It is great weather to be house hunting!  (And if it's not, there's ALWAYS firstweber.com)

Agents: How's the activity? 

Buyers: Have you been out hunting? 

Sellers: Are you optimistic and ready to move on?

First Weber would love to hear you share some thoughts about your home buying or selling experience.  It hasn't been easy for anyone these days, but there sure are opportunities to be had, when everything aligns.  A skilled negotiator on your side can make a big difference. If there is anyway that First Weber can help or do something different to make the experience better, let us know.  We'll try!

"The properties that are selling are the properties that are updated, in great condition and obviously, they're priced right. They're selling really quickly right now in Madison," said Suzy Favor Hamilton.

Please share this article if there is someone you know who should be moving now!  And do you agree with the experts that many conditions are favorable for home buying now? Please share your thoughts.

You can see the year over year chart of Wausau, Wisconsin real estate sales since 2004 below. 

So far in 2010, the Wausau residential real estate market has seen 116 homes sold.

48 of these were under $100,000.

30 were between $100,000 and $150,000

19 were between $150,000 and $200,000

10 were between $200,000 and $300,000

8 were between $300,000 and $600,000.

Those in more metropolitan areas can see how affordable housing is in Wausau, Wisconsin.  Wausau is centrally located in Wisconsin.  If you are looking for an affordable place to live, perhaps Wausau is it!  To start searching, you can start right here at firstweber.com and we'd be happy to help you with any Wisconsin real estate question you may have.

Thanks to Ron Zarht for providing this Wausau, Wisconsin real estate info. And thank you for reading!

Ever think about how important the entrance of your home is to potential buyers? It's one of the the first impressions. Take a minute to learn how this one thing can help a home's appeal.

Ask your First Weber agent for additional tips on making your home the most attractive it can be.  If you need help finding vendors or services for home improvements, feel free to browse First Weber's concierge section.

Have you ever used our Concierge department? If so, click into the headline (if reading in a Rss reader or via email) and let us know how that all worked for you.  Thanks for reading the First Weber Wisconsin real estate blog.

Photo courtesy www.flickr.com/photos/crespoluigi/3096196873/

In Fond du Lac, First Weber welcomes

- The Sinisi Team, consisting of Walt and Ann Sinisi, and licensed assistant, Mary Senn. This team has consistently been one of the top three producers in the Fond du Lac area for over 10 years.

- Lynda Bacon Lawlis, another top producer in our market and an expert for 35 years.

 - Joan Marschall, a top producer, and former First Weber agent who has come back.

 - Jason Zellner, a young agent with incredible promise.

We also welcome Glen Beder to our WEST BEND office. 

Glen comes to us with 8.5 years experience, is a multimillion dollar producer and is the incoming President-Elect for the Kettle Moraine Realtors Association.

We're happy to add these great agents and have the ability to now serve the clients and customers they have built relationships with over the years. 

Real estate can be an exciting and challenging job.  We are always looking for good people.  If you have ever considered a career in real estate or making a change from a different company,

please see more about what we do to sell Wisconsin real estate at WhyFirstWeber.com

The best affordable suburb in the country is our own city of Pewaukee, according to Business Week's annual ranking.

The village of Pewaukee came in just below the city in the rankings. 

If you'd like to take a look at what is for sale in Pewaukee, search firstweber.com. 

Here's a quick breakdown - quite the price range!

-- there are 122 single family homes for sale in Pewaukee ranging in price from $79,100 to $2.3 million. 

• -- there are 84 condomuniums for sale in Pewaukee from $69,900 to $499,500.

Here's a link to the city's website if you are interested in learning more. 

Congratulations to Pewaukee!  If you live there, this should make you proud.  And if your home happens to be for sale in Pewaukee, make sure you let buyers know about this top honor!

Thanks for reading the First Weber blog.

Mortgage rates are also forecast to rise. 

There are a little more than 50 days to get an accepted offer and take advantage of the home buyer tax credits. You have until June 30 to close on the property. If you need help getting started fast, please let First Weber know by contacting an agent or even sending us a comment. 

Obviously, new homes are new and that fact appeals to some buyers.  Existing homes often offer mature landscaping, established neighborhoods which can also be appealing.    There are advantages to both.

Which type of home do you prefer more?  People are pretty passionate about this preference and we'd like to hear your thoughts.

(If you are reading this via an email or RSS feed, click the headline of this post to go to the First Weber blog and leave a comment.)

Read more commentary on owning the American dream here. Thanks for the excellent, simple, very telling graphic, KCM crew.

Now does that make you want to buy some Wisconsin real estate or what?  What do you think?

Home affordability is at a record high -- more buyers can afford to buy.  That is the good news of this real estate market.  Other good pieces of news are that interest rates remain low, there are tax credit opportunities (Remember, this is not just for first time buyers.  Must have Accepted offer by April 30) and even a Job Loss Protection program offered through First Weber. 

Are you thinking about buying Wisconsin property but are still hesitant?  Have you looked at Wisconsin real estate for sale recently?  What do you think of the prices? 

image courtesy of kcmblog

In the words of Steve Harney, author of the Keeping Current Matter's blog with a really good article on this affordability issue "This is the best time to buy a home. Don’t wait for the Tax Credit to end and interest rates to climb. Find the house you want and buy it." 

You can search about 80,000 properties across Wisconsin at firstweber.com.  It really is a good place to start, if we do say so ourselves. 

If you receive this blog via email, please click on the post headline to go to the blog and comment.  Thanks for reading and thank you for your comments.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amagill/ / CC BY 2.0

First Weber certainly cannot give you tax advice. However, we can share links to information which may help our customers and clients.  If you will be claiming the tax credit because of a home purchase, see this article from realtrends.com

Good luck.  There are less than 70 days to get an Accepted offer and take advantage of the tax credit. 

First Weber can help you buy or sell Wisconsin real estate and we're ready when you are.

Single family home sales as reported by the Central Wisconsin MLS for the Wausau area were up more than 5% over the prior year. The chart shows the break down by price of homes sold in the first month of the year and the current inventory of homes for sale in the area.  This increase, while small, is showing the fact that housing is rebounding in Central Wisconsin.  There is are great supply of homes on the market in the area, interest rates are very low and prices are at a low point.   This is a great time to be in the market.  Remember the Stimulus package for housing expires as of April 30^th of this year (must have an accepted offer by then).  Now is the time to buy. Call your First Weber Office for details.

If you would like to search Wausau, Wisconsin real estate now, click here  Much Thanks To Ron Zahrt for providing the data.  

 2010_Residential_Sales_Jan.pdf

When the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sent secret shoppers to 19 storefront tax preparers, each and every one goofed up something. More mistakes were found in returns prepared by so-called tax experts than by individuals, the 2006 GAO report found.The obvious solution is to simplify the tax code, but the IRS can’t change tax law; that’s up to Congress. So instead the IRS is focusing on the oversight of tax preparers. Currently, anyone can prepare tax returns for money without registering with the IRS, but the agency recently announced that in future tax seasons, all paid tax preparers will be required to register. Competency testing and 15 hours of annual education will also become a matter of course, although certified public accountants, attorneys and enrolled agents will be excluded because they already abide by similar standards to keep the letters behind their name.  RISMEDIA, January 27, 2010—(MCT)—

Ah... beloved tax time.  Who has their taxes done already?  This year's taxes may be more complicated this year (in a really great way) for home buyers if they have taken advantage of the home buyer tax credit.  Make sure you talk you a tax professional or consult irs.gov for details on this credit.

On another note since the article mentions what we in real estate call Continuing Education. Did you know Realtors in Wisconsin must spend 3 full days in a classroom every two years to keep up on contracts? To be honest, no one likes it very much because Realtors are social people who'd rather be talking with people than sitting in a classroom. It is, however, a professional obligation and something we do to provide the service you all expect.

Best of luck to all with your taxes.  Less than 70 days left to get an accepted offer and take advantage of the tax credit

There are 72 days left (as of today) to get an accepted offer and receive the home buyer tax credit!

Many subdivisions in Waukesha have tree lined streets - trees planted by the city.  I happen to live on one of those streets and while I never attached a dollar value to the trees, they give the area a certain feel that made me want to buy the house.  Now, I believe these trees are Ash.  And the Emerald Ash Borer has me a little worried.  Please do not transport firewood!  The loss of these trees would certainly affect the home values in this neighborhood.

Our homes are our sanctuary and certainly an investment. During these changing times, it is important to remember that real estate is a long term investment.  Buy your home to make a home, not a quick profit.  While such profits did occur for numerous years, the tables have turned a bit. Real estate has been an outstanding long term investment.  Make the return a little better and try planting a tree.

Thanks for reading the First Weber blog.  If you need help with real estate, that is what First Weber is here for.  Please connect with us.

Source RIS Media