Income Property

There are still many conflicting reports out in the media on the future of the real estate market . Although, we are starting to hearing more positive stories on the national economic and real estate outlook. The question is, what is our local market doing? According to this chart based on statistics from the Wisconsin Read More

Last week Zillow posted a blog  with the views of our presidential candidates on housing and real estate issues. I thought it was good information, so I thought I’d share the chart from Zillow. I’m not going to take a political stance here, because I don’t completely agree with any one of the candidates. However, Read More

It’s that time of year again… Tax time. I know, I cringe when I think about it too. Real estate is one of the most tax favored assets in the United States. If you’re a home owner or rental property owner, don’t forget to take advantage of all the tax deductions available to you. The Read More

In the Madison area the cost of renting is very comparable to the cost of buying when you look at monthly payments on a mortgage versus the monthly rental amount of a similar property. Many renters have said to me things like: “Why would I buy when the real estate market is in such turmoil?” Read More

If you are paying any attention to real estate news, there’s no doubt you may be confused on the current state of the housing market. All the headlines listed below are from the past 6 weeks. Can you say “conflicting information”!?!? Home Resales Rise 4% It’s Official: Housing Market Was Sicker than We Thought Mortgage Read More

I know you’re probably thinking, “multiple offers”? Really? In this real estate market? It’s not as rare as you may think. In this market there are many bank owned foreclosures and motivated sellers who have priced homes to sell. In some cases pricing is so low, the property generates multiple offers and parties negotiating up. Read More

Guest Post – by Kyle Ebley Hello there.  My name is Kyle Ebley, Territory Manager for Home Security of America, commonly known as HSA, a home warranty company based in Madison, WI.  I’ve been called upon to offer some insight on the subject of home warranties:  what they are, how they work, and why they Read More

Recently, the City of Madison, WI amended the Madison General Ordinance 27.04(2)(k) to require owners of rental properties to provide tenants with 2 contacts that could be used in case of emergency when the property manager cannot be reached. Of course, whether your rental properties are in Madison or not, it’s a good idea to Read More

I tend to be more optimistic on the housing market than a lot of people. Of course, maybe that’s because our real estate business has been growing in a down market, or maybe it’s because the Madison area hasn’t been hit as hard as the rest of the country. In any case, I heard some Read More

Property taxes are a big factor when purchasing a home. Your property taxes could be 35% or more of your mortgage payment. Even if you’re retired, debt free, and paying cash for a home, property taxes could be a significant chunk of your annual income. We have heard comments from some buyers and sellers such Read More