Madison Wisconsin Real Estate News - Tips for Sellers

What type of buyer does your Madison home appeal to?

Aside from the basics of decent price, desirable location and the home’s condition, have you stopped to consider what else a Madison homebuyer may be looking for? Better yet – what type of buyer your particular home appeals to? This is important information because it allows you to stage your home to subtly appeal to that buyer.

A good way to come up with the answer to this is by using buyer demographics. For instance, younger cell phone shoppers will head straight for the latest, most innovative smart phones, while older folks generally just want something that has a screen with big fonts and the capability to place a basic phone call. It’s the same with houses; younger and older homebuyers have their preferences as well.

Be aware that although…

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An Easy and Fast Way to Sell your House in Madison

Once you make the decision to sell your Madison house the need for speed sets in. Most of my clients are anxious to move on to the next phase in their life and, although they want top dollar for their homes, they also want the process to be quick and easy.

Let’s take a look at what goes into speeding up the sale process with the least amount of discomfort.

The real estate agent

The most difficult and time-consuming way of selling a home is to sell it by owner, also known as the FSBO, for For-Sale-By-Owner. You’ll need to know how to price the home, stage the home, market it, field calls from potential buyers and be available on a moment’s notice to show the home.

Then, there’s the paperwork. Locating it, learning what you need, how to…

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What Should You Never Say to a Buyer When Selling a Home?

I don’t mean to be rude, but why you’re selling your home is nobody’s business and, the reason why may be used against you in negotiations. It’s my job as your agent, therefore, to ensure that your privacy is protected and I take this part of my job very seriously. You need to do the same.

One of the things I hear most frequently from my buying clients is “Why are they selling?” Maybe they’re just curious, I think to myself. But, maybe, just maybe, they want some ammo to use in beating you up on the price. Hey, it’s not far-fetched; I see it frequently.

Suppose you and your husband are divorcing. You’re driving each other crazy living in the same home and all the two of you want to do is get out of the marriage, out of the house and into…

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Tips to consider when selling your Lake Mendota home

The busy spring and summer home selling season is about to hit and buyers can’t wait. Right now we have a list of folks who are craving lakefront living and Lake Mendota is the one Madison lake that's most frequently mentioned. There’s a lot to consider when you decide to sell waterfront property so if you’ve decided that 2016 is the year you’ll sell your Lake Mendota home, read on.

Pricing your Lake Mendota home

The method real estate agents use to determine a property’s current market value won’t work with waterfront property. It can’t – it involves comparing one home to others that are similar in age, size, amenities and location, among other criteria. Waterfront properties aren’t tract homes, so how does one compare the incomparable? From the…

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5 Reasons to Sell your Madison Home NOW!

Read the blogs of real estate agents across the country and you can’t help but feel pity for us. While the strong sellers’ market is a boon to homeowners (who deserve a break after bearing the economic brunt of the recession) it’s devastating to our home-buying clients. It’s not so much the type of market, however, as it is the sheer volume of homeowners who are, for some reason, resistant to sell right now that is troubling the market. We do expect this to change, somewhat at least, when school lets out for the summer and parents are more inclined to uproot the family.
In the meantime, real estate agents, such as myself, are trying to educate homeowners on why this is such an amazing time to sell a home in Madison. Check out some of the reasons…

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What Should You Ask a Real Estate Agent During an Interview?

It's been said that the only real estate transaction that is more confusing for the first-timer than buying a home is selling one. While some folks are determined to do it themselves, the complexity of the process makes most of them give up and hire an agent. Now, not all real estate agents are equal. The bar for entry into the world of real estate sales is quite low, so you'll find brand new agents, part-time agents, and, like me, veterans, Since your home may be your largest investment, choose your real estate agent carefully. In fact, do yourself a favor and interview two or three so that you can compare what each offers. You will pay the same commission for the novice or the part-timer as you will the pro, so ask the right questions in the…

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3 Things a Baby Boomer Should Consider when Buying or Selling a Madison Home

Although many in the real estate industry like to pretend that the younger generations are in control of the real estate market it’s not true. Boomers, as usual, are large and in charge.

Take the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) annual Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report, for instance. In the 2015 report, NAR claims that since 32 percent of homebuyers come from the Millennial generation, they comprise the largest pool of homebuyers in today’s real estate market. The fact is, at least according to their report, Baby Boomers comprise 31 percent of today’s homebuyers. If those were election stats we’d say there is no statistical difference, right?

When it comes to sellers, Boomers rule, representing 43 percent of home sellers.…

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Jan 2016 Housing Market Stats - Dane County, WI

The January 2016 housing market results are in for Dane County and the picture remains clear: we are in a strong seller’s market in many areas of Dane County, Wisconsin. Prices were up almost 7% year-on-year in January 2016. Listings (single family homes and condos combined) were down almost 22%. And yet sales for January 2016 were up a little more than 6% year-on-year despite less inventory to choose from. Breaking it down into a bit more detail, inventory was down over 20% for single family homes and almost 25% for condos when comparing January 2016 to January 2015. That’s a big change from what we were seeing not that long ago. Average DOM (Days on Market) was also down from January 2015. This January in Dane County, WI it took about 64 days on…

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5 Tips for Getting Your Home Sold

Are you trying to sell your home? While it may still be a buyer’s market, it certainly doesn’t mean your home has to remain on the market for several months. In fact, by implementing a few simple seller tips, you will be far more likely to get your home sold quickly and at a reasonable price. Here is a look at 5 basic tips that all home sellers should keep in mind.

Tip #1: Curb Appeal is Key

Curb appeal, or the way your home looks when a potential buyer drives past it, is essential to getting your home sold. Not only do many buyers keep an eye out for homes as they cruise the streets, but the way your home looks from the street will give the buyer his or her first impression. First impressions are long lasting, so you want to be sure yours is a good…

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What SELLERS Want From Today’s Realtor

Today’s housing market is a buyer’s market. Although home values are rising, it is a very slow ascent and experts predict it will take years for the housing market to fully recover. Therefore sellers face a very challenging market when it comes to listing their home. It is crucial for a seller to have a capable Realtor who can weather a difficult and volatile market. What are sellers looking for in today’s Realtor? It turns out that the fundamentals of service are still the most important traits, combined with a healthy knowledge of their local market and the latest technology.
    
With technology changing so rapidly and new avenues of media becoming a powerful presence, a seller must hire a Realtor who can effectively market their home. Within just a few…

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