All Blog Entries by Jolenta Averill 
There are currently 120 blog entries published by Jolenta Averill.
The 29th Annual Crazylegs Classic
Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 6:43pm. 103 Views, 0 Comments.
Looking for a great way to get back into shape before summer? Support the University of Wisconsin–Madison Athletic Department and enjoy a pre-summer workout! The 29th Annual Crazylegs Classic takes place on Saturday, April 24th and features a scenic 8K run/wheelchair or a two mile walk that begins at the Capitol Square and ends with the final leg in Camp Randall Stadium.
The Crazylegs Classic idea was “hatched over a couple of beers” in 1981 by three Badger fanatics at a local bar. Tom Grantham, Ken Sparks, and Rich Bakus wanted to raise money for UW Athletics, the three approached then Athletic Director Elroy Hirsch for permission to name it the “Crazylegs Run” in his honor. Elroy Hirsch was an American football running back and…
What's on Tap for St. Patrick’s Day in Madison
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 8:40am. 201 Views, 0 Comments.
If you missed the Madison parade and want to do a little more than going through the McDonald’s drive thru for a Shamrock shake, here are some fun activities in the Madison, WI area for St. Patrick’s Day:
Indulge in an Irish dinner at the Great Dane! They will be serving green beer, Irish food specials, and music from DJ Mike Carlson beginning at 9 p.m.
The Monona Terrace will be hosting an evening with rigel (Modern Celtic Music), that is free and open to the public! Themed menu specials, snacks, beer, cocktails, and soft drinks are available for purchase beginning at 5 p.m. Enjoy an evening of dancing and great music with friends!
The Overture Center on State Street hosts Danú, a leading Irish traditional ensemble!…
Avoiding aggregators to get the freshest real estate listings
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 10:50am. 460 Views, 13 Comments.
Recently I was contacted by one of my site visitors about a property they saw for sale in Middleton Hills on Trulia.com. The person was asking why they couldn't locate that listing on my website. After looking up the MLS number, I quickly discovered the property was no longer for sale. I thought I'd share with you my reply in case there is still anyone out there who feels compelled to search for real estate on listing aggregators such as Trulia and Zillow:
"Thanks for the Trulia link to MLS #1543347 (6933 Ramsey Rd) last night. Below is a link to the MLS sheet for this property:
Click Here to View Listings
As you can see, the current status for this property is actually "Pending". That means that all contingencies (subject to sale, financing, inspection,…
Presentation on Energy Rebates & Tax Credits
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 4:25pm. 113 Views, 1 Comments.
Just a quick reminder that on Thursday, March 11th from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. the RASCW Green Committee will be hosting an educational program on Energy Rebates and Tax Credits. The program will be held in the community room at the beautiful new Sequoya Library located at 4340 Tokay Blvd in Madison.
A panel of speakers will discuss energy credits, updates for green renovations for existing homes and new construction, as well as information on the Madison Area Builders Association Green Built Home™ program.
Speakers include Lee Schwartz, Piping Plover Energy Solutions; a representative from Focus on Energy and RASCW Green Committee Co-chair Troy Thiel. Peter Zarov of Homestead Title will be sponsoring the event.
For more information about green-built…
Madison ranks third most secure U.S. city
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 3:06pm. 118 Views, 2 Comments.
In times of economic uncertainty, identifying a safe and secure environment in
which to live, work and raise a family has undoubtedly become a much bigger priority for many Americans than before. In a survey released by Farmers Insurance Group in late December 2009, Madison Wisconsin ranked the third most secure place to live in the United States compared to the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
The rankings used in the study considered factors ranging from crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, threat of terrorism, housing market depreciation, foreclosure rates, air quality, life expectancy, and job loss numbers. In total, 379 U.S. municipalities were evaluated for the study.
The survey ranked the top 20 cities (or metropolitan…
Madison ranks 2nd healthiest U.S city for men in 2010
Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 3:58pm. 198 Views, 4 Comments.
Madison residents have long enjoyed the many benefits that the city has to offer. From easy access to numerous cultural and recreational activities to ample employment opportunities and beautiful homes to select from, the capital city of Madison Wisconsin is simply a beautiful place to live. According to a recent article in Men’s Health magazine, however, the city is also among the top healthiest places for men to live.
In the January/February 2010 issue of Men’s Health, Madison was listed as the second healthiest U.S. city for men. To determine rankings, Men's Health Magazine weighed 35 criteria including employment rates, air quality, commute times, life expectancy, death rates related to different health conditions, weight-related health issues and even…
Debt forgiveness: A potential pitfall of short sales
Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 5:25pm. 134 Views, 0 Comments.
The biggest investment many people make is their home and in recent years that investment has turned sour. Rapidly rising home values appeared to be a sure bet. As home values went up and equity magically increased, many homeowners sought and were given second mortgages which left very little net equity.
Like all financial bubbles, the inevitable crash has arrived. A major cause was Wall Street's securitization of "sub prime" loans. A great explanation can be found at CrisisofCredit.com. As housing prices fell, and as homeowners lost jobs or had other financial problems, their second mortgages and high interest rate loans combined to make many homes unaffordable.
One option to avoid unaffordable monthly mortgage payments is a short sale. A short sale…
Price reduction on 1622 Meadowcrest Lane in Middleton
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 10:20am. 323 Views, 1 Comments.
Today we're super excited to announce a price reduction to $274,900 from a value range price of $279,900-$289,900 for this absolutely gorgeous four bedroom, 2.5 bath contemporary style split-level located right across the street from Meadow Park in the sought-after Elm Lawn school district of Middleton.
Check out the beautiful photos, Streetmaps, Bird's Eye View, Walkability Scores and much more for this home located at 1622 Meadowcrest Lane in Middleton WI and call us at 608.628.9701 today to schedule your private showing! This spacious family home with open plan layout, remodelled kitchen, den with second fireplace, huge playroom, 2-car garage, storage galore, and landscaped yard with 14 different gardens is amazing - but at this price it won't last long!
What to know about the RESPA Reform
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 9:40am. 163 Views, 3 Comments.
In the past year, the mortgage industry has implemented changes that will help provide customers with the essential information and enough time to understand their home purchases and refinance options. Some of those changes have included the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) changes in May 2009 and the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) requirements that came into effect July 30, 2009. The newest addition to those changes is the RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) Reform, which became mandatory for all lenders and mortgage brokers on January 1, 2010.
Here's what you need to know about the RESPA Reform as a consumer and an industry colleague.
What is RESPA Reform?
RESPA Reform was enacted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…
FHA financing gets more expensive
Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 9:08am. 217 Views, 4 Comments.
As of January 21, 2010, the FHA is changing their upfront funding fee from 1.75% to 2.25%. This is the fee the borrower can finance directly into their loan without making any changes to the purchase price. It doesn't affect the amount of cash required to close a loan and it won't change borrowers' mortgage payments very much but the change is getting a lot of attention nonetheless. Here's what's really going on:
The FHA is essentially going back to what it used to charge consumers years ago before it lowered its fee from 2.25% to 1.5%, and then increased it to the current 1.75%. So while this is definitely an increase, it's not really that big of a deal. Also, it won't impact very many borrowers because few lenders are doing loans with credit scores…
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