people. 

We're learning each new person who joins us is raising the bar for the team and influencing all of us to become better agents. We all have different personality types and different strengths, but we're all very similar in a few key ways, too. Here are 7 traits shared by the members of our team. 

Seven Characteristics Shared by our Real Estate Agents

1. We have positive

Even in a hot seller's market there are plenty of over-priced listings which won't sell until the owner gets realistic about pricing. For some sellers, that realization is happening right now. The over-heated spring market has given way to a more balanced summer market, motivating some owners to drop their price in order to get their property sold.  

Opportunistic buyers are pouncing on price reductions

Some buyers have given up on their search because they don't believe there are enough listings to go around in the summer market. Other more opportunistic buyers are staying in the game and acting immediately as soon as the right price reduction or right listing comes along. 

It's true, there are fewer new listings to choose from in the

Imagine you've come across a new listing with a beautiful, recently upgraded kitchen. The kitchen space is perfect for you and your family, but you're wondering who did the work and whether or not permits were pulled for the plumbing and electrical. If the property is located in Madison, there's a great online tool you can use to get answers to your questions. 

City of Madison Licenses & Permits Webpage

The City of Madison Licenses and Permits Webpage helps consumers research building permits pulled for individual properties. To access the page, go to https://elam.cityofmadison.com/CitizenAccess/. If this is your first time using the site, you'll need to start by registering for an account. 

Once you've registered for an account, select the

In addition to staging, there are 4 other low-cost, high-impact improvements that can dramatically increase your home's value and mass appeal. This 30 second video covers our top 4 home improvement tips.

12 Ways a Painter Can Help You Sell Your Home

Our #1 home improvement tip is to hire a professional painter to freshen up your home. Painting by a professional always pays for itself, usually many times over. Here are 12 ways a professional painter can add sparkle and value to your listing. 

1. Remove dated wallpaper and replace with a fresh coat of neutral paint. Kilim Beige from Sherwin Williams is a great all-around color for the purposes of selling a home. 
2. Replace bold colors with neutral colors that give your home more mass appeal. 

Our newest condo listing at 8237 Starr Grass Drive is off to an excellent start, thanks to stager, Debbie Lea, and photographer, Beau Meyer. Traffic has been very brisk and the feedback very positive during the first 4 days of the listing. We're looking forward to reviewing offers on Thursday, June 29th. Here's a little more info about this Midtown Commons condominium on Madison's west side. 

Photos & Features of 8237 Starr Grass Drive

This 2 bedroom/2.5 bathroom townhouse is value range priced from $185,000 to $195,000. The main level features 9' ceilings, upgraded flooring, and a gas fireplace with tile surround. 

An open concept dining area flows into the living room. 

A nice kitchen with breakfast bar, recessed lighting, and ample

It is odorless, colorless and has no taste, but radon is a naturally occurring gas that exists throughout Wisconsin, and its radioactive properties make it a health hazard. Fortunately, there are ways to detect it, and remove it from the air you breath.

Lindsay Mefford, of Madison Radon Testing, offers radon testing as part of a home inspection, or as an independently completed process. To do the test, a box (smaller than a shoe box) is temporarily installed in the lowest level of your home. It's installed in a way that prevents tampering. The box takes air samples every hour, and measures the radon content in each sample. After 48 hours, the box is collected, and the measurements are averaged. Madison area homes can fall into three categories. Either