Welcome Autumn!

As the lazy, hazy days of summer come to a close and school begins it’s time to spruce up your home for the Autumn season.

• With hot, humid days behind us, turn off the air conditioning and open the windows for some fresh air!

• Gather potted mums and pumpkins at the front stoop or porch for an inviting entrance.

• Paint your front door or hang a wreath of fall foliage.

• Visit an apple orchard and place fresh apples on your kitchen table or island for a fall centerpiece, or gather acorns and place in a glass bowl to add some texture to your decorating (place the acorns in a plastic bag and put I the freezer for a few days first.  This will kill any bugs hiding in the acorns).

• Change out your patio or deck cushions with fall colored pillows of gold and burgundy.

• Place candy corn in a tall glass vase to add fall color to a room (and a little sweet treat!).

Happy Fall!

What's Your Criteria??

All buyer’s have certain criteria when they purchase a new home.  It might be location, or price, or amenities and usually a combination of several things; a “must have” list, so to speak.  My job is to find them the house that meets all of their parameters, or at the least as many as I can.

I worked with one client, whom I now call a friend, for more than a year.  She had very clear goals.  She wanted a house with charm and character, she wanted at least 1600 square feet, a garage, 1 ½ baths but preferably 2 full baths and no corner lots.  We looked at hundreds of homes (no kidding!) in Middleton and Madison and she even considered new construction.  We even wrote offers on a few that didn’t work out and in hindsight were not the right properties for her. 

We both were aware of a house that was for sale on Madison’s west side that was darling.  Talk about curb appeal!  She liked the exterior so much that she sat in front of it and called me to see it. But, and here’s the big “but”, it didn’t meet all her criteria.  So, we passed on it.

Fast forward a few days while we were looking at another property with a friend of hers and the house in question came up.  Her friend encouraged her to look at it.  So we did.  And she liked the interior as much as the exterior, but what about her “must have” list?  She thought long and hard about what to do and we talked…and talked and talked.  We eventually wrote an offer.  After some negotiating, the offer was accepted and she has since closed and moved in.

She made some concessions.  The house is 1300 square feet.  It has only 1 bathroom.  It’s on a corner lot.  What??  Yep!  But it is darling, it has charm and she will work her magic to make it spectacular!  I think she’s happy and I know she loves the neighborhood.  And, she was a joy to work with! 

The moral of the story is that it’s important to have criteria, but flexibility is key!  Be sure to look at EVERYTHING!  You never know, it might be the house you’ve been waiting for.  If you know someone looking for the house of their dreams (or close to it!) have them give me a call.  As always, I’m happy to help.

Temperatures Up, Inventory Down

A strange thing seems to happen every summer. The days – from sunup to sundown – are longer, and yet they fly by so fast! In a way, the same thing can be said of our current real estate market. Property is selling at an accelerated pace, and yet there is a shortage of properties to sell. It makes for quite a conundrum and, as you've surely witnessed, price aberrations occur within the marketplace.

Existing-home sales sprang ahead in May to their highest pace in almost a decade, while the uptick in demand this spring amidst lagging supply levels pushed the median sales price to an all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors. In the Madison area demand is far exceeding the supply-thus competition among buyers is intense. Advantages exist for home buyers too. Mortgage rates, which are at three-year lows, allow qualified buyers to be well funded.

Home prices are increasing because of low inventory, but buyers are focused on getting as much house as possible while interest rates are so low. In short, this means encouraging those who are interested in selling to do so; the sooner the better!

Enjoy your summer. If a real estate move is part of your summer plans, I'm here!  Just give me a call or shoot me a test.  As always, I'm happy to help!