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Saturday, February 27. 2010
It depends on the buyer, really. There are certainly many existing Wisconsin homes for sale at great prices now. There are also good deals on new construction. Typically, it will cost more to purchase and customize a new home, says this Wisconsin State Journal article in which First Weber agent Charlie Wills is quoted. If you are OK with doing a little redecorating or remodeling (in some cases) to customize a home to your needs, then existing homes can be a good choice. If you want to be involved in all the many selections that go into a new home, then new construction may be for you. Obviously, new homes are new and that fact appeals to some buyers. Existing homes often offer mature landscaping, established neighborhoods which can also be appealing. There are advantages to both. Which type of home do you prefer more? People are pretty passionate about this preference and we'd like to hear your thoughts. (If you are reading this via an email or RSS feed, click the headline of this post to go to the First Weber blog and leave a comment.)
Tuesday, January 19. 2010
Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin were both ranked among the top 20 metro areas for business, according to a survey by MarketWatch.com (as reported in the Dec. 16 BizTimes Daily at BizTimes.com) The survey ranked 101 metro area on 10 metrics each including the number of companies per capita to determine a company concentration score; also looked at were the employment picture, growth and economic stability. Madison scored 12th, with high scores in economic stability. Madison has seen growth in private sector technology and biomedicine at the University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee scored 20th, with high scores for company concentration. Milwaukee is home to such global companies as Harley Davidson Inc., Johnson Controls Incc., Manpower Inc., Rockwell Automation Inc., Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co and more. Sweet!
Tuesday, December 29. 2009
The Wisconsin Realtors Association released third quarter 2009 data showing a statewide gain in home sales of 5.8% over last year. If the pace holds, the WRA estimates more than 90,000 homes will be sold in Wisconsin this year - an increase of approximately 5,000 from a year ago. The wellness of the Wisconsin housing market affects all Wisconsin homeowners, even if they are not in the market right now. What your neighbor's house sells for may have an effect on what yours sells for. While more homes are being sold is good news, prices are still on the low side in most cases. You can sign up to receive emails on homes similar to your own with a MyFirstWeber account if you'd like to keep track of the market just for informational purposes. If you are a buyer, ou may also use the same link to sign up to be notified via email of new listings matching your criteria. First Weber has been reporting positive news here for the last five months to drive interest in home buying at this historical time... if more first time home buyers enter the market, move-up buyers also can do just that, move up. Despite the trend to increased sales, sellers should realize that the market is certainly not "back to normal" or a seller's market. Yes, you may sell your home for less now. However, you may also buy for less as well. We hope you enjoy receiving these updates on the Wisconsin real estate market. For information on specific cities in Wisconsin, please make a request as a comment. Happy New Year!
Friday, December 18. 2009
"Dane County Home Sales More Than Doubled in November From Year Ago"
Madison Capital Times (WI) (12/16/09) Novak, Bill
South Central Wisconsin MLS data shows that Dane County home sales soared 111 percent last month compared to November 2008 as buyers scrambled to get their homes purchased before the federal tax credit incentive was to have expired. The year-over-year sales gain marked the fifth consecutive month in which Dane home sales were better in 2009 than in 2008. As a region, South Central Wisconsin home sales jumped 81.7 percent in November versus the same month a year earlier. Nevertheless, the number of homes for sale lags behind 2008, with 4,336 homes on the selling block as of Nov. 30 in Dane County -- an 11.8 percent decrease. It should be noted that almost 60 percent of the residences available for sale in south central Wisconsin were priced under the $200,000 mark. Taken from the Realtor Newswire Weekly put out by The Wisconsin Realtors Association.
Wednesday, December 9. 2009
Impressive! First Weber Group's 2009 United Way campaign raised $29,247 in total agent/employee/corporate donations with an additional $3,484 coming from Oshkosh, Prairie du Sac, Rome Lakes, Wisconsin Rapids, Wausau Grand Avenue, Wisconsin Dells and Metro South for a statewide total of $32,731. That is fantastic, especially in this economy. That participation won First Weber some awards, too: Red Feather (largest increase in employee giving) 3rd place in organizations with 100+ employees Community Chest Award (largest increase in employee and corporate giving) #10 in organizations with 100+ employees Best Practices Award (given to organizations that execute all of the 10 best practice strategies and have an overall increase in giving) Award of Distinction (campaigns that increased 25% this year) The United Way of Dane County met their 2009 campaign goal of $16.5 million to help those in Dane County. We're happy to be a part of that goal.
Tuesday, November 24. 2009
The demand for smaller homes is growing. Census Bureau data shows that in 2008, the median home size shrank from 2,277 sq ft to 2,215. (That's still bigger than my house!) This is the first decrease in median size in almost 14 years. In a poll done by the National Association of Home Builders, 9 of 10 builders would be building small houses as a result of this trend. Not only are people trimming the excesses of previous years for financial reasons, but the smaller homes seem to fit in better with today's environmental/green movement. Original article by Hanah Cho, Baltimore Sun It will be very interesting to see if this trend continues in Wisconsin real estate. What do you think will happen? Is your home larger or smaller than the median size?
Friday, November 20. 2009
This has absolutely nothing to do with real estate! Just a post to show that First Weber is made up of of real people who also have talents beyond selling Wisconsin real estate. Oregon First Weber Office Samples Homemade Pickles Oregon had a contest for the people in the office who make home-made pickles. We had bread/butter pickles, sweet pickles, chili peppers, mustard peppers, and Jalepeño pickles and dill, of course. So we called it our pickle-off for November 10, 2009. The pickle makers are: John Norwell, Oscar Larson, Tom Jordan, Sharon Christensen and Beth Foss. I would have liked to have been there to taste. No information on the winner has been provided....
Friday, November 20. 2009
The First Weber Tomah crew and family went door to door collecting items for the local food pantry. Armed with shopping carts, pushing them up and down the street they were able to collect approximately 400 lbs. of food. It was lots of fun and they were well received by all they met along the way. Sounds like fun! A great idea getting the whole family involved too. Thanks to all who participated by gathering food, and of course, donating food.
Friday, October 30. 2009
If you are thinking of moving to Madison, Wisconsin, here are two positive items to consider. Madison is the #11 Healthiest Housing Market in the Builderonline.com Housing Market list. Being the capitol city and home to the University of Wisconsin helps to keep unemployment low. The article states that Madison is one of the most educated workforces in the nation and consistently ranks well as a great place to live and work. That is great press for Madison! In another web article today from msnbc.com, Madison, Wisconsin came in at #9 for the Healthiest cities for Women. (all those walking students may play a factor - the UW is a huge campus to cover, sometimes one end to another from class to class. I remember that very well...) The article states that 85% of women in Madison get regular exercise outside of work. That IS an impressive number! There are lots of bike trails in Madison and Madison is home to the Bicycling Federation of Wisconsin which holds a bike-awareness week every year. That's enough good news about Madison for the day! We're always happy to spread good news about our Wisconsin cities. If you are relocating and are interested in information on other Wisconsin communities, please let us know and we'd be happy to help. Thanks for reading. What other good stories about Madison, WI do you have? This could get interesting - college town, you know!
Wednesday, October 28. 2009
I read with anticipation a list of America's top 10 cool small towns, thinking Wisconsin surely would be included. Alas, no Wisconsin town in that list/slide show. I have not personally checked out all the towns on the list, though I would love to - they do look pretty great. ( The link to the slide show is here. Compliments of bing and msn.com) If they extended the list to top 11, which Wisconsin small town would you suggest be added and why? Don't forget the "why"! My vote would be for Mineral Point, Wisconsin and the why is because of the artist community and the history in the town. There are many more - waiting for your ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Thursday, October 22. 2009
Market Statistics for Dane County - 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarter 2009 Madison West: - List Price: $249,900/ $249,900/ $259,900
- Sale Price: $241,250/ $244950/ $252,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 96.5%/ 98%/ 97.15%
- Days On Market: 69 days/ 51 days/ 65 days
Madison East: - List Price: $183,400/ $184,900/ $189,900
- Sale Price: $179,850/ $177,500/ $183,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 98.1%/ 96%/ 96.65%
- Days On Market: 58 days/ 79 days/ 66 days
Sun Prairie: - List Price: $211,150/ $205,000/ $213,700
- Sale Price: $206,450/ $197,500/ $205,000
- List to Sale Ratio: 97.7%/ 96.3%/ 95.93%
- Days On Market: 68 days/ 85 days/ 81 days
Verona: - List Price: $289,900/ $292,400/ $265,950
- Sale Price: $285,000/ $285,950/ $251,000
- List to Sale Ratio: 98.3%/ 98%/ 94.38%
- Days On Market: 102 days/ 58 days/ 58 days
Waunakee: - List Price: $367,400/ $349,900/ $349,900
- Sale Price: $351,450/ $335,000/ $349,900
- List to Sale Ratio: 95.6%/ 96%/ 100%
- Days On Market: 102 days/ 57 days/ 88 days
Fitchburg: - List Price: $278,900/ $294,900/ $269,900
- Sale Price: $265,000/ $287,500/ $259,000
- List to Sale Ratio: 95%/ 97%/ 95.96%
- Days On Market: 93 days/ 74 days/ 73 days
Cottage Grove: - List Price: $223,900/ $249,900/ $234,200
- Sale Price: $209,450/ $242,500/ $233,700
- List to Sale Ratio: 93.5%/ 97%/ 99.79%
- Days On Market: 49 days/ 57 days/ 57 days
Thanks to Charlie Wills for these compiling these statistics. It will be interesting to see the fourth quarter stats - the first time buyer tax credit ending soon should make for a strong finish! If there are other statistics you are looking for, please let us know and we will get them for you!
Wednesday, October 14. 2009
· Market Statistics for Dane County - 1st & 2nd Quarter 2009 · Madison West: - List Price: $249,900/ $249,900
- Sale Price: $241,250/ $244,950
- List to Sale Ratio: 96.5%/ 98%
- DOM: 69 days/ 51 days
· Madison East: - List Price: $183,400/ $184,900
- Sale Price: $179,850/ $177,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 98.1%/ 96%
- DOM: 58 days/ 79 days
· Sun Prairie: - List Price: $211,150/ $205,000
- Sale Price: $206,450/ $197,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 97.7%/ 96.3%
- DOM: 68 days/ 85 days
· Verona: - List Price: $289,900/ $292,400
- Sale Price: $285,000/ $285,950
- List to Sale Ratio: 98.3%/ 98%
- DOM: 102 days/ 58 days
· Waunakee: - List Price: $367,400/ $349,900
- Sale Price: $351,450/ $335,000
- List to Sale Ratio: 95.6%/ 96%
- DOM: 102 days/ 57 days
· Fitchburg: - List Price: $278,900/ $294,900
- Sale Price: $265,000/ $287,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 95%/ 97%
- DOM: 93 days/ 74 days
· Cottage Grove: - List Price: $223,900/ $249,900
- Sale Price: $209,450/ $242,500
- List to Sale Ratio: 93.5%/ 97%
- DOM: 49 days/57 days
Data provided by Charlie Wills of First Weber's West Towne office
Friday, October 9. 2009
Have you ever thought how long you'd stay in your current home? Could you "age-in-place" there? If you have made renovations such as walk-in showers, wide doors, or levers instead of doorknobs your home may be more appealing to the baby boomer generation (77 million people) if you decide to sell - and easier for you to live in as you age if you are staying put. There are not too many articles written on this subject. Here is a good one from Realty Times. Hope you find it interesting as well! This article was tweeted by First Weber on Twitter, too. We'd love to have you follow us.
Friday, October 9. 2009
Madison, WI condo showings are up 20% over September of last year according to Sue Stark of our West Towne office. For the statistics over 4 years and Sue's opinion on when to list, please read her blog article here. Nice job, Sue. Anyone interested in the Madison West Condo market should find Sue Stark's blog called "The Madison Condo Market" worth a visit.
Friday, October 9. 2009
If you a re a home seller in Wisconsin, this article may be of interest to you. Let us know what you think. Scott Swick of First Weber writes about myths and opinions below: In today’s uncertain real estate market, fear runs rampant. Many sellers are listening to the national media and coming to the conclusion that it is a bad time to sell their home. But like most myths, these need debunking. Here are five myths sellers tend to believe.
Seller Myth No. 1: “Now is the worst time to sell your home.” Real estate is local. It depends on where you live. Many of the worst hit markets, like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Miami, are already turning around and are experiencing huge sales increases. Here in Fond du Lac County, we saw home prices drop only 2.6% last year. If you are a homeowner who wants to trade up to a new home, the lower price you might get on your current home will be more than offset by the bargain you’ll receive on the next one. Don’t measure your financial status by what your home sells for, but by the net gain or loss of the sale of your existing home PLUS the purchase of your next home. It almost always works out in your favor. Seller Myth No. 2: “Never respond to a low ball bid.” Right now, it’s true that you are going to see more low ball offers than we did a few years ago. And today, with all the stories in the media, buyers today almost feel obligated to put in a low ball offer to see if the seller will bite. But if you respond with a reasonable counter offer, most buyers can be convinced to come up in price and make the deal. I have a philosophy at our office with all our real estate professionals, “As much as it depends on you, don’t let the offer die in your client’s lap.” Always come back with a counter offer. You will be surprised at how many times they other party stays in the negotiation and you finally come to common ground and a deal can be made. Never let it die in your lap. Seller Myth No. 3: “The first offer is never the best offer.” While the first offer may not be the best offer, what is really true, 4 times out of 5, is the first buyer is the best buyer. A lot of sellers believe that it’s smart to hold out for someone better. But the first buyer is most likely going to finally agree to the highest price you’ll ever get for your home. That’s because 75% of the prospective buyers are going to come to your house in the first 30 days you listed it. After you walk away from that buyer who actually made an offer hoping you’ll get something better, the other prospects have walked away too and gone on to another home…and probably written an offer on it. Seller Myth No. 4: “I can always reduce my price later.” Sellers often want to price their home high for a few weeks just to test the market. But buyers shop by price bracket and if your house is in the wrong one, you’ll just help sell everyone else’s home while yours sits there…overpriced. Reducing your price later in small increments puts you in the position of chasing the tide as it goes out. We can spend a million dollars to advertise a home, but if it’s not priced right, it will not sell. We need to wake up that this is a buyer’s market. Unless you are willing to wait a year or so to sell your house, price your home to sell within the next 4 months or less. Because if you price it too high, the only house that will sell is your neighbors’. Sellers Myth No. 5: “I have to have my home sold before I can buy or build a new one.” The fact is that you as soon as you have your home on the market, you should be either making an offer on an existing home, or selecting a builder to build a new one. You can always structure your offer to be contingent on the sale of your existing home if you prefer. If you decide to build, there are a few builders who have financing programs such as a “no payments during construction loan,” or a “commission rebate program,” or a “trade up program” where they will buy your existing home if it hasn’t sold by the time they are finished building your new home. Building has become incredibly attractive this last year. A local lumber company told me last week that lumber prices are the same level we had back in 1977, a 32 year low. With the lower prices we are seeing from subcontractors and suppliers, building a new home is an incredible deal right now. The buyer’s market window is closing in 2009. Don’t miss out on your chance to move up by buying into someone else’s myth. By Scott Swick, General Manager, Fond du Lac First Weber Group
Tuesday, September 29. 2009
Fall has arrived in Wisconsin. Do you have a favorite fall activity? Mine would have to be fall walks. I also love the sound of fall football games at the nearby high school. There are numerous activities to enjoy and a great website to see for events is Wistravel.com here. Please contribute your favorite things about fall in Wisconsin. It would be interesting to see the different favorite things across Wisconsin - from our urban areas to rural areas and "up north." Thanks for reading and participating!
Thursday, September 24. 2009
 Real estate sales data from South Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Service for August 2009 in Dane County
| Dane County | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | | # of New Listings | 921 | 1034 | 1124 | | # of Sales | 581 | 577 | 765 | | Average Sales Price | 235,975 | 252,705 | 256,920 | | Median Sales Price | 212,352 | 221,500 | 223,347 | | Total active Residential properties at end of August, 2009 | 4655 | 5231 | 5342 |
Across the whole South Central WI MLS system in August, 978 single family homes were sold with an average price of $185,831. A break out of some price ranges follows: 2 million dollar+ homes sold. 18 homes from $500,000-$749,999 sold. 166 homes listed between $200,000-$249,999 sold. 76 homes between $100,000 and $119,999 sold. 31 houses between $70,000-$79,999 sold. If there are specific statistics in a certain county, town or subdivison you are interested in, please comment below. Let us know how we can help you and thanks for reading.
Thursday, September 24. 2009
A detailed article on the timeline remaining to get in on the first time home buyer tax credit was written by First Weber's Scott Swick and featured in the Fond du Lac reporter. A definite must-read. Are you in the process of buying now? How is it going for you?
Friday, September 18. 2009
 It feels good to share good news about First Weber people who make a mark for themselves by doing more than expected. Sometimes that is real estate related, sometimes not. Some people try to make a difference and stop for one reason or another, and some people keep going because it is part of who they are.
This is not a press release - it is about a person. A person who happens to be with First Weber Group and who was recently recognized for Distinguished Service to the Wisconsin REALTORS Association at the 2009 WRA Annual Convention. His name is Ron Zahrt. (The one front and center wearing orange in the picture) Ron has been in real estate for 29 years +. He is President and owner/partner with First Weber Group Northern Wisconsin LLC, and sells/manages in the Wausau area. He's got a litany of credentials, which I will list press release style, after injecting my opinion Ron is that the kind of guy you would like to have as your neighbor. OK, here's the list of some of what Ron Zahrt has done to get this award: serving as Past President of the Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Service, multiple terms on the Board of Directors of the Central Wisconsin Board of REALTORS and positions on numerous WRA committees. He is a member of the Wausau Early Bird Rotary Club and Employers in Support of the Guard and Reserves; he has been a United Way Volunteer of the Year in Marathon County, Wisconsin; and Ron is also a cancer survivor who represents Congressional District 7 in the American Cancer Society's Action Council. There are a few points, I guess. One, congratulations to Ron. Two, real estate is sold by people, to people and is really all about connecting to people through actions, which Ron does. And three, First Weber Group is happy to have him on our team, making us a better company. Three Cheers for Ron!
Monday, September 14. 2009
First Weber Group expands into Oshkosh,Wisconsin real estate market in a big way! We welcome Coldwell Banker Schwab, the largest real estate firm in Oshkosh with dominant market share and 40 agents to our Wisconsin real estate team. Dennis and Gail Schwab have been in real estate for over 30 years and have the kind of reputation any company would be happy to welcome - we certainly look for that when expansion opportunities come along. This was a real good match for both companies. Seems the news is spreading in Oshkosh quickly! We've already seen newspaper articles in the local paper and tweets by the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce among others. Amazing how news travels on twitter! You can follow First Weber on twitter here. Coldwell Banker Schwab had an interest in providing good technology for buyers and sellers. First Weber provides just that with our Front Runner multi-media marketing for every listing, (great video here, if you have not seen it already) and our numerous inhouse technology systems that provides anything from market share reports to websites to advertising and mailing materials. Signs are being changed over, the website is being worked on, the many listings will be moved over, the many agents added to our rosters, technology systems and the like. Soon the Front Runner smart signs with texting, multi-media and call capture plus all the other Front Runner features will be available on Schwabs property listings. We are striving for a hassle-free transition to welcome our new Oshkosh connection in the best way possible. Now, all that transition is not complete yet by any means - the cat got out of the bag a little early. But it is full speed ahead in getting First Weber's newest office running at full First Weber capacity. WELCOME, we're thrilled! If there's anyone in Oshkosh - seller, agent or resident -who has a question about First Weber Group - read our blog, make a comment, ask a question!
Wednesday, September 9. 2009
Home buyers have numerous advantages these days - lower prices, increased selection - and some challenges such as stricter lending. While these changes may make home buying a little more difficult, they also seem more sensible. Think about what you are buying; buy within your means; stick to reputable lenders/mortgage products; treat your property for what it is... a place to live. A complete AP story on the subject is available at msnbc.com
Common sense advice. Our agents are experienced in helping people buy homes no matter what the market is like. If you need help navigating the home buying process, that's what First Weber agents do each day. Let us know how First Weber Group can help you purchase a property in Wisconsin. Do you have any stories to share about your home purchase - then or now?
Tuesday, September 8. 2009
First Weber friend helps find friend a new job. Crabby Dave's in Marshfield, WI is now owned by another Dave matched to the property and counseled by Rich Chronquist of First Weber Group. A good REALTOR is a social person in sales because they like working with and helping people - here's a vey good example. From the Marshfield Herald News. If you have real estate ideas or need help, please contact us or send a question/comment. Here to help...
Friday, September 4. 2009
 Lakes vary widely in obvious ways - shallow, deep, murky, clear, spring fed etc, but many also have what you could call "personalities."
How do you know which lake is for you? Your local First Weber Group Realtor should be able to give you valuable insight into lakes in the area you're looking at. Like peace and quiet? Like to sail? To fish? Like a very active lake with lots of boating activity? We can help point you to the lake that matches such interests. Contact us if you're looking to buy lake property in Wisconsin - First Weber has a lot of knowledge to share. If you want to search by map, please do so here. There's a special Northwoods Wisconsin search here as well. Pictured is Lake Mildred and here is a previous post about that lake. Photo courtesy of Sandy Ebben.
Friday, September 4. 2009
WRA: Wisconsin Housing Market May Be Stabilizing The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA) reports that the state’s residential real estate market is showing signs of stabilization. The WRA recorded a 10.5 percent decline in statewide home sales during the second quarter, which was well below the steep reductions in Wisconsin sales volume that have been reported over the previous few quarters. WRA Chairman Michael Mulleady comments, “Overall, the reduction in existing home sales of 10.5 percent, comparing the second quarter of 2009 with the second quarter of 2008, was much more moderate than we experienced earlier in the recession where the average decline has been much steeper. . . . This is the first indication that we may be getting ready to turn the corner on real estate in the state.” WRA President William Malkasian added that the new federal tax credit for first-time home buyers has definitely enticed more purchases of so-called “starter homes,” a trend that brought down the state median price. Read the whole article at Milwaukee Business Journal (WI) (08/12/09) As posted in the REALTOR Newswire
Tuesday, September 1. 2009
First Weber's mobile website is now live. Give it a test drive and let us know how you like it or if you have any suggestions to make it even better! There's 85,000 properties to chose from. And you can find them all on your smart phone at m.firstweber.com We look forward to your feedback.
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