Don't be Unconnected

It happens to the best of us!  We drop our cell phone into water.  It falls and the screen cracks.  The phone breaks (who knows why?) and you have 18 months before you are eligible for a new phone.  There is help!


Clean Planet Cell Phone Repair is the place to go.  Open 7 days a week and conveniently located on University Ave., they offer affordable repairs and used cell phones to get you through until you are eligible for a new one.  Clean Planet will even purchase and refurbish old cell phones.


The company can also repair iPads and tablets, iPods and laptops.  They are the go-to place for busy people who don't have time to be unconnected.


So when you technology is causing you headaches, don't worry!  Clean Planet can help!

Starving Artists

If you are a fan of the arts, you won't want to miss Fine Arts Week at West High School. 

In addition to the daily presentations of theater, dance and music in the Band room and the Auditorium, The Colucci Gallery will showcase the best work from visual art students, this spring semester. There will be two open gallery nights, Monday and Wednesday nights, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Join students, parents and staff for music performances in the Ash St. entrance both evenings, and a choir concert in the Auditorium on Wednesday night.

 

On Friday, the Art Department Pottery and Craft Sale starts at 9:00 am in the courtyard. The famous West Pottery Auction begins at noon in the courtyard, following the Art Department Awards Ceremony.

 

This event is free and open to the public  And while these artists aren't starving (they still live with their parents!), it's a worthwhile event to support young artists and you might be able to take home a nice one-of-a-kind piece or art or two!

 

 

A Ringing Phone

My phone rings a lot.  A lot!  It’s a good thing and this particular day was no different.  At the other end of the line was Caroline, a woman who wanted to look at one of the houses I had listed for sale.  We set a day and time to meet at the house.

Upon arrival at the designated time, I met Caroline and Aaron, a young, newly married couple looking to purchase their first home.  It turns out this house wasn’t the right one for them.  After some discussion to learn more about their wants and needs, I promised to stay in touch and send them some others that might be of interest.  Over the next few weeks we exchanged e-mails and phone calls and looked at several homes.  Nothing was right. 

One Sunday, my phone rang again.  Caroline and Aaron had just left an open house they LOVED!  Would I go look at it?  They wanted to write an offer.  A did a quick run through at the open house and met them at the office to write the offer.  Several long, anxious days later, we learned that another party had gotten the house.  Shoot!  The search continues.  We looked at others, including a second look at the original house that brought us together.  But when you find the one you want and it gets away, it’s sometimes hard to move on.

Still more time passes and I receive another call from Caroline.  They think they found another house, and it’s just down the street from the “house that got away”.  It’s not on the market, though. A friend of a friend is selling it.  Can I help?  Absolutely!  Of course, they don’t need me if it’s not listed and I mention this to Caroline and Aaron.  “Oh no,” Caroline explains.  “You have been so helpful, we want you involved.”   So forward we march.  We write a good, solid offer and it is accepted.  We work through the inspection, secure the financing and the closing date is set.  A month later, Caroline and Aaron are new homeowners and are thrilled with their new home!  Another happy client!

A few months pass and my phone rings (remember it rings a lot!).  It’s a friend of Caroline and Aaron, who are looking to purchase a new house.  Can I help?  Absolutely!  And so we began their search.

Caroline and Aaron gave me the ultimate thank you by referring their friends to me (who did buy a house, by the way.  You’ll hear their story in another note).  I am so grateful to Caroline and Aaron for sending their friends my way.   As they say, it’s not always what you know but who you know.

Perhaps you know someone who is looking to buy their first home.  Or maybe someone looking to downsize or relocate to another area?  Do me a favor and have them give me a call at (608) 333-4406.  I promise, I’ll answer the phone!

Spring Housing Craziness Continues

Now that our weather delayed spring season has finally arrived, it seems things couldn't be better: no more snow for buyers to trudge through; more choices in homes on the market…even interest rates have softened by about 1/4%. Sounds like everything is in order right? The answer is... Maybe.

While new inventory is hitting the market daily, buyers seem to be coming into the market at an even faster pace. The result is no different than with any other product where demand exceeds supply: Shelves go empty and prices go up. Housing is no exception to this rule.

In markets like the current one, it is critical that you are prepared when you venture into the world of home buying and selling.  As a home seller, you want to be sure your home is prepared, staged and marketed in a manner that will get you to the closing table quickly. For those looking to buy a home, an experienced agent can help you construct an offer strategy to help ensure that your offer will be the winning offer...and that may not always be about the highest price. Things like loan pre-approval, reasonable contingencies and timelines, along with the best closing schedule to accommodate the seller’s needs all play into the process.

To Do List

Is your "to do" list longer than a kite string?  Start checking those items off the list.


Have your clothes been sitting at the dry cleaners waiting to be retrieved?  No time to grocery shop?  Maybe the dog needs a visit to the Vet.  These and many other tasks that often overwhelm our precious free time can now be taken care of with a quick call to Concierge Madison.


Owner Kathryn Newhouse calls her business a personal assistant to lighten your load and give you more free time to enjoy life!  The service runs the gamut from running errands to waiting for the cable guy or delivery person.  She also offers special occasion and holiday services as well as corporate services such as client gift purchases and delivery.


Perhaps you are moving to a new house.  Concierge Madison can help you pack up the old house and get organized in the new one.  She also offers help planting summer flower pots!


So, no more excuses for that endless "to do" list.  It's time to start shortening the list so you can enjoy the longer days of summer.

Seller's Market on the Near West Side

If you've been watching the news or reading the paper, you've heard that home sales are robust!  It's true!  Despite the late-coming spring weather, the housing market has been crazy! 

Inventory remains tight, which puts sellers in the driver's seat and many houses on the near west side of Madison are going above the list price within a matter of days.  I'm currently working with several buyers who are ready to go, just waiting for the right property to come on the market.  Maybe it's yours?

Here's what houses sold for in March on the near west side. 

 

March 2014 Home Sales

4333 Travis Ter $208,600 03/13/2014 587 Glen Dr $220,000 03/12/2014 3734 Hammersley Ave $330,000 03/12/2014 512 Wingra St $225,000 03/12/2014 5726 Forsythia Pl $123,000 03/12/2014 2352 West Lawn Ave $254,258 03/11/2014 6 S Kenosha Dr $244,900 03/10/2014 4414 Vale Cir $308,900 03/10/2014 2738 Kendall Ave $245,000 03/07/2014 708 Chapman St $383,000 03/07/2014 2618 Park Pl $299,500 03/07/2014 2210 West Lawn Ave $415,000 03/07/2014 1802 Monroe St Unit 408 $10,000 03/07/2014 1652 Norman Way Apt 1 $91,500 03/07/2014 449 Charles Ln $225,400 03/07/2014 402 Westmorland Blvd $170,000 03/06/2014 922 Haywood Dr $176,500 03/06/2014 910 Haywood Dr $201,412 03/05/2014 6610 Regis Rd $213,500 03/05/2014 29 Hiawatha Cir $154,500 03/04/2014 214 S Midvale Blvd $178,000 03/04/2014 1321 Drake St $165,000 03/04/2014 3 Hickory Hollow Dr $143,000 03/03/2014 606 Briar Hill Rd $160,000 03/03/2014 945 S Midvale Blvd $164,500 03/03/2014 505 Eugenia Ave $339,000 03/03/2014 1536 Adams St $320,100 02/28/2014 110 S Rock Rd $250,040 * 02/28/2014 3226 Gregory St $236,000 02/28/2014 10 Court Of Brixham $250,000 02/28/2014 3206 Gregory St $344,000 02/26/2014 6225 S Highlands Ave $477,000 02/24/2014 6410 Piping Rock Rd $238,500 02/24/2014 80 White Oaks Ln $575,000 02/21/2014

The Itch to Pitch

With the warm spring temperatures and rain showers greening up the outdoors, I get the itch to pitch.  I can't wait to get my hands on the piles of papers and boxes of "stuff" that are cluttering up my space.

The problem is the "stuff" is overwhelming sometimes.  Where to start?  Which pile to tackle?  What room or closet should be my starting point?  Enter Jill Annis, owner of Simply Organized, LLC.  Billed as the nonjudgmental, compassionate organizing expert, Jill can help you organize your kitchen, your closets or your home office.  You name it, and she can help.  And she offers a free 30-minute phone consultation.

Jill offers quick tips like set a timer for 5 minutes and then find five things to toss or donate.  Spend a few minutes clearing off your table and then treat yourself to a bouquet of fresh flowers.  Or, perhaps the best recommendation, stop procrastinating.  Excuses are the number one roadblock to getting organized, according to Jill.

So if you are like me and you have the itch to pitch, but are feeling stressed because you don't know where to start, take Jill's advice and just start somewhere.  If you are still having trouble, calling Jill might be the best place to begin!