Interest rates have been rising, but for those buyers who stay in the market, there will be many more opportunities to purchase for the remainder of the year. Inventory is steadily moving higher, and it's just a matter of time before Dane County breaks the 500 listing mark for the first time in 2022. 

At the same time inventory is rising, showing activity is decreasing. This means buyers will have fewer competing offers to contend with in the weeks and months ahead. 

The market is becoming more balanced.

And buyers will benefit by having more properties to choose from, more time to search, and more room to negotiate.

So, what questions do you have about buying a home in the Madison area? We would love to be a resource for you as more

Lately, many realtors in the area have been noting how the market appears to be a little less intense these last few weeks, and the numbers tend to agree. Here's some fresh insight into the Madison area real estate market with a quick look at listings, showings, and mortgage rates. 

First, the number of available listings is increasing.

In fact, inventory levels right now are the highest they've been all year. Buyers have more properties to choose from right now than in any other point in 2022. 

Competition is decreasing. 

As inventory has been increasing, the number of scheduled showings has been moderating. These two trends point to fewer competing offers in the weeks and months ahead. 

Interest rates have been rising. 

More

Congrats to our client Tricia, who just closed on her bright and beautiful home on Madison’s west side! With plenty of room to live, entertain, and work from home, Tricia’s new abode is a perfect fit for her lifestyle. And the low-maintenance yard suits Tricia’s tastes just fine, too!

Tricia was referred to us last year by a friend of our team. When we first met Tricia, Dan learned more about her wants and needs and provided guidance on the market. Then Dan and Shelley worked together to begin the search for Tricia’s new dream home. 

When it was time to tour properties, Tricia quickly zeroed in on the one she loved, and Shelley and Dan collaborated on the negotiation strategy that eventually resulted in Tricia’s offer being accepted over 7 other

There's no doubt this can be a challenging time for first-time buyers. So, if you're an aspiring buyer who has been struggling with the market, it may be beneficial to evaluate the foundation that you're working from. Once you've had a chance to evaluate and strengthen your financial foundation, then your odds for buying your home should improve dramatically. 

Below we share 4 pieces of advice that can help you strengthen your financial position and help you achieve your dream of homeownership. At Mad City Dream Homes, we've integrated all 4 of these philosophies into our own lives. Each philosophy has stood the test of time by helping us improve our own financial foundations and by helping us achieve our homeownership goals, too. 

Four tips

So many buyers are feeling frustrated by this year’s competitive real estate market. But this doesn’t need to be your experience. You can buy your dream home by partnering with our team as we help you overcome two big challenges during your home-buying journey.

Challenge #1: You can’t compete because you have a home sale contingency.

You may be struggling right now because you need to make your offer contingent upon the sale of your current home. If this has been your challenge up to now, we want you to know we now have access to a program that can help you write your offer without a home sale contingency -- even when you have a home to sell.

Challenge #2: You can’t compete with cash offers.

You might also be struggling because you’re

At a time when so many realtors are blending in with the crowd, there are still a few professionals in the world of real estate who remain priceless to their clients. And Maureen Moran is certainly one of them. How is it that so many clients have come to love and appreciate Maureen?

It’s because Maureen is a consummate professional who also genuinely cares about the needs and concerns of her clients.

That’s the only conclusion we come to as we peruse the dozens of online reviews that have been submitted by Maureen’s clientele. Professionalism and personal care are the two constant themes that run throughout her clients’ commentary, the two main ingredients in Maureen's secret sauce.

Are professionalism and personal attention important to you as

You're serious about buying your dream home, but you know inventory is tight. So how do you achieve your homeownership goals in 2022? 

The answer is: by adjusting your perspective. By realizing that finding your dream home isn’t about finding the perfect home at the perfect price. It’s about finding the home that will help you build a better life. 

Or, put another way, it’s not about finding the home that checks all of your boxes. It’s about finding the home that checks most of them. 

So, even if the home you buy isn't the perfect home at the perfect price, it can be reassuring to know that your new home can help you create a better life. And it can help you create a better financial future, too. 

By paying down the principal on your

If you're buying in 2022, your offer to purchase will likely be up against offers from other motivated buyers. Below are 28 ways you can make your offer stand out from the competition and be the one that gets accepted. Of course the strategies you use will depend a lot on the type and condition of the property, your level of motivation, and how much competition you have from other parties. 

28 Ways to Write a Winning Offer

#1: Submit your mortgage pre-approval from a reputable, local lender. A pre-approval from an out-of-town or big box lender can create doubt in the mind of a seller. For example, we've seen sellers disregard offers from buyers who are pre-approved by an internet lender. Give your seller every reason to believe your pre-approval is

The number of real estate agents is sky-rocketing in Wisconsin. According to the National Association of Realtors, realtor membership in our state has grown by 43% over the last 9 years. With just over 90,000 sales in the state last year, this means there were about 5 sales per agent in 2021. 

Putting the numbers in perspective 

While the average realtor serves about 5 clients in a year, our team members averaged 25 clients served in 2021.

Does serving more people necessarily correlate with providing better service? We don't think so. But if you were to ask any member of our team, they would tell you that serving more clients comes directly from our full-time commitment to our profession. In other words, because we're fully-committed to our

If you're aspiring to buy a home in 2022, your best option may be a new construction home in one of Dane County's emerging neighborhoods. Whether you choose to buy a lot and build your own custom home, or buy a home that's already under construction, new options are becoming available for you throughout the year. 

New construction advantages

Buying a new construction home offers three key advantages:

1. First, buying a new construction home usually gives you the luxury of purchasing without having to compete against any other buyers, which is a huge plus in this year's ultra-competitive market.
2. Second, you very often have the opportunity to customize your features and finishes, depending on the level of completion at the time of your