First Weber Group REALTORS®: Wisconsin Real Estate

Wisconsin Rapids Holds a Tasty United Way Fundraiser

On Tuesday, Oct 20, the Wisconsin Rapids office held a taco lunch to benefit the United Way. Annette Schmidt was the coordinator of this event and did a great job, others from the office donated to the event and worked at the event! $454 was donated to the United Way from this event. Many hands make light work!

NICE WORK!

Will the Home Buyer tax credit be expanded into 2010 and possibly changed to include more than first time buyers? Will letters to the Obama Administration from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) requesting a one year extension of the existing credit have an impact?  You can read the letter here compliments of RISMedia.  

The national organizations make their case for the extension well, noting that approximatley 355,000 homes sales occurred because of the credit. The letter goes on in detail about the economic benefits of a strong housing market.  Regardless of if you are "for" or "against" and extension of the credit, this is a interesting read.

While the possibility of the credit extension is a national issue, it would certainly have effects here in the Wisconsin real estate market and beyond.  There's an interesting discussion going on about the subject at the northwestern.com  And a quote from an article on stevenspointjournal.com states "It has to be looked at as a starting point," said Steve Lane, co-owner of First Weber Group in Stevens Point and a board member of the Wisconsin REALTORS Association.  “That first-time buyer enables the house to get sold, and then for the seller to make a purchase, then another seller, and up the line.”

What do you think?

 

Where Did My Lake Go?

If you 've been to Northern Wisconsin recently you’ve probably noticed that many of our lakes have shrunk in size. This is  not the result of global warming, just the lack of rain and snow in the last 5 years.  This is all part of a natural cycle that can be charted back to the 1890’s.  The last time we experienced a serious drought in Northern Wisconsin was between 1987 and 1990.  

Droughts affect every lake differently. Lakes, such as Thompson and Crescent Lakes have inlets and their water levels do not fluctuate much .  Seepage lakes, like Lake Mildred get their water from the water table. If there is not enough rain the lake level will drop as the water table drops.  Flowages, such as Nokomis fluctuate even more than seepage lakes because the dams that control the water level are opened to supply more water to the river downstream.    

Lower water levels means more exposed lake bed.  The DNR recommends that property owners leave this exposed area alone.  Removing branches and vegetation will affect the fishery when the water level returns.  Before you purchase lake property do your research.  Contact an experienced realtor or the DNR for information on lake depth, water quality and fishery. 

Thanks to Sandy Ebben, First Weber Rhinelander for this informative article.

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.

Spread the word to those who can benefit from the first time home buyer tax credit! Thanks to the Wisconsin REALTORS Association for creating the videos!

The first time home buyer tax credit has done well in many markets in Wisconsin.  There is talk of an extension, however, the WRA is not anticipating any announcement until later in the year. 

You've heard it many times before. It is a great time to get into a home with the low prices, low interest rates and the tax credit.  For those buyers who may be willing and able but perhaps skittish about the economy and their job, First Weber also offers a Job Loss Protection program.  Write an offer to purchase with First Weber and we can request in the offer that coverage be provided for you, by the the home seller. The home seller then decides to accept the offer, counter, negotiate etc. 

Think about it! Start searching for that first home or condo here!  We've got a lot of them!

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?

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!

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 

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.