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Friday, May 16. 2008How hard would it be the sell this one?And now for something completely different! (any Monty Python fans out there?) Check out this toilet house. What do you think? It is funny at first, but when you read what the architect is trying to do/say, it makes it actually interesting. And apparent that we take so much for granted here in the states, where many homes have a bathroom for each bedroom. I always wondered how kids who grew up with their very own bathroom managed to get by when they had to gasp! share. I did not have that luxury, and I am glad. Maybe the real reason is not because I learned to share, but I did not have to clean it! Happy weekend everyone. We're always here and work on weekends - real estate doesn't stop. Friday, May 16. 2008How'd Wisconsin do in the 1st quarter of 2008?First quarter statistics from the Wisconsin Realtors Association are in. And as much as everyone hopes, the numbers are still disapointing. The number of home sales is down 24%. (and home prices are still 25.3 above quarter one in 2001, more than keeping pace with inflation) But there are three important things to point out about statistics: 1. These statistics are for the past 3 months. The statistics for the next 3 months will reflect the market we are sitting in right NOW. Looking forward, 68% of Wisconsin brokers surveyed by the WRA feel that the second quarter will be better or the same than the first quarter in terms of buyer activity. 52% feel second quarter home sales will surpass second quarter sales a year ago. 2. The first Quarter is typically a little slower. We do live in Wisconsin and it snows. "It is important to remember that bad weather always dampens home sales and given the record snowfall this winter, we were expecting weak numbers for this quarter" said WRA Chairman and First Weber Vice President Michael Spranger 3. Always be thankful the Wisconsin market is in a far better position than Flroida, Californai and Nevada, to name a few of the states suffering the most. FOR BUYERS, your opportunity awaits. And search the easy way. Sign up for automatic emails on properties that suit your criteria. No sales agent will call - you get the info you want, on properties all across the state and initiate contact when you are ready. Friday, May 16. 2008FAN First Weber on FacebookAre you on Facebook? We are! First Weber Group has recognized the exploding growth of social networkng and has started a group for our agents to interact with each other. We are also encouraging agents to set up their own profiles and interact with their circle of friends. It really has been a lot of fun, for me at least, and is an eye opening whole new world of communication. AND, we have also set up a corporate page here. This is for customers and clients to tell us how we are doing. Write a review and become a fan! We do have numerous clients and customers who have "fanned" us and our Frist Weber Group page is quite new. (Please note you do have to sign up for a facebook account and become a fan before you can write a review. One other note, you can select your own privacy settings. This is important, in my opinion) If First Weber did right by you, if you love your agent and you are a fan, make it offiical on facebook. Hope to see you there! Friday, May 16. 2008Friday, May 9. 2008Wednesday, May 7. 2008Thursday, May 1. 2008Where do I find a Home Stager?
Finding a home stager is just one more thing to do! You can click the links below or just contact us and we can get you set up. First Weber Group's Concierge desk has several stagers available to help get homes staged for sale. You can contact them through clicking into a region of our Concierge desk here and visit their websites. Tuesday, April 29. 2008Why to sell & buy Wisconsin real estate nowInteresting article about why to sell now. Some sellers don't want to sell now because they fear the price of their home may have fallen in recent years (after it also rose a whole bunch in previous years, making it more valuable than when they bought it, in most cases.) While the sales price of their current home may not be run up to 2005 levels, the price of homes available for purchase is also lower. Making moving up to a bigger, better home more affordable. What you may lose in a sales price you can gain in a purchase price Think about it! The time may be right for you. Tuesday, April 29. 2008Friday, April 25. 2008Selling a home? Try Feng ShuiYou may or may not believe in the art of Feng Shui, but if you are selling your home, you should try everything possible. The following article from RIS Media highlights 8 Feng Shui mistakes to avoid while selling a home. Sounds interesting... My house could use some help, I'm sure. Friday, April 25. 2008Wisconsin River Flowage andRhinelander Chain of Lakes
Today the Rhinelander Flowage is known as the Rhinelander Chain of Lakes and consists of Boom, Bass, Thunder and Lake Creek and extends from Rhinelander up to the wooden bridge in Newbold Township. It is considered one of the best fishing destinations in Northern Wisconsin and hosts the famous Hodag Muskie Challenge. The surface water area is over 1700 acres with 35 miles of shoreline. Maximum water depth is 30 feet and the water color is clear. Fish species include musky, northern, largemouth bass, walleye and pan fish. Unlike other flowages, the water level stays fairly consistent making this an excellent recreational chain of lakes. Friday, April 25. 2008Monday, April 21. 2008Friday, April 18. 2008Wisconsin waterfront owners... get the most accurate pier information
Oh, that picture sure looks nice. If you don't own waterfront property in Wisconsin but would like to watch sunsets like this one, please contact us. Thursday, April 17. 2008Friday, April 11. 2008How much is lake frontage in Wisconsin selling for? Find out here.By Sandy Ebben, Vice President, Rhinelander office
Real estate agents are often asked what the 'going rate' for water frontage is. The answer is ‘it depends’.
There are many variables in determining the value of a lake lot. The first is the lake itself. There are lakes in the Northern Wisconsin that command premium prices and lakes that don’t. Trout Lake and Lake Tomahawk are premium lakes. Mud Lake is not.
Features of the lake that determine value are:
Lake Size and Depth. A 3000 acre lake appeals to more buyers than a 20 acre lake. Larger lakes are better recreational lakes than smaller lakes. The depth of the lake will also affect recreation on the lake. A shallow lake may have very few fish in it and can be very weedy and less appealing than a deep lake.
Lakes on a Chain. The more lakes you can get to the higher the price.
Lake Clarity Lakes in Northern Wisconsin range from crystal clear to dark brown. Clear water lakes are more popular for swimming and boating. Darker lakes tend to have better fishing.
How developed is the lake. A lake with a home or cottage ever 100 feet is not as appealing as a lake that has a lot of wild, undeveloped shoreline, especially if its State Forest lands.
The second consideration in pricing water frontage is the physical features of the land. The slope of the lot to the water is an important feature. If the description says "ideal for an exposed basement" you can expect to climb some stairs to get to the beach. "Fisherman’s frontage" means you aren't going to be swimming off your shoreline.’Southern exposure' means you will have the sun on your shoreline most of the day. A lot on the south end of the lake has 'northern exposure' and will be in the shade most of the time.
So the answer to the question is that lake frontage sells for between $100 and $6,000 a foot in the Northwood’s. A one acre lot with 217 feet of frontage on Trout Lake (a 117’ deep, 3916 acre lake in Boulder Junction) sold for $1,350,000 in 2005. A lot on Fickle Lake (a 26’ deep 10 acre lake in Price County) sold for $21,000 in January 2007. .
So next time you go shopping for lake property tell your agent that you want “a large wooded lot with southern exposure, sandy beach, gradual slope to the water, next to State land on a clear water lake that is over 500 acres and part of a chain"--and your price range is under $100,000. Then let me know what you find.
Friday, April 11. 2008Wednesday, April 9. 2008Secret rooms...This article at Freshome reminds me of old Scooby Doo movies with hidden passages and revolving bookcases. Very cool. I did not know that there were companies that do this kind of stuff for real but there are. I can see something like this being valuable in high end homes - providing a very secret place to hide the bags of money and other valuables. Have you ever seen something like this is a home in Wisconsin? Thanks to Athol Kay's Connecticutt Real Estate Agent blog for pointing it out. Wednesday, April 9. 2008What to look for when buying land in the Wisconsin Northwoods~ written by Nancy Kuczmarski Rhinelander Office It seems like it’s everyone’s dream to own a ‘wild’ 40 in Northern Wisconsin. Demand for 40’s remains strong, especially since thousands of acres of what was once paper company land has been sold off to private individuals. These parcels used to be open to the public for hunting and other recreational activities. There’s lot of questions you need to ask yourself and the following are just a few:
Bottom line….It’s best not to go it alone when considering a vacant acreage purchase. Hire a REALTOR® who understands ‘Vacant Land’ so you make an informed Buying decision. Your REALTOR® should be willing to walk the property with you and answer these questions. It might not be a bad idea to look for taxidermist art in their office. This is usually a pretty good sign they know about vacant land! Wednesday, April 9. 2008Tuesday, April 8. 2008Wisconsin real estate doing well compared to other statesWisconsin home sales have been outperforming most states. "While home sales in Wisconsin have certainly slowed when compared to the record levels of 2005, our local markets are far less volitile than housing markets elsewhere in the country", said WRA Chairman Michael Spranger. Spranger, a VP with First Weber Group, also said "We're not in the same kind of trouble you read about in other markets around the country. The fundamental elements of a stable real estate market remain strong in Wisconsin." A softer market offers credit-worthy first time buyers and opportunity to get into homes that might otherwise be out of reach. It won't last forever. Buy smart now. Tuesday, April 8. 2008Eagle, Wisconsin starts each day with a smile. Photo Credit: Rick Wood, Journal Sentinel Eagle is the only town that I know of that has a smiley face on their water tower... shows a little sense of humor and an insight into what it is like to live there. The Town of Eagle is one of the smallest towns in metro Milwaukee, yet growing as all our outlying areas are. Eagle was featured recently in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and they interviewed several people as they toured the town for their opinions. Read the whole article here in the Journal Sentinel. There are currently 40 single family homes for sale in Eagle. The lowest price is a 2BR, 1 BA home for $116,500 and the most expensive a $2,900,000 lake home with 4BR and 4BA. Quite the range! To take a look at Eagle, Wisconsin real estate, search our website by clicking the PROPERTY SEARCH button at the top of this blog page. Tuesday, April 8. 2008Friday, April 4. 2008Thursday, April 3. 2008 |
By now, everyone has probably HEARD of Home staging. It certainly helps to sell vacant homes, as well as spruce up homes for sale that are maybe just too cluttered, need a fresh look etc. Staging, although an expense, is much less expensive than a price reduction in your home if your home does not sell right away. Why not present your home professioanlly staged to attract the most buyers right off the bat? 
In 1882 the Rhinelander Flowage was formed when a mud and timber dam was constructed on the Wisconsin River to form a holding pond for lumber being floated down the river.
See the 
