Madison- Again Tops the Quality of LifeList

How exciting! Madison once again received the High ranking for quality of life. The city was ranked third, because we have a stable and upscale employment base. the University, being the Capitol city, and all of the scientific technology including stem cell research creates higher employment, especially for professionals.

Is it any wonder that our Real Estate Market has really survived the national downturn? The home values in Madison are really holding their own and we constantly have an influx of new residents. We also have a lot of people that move back to Madison, having graduated from the
university, they find it is like coming home again.

Now is really the time to start looking for that new house in Madison. The flowers are beginning to bloom, the grass is greening, and the interest rates are low. And for you first time home buyers, don't forget the Home Buyer's $8000 tax credit!

Come join us in Madison- one of the best cities to live in!

Celebration of the Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day and the celebration of the green. Here in Madison we can celebrate the greening of our yards, the departure of snow, and the popping of our bulbs. What beautiful weather we are having. It really puts a smile on everyone's faces and makes the whole world seem brighter.

Did you notice- there is more positive news lately? The stock market is rising, the interest rates have remained very low, and the housing market is starting to see more activity.

I am like every other Buyer, I have a difficult time parting with my green. I unfortunately ruined my living room carpet by overwatering a plant and then being gone on vacation and letting the stain sit. I know that to sell my house, I will have to remedy the situation. I have hemmed and hawed about putting in wood floors. The expense wasn't something that I had planned on. On the other hand, as a Realtor and a Stager, I know that when I am ready to sell, the wood floors will help my house to sell faster and for more money. Believe me, I did extensive research on how much value a wood floor adds to your house. Besides the WOW factor that I will have, it will add at least 6% to the selling price. But that brings me to another thought- How much is too much when it comes ot fixing up your house?

When making upgrades to your home, you need to look at the value of your home compared to the others in your neighborhood. You also need to look at what upgrades they have put into their homes. Find out how much they are selling for and what is special about them. You never want to put too many upgrades in your home so that you price yourself right out of the market. Having the BEST and MOST expensive house on the street is a detriment when it comes to selling. You really want to be in the middle. But you also want to make upgrades that will affect your quality of living in your home. Ask yourself, if this is something that you will really enjoy? How long will we live in this house? Will the upgrade pay off in the future?

So I know that I will part with my green. My floors will look great, and my house will sell for more money. If you are thinking of selling in the near future, contact me and we will talk about what you need to do to bring you top dollar. In the meantime, enjoy the Celebration of the Green.

Baa Baa Black or Rather White Sheep

I had an interesting encounter late this afternoon. I was sitting in the Victor Allen Coffee Shop on Monroe Street reading The Go-Giver and sipping hot tea. The woman sitting across from me mentioned that I still had my Stark name tag on. I said that is is a good conversation opener. She told me that she was exhausted because it is lambing season. Well that was certainly a conversation opener. I had to find out all about her farm which she operates as a Sustainable Living Farm. Although Suellen is Australian, she did not grow up on a sheep farm. I was in awe as Suellen operates her farm as a single woman, home schools her children, makes organic mattress toppers and comforters, and runs day camps and classes at her farm. She and her children have set up rain gardens as well as other environmentally friendly features at Kinkoona Farm.

Are you interested in Sustainable Living? Suellen is going to run workshops at her farm to engage the public in changing the way that we live. The other interesting part of today's conversation was the Suellen had called in an agronomist to help her evaluate her soil. I had mentioned that my husband is an agronomist. It turned out that she had my husband's name and had called his company the Landmark Coop to help her with the soil.
Now why was it important that I was reading The Go Giver? The premise of the book is that you only get out of this world what you put into it. In other words, give unto others as you would have them give unto you. If you give and help others, then your life will be fulfilled and your business will expand. I told Suellen that I thought that she's courageous starting a farm as a single woman with 2 young children. I also told her that I have a friend that moved to Madison as a single woman to restart her life and is looking for a job. I also find that very brave. It turns out that Suellen is looking for a woman just like that to work with her.

Not only is the world really small, but I left the coffee shop feeling good that I might have helped 2 people out, just by wearing my nametag as a conversation starter.

Should You Plunge into Today's Housing Market

I thought that I would share part of an article that I read in Realty Times today. It speaks about the incentives for buying a home today, mostly for the first time home buyer or for someone that has not owned a home in the past 3 years. I have been reading and gathering material about the Government Stimulus Package for the First Time Home Buyer .

Before anyone takes the first step to Buying a home I recommend that they make sure that their job is secure. The second step that one should take is to have their banker check their credit score. Sometimes there are errors attached to our credit scores that could cause us great harm. Third, make sure that you have at least 20% down and do not look outside of your comfort zone. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HOUSE POOR! Make sure that you budget your payments to allow yourself to live and have extra money for any extras or emergencies that may arise. Lastly, plan on staying in the house at least 3 years. Remember, you can always start small and simple and then move up in the future.

Here is the excerpt from the Realty Times:

What You Need to Know to Buy a Home Today

by Phoebe Chongchua

Don't let a sluggish economy get you down. There are reasons to shop for personal items—including a new home. I recently saw an advertisement for a new car that said you could return the car in the first year if you lose your job. While there may not be that incentive for homes yet, some other perks might give you reason to start your housing search.

If you can afford to buy, consider making homeownership a goal this year, especially if you haven't owned a principal residence in three years prior to buying. The new stimulus package sweetens the deal for homebuyers who purchase a residence on or after January 1, 2009, and before December 1, 2009. The incentive is for first-time homebuyers who remain in their home for at least three years. It provides a credit for 10 percent of the home purchase price, up to an $8,000 limit. The credit can be taken on your 2008 or 2009 tax return.

If you close on a home after the April 15 tax deadline, you can apply for an extension provided that you close on your home before the extension deadline of October 15. If you're extra speedy and have already filed your 2008 return, don't worry—you can file an amendment to claim the credit. You have three years to do that. You'll need IRS Form 1040X to do that.

Taking the credit on your 2009 return or getting the benefit now, before filing your return, by adjusting your income wage withholding are also options.

The full credit applies to those first-time homebuyers whose modified adjusted income is less than $75,000 or $150,000 (filing jointly). The credit amount drops as your income rises. And if your income is over $95,000 or $170,000 (filing jointly) then you're out of luck—the credit is eliminated.

Be sure to speak to experts to ask questions as some other qualifications apply.

Remember it is a Buyers Market and you will get more for your money today!

Living and vacationing in Madison,Wisconsin

Years ago, I read a great article about Living and Vacationing in Madison. The article related Madison to Minocqua , Wisconsin. For those of you that don't know about Minocqua, it s a fantastic place in the Northwoods to spend your summer vacations enjoying the lake, wildlife, skiing, and fishing in the summer. Obviously it has great ice fishing in the winter. The article said that you could work and vacation in Madison all at the same time. I totally agree. Especially in the summer. It is so easy to work during the day and then enjoy the lakes in the evenings or weekends. It is so convenient to launch a boat into the water and tool around watching the sunset and enjoying the scenery.

Today, as I drove along the lakeshore, I enjoyed the colors of the ice fishing shacks and the sun glistening off of the ice. Of course, I was worshiping the warming sun and remarking that soon the ice will be melted. I also drove past the beautiful Monona Terrace and shared with a friend that there are very few places where you can enjoy so many free activities. Tonight, from 5:30 - 7:00, it is a great time to stop in at Monona Terrace and enjoy the FREE Tunes at the Terrace. They are featuring Caravan Gyspy Swing. Madison is really a fantastic city with plenty of free activities. In today's economy, isn't it great to live in a place where you can vacation virtually for free.

Making the Home Buying Decision

I read an interesting article today about Design Psychology helping Home Buyers make their decision. It said that most Buyers make their decision to purchase a home in less than 20 minutes. I have always claimed that whether buying a home or decorating it, the home must talk to you. This always got a laugh out of my husband and past Real Estate Agents. Now I have the article to back me up.

The authors talked about the "Castles in the Air" . Their Design Psychology for buying a home focused basically on 3 questions.

1. What to you want to see first thing in the morning when you wake up?

2. When you entertain friends and family, how do you want them to feel?

3. After a long day, which room do you most want to use?

Of course many of us use color to emit the emotions that we want in our home. We decorate it to make it our haven. Not all Buyers can walk into a house and see how it will make them feel unless it is decorated exactly to their taste. That is where a good Realtor who really asks the probing questions and listens to the answers comes in handy. They need to help their clients have the vision.

Now that spring is in the air- and yes I saw robins over 2 weeks ago- you should drive around our Dane County neighborhoods and see which houses "Talk"to you. If you are a seller, it is time to start thinking about that curb appeal that will "Speak" to your Buyers.

Out of Towners Enjoy the Charms of Madison

Last night we shared a dinner at Husnu's with some out of town guests who are considering sending their third daughter to the UW-Madison. Everytime they come to town, they help us to remember why we love living in Madison, despite the frigid weather.

First of all, there is a plethora of international restaurants with moderate prices. We always try to take them to a Madison original to sample the culture, warmth, and dinners for under $20 that they can't get on the East Coast. We all enjoyed the Mediterranean food at Husnu's as well as the cozy atmosphere. While we dined, they mentioned that they had driven by the ice skating at Tenney Park that reminded them of a Courier and Ives painting. We agreed, saying that we took our girls there every year to ice skate in the romantic setting under the wooden bridge. If you have yet to experience it, stop by Tenney Park before it is too late in the year. Whether you skate or not, it is a joy to take in the colors, scratching of the ice skates, joyful shouts of the skaters, and the beautiful scenery that reminds me of Hans Brinker. Yes, I know that I am dating myself.

We told them that they needed to stop by Memorial Union on Sunday afternoon and watch the ice sailing. It always looks like a well choreographed ballet. Speaking of ballet, our guests also took in the Hubbard Street Dancers at our beautiful Overture Center.

Although much of our conversation centered on Madison's qualities, we also discussed the opportunities to buy student housing for their daughters. We all agreed that it is a golden opportunity to buy affordable housing in Madison.