First Weber Group REALTORS®: Wisconsin Real Estate

Whistling Straights golf course in Kohler, Wisconsin has been named one of the 10 most beautiful golf courses by Forbes Traveller.  The rugged beauty of this Lake Michigan waterfront course is obvious and Wisconsinites should be proud to have made the list.

Have you ever played it?  What is the most beautiful golf course in Wisconsin in YOUR Opinion?

2007 U.S. Census data reveals 75% of Wisconsin's current population (U.S. born) was born in Wisconsin.  That ranks Wisconsin 7th nationally for the percentage of population that live in the state they were born.  Once a Wisconsinite, always a Wisconsinite? I am one of them!  My family is here - I can't see ever leaving for good.  Of course we travel, but always come home.

From the Journal Sentinel article on the census report:

"I think people in Wisconsin are very down to earth and friendly," said Debra Usinger, the fourth generation of her family working at Usinger's Famous Sausage in Milwaukee. "There's a lot of common sense here. I love the change of seasons. The more snow the better, even though people like to complain about the weather. People feel such an identity and sense of place in Wisconsin. Why leave?"

So if you are considering moving to Wisconsin, these stats are encouraging. We like it here and you may too. Read the whole article here.

Nice Q&A interview with First Weber President Bob Weber, by the Wisconsin State Journal.

excerpt:

Q: How has the internet and technology affected a Realtor's job?

A: People have the ability to go online and research the inventory. When the buyers come in, they're much more informed and self-qualified. They have a good idea of what they want and how realistic it is to obtain. The Realtor's focus is on education and qualification to help them make the best decision.

After finding the right home and negotiating an accepted offer, a lot of effort goes into overcoming the bumps that are required to close. In today's world, there are simply more obstacles. It's a Realtor's job to get in there and mentor or sometimes negotiate to keep everything on track.

Technology also allows the agent to communicate more efficiently. They can promote themselves and they can promote their listings through sites like FirstWeber.com, national sites and agents' own personal sites.

Also

Q: What's the market outlook over the next year and when do you believe it will bounce back?

A: There's no debate that we're off locally, only not to the degree we read about in the headlines. Our inventory's dropping a bit, which is always a good trend.

I'm probably as optimistic as anybody about the federal Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which offers up to $7,500 in tax credits to first-time home buyers. At the very least, it's good news that there's something out there to stimulate people's interest. If we get interest from first-time buyers, then those that sell become second-time buyers.

I think this year we will probably end something similar to what it has been, maybe a slight improvement based on the tempo of what we see right now. My hope would be as we go into '09, that momentum will carry and by the end of '09 and into 2010, I think we'll be looking good. There are some pretty good signs of momentum.

What are the top five things you like about your residence?  Dislike?

Just curious.

My answers would be:

Like:

1. private backyard

2. tree lined street I am on

3. 2 way fireplace

4. screen porch

5. finished rec room with full bath, fireplace, craft room, workshop

Dislike:

1. busy street with speeding drivers

2. living room has few possible furniture arrangements

3. carpet

4. little too small (or maybe I just have too much stuff)

5. shape of backyard

What about you?

To live on a lake is the dream of many Wisconsinites. There are so many lakes in Wisconsin, doing a snapshot of all of them could take years. So we're starting with some of the larger ones. 

Lake Winnebago... is huge...almost 138,000 acres and it has a maximum depth of 21 feet.  Located in Fond du Lac county, there are just 18 single family homes for sale on Lake Winnebago right now, with a huge price range: $225,000 up to $899,000.

Click here to do a property search by map for Lake Winnebago or you could also search here for a vacation property

Did you know (I bet you didn't) that the Wisconsin state record yellow perch was caught in Lake Winnebago and weighed 3 lbs, 4 oz? Info courtesy of lakelink.com