As we approach the end of 2020, we'd like to say thank you to Ann Raschein for her dedication to affordable housing initiatives here in Dane County. As an affordable housing advocate, Ann volunteers her time and energy as a member of the board for both the Home Buyers Round Table and Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. Ann has also helped 5 families receiving down payment assistance achieve the dream of homeownership in 2020.

Ann's commitment to affordable housing is just one of many ways that she serves her community. If you've worked with Ann on the purchase or sale of your home, you've come to know her as someone who truly goes the extra mile to help you achieve your real estate goals. As a leader on our team, we've come to know her as someone who

The Madison area condo market continues to be very active as we approach the new year. Here's our latest report on the Dane County condo market, covering the month of November, 2020. 

Dane County condo sales

Madison area condo sales jumped 14% in November and set a new record for the month. Even though we're in the midst of the holidays, many buyers are motivated to make a purchase before the end of the year. 

Accepted offers

Accepted offers increased 21% in November and established a new record for the month, too. We're expecting a high number of closings in December and January based on the large number of buyers writing offers in November.  

Madison area condo prices

Dane County condo prices reached a new high for the month

November was another record-setting month for the Madison area single family home market. Here's our latest Dane County home report covering the month of November, 2020.

Dane County home sales

Madison area home sales set a new record for the month, increasing by 13% year-over-year and 6% year-to-date.  

Accepted offers

Accepted offers also set a new record for the month, increasing by 9% year-over-year. A high number of accepted offers in November will lead to strong sales totals in December and January. 

Months of supply and percent of listings under contract

Right now there are only .8 months of single family home supply available for sale on the MLS, while over 49% of all listings are under contract (a very high percentage

The holiday season has arrived, so it’s time to reflect on last year’s real estate predictions before we share our predictions for the coming year. As you’ll see below, our crystal ball was accurate with a few of our 2020 real estate predictions and off the mark with a few others.

Where our crystal ball got it right

Last year we predicted historically low mortgage rates and housing inventory, which have proven to be true. We predicted confusing and contradictory messaging about the economy and the market, which has also been on the mark. Last, we summed up our predictions by saying more consumers would seek the advice of full-service, real estate professionals. Based on our experience, this has also been true. We’ve served more buyers and

November and December are typically the two slowest months for real estate in the Madison area. Of course, this year has been anything but typical.

Although buyer activity does tend to slow during the holidays, we're still sensing strong interest from local buyers for this time of year. For example, check out the chart below, which compares the number of new monthly visitors to our website compared to the same month of the previous year. 

So far, through the first 23 days of November, our website traffic is up 20% from last year. If we use the number of new visitors to our website as a proxy for buyer interest, then interest in Madison area real estate is quite high for this time of year. Despite all of the political chaos and uncertainty in

This year has been a year of incredible change. Despite all of the challenges in 2020, we’re excited to be on a positive path as we head into the new year. Here are a few of the positive steps we’ve taken in 2020, and a peek at what lies ahead in 2021. 

Positive change in 2020

We’ve crystallized our 3 core values of Community, Relationships, and Real Estate. We’re actively investing in our community. We’re cultivating positive relationships in every aspect of our business. And -- more than ever before -- we’re dedicated to helping you achieve all of your real estate dreams and goals.

We’ve implemented a retirement savings plan (with company match) for our employees. With the implementation of our IRA savings plan, we’re committed to helping

You are ready to sell, and you want to get the best price possible. This means showing your home at its best. We suggest a few simple updates that can be done both quickly and affordably. Take a look at our top 5 ways to increase your home's value without breaking the bank. All five of these recommendations are low cost solutions that provide a great return on investment. 

Step 1: Hire a professional home stager

In real estate, first impressions mean everything. A professional will help you stage your home so buyers fall in love with your listing when they view your home online. Depending on your needs, your stager will also recommend new paint colors, new flooring, and new light fixtures which dramatically improve your home's mass appeal. If you're

The Dane County real estate market continued to exceed all expectations in the month of October. Here's our latest summary of the Madison area real estate market, for both single family homes and condos. 

Home and condo sales

Dane County single family home sales set a new record in October, increasing by 37% from last October, and by 5% year-to-date.

Condo sales nearly reached an all-time high. Closings increased by 30% in October and by 10% through the first 10 months of 2020.

Accepted Offers

Single family home accepted offers set a new record for the month of October. Based on this forward-looking indicator, we expect home sales to set a new record in the month of November, too.

Accepted offers for condominiums also set a

For the last few years we've been working to document our community with pictures -- the landmarks, natural spaces, and events that are unique to Madison and the greater Dane County area. Our goal is to celebrate our community by sharing our photos on social media, our website, in our newsletter, and even in our real estate listings. We have a lot more work to do, but thanks to Tracy Kapela, Samantha Haas and Justin Lackner, we're making great progress.

As an example, here are some photos from Downtown Madison that we've captured over the last few years. Looking at these photos, I can't help but think that we have so much to be grateful for, and also so much work to do.

Downtown Madison in pictures

The home inspection contingency is a critical moment in almost every transaction. After all, more offers fall apart during this contingency than at any other time -- so how you and your agent negotiate your inspection can either make or break your sale. Below we offer 4 practical tips for sellers who have a home inspection contingency written into their offer. These are tried and true tips that come from experience earned over hundreds of transactions. 

4 inspection negotiation tips for sellers

Before the home inspection

Setting the stage for a successful negotiation actually begins well before the inspection takes place. Start by hiring a listing agent who has a pricing and marketing strategy that will attract offers from at least 3