When you fully market your home and expose your listing to the entire market, you reap the benefits of competition. As an example, during the first four months of 2024, we have a large group of sellers who are accepting offers from 5 percent to as much 26 percent over the list price, with two homes selling for more than $100,000 above the list. 

The bottom line: Sometimes there are good reasons to consider a "quiet sale". But if your primary objective is to maximize your return on investment, then marketing your home to all potential buyers is the clear choice. 

Mad City Dream Homes accepted offers over the list (January 1st - April 30th)

• Property 1: 5%
• Property 2: 6%
• Property 3: 8% 
• Property 4: 8%
• Property 5: 10%
• Property 6:

Sunshine Place is proving we can accomplish more when we meet our neighbors’ needs with dignity and collaboration. This Sun Prairie-based organization is where families and individuals can come for help with food, housing, and other essential support. Sunshine Place is a “resource hub” for basic needs, offering its nine innovative programs plus subsidized space for other agencies. They currently host staff from Centro Hispano, Joining Forces for Families, RISE – Early Childhood Initiative (ECI), Dane County Madison Public Health, and Tenant Resource Center saving their visitors time, transportation, and childcare resources to access multiple services in one-stop. 

The largest of Sunshine Place’s programs is their Sun Prairie Food Pantry, open 6 days a

We've worked with many photographers over the years, and we're grateful for our current partnership with Step Inside Media, owned and operated by Kristine and Derek Marks. 

The Step Inside photographers are skilled in their craft. Just as important, their focus on communication and personalization is admirable at a time when many other companies are doubling down on automation and standardization. 

Thank you Step Inside for your approach to customer service. We appreciate you and your work! 

Seventeen years ago Chris helped her friends Dede and Dave buy their dream home in Fitchburg. And seventeen years later we're grateful to be helping Dede and Dave again as they prepare to move to their new dream home for their next season of life. 

Thank you to all of you who continue to trust us with your real estate needs. We appreciate each and every opportunity to serve. 

Recently, a friend needed some help diagnosing a roof leak. And so we referred her to Cody Helmer, one of our most trusted contractors. Our friend called Cody that morning, and Cody was there to help her by noon on the same day. 

We love working with Cody because he's the type of person who always strives to do the right thing. Cody and his team specialize in roofing, siding, home additions (including 3-season porches), and a variety of large home renovation projects.

If you're planning for a major home renovation that requires skill and craftsmanship, we encourage you to call Cody at 608-577-7041. You'll appreciate the peace of mind you feel when you trust a solid, locally owned business with your home. Many of our clients have worked with Cody and

Just a quick reminder that we have hundreds of neighborhood and condo association guides for you to peruse and use on our website. 

So, if you're in the mode of researching neighborhoods, our Madison and Dane County neighborhood guides are excellent resources for you. And if you're curious about condos, our city and suburban condominium guides offer a great introduction to hundreds of local associations.

If you'd like us to create a guide for your neighborhood or condo association, just let us know. We'd be happy to do this for you. 

Do you have a favorite contractor or business owner who you trust and respect more than any other? Someone who follows through with their commitments and always strives to do the right thing? 

We're always seeking to meet local business owners who know how to take care of their customers. So if you know someone we should know, we would love an introduction.

We appreciate you keeping us in mind, and wish all of you a happy spring! 

Your friends at Mad City Dream Homes

Wouldn't it be wonderful to create the type of business where you didn't need to rely on expensive online ads, daily social media posting, and constant self-promotion? 

And wouldn't it be nice to have the type of business where you met most of your new clients because they chose to pick up the phone and call you? 

This is the type of practice that all of us at Mad City Dream Homes are striving for, and it's such a rewarding way to approach our work.  

If you're a buyer, you love a quiet sale because with a quiet sale you don't need to compete. 

As a seller, you might choose a private sale if you'd prefer to sell your home to someone you know, or if you want the simplicity of working with only one buyer. 

BUT, if your primary goal is to maximize your return on investment, then fully marketing your home and exposing it to the entire market is the clear choice. Here's why. 

Being a nice person who strives to be of service to others may be necessary for a rewarding career in real estate, but it's not sufficient. You also need to have a plan that you're willing to embrace over the long run. 

If you're a realtor, and you'd like some help identifying a plan that's a good fit for you, please feel free to contact us. We'd be happy to meet with you and offer you a little outside perspective.