Beginning August 17th the new federal rules require a signed working agreement before you tour a home with a real estate agent. The good news for you is that you won't need to sign a buyer agency agreement if you don't want to. Instead, you can sign what's called a pre agency showing agreement. 

A pre agency showing agreement authorizes your agent (and their firm) to show you properties and act as a neutral party during the showing process. In other words, during pre agency your agent can show you properties and share general market information, but they can't assist you by drafting an offer and engaging in negotiations. 

Once you decide you want to draft and negotiate an offer to purchase, this will require a signed buyer agency agreement. With a

Capturing teaser shots of a beautifully staged room offers one effective way to launch your "coming soon" marketing. Another highly effective approach is to create an exterior video. Our video of 5509 Hammersley Rd on Madison's west side is an excellent example. 

This short video by Step Inside Media allows us to market the home and attract buyers to the sale as we stage the inside of the home for photos. 

For more home-selling tips, check out our Madison area home sellers blog. We're always posting fresh content to our blog based on our experiences out in the field. 

According to 2023 data from Redfin, the average American has lived in their home for 11.9 years -- which is nearly double the 6.5 years from 2005. We're staying in our homes longer for a variety of reasons: Higher mortgage rates, higher housing prices, and fewer housing options to choose from, to name a few. 

Chances are you'll be in your home for a long time when you make your next move. The stakes will be high, and you'll want a trusted advisor beside you. Serving as your advisor is a role we hold in high regard. Here's a peek at what our recent clients have to say about their experience buying with our team. 

Many folks are still waiting for prices to fall before they get serious about buying real estate. And for good reason. We're used to boom and bust cycles in real estate, and it's been 15 years since our last big price correction. 

But our new reality is that there are a whole host of reasons to believe that Madison area real estate prices will be rising for a long, long time. Chief among them is climate change, and climate migration to the Dane County area. 

Climate migration is the number one reason why we continue to bet on Madison area real estate, and why we continue to advocate for smart and sustainable housing in the Dane County area. In the meantime we're getting involved with climate change solutions, too. We hope you'll join us. 

A good plumber can be hard to find, especially on short notice. Here are a few of our favorite, tried and true companies: 

• RHD Plumbing: Shelley's go to. 608-292-3318
• Chris Elke Plumbing: Always great feedback. 608-225-0275
• Pertzborn Plumbing: Usually available for emergent situations. 608-256-3900
• Stoppleworth Plumbing: Consistently reliable over the years. 608-831-6342 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to your Mad City Dream Homes realtor whenever you need a referral to a reputable, local business. We'd love to help you. 

Home and condo supply continues to improve for Madison area buyers, as shown by the charts below. 

Single family home supply is up 42% from the same time last year. 

While condo supply is up 92%. 

If you're in the market for a Dane County home or condo, we encourage you to stay positive and committed to your search. These next few months are a window of opportunity. Supply will continue to improve into the fall, as it typically does each year. We'll see more sellers become a little more flexible with their pricing, and more sellers become a little more willing to negotiate. 

Condo inventory has been gradually improving in the Madison area, with several newer developments popping up across Dane County. Newer condominium developments include: 

• Arboretum Village in Waunakee
• Bellflower Pointe in Deforest 
• Besa Monona in Monona
• Calliope Cottages in Middleton
• Happy Place Condominiums on Madison's East Side
• Lacy Ridge Condominiums in Fitchburg
• Lacy Woods in Fitchburg 
• One Tree Condominiums in Edgerton 
• The Ridge at Fox Hill in Deforest 
• Riverstone Townhomes in Deforest 
• Sienna Hills Condominiums in Mount Horeb 
• Simply Homes Condominiums in Mazomanie 
• West Village Condos in Belleville 
• Wild Oak Condominiums in Stoughton 
• Windflower Village in Mount Horeb 

Contact us for a helpful

Dane County condo prices rose again in June, spurred by low supply and strong demand. Here's our latest update on the Madison area condominium market. 

June condo prices

• The price per square foot rose from $218 in June of 2023 to $235 in June of 2024, an increase of 8 percent. 
• The average price rose from $342,102 to $361,592, an increase of 6 percent. 
• The median price jumped from $314,760 to $325,000, an increase of 3 percent. 

Year-to-date prices

• The price per square foot grew from $211 during the first 6 months of 2023 to $227 during the first 6 months of 2024, an increase of 8 percent. 
• The average price grew from $327,847 to $336,777, an increase of 3 percent. 
• The median price grew from $295,000 to

Dane County home prices continued to rise in the month of June, fueled by low inventory and strong buyer competition. Here's our latest update on the Madison area single family home market. 

June home prices

• The price per square foot rose from $231 in June of 2023 to $239 in June of 2024, an increase of 4 percent. 
• The average price rose from $519,271 to $543,943, an increase of 5 percent. 
• The median price jumped from $445,000 to $490,000, an increase of 10 percent. 

Year-to-date prices

• The price per square foot rose from $224 during the first 6 months of 2023 to $238 during the first 6 months of 2024, an increase of 6 percent. 
• The average price rose from $499,744 to $528,949, an increase of 6 percent. 
• The median

Unexpected water issues can be stressful for homeowners and can potentially lead to a canceled sale. This was the problem our client faced, when she realized she had a water issue shortly after she accepted an offer for her home. 

Our client was concerned, and her buyers were concerned, too. The fix wouldn't be an easy one. It required the work of a skilled contractor, and most of the good contractors already had full schedules. 

So Mad City Dream Homes hit the phones and reached out to every reputable contractor we could think of. We called 15 contractors in all. In the end, we found a contractor who had the expertise to tackle the project, and who could complete the work on a timeline and a budget that were acceptable to both parties. 

The