April home buyer seminars in Madison - 03/31/10 07:01 AM
UW Credit Union is offering a free home buying seminar on Tuesday, April 13th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. For more information about this seminar, click here.
The Dane County Housing Authorityis sponsoring a two-part series with sessions on both Tuesday, April 6th and Tuesday, April 13th. Both sessions run from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. A second series is also being held on April 20th and April 27th. For course details and registration info, click here.
Both seminars offer good information with no sales pressure whatsoever. You'll also have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get straight answers.
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com     
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Where the market is really hot - 03/29/10 07:39 AM
We're assisting two sets of buyers who are focused on homes priced under $250,000 on the near west side of Madison. In neighborhoods like Hill Farms, Midvale Heights, Sunset Village and Westmorland. Properties in this price category for these neighborhoods are being snatched up very quickly. Their proximity to downtown Madison, the UW, and many of the area's major employers are big reasons why the demand for homes in these neighborhoods is always strong.
These neighborhoods are located within MLS locations W11 and W13, where the months of inventory are traditionally among the lowest in Dane County. The months of inventory for … (1 comments)

Selling your home? Don't let this happen to you. - 03/27/10 07:31 AM
There is a first for everything.
One of our buyer clients recently wrote an offer, and in the offer they specified a price 10% below the list (a very common scenario in this market, especially for properties priced over $400,000).
The sellers were hugely offended by the offer. They became highly emotional and responded by RAISING THEIR PRICE BY $20,000. Then they countered our client's offer at $10,000 above the previous list price. Needless to say our clients said thanks but no thanks.
Keep in mind this property has been unoccupied for more than a year. During this time the demand for properties … (4 comments)

Locking in your interest rate - 03/26/10 07:01 AM
UW Credit Union has published another educational article to the buying real estate page at DaneCountyMarket.com. This article describes how a rate lock works. It also offers some tips to help you manage when you lock in.
UWCU has contributed 4 other articles to our web site, including:
Saving for a down payment Choosing a mortgage program The importance of a mortgage pre-approval Why your credit history is important Have a great Friday,
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com    
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Evansville foreclosure offers 5 BR/ 2BA and over 2,300 square feet - all for $99,900 - 03/25/10 06:20 AM
It's easy to locate foreclosures with our foreclosure search option at DaneCountyMarket.com.
One such foreclosure is our new listing at 429 S 2nd Street in Evansville - priced at $99,900. This home needs some TLC, but it comes with 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, over 2,300 square feet, hardwood floors, a deck overlooking a spacious back yard, and an extra-large garage.
 




 
Have a good one,
Dan Miller, Keller Williams Realty and www.DaneCountyMarket.com
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Google this - 03/24/10 06:46 AM
It's amazing how many people reach out to you when you're well-positioned on the internet. That's the great thing about Google: your target audience works to find you. When it works it's good for business. It's good for marketing a property, too.
For example if you go to Google and enter the search term "country grove condos madison", you will find 2 of the top 3 organic search results are for web pages our real estate team has created for our listing within the Country Grove Condomimium development on Madison's west side.
The nice thing about this marketing approach is our target audience doesn't need to know … (6 comments)

Distressed Property Index at 25% - 03/21/10 06:18 AM
Approximately 25% of the home and condo sales in Dane County are related to foreclosure, according to the Distressed Property Index we update monthly on the economic trends page at DaneCountyMarket.com. The February index increased slightly from January and represents a new high.

We expect the distressed property index to be above 20% for at least the next year, as Dane County foreclosure filings continue to rise.
If you're in the market for a foreclosed home, we have two tools on our property search menu to help you with your goal. Our search saver allows you to create your own custom foreclosure search settings, while … (4 comments)

Dane County housing starts higher in February - 03/20/10 06:55 AM
Dane County housing starts increased from 37 in February of 2009 to 53 in February 0f 2010, an increase of 43%. February represented the fourth straight monthly increase, but keep in mind housing starts from a year ago were at their lowest levels of the decade.

Thanks to Dominic Collar from MTD Marketing Services of Wisconsin for sharing his data. For more information, you can contact Dominic directly at 920/993-8435. You can also check out our full housing start report on the real estate trendspage at DaneCountyMarket.com .
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com 
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Your credit history and credit score - 03/19/10 06:46 AM
UW Credit Union has published a great article for anyone wanting to learn more about credit history and credit scores. In this article UWCU covers why your credit history and credit score play vital roles in your mortgage application process. UWCU also reviews how you can find your credit score, how your credit score is calculated, and how you can manage your credit over time.
You can read the full article on the buying real estate page at DaneCountyMarket.com.
Have a great Friday,
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com    
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Reducing your monthly utility bill: an overview of home energy priorities - 03/17/10 06:11 AM
In this article, Lee Schwartz, a home energy efficiency expert from Piping Plover Home Energy Solutions, provides a quick overview of how you can prioritize your home energy-saving improvements.
It all starts with conservation. Check out Lee's article for a few simple ideas. Also check out the US Department of Energy's energy saving page at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/save_energy.html
You can find all of Lee's articles on the buying real estate page at DaneCountyMarket.com.
Have a great day,
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com
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Dane County home and condo sales up, prices Down, in February - 03/14/10 08:03 AM
Dane County home and condo sales recorded via the South Central Wisconsin MLS totaled 270 in February, up 27% from last February's 213 sales.

The February median Dane County home and condo price was $197,750, down 5.3% from last February's price of $208,900.

You can view our full report on the February home and condo market here. For additional market information, check out the real estate trends page at DaneCountyMarket.com.
Have a great day,
Dan Miller, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty and www.DaneCountyMarket.com 
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Who is the better judge of a home's value? - 03/13/10 06:01 AM
The buyer who writes an offer after touring 40 different homes in an area?
Or the appraiser who renders his professional opinion before the lender commits to the loan? 
Regardless, it's not uncommon these days to see an appraisal come in below the contract price. From the buyer's perspective, a low appraisal means both challenge and opportunity. A challenge, because the low appraisal can potentially kill the contract. An opportunity, because the buyer agent may be able to use the appraisal to negotiate a lower purchase price. (We've done this for several of our buyer clients over the last year.)
This is another … (4 comments)

Dane County foreclosures up 32% in February - 03/10/10 05:28 AM
Dane County foreclosures decreased in January, but were back up again in February. A total of 148 foreclosures were filed in February, up from the 112 filings a year ago.

For our full foreclosure report, you can check out the economic trends page at DaneCountyMarket.com .
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com   
… (1 comments)

A closer look at Dane County single family home inventory - 03/09/10 05:57 AM
In our last post we reviewed the months of inventory for Dane County homes. As of February 28th, 8.3 months of single family home inventory (excluding condos) were on the market, compared to 8.4 months a year ago. Months of inventory were well below the Dane County average at price points below $275,000. At $325,000 and above, inventory levels were much higher. Over the last year, months of inventory have increased in many price categories, while levels have decreased for some price points at the lower end of the market.
Given the information above, one would expect to see trends toward fewer listings at the lower end of the … (0 comments)

Trends in Dane County single family home inventory - 03/08/10 05:57 AM
As of February 28th, single family home inventory stood at 8.3 months, down from 8.4 months on February 28th of 2009. Single family home inventory is still on the high side, but low compared to the 16.9 months for the Dane County condo market.
The chart below shows Dane County single family home inventory by price range - comparing the level from February 28th of this year to February 28th of 2009. The numbers in green indicate a decrease in inventory compared to the prior year.

Two things stand out from the chart above.
First, months of inventory tend to be lowest … (0 comments)

Free home buyer fair is Saturday, March 20th - 03/06/10 06:02 PM
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Alliant Energy Center, Exhibition Hall1919 Alliant Energy Center WayMadison, WI
Mark your calendar for the 2010 Home Buyers Fair, presented by the Home Buyers Round Table of Dane County.
This event offers a great opportunity to learn about the process of buying a home from different experts in the real estate community. Classes include information on the following topics:
Simple ways to conserve energy in your home. Managing your budget and your credit. Financing your home. Applying for down payment assistance programs. How a Realtor assists you with your purchase. For more information please contact:
Amanda Wilson, … (0 comments)

DaneCountyMarket neighborhood pages enhanced with real estate search tools - 03/05/10 07:00 AM
We've enhanced the neighborhood pages at DaneCountyMarket.com to include real estate search tools. Now you can easily locate properties by price range for a given neighborhood. You can also sign up to receive market updates.
Our current list of Madison neighborhoods includes the following:
Blackhawk Faircrest Hill Farms Midvale Heights Nakoma Orchard Ridge Parkwood Hills Sunset Village Westmorland And our list of surrounding community neighborhoods includes:
DeForest - Conservancy Place Fitchburg - Hatchery Hill Verona - Westridge If you have an interest in one of the above neighborhoods, check out its web page and let us know what you think. We're always … (0 comments)

A closer look at Dane County condo inventory trends - 03/03/10 06:31 AM
In our last post we reviewed how the months of inventory for Dane County condos have decreased compared to last year, with the decrease localized to the lower price points. As of February 28th, 16.9 months of condo inventory were on the market, compared to 20 months a year ago. For the lower price points, the months of inventory were below the Dane County average. For the higher price points, months of inventory were well above.
One of the reasons months of inventory have decreased is a decrease in the number of active MLS listings on the market. As of February 28th, 1,819 … (0 comments)

Trends in Dane County condo inventory - 03/02/10 06:33 AM
There is some encouraging news in the Dane County condo market. As of February 28th, condo inventory stood at 16.9 months, down from 20 months on February 28th of 2009. Although inventory is still quite high, it's moving in the right direction.
The months of inventory for Dane County condos have decreased due to two main reasons. First, there are fewer active listings in the condo market right now compared to a year ago. Second, condo sales have increased in recent months.
However there is much more to the story when you look at months of inventory by price range. The … (0 comments)

The 3 best ways to make your home more energy efficient - 03/01/10 06:20 AM
Lee Schwartz, a home energy efficiency expert from Piping Plover Home Energy Solutions, has contributed some great articles about home energy conservation to our web site.
In this article, Lee covers the 3 home energy improvements that provide the best return on investment. You might be surprised by the results. Installing energy efficient windows did not make the list.
You can find all of Lee's articles on the buying real estate page at DaneCountyMarket.com.
Have a great day,
Dan Miller, Realtor, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Keller Williams Realty and DaneCountyMarket.com
… (4 comments)

 
Dan Miller (Keller Williams Realty, Madison, Wisconsin) Rainmaker_large

Dan Miller

Madison, WI

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Keller Williams Realty, Madison, Wisconsin

Address: 3 Point Place, Madison, WI, 53719

Office Phone: (608) 852-7071

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