Statistics show that the average American household has "300,000 things." And as more baby boomers downsize, move to assisted living facilities, or pass away, "the volume of unwanted keepsakes and family heirlooms is poised to grow -- along with the number of delicate conversations about what to do with them," the New York Times reports.

From your great aunt's rocking chair to that unopened box of hand-me-down china, the weight of what we own and what we no longer use could easily be lifted off of our shoulders. Wouldn't it be nice to ditch the guilt and declutter your life by finding a new home for some of your belongings?

While some trinkets should just go in the garbage bin, many other items don't need to be relegated to the curb. You might not

We recently had an opportunity to do 2 market analyses which showed how dramatically market conditions can differ from one location to the next. One property was located in a clear seller's market in Madison's Westmorland neighborhood. The other property was a higher priced listing located in a more rural buyer's market. Below we share a few examples from both market analyses which demonstrate how buyer's markets and seller's markets differ.  

Seller's markets typically have low inventory levels and a high percentage of listings with accepted offers. These two traits run very strong in the Westmorland neighborhood. At the time of our analysis the Westmorland market had only .6 months of supply available for sale on the MLS. In addition, 50% of

Don’t wait for the snow to melt and ground to thaw before planning your next landscaping project. Take it from Joe Hanauer, owner of Landscape Architecture LLC in Madison, who has over 20 years of experience in landscape design and horticulture. Whether you’re a green thumb or would rather hire a pro, his spring landscaping tips will help your plants thrive and yard shine. 

Clean the yard

In March or early April, rake up leaves and remove perennial foliage and ornamental grasses left from fall and winter. It's important to get rid of rot and mold to keep your garden free from pathogens. "It will reduce the apple scab in crab apples and some of the black spot on roses, so it's good to get that stuff out of there," Hanauer said. As long as a

One aspect of our job that we really enjoy is helping home owners whose previous listing expired without selling. When we meet with owners we start by getting to know the property and the marketing used during the previous listing. Usually we find out there's a lot we can do to help each client.

Such was the case with our recent sale of this upscale listing which we sold this February. When we first met with the sellers we were struck by the beauty of the property and setting. It was a truly special home, but the home's beauty wasn't fully exposed by the previous marketing. 

For example, we saw an immediate opportunity to upgrade the pictures and produce showcase listing photos like this one below. This was one of several ideas we had for generating

In  2017 our real estate team helped 45% of our Madison area home-selling clients receive multiple offers on their listing. In 2018, our clients are way ahead of that pace with one recently receiving a whopping 14 offers to purchase. Great things happen when sellers receive multiple offers. Below are 5 reasons why we aim to attract competing offers for each and every sale. 

5 reasons to attract multiple offers

#1: Multiple offers help sellers attract the highest possible price. Just like an auction, the price goes up when buyers compete against each other. 

#2: Cash offers are more common when buyers compete. Heavy competition greatly increases the odds that one or more buyers will submit an offer without a financing contingency. For those

Thinking of selling your Madison area home or condo in 2018? Below we share 10 short articles for your perusal. Each article offers plenty of practical, no-nonsense advice. Read on for some of our best home-selling tips. 

10 articles for Madison area home and condo sellers

#1: Our top 5 home improvement projects for increasing your home's value

Usually it's the simple home improvement projects that provide the biggest benefit. In this article we share our top 5 ways to increase your home's value on a budget. All 5 of these inexpensive projects offer a great return on investment. 

#2: How to protect your listing from a low appraisal

Low appraisals are relatively common in a fast-rising market and are the number one cause of canceled

Last year we helped 50 Madison area clients sell their home, condo, or investment property. It was a good year for business, and a great year for results. In 2017 we were very focused on helping our clients sell for the highest possible price and in the shortest amount of time. Here are some of the strategies we used to achieve these results in 2017. 

Selling listings quickly and for a high market price

#1: Establish a "no budget" policy for each marketing plan. 

In other words, each listing receives its own customized marketing plan designed to produce the best results. We're huge believers in planning, preparation, and the creative process. Great things happen when we collaborate and get creative with our clients. 

#2: Implement

A 3 dimensional "dollhouse" tour is a wonderful way to show off a luxury property or perfectly staged home. In a dollhouse tour, the viewer uses the arrow keys on a computer keypad to navigate the property virtually, glimpsing 360 degree views of every room. For some recent examples from our own listings, take a look at the 3 dollhouse tours below, all of which were produced by Justin Lackner.

9th floor Nolen Shore Condo

This dollhouse tour does an excellent job of conveying the panoramic Lake Monona views spanning the dining room, living room and master bedroom of this perfectly staged condo. Take control of this tour yourself and try zooming into the lakefront view. With this up-close look, you're able to obtain a very realistic view of Lake

Thinking of selling your Madison area home or condo in the coming year? Here are 3 resolutions that will help you have a happy new year in 2018. 

#1: Hire the listing agent who will net you the most at the closing table

A beautiful visual presentation is a requirement for a successful listing, so choose an agent who provides professional staging and professional photography (at a minimum) as part of their marketing plan. Your listing agent should also offer guidance on the low-cost improvements that will increase your home's value and reduce its time on the market. Last, your agent should demonstrate the negotiation skills you need to achieve the highest possible price for your home. When all is said and done you'll be glad you hired an agent

The seller's market seems to come to Madison a little earlier each year, and in 2018 we expect the Madison area real estate market to be hot by February 1st at the latest. The primary reason for this is low inventory. Buyers are adjusting to the low inventory market by starting their property searches in the wintertime instead of the spring - in order to get a jump on their competition. We're expecting buyers to be very active, very early in 2018 due to low supply in the Madison area. 

As of this article, Madison single family home listings are down by more than 12% from the same time last year, and condo listings are lower by more than 38%. Meanwhile, Dane County's population and economy keep growing. With low supply and high demand, we're predicting