This article in Tuesday's Wisconsin State Journal Business section talks about how Building Contractors now have to register with the state.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/456637

Here are some important links related to this:

State Commerce Dept Website

Site where contractors can register

Some will see this as a good way for consumers to research prospective contractors. It should also allow the state to distribute information to these contractors in an easy way. Others may see it as another way for the state to make a buck (or $25) of off these contractors.

Let me know what you think about this...

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926 homes@HomesByJV.com

404 Skyview Drive Waunakee, WI Home for Sale

GORGEOUS CUSTOM HOME THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED WITH 4 BEDROOMS, 2.5 BATHS & 1ST FLOOR LAUNDRY! LARGE KITCHEN W/CHERRY STAINED MAPLE CABINETS, SOLID SURFACES, ISLAND, BUILT-IN DESK & STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES OPENS TO THE DINETTE & LIVING ROOM WITH GAS FIREPLACE. FORMAL DINING WITH FRENCH DOOR OFF FOYER & DOUBLE DOORS TO LIVING ROOM-CURRENTLY USED AS MUSIC ROOM COULD BE USED FOR MULTITUDE OF THINGS! HUGE MASTER SUITE W/SOAKING TUB & DOUBLE MARBLE VANITY. ENJOY THE OUTDOORS & MANY PERENNIALS FROM COVERED PORCH OR HUGE DECK! 

Had enough of seeing it online and want to actually experience the real thing. Call or email us today to schedule a private showing on this North Ridge Estates Home in Waunakee, WI.

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0946 homes@HomesByJV.com

and if we had one now, we would have brought them through your home before the listing expired. Part of our job is to match buyers and sellers together and when we "have" a buyer that means showing them all the homes that potentially meet their needs. If we are not doing this then we are not doing our job very well. Remember this as you hear from those who tell you they may have the perfect buyer for your now conveniently expired listing. Where did these buyers come from and why weren't they around weeks or months ago?

While we may not have a buyer currently for your home what we do have is an online listing package that continues to evolve as one of Madison's most aggressive home listing programs. Doing the whole aggressive online marketing plan thing for a few years now we have learned what works and what doesn't work and how we can take what "everyone else does" and tweak it to make it better. We may freely publish our online marketing plan for everyone to see- but it is a lot of these behind the scenes tweaks that allows us to dominate the search engines and really get our listings the exposure that they deserve.

Oh yeah...I almost forgot...Max wanted to say Hi! (Check out our online listing package link above to see what terrific things he does for us)

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0946 Homes@HomesByJV.com

Marketing your Madison, WI home with Media

According to the front page of the REALTOR® version of the SCWMLS last week I saw a note stating that there was a requirement of getting at least one picture online for the MLS. There was a date this was needed to be done by (I think in the first day or so of the listing) and if it wasn't done a $50 charge would be assessed the REALTOR® and the MLS would sent out a photographer to take a picture to be uploaded to the listing.

Are you kidding me!

I don't think that anyone out there can convince me that buyers online don't want media to look at when deciding which homes to view in person. Whether that be pictures (lots and lots of pictures), or a virtual tour, or even better yet a video tour.

If you have any questions on the use of media to market your home give me a call or send me an email. Your home deserves the best in online marketing! Don't sell it's marketing short.

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926 homes@HomesByJV.com

Taking the Zillow App for a Test Drive- Real Estate Search on the Iphone

Is searching for homes on mobile phones the next big thing?

If Zillow has anything to say about it- it may be. According to the Zillow blog almost 25,000 people downloaded the app within the first 2 days it was available from the App Store and almost 8% of Zillow's searches were being conducted on the Iphone.

Say what you may about the accuracy of the Zillow estimates the technology behind this is pretty powerful. Being able to access the app, have it locate your location, and proceed to show you homes for sale in your immediate vacinity isn't necessarilly groundbreaking. But it does give a new meaning to going for a Sunday Drive.

John Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926- homes@HomesByJV.com

A Sun Prairie Real Estate Auction is taking place on Saturday May 2nd at the Crowne Plaza hotel- 4402 E Washington Ave in Madison, WI. According to the J.P. King Auction Company 60 properties will be up for auction in Sun Prairie and Fall River with 30 properties being sold regardless of price. For more details check out the following story from the Wisconsin State Journal.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/448533

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926 homes@HomesByJV.com

*The Madison Real Estate Show and John & Vicky Schroeder are not involved in the auction*

$8000 Tax Credit available for First Time Home Buyers

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0946 Homes@HomesByJV.com

106 Simonson Street- Deefield, WI Home for Sale

PARADE QUALITY SPACIOUS RANCH~JUST MIN TO MANY AREA LAKES, EASY ACCESS TO I90/94 & HWY 12/18. BUILT W/EXCEPTIONAL DETAIL: CUSTOM CABINETRY W/SEVERAL BUILT-INS, 4 PANEL DRS, MAPLE FLRS, CUSTOM TILE, SOLID SURFACES-KITCHEN & BATHS, LRG ANDERSON WINDOWS, TREK DECK & MORE! MAIN FLR~MSTR SUITE W/WALK-IN CLOSET & PRIVATE 3/4 BATH, 2ND BDRM + 2ND BATH W/AIR TUB & SEPARATE SHOWER. HUGE LIVING/DINING AREA OPEN TO KITCHEN & SUN RM. L/L W/2 BDRMS, BATH, FMLY RM, GAME RM & 2ND KITCHEN! OVERSIZED GARAGE W/EXTRA STORAGE. 

Had enough of seeing it online and want to actually experience the real thing. Call or email us today to schedule a private showing on this Terrific Deerfield, WI Home.

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0946 homes@HomesByJV.com

***Temporarily Off the Market***

6137 Dominion Drive- Madison, WI Home for Sale in Grandview Commons Subdivision

WAY BEYOND THE BASICS...THIS SPACIOUS 3 BEDROOM & 4 BATH (2-FULL & 2-1/2) CUSTOM HOME HAS THE UPGRADES YOU REALLY WANT BUT THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T AFFORD! MAPLE FLOORS, MAPLE CABINETRY, STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, WHITE TRIM, GAS FIREPLACE, CUSTOM BLINDS & DECK. THE MASTER SUITE FEATURES A PRIVATE BATH & UPGRADED CUSTOM CLOSET SYSTEM. THERE'S MORE...LOWER LEVEL IS FINISHED FOR A FAMILY ROOM, THEATER ROOM, OFFICE OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU MAY NEED 

Had enough of seeing it online and want to actually experience the real thing. Call or email us today to schedule a private showing on this Terrific Grandview Commons Subdivision Home in Madison, WI

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926 homes@HomesByJV.com

***Video Counter is not working...stuck on Zero no matter who many times the video is viewed- We are working to get this resolved***

All Real Estate Videos are properties of respective REALTORS. No warranty is given regarding these videos including all the contents of. This includes but is not limited to the availability of any home for sale.

Video is not the way of the future when it comes to marketing properties. It is today's technology for giving home buyers an easy way to preview your home and for home sellers/builders to market their properties aggresively.

We have long been proponents of video in real estate marketing and now finally have a website devoted to just this. Introducing www.MadisonRealEstateVideos.com -your source for previewing homes for sale across Dane County. Leveraging the very Google Friendly MadisonRealEstateShow.com site gives it a big boost in exposure in the Madison, WI real estate scene. Check it out today...tell your friends about it...and come back often as new homes hit the market.

John & Vicky Schroeder -RE/MAX Preferred- 608-225-0926 homes@HomesByJV.com