September 2, 2017 to September 3, 2017

Taste of Madison

If it’s Labor Day Weekend, it’s time for A Taste of Madison. Now in its 34th year, it’s your chance to enjoy bargain-priced menu items from more than 80 local caterers and restaurants. The two-date fete also offers three live-music stages all weekend. Who needs to travel on Labor Day Weekend? Apparently, more than 250,000 Madisonites prefer to stay home and head to A Taste of Madison. It’s open on Saturday from 2 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., in Downtown Madison. Find details online at tasteofmadison.com.

 

September 7, 2017 to September 9, 2017

Quilt Expo

Who knew that quilts were such a big deal? Those in the know are heading to Alliant Energy…

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I have to laugh when I read real estate advice from folks who have never had a real estate client in their lives, never been responsible for the sale of a home and have never been a homeowner trying to sell one. Novices have a tendency to throw out advice and then either ignore or gloss over the details. Open house and home showing advice is some of the most common I encounter on the Internet.

Even worse, however, is when this invaluable advice is tossed out on a real estate agent’s website. Here is one of my all-time favorites:

"get the pets to stay elsewhere until your home sells"

Now, darn it, why didn’t we think of that? Just board your pets for the entire time your home is on the market! Understand that pet boarding facilities…

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Back to pencils, back to books . . . we are getting close to September, which is when our Madison students head back to class (September 5 and 6) with nary a “dirty look” from parents This means we have mere weeks to gear up for the routine ― the shopping, the adjustment in sleeping schedules and juggling transportation issues. Let’s take a look at some ways to prepare yourself and the kids for the annual ritual.

Ease into the new routine

Probably the hardest routine to change is sleep. Kids have been sleeping in every day for the past few months and having to now wake early, to the sound of an alarm, isn’t going to be easy. Ease them into it by starting the new routine a week or two before schools starts

In fact, if you aren’t one of us who…

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You have questions and we have the answers. If you’re getting ready to sell your home in Madison, read on.

 

1. Is one season better than another to sell a home in Madison?

I know – it seems like summer only just started and here we are on the cusp of autumn (it starts September 22). And, while we’re all trying to wring out every last drop of this glorious summer in Madison, I am starting to get what I call the “seasonal selling” questions from homeowners.

Long ago, “spring is the best time to sell a home” became the media’s mantra. And, to be fair, they’re partially correct. The media are also fond of telling us that winter is a terrible time to sell. There, they are wrong.

Home sales in November do tend to fall around 8 percent,…

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Through September 24

Centro Mercadito

If you haven’t yet been to the weekly Centro Mercadito, time’s running out! The Sunday Centro Mercadito is Latin America’s answer to our farmers market. You’ll enjoy cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, yummy food, stuff for the kids to do, produce to purchase and more. The official address is 810 West Badger Road, but the market is held in the back lot, off Hughes Place, between S. Park St. and Cypress Wy. Visit the website for details.

 

August 1 through August 29

Movies on the Water

Here’s your chance to finally catch some of those movies you’ve always wanted to see but couldn’t quite find the time. August will be an amazing month for Movies on the Water.

  •          August 1: “The…

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Isn’t it wonderful when it’s warm enough to golf in shorts? It’s time to find out, so dust off the clubs, pack them in the car and head to Verona. Or, if you’re lucky enough to live in the Hawk’s Landing neighborhood, throw them in the back of your cart and you’ll be at the clubhouse in minutes.

The Hawks Landing neighborhood is home to one of Wisconsin’s premiere golf facilities, Hawk’s Landing Golf Club. Ranked at number 3 in Golf Digest’s “Top Rated Courses in Madison Area,” the course is well-maintained and features an excellent layout.

If life on or near a golf course is on your bucket list, read on to learn more about Hawk’s Landing.

Hawk’s Landing schools

The Madison Metropolitan School District serves the public school students who…

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Imagine you own a home and you decide to sell it. You hire a real estate agent to help you and the agent crunches the numbers and determines that your home, which overlooks a golf course in a high-demand community, is worth $629,000.

The home is listed in the MLS, the agent goes about marketing it, but nothing happens. Or, when offers do finally come in, they are for $100,000 less than the list price. Both the agent and the homeowner are astounded since other homes in the neighborhood with more square footage sold for $100,000 MORE than this home.

How can this happen?

Fake news. Yup, it even happens in real estate and the results can be catastrophic.

Zillow.com

If you are familiar with Zillow you know about the website’s “Zestimates.”…

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Big believers in supporting everything that is local, we here at Lake & City Homes feel that it’s even more important when what you’re buying helps support our local farmers. You can do that by shopping at our fabulous farmers markets here in Madison.

Whether you’re looking for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs or maple syrup or you’re craving homemade baked goods, fresh meats or cheeses you’ll find them, and a whole lot more, at the farmers markets.

Capitol View Farmers Market

A finalist in the Madison Magazine’s 2017 Best of Madison, Capital View Farmers' Market offers food carts, activities for the kids and live music to shop by. In fact, their website offers a list of the entire season’s events. You’ll find it here.

The market is…

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If you’re married, and an American, you have a 30 to 50 percent chance that your marriage will end in divorce. If you live in Wisconsin, you may end up among the nearly 15,000 divorce cases here every year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Dane County couples come in second on the list of most divorces in the state – 1,232 in 2015 (the last year for which we have statistics).

So, ok, you’re a statistic. Once the shock wears off it’s time to consider the process of separating the marriage assets. It can be a rancorous and ugly process, but he sooner the two of you begin discussing it, the easier it will be.

What will we do with the house?

Since the marital home is typically the couple’s largest investment, it’s the…

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July 1

3rd Annual Fourth Fest

It’s a celebration of America and it’s happening at The Edgewater (1001 Wisconsin Place, downtown). Enjoy live music, grilled food, craft beer, fun for the kids and more. Admission and all shows are free. Get there by 2 p.m. and stay until 9. Get details online at theedgewater.com.

 

July 1 and 2

BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Experience

Fans of LEGO need to get to Monona Terrace on either Saturday or Sunday to participate in the amazing fan experience. You’ll enjoy LEGO attractions and hands-on activities. Check out the fabulous LEGO creations and build one of your own. Guest speakers will be on hand and vendors will be selling LEGO sets, figurines and more. The event runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on both…

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