Have questions regarding a specific topic? Browse through my video blogs to get your answers! If you aren't able to find one relating to your question, contact me and I can help get your question answered.

School districts often play a big role in determining home values in certain areas, which means homebuyers need to do their research about this topic before buying.

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When you're buying a house, you should always make an educated decision (no pun intended).

School districts play an extremely important role in your home's future value. We're fortunate here in Dane County because we have a lot of great schools. That being said, there are some school districts people commonly choose over others.

One good example is the city of Fitchburg, where similar neighborhoods have people who send their children to different schools. One area’s…

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Unfortunately, scams happen in the real estate world too. Here are four common ones that you need to avoid.

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While the majority of people are good and honest, a few bad apples always try to take advantage of others. The real estate market is no different.

Here are four common real estate scams that you need to be aware of so that you don't fall prey to one:

1. The mortgage closing scam. This scam starts when hackers gain access to a party of the transaction's email account and try to divert the purchasing funds of one of their clients. If you happen to be in the process of closing on a home and you get weird emails asking you to wire…

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What does our market look like currently in comparison to last year at this time? Here are the numbers to watch.

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Here are the latest mid-year statistics from our Dane County market.

In June of 2018, we had more than 11% fewer closings than we did in June of 2017. While that seems like a big difference, average and median prices have increased by 7% for June sales.

In our current market, we have about 1.87 months of inventory for homes and condos in Dane County. In a healthy, balanced market, we would have around 6 months of inventory. This level of inventory is lower than it was in June of last year, and that was even lower than…

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Not every renovation project will pay off in the long run.Today we're going to discuss five projects that won’t add value when it comes time to sell.

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Not every renovation is worth the time, money, or hassle. A lot of sellers think that any improvements they make to their home will bring a big return, but the truth is that some of those renovations really won’t pay off. Of course, making renovations for personal enjoyment is fine, just don’t expect all of them to make you money in the long run.

With that said, here’s a brief list of things to avoid if you’re simply trying to add value to your home:

1. Installing a swimming pool. In…

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Is your home safe from radon? According to our guest, Jerin Zander, there is about a 50% chance that it isn’t.

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With me today is Jerin Zander from Zander Solutions, the area’s expert on radon gas and the remediation of it.

 

Our first question is, “What is radon gas and where does it come from?”

 

Radon gas is produced from the radioactive decay of the element uranium, which can be found naturally in the ground. It can seep into your home through the cracks underneath your basement and accumulate in your home. Because radon is an odorless and tasteless gas, you will not know whether you have it unless you test for it.

…

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What are the biggest mistakes you can make when listing your home? There are six in particular that you need to avoid.   Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale.  

When listing a home in today's Dane County market, sellers need to be careful to avoid certain mistakes. Today I'd like to share six particular listing blunders to stay away from when you sell.

 

1. Overpricing your house. In a market like ours, homes are selling above their list price. However, it's still good to know the market value of your home and price it at or near that value if you want to create a bidding war for it.

 

2. Limiting the availability of your house for showings. You need to live…

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As we move through the spring market, demand continues to surpass supply in Dane County. If you’re a seller, now is the time to put your home on the market.

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What’s the latest news from our Dane County spring market?

As we've discussed previously, spring is always the hottest time for real estate, and this year is no different. We expect March, April, and May to be the three hottest months for real estate in terms of accepted offers. June will be the hottest month in terms of closed sales, but the accepted offers leading to those sales are occurring now.

Looking back on January, February, and March, our first quarter market was…

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If you’re going to buy a house, there may be a few costs involved that might come unexpected to you.

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There are some costs of buying a property that you might not be factoring in when it comes time to buy your own property. Today, I’m going to go through a few of them with you to make you a more informed buyer who won’t get caught off guard.

1. The cost of the home inspection. An inspection is necessary to make sure there aren’t any hidden issues with the property. An inspection typically costs a few hundred dollars—$400 to $500 is a good planning range to get a good inspector. The inspection is also a good time to have your home…

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If you’re saving for a down payment, there are a number of changes you can make that will help save you more money and faster. Today, I’ve got five tips to share with you.

 

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The days of putting 20% down for a home purchase are long gone. According to data collected by the National Association of Realtors, 60% of homeowners financed their home purchase with a down payment of 6% or less within the last year.

Nationally, the average home price is about $258,000. This means the average down payment is about $15,000.

That being said, I’d like to go over five easy ways to help you save for your down payment.

1. Skip…

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If you’re a buyer, you shouldn’t necessarily be worried about rising interest rates. If you’re a seller, however, now is the time to get top dollar for your home.

 

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Interest rates have finally started to rise. In fact, for the first time since last summer, they’ve increased to more than 4% for a 30-year fixed mortgage. Today, they’re at 4.5% for most of the lenders we work with.

We’re in for quite a competitive stretch in the housing market. By the end of last year, we had fewer than 1,000 active listings here in Dane County. Right now, we have 848 condos and single family homes for sale without accepted offers.…

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