<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0">
    <channel>
        <title>Lake &amp; City Homes Realty > Lake &amp; City Views</title>
        <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/</link>
        <description>Madison real estate news, views, and housing statistics. Announcements and discussions focused on the Madison real estate market, Madison home buying opportunities, as well as the real estate market of other nearby Madison communities.</description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/the-29th-annual-crazylegs-classic.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/the-29th-annual-crazylegs-classic.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>The 29th Annual Crazylegs Classic</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 











Looking for a great way to get back into shape before summer?&nbsp; Support the University of Wisconsin&ndash;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 &ldquo;hatched over a couple of beers&rdquo; in 1981 by thr... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:43:51 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/whats-on-tap-for-st-patricks-day-in-madison.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/whats-on-tap-for-st-patricks-day-in-madison.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>What's on Tap for St. Patrick&#8217;s Day in Madison</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 

















If you missed the Madison parade and want to do a little more than going through the McDonald&rsquo;s drive thru for a Shamrock shake, here are some fun activities in the Madison, WI area for St. Patrick&rsquo;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 o... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:40:31 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/why-avoiding-aggregators-yields-the-freshest-real-estate-listings.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/why-avoiding-aggregators-yields-the-freshest-real-estate-listings.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Avoiding aggregators to get the freshest real estate listings</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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:

&quot;Thanks for the Trulia link to ... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:50:28 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/rascw-green-committee-presentation-is-thursday.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/rascw-green-committee-presentation-is-thursday.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Presentation on Energy Rebates &amp; Tax Credits</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Just a quick reminder that on Thursday, March 11th from 9:00 a.m. &ndash; 11:00 a.m. the RASCW Green Committee will be hosting an educational program on Energy Rebates and Tax Credits.&nbsp; The program will be held in the community room at the beautiful new Sequoya Library located at 4340 Tokay Blvd in Madison.&nbsp;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 Associati... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:25:05 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/madison-ranks-third-most-secure-us-city.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/madison-ranks-third-most-secure-us-city.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Madison ranks third most secure U.S. city</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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, ris... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/madison-ranks-2nd-healthiest-us-city-for-men-in-2010.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/madison-ranks-2nd-healthiest-us-city-for-men-in-2010.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Madison ranks 2nd healthiest U.S city for men in 2010</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s Health, Madison was l... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:58:05 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/debt-forgiveness-a-potential-pitfall-of-short-sales.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/debt-forgiveness-a-potential-pitfall-of-short-sales.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Debt forgiveness: A potential pitfall of short sales</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ The biggest investment many people make is their home and in recent years that investment has turned sour.&nbsp; Rapidly rising home values appeared to be a sure bet.&nbsp; As home values went up and equity magically increased, many homeowners sought and were given second mortgages which left very little net equity. &nbsp;Like all financial bubbles, the inevitable crash has arrived.&nbsp; A major cause was Wall Street's securitization of &quot;sub prime&quot; loans.&nbsp; A great explanation can... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:25:29 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/price-reduction.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/price-reduction.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>Price reduction on 1622 Meadowcrest Lane in Middleton</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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 s... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:20:19 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/what-to-know-about-the-respa-reform.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/what-to-know-about-the-respa-reform.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>What to know about the RESPA Reform</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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, whi... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:40:24 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/fha-financing-gets-more-expensive.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.lakeandcityhomes.com/blog/fha-financing-gets-more-expensive.html</link>
            <author>jolenta@lakeandcityhomes.com (Jolenta Averill)</author>
            <title>FHA financing gets more expensive</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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 befo... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:08:23 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>