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Middleton, WI Real Estate News

By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Moving to Middleton, WI?  Moving from Middleton Wisconsin?  To Rhode Island? Arizona, or New Jersey?  These states come to mind because I have lived in all of them at one time or another. Here is a very complete checklist to help you during the craziness that can surround you at a time like this.  It is exciting to be Relocating, starting a new job, moving into your new beautiful home, but it does place you on the Life Stress Chart! My Mom had the foresight to find me a pediatrician in the new city and state to which I was moving. She was a nurse and had medical connections in many places. Sure enough, my son had strep throat 2 days after we had arrived and that was such a godsend to have the Doctor already selected with phone numbers and all.    This was waaay before the Internet coul...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day.  ~Elwyn Brooks White Darn right it's hard! How do you go about maintaining a successful work-life balance? Not very easy, to say the least, when you are a productive and busy Realtor,  or other professional , parent, or businessperson, is it?  But the costs, the long term effects can be hazardous to your health.  Literally. I am not telling you anything new here. The following article from the Mayo Clinic's website mentions  fatigue and therefore being less productive at work.  Also,missing milestones, your son's soccer tournament, your daughter's school play, your anniversary (oh no!).  Even more important than that is taking the necessary time to main...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
A tongue in cheek tale of DIY as a result of your 2 handymen and 1 boyfriend being out of town and you have company coming and have to fix your damn kitchen cabinet door.   I can't believe I just replaced one of those 1-3/8" overlay face frame concealed hinges on my lower kitchen cabinet today. Gooooood girl. (give treat)! And I only had to visit one hardware store and one gigantic national home improvement store where everyone wears orange aprons, to find my replacement part. Feeling rather clever that I thought of using my rattan leopard cushioned papasan footstool with which to perform my simple household chore, it soon occurred to me that I am not brushed up on my yoga positions. (Translation: my beginner yoga tape is still wrapped in cellophane) Because, just as I suspected deep do...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
    As I read Eric Kodner's  recent post, where he talked about people without an appointment dropping in and expecting instant service from a busy broker who may be  out showing properties,  it occurred to me that he could use a life sized cardboard cutout in front of his office with a continuous loop of instructions for those drop-ins.        " Yes! I would love to assist you with your real estate needs, but I am out showing houses to a client right now, who did make an appointment with me.  If you'd like to set up a showing please write a note and drop it in my mail slot and we can set up a mutually convenient time, Feel free to look over any of my brochures while you wait."   Then I started thinking of other cardboard cutouts we could use to keep in our listings when we were not ar...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Moving into the area?  Involved in a RELO?  This may sound funny to you. But the longer I'm in the business, the more I find that homes have real personalities. To really get to know a home, you need some background. You have most likely toured the unlimited geography on the Internet. But I can help you on a much more local and personal level.You first need a proper introduction to the area and the neighborhoods.   I will help you get to the know the neighborhoods in the West side of Madison and Middleton: Middleton Hills,  downtown Middleton, Crestwood,  The Highlands,   Spring Harboron Lake Mendota and more.   And then the introductions begin.  Knowing the homes and the inventory, makes it easy for me to l introduce you to the its features, the amenities, and even some of the challeng...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
We see these signs in people's yards scattered throughout our cities and towns in the Middleton WI and greater Madison area.. But what we don't see are the subliminal messages being broadcast out in a whisper as you drive by the home. For example, below this sign is the hidden message that you can detrect if you listen very carefully. ("Come on-buy my house! I really need this  much money out of the sale, I can't afford a realtor, and besides,  I don't want to make those rich Real Estate agents even richer and they don't do anything I can't do myself any way!") So the poor innocent house just sits there fresh and all excited about a new family.  But no one buys it. It sits there some more , and still no new owners. People come through the house but the owners do not keep track of anyone...
Comments 6
By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
    Just a regular ol' Friday in Middleton, Wisconsin, driving through the  industrial park, near the Madison Marriott West and Greenway Station, an upscale shopping area, turning left on Holiday Ave, and then making a right onto Deming Way, and what do my eyes behold?  Three Sand Hill cranes just standing about on the lawn, looking very stately.  These are such handsome peaceful creatures.  What they are doing there, I do not know. And migration in this area does not happen till the end of September.   A missed photo opportunity! This is what I should have been doing.    But did I have my camera with me?  Noooooooo.  Had my cell phone just run out of "juice"? Yessssss. And you know what that means:   I would have loved a picture, but I find unexpected glimpses of natural beauty, give ...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Driving back from the office today and stopping at my local Copps  Supermarket  on Century Ave in Middleton: just to be healthy, I enter in the produce section door. (Another choice is  entering  in close proximity of the liquor and ice cream section-not as healthy.) This is the first thing I see tucked on a shelf under the nectarines.  Dragon fruit! That one on the left looks like it could start start breathing fire! I am no wimp when it comes to trying new foods or dining in ethnic restaurants of nearly any type. But I have never seen nor heard of this and I sure thought they were pretty cute. I quickly found that About.com had a step by step illustrated piece on how to prepare and eat dragon fruit in the section regarding Thai cooking. It is even more intriguing looking on the inside...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
  Below is  single family home sales for the entire West side including the Town and City of Middleton from July 30 to August 30, 2010,  and the comparison table for 2009.      LIST PRICE: SOLD PRICE: DOM: 2010 HIGH LOW AVERAGE MEDIAN TOTAL PRICE LISTING COUNT $1,499,000 $109,900 $332,820 $279,450 $41,935,426 126 $1,300,000 $95,000 $317,455 $274,808 $39,999,428 381 0 64 44    LIST PRICE: SOLD PRICE: DOM:  2009 HIGH LOW AVERAGE MEDIAN TOTAL PRICE LISTING COUNT $949,900 $79,900 $298,182 $264,900 $63,214,757 212 $948,000 $65,765 $288,860 $258,000 $61,238,404 334 0 62 38   Here are the single family homes sold in the Town or City of Middleton in the past month, from July 30 to August 30, 2010, and a comparison table for the same time frame in 2009.   LIST PRICE: SOLD PRICE: DOM: 2010 HIGH L...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
What do you do when you have accomplished something great? What do you do when you've made that big sale? Finished a big project when everyone else had doubts except you? Or you did have doubts but you forged ahead anyway against all odds? Do you jump for joy?  Just smile and move on? Simply cross it off the list and re-prioritize? Figure out what you did right? Pop the cork?   I worked in a sales office in Rhode Island and we rang a big bell when someone made a sale.  A good friend plays a crazy song and dances around his office, blasting the music, when he closes a deal.   How do you celebrate?  Before you sit down with any other realtor, give  me a call and we can chat and then celebrate together when we make the sale happen. I have the knowledge, skill and integrity to make a diffe...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Call me old fashioned, but I just love my magic mortgage calculator, the Qualifier II.  Sure,  there is now a Qualifier III and beyond. I take out some buyers and excitedly, they ask, "Well, how much would my monthly payment be if I put $10,000 down?" "$15,000 down?"   "$20,000?" "What if we put an offer on the yellow house? What would my payment be then?" I have the answers right at my fingertips. I do not have Apps.  I am sure I will, after they work the bugs out!  OK, so that is an excuse but I feel secure having my Qualifier II in my briefcase. What is your favorite gadget?
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
When Justin was about 2 years old, we drew a simple picture of a fish on a piece of paper and gave him the pencil and showed him and told him how to draw it. It was incredible to see what he did!  He concentrated and had his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. It was a great drawing for a 2 year old! He was so excited by the drawing and of course it was highly re-enforced by his uncle and me.   Here Here is Justin, at age 5, in front of his easel.  He also loves cars and trucks and that, along with people, is what he draws.  He plays ferociously and then sits and draws for an hour or two. Justin has lots of toys, as most kids do, I noticed he had a children's toy keyboard on the floor of his bedroom with little matchbox cars parked on most of the keys. He had turned it into ...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Interest rates are amazingly low right now, and if you have good credit, it is a wonderful time to buy a new home. For first time home-buyers, there is money available from WHEDA.  You can read my post from August  15  for more details.  You can investigate all options available to see which fit you best,  In Seotember 2005, the city of Middleton initiated the DPAP program which was created to assist more people working in Middleton to live in Middleton. Here are some key points from the program: DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (DPAP) • Purchasers must have 40% to 80% of Dane County median income to qualify. Down payment is a 0% loan to those who live in their Middleton home for 15 years, requiring payback of only the original amount. If a property is resold within the first 15 years, ...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Time to pack your lunch and get on the bus! Each school in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District offers orientation or information sessions prior to the beginning of school or on the first day of school.  If you are new to the school district (including incoming Kindergartners)  you need to register with the District first.   Most of the schools have held these already, but here are the ones coming up: Middleton High School has orientation for freshman and new students August 25 from 5 to 8:30 with parents also invited.                                                                                                                                            Park Elementary's orientation is August 30, 4:30-5:30pm.        Sunset Ridge  and Northside will each hold Orientation Day...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
The $8,000 tax credit vs Super low Interest rates  As valuable as the tax credit was for first time home buyers, today's incredibly low interest rates are even more exciting and a better deal over the long run.   Buyers-why wait? Take a look at this example: Staying budget conscious here. let's say you want to keep your monthly payment just under $10000 per month on a 30 year mortgage and let's see what we can find for you. Monthly payment  $998.57             at today's rate of  4.375%.          $200,000 house Monthly payment  $998.57              last year's rate of 5.735%           $178,000 house  That's a $22,000 difference, almost three times the amount of the tax credit.  Another way to think about it would be a simple payback on the same house.  The payment on a $200,000 mortgage...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Those Michigan Blue berries made their way to Wisconsin this week. Two pints for $3.00. You know when produce is at its best, it is also the cheapest.  We had the annual picnic for the Stark Company Middleton last week and because I have spoiled them in the past, they expect a pie from me for the potluck.  I toyed with buying one at the Hubbard Avenue Diner, right around the corner from my Parmenter Street office.  But, no!  I went to the store in the evening an the blueberry shelves were empty! Totally.  The next morning was the picnic and I was in a panic. I called at 8 am and no, the truck had not arrived and it could be anywhere up till noon when it would.  At 10:30, I beelined it to the produce department and lo and behold the shelves were still empty!  But I immediately noticed th...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Lakeview Park is the largest Park in Middleton-over 80 acres.  You can play tennis, soccer, hold a large gathering in the shelter. The pond is not only great for fishing, but as you walk around on the path, there are numerous exercise stations with diagrammed instructions for strength, balance, cardio and abs toning.  You can even catch a concert there occasionally by a local jazz band-or who knows what else if you are just strolling by. The best feature of all is the new Splash Pad-a mini water play place for kids. I am not going to tell you that I have ever made a quick run through the sprinkler spouts. Oh no, I would never do that! I am always a bit sad in August because I never feel like I have gotten enough summertime activitites in, and as the calendar flips to September, so often...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
   Here is a look at the 2nd Quarter MLS results (no FSBOs are included) for single family home sales in Middleton, comparing it to the past two years. DOM equals Days on The Market. THESE FIGURES REALLY TELL A STORY!  It is much better to have a good idea of what to expect, even though those these figures say "OUCH,"  if you are wanting to sell your home.  Keep in mind that you can quite possibly make up on the buying end, what you may be losing on the selling of your home. Sellers must be ready to price their home attractively. The better news here, is that home sales are definitely up from last year.                     This chart represents: 75 homes in 2010, 53 homes in 2009 and 82 homes in 2008 for the 2nd Quarter. 2010  HIGH  LOW  AVERAGE  MEDIAN  TOTAL $  LIST  899,000  105,000 ...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District New start and end times for all schools starting this fall. The first day of school is September 1, 2010. Elementary Schools:  8:20 to 2:54                                      Middle School: 8:10 to 3:20 High Schools: 8:05 to 3:25 The new bus schedules have not been announced yet but as we finish up summer with a splash, keep watching the MCPASD website for the new times.  Most will simply start 10 minutes later, to reflect the new start times, but some routes will change for more efficiency. Have you enrolled your student yet? Here is the student enrollment form for your convenience. So finish off your summer with a splash! It won't be long now before school starts. The Splash Pad at Lakeview Park, Allen Blvd, Middleton For more information ...
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By Barbara Chatterton, Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Realtor
(The Stark Company Realtors, Madison WI)
This festival delivers!  Parmenter Street is one happy mustardy place right now! Ketchup is banned.  People decorate their hot dog with a big variety of mustard.  There is a Tasting Pavillion, too, to try the oh so exotic varieties all found in the store. I am listening to a band named, "Staph Infection" right now!    The Weinermobile!  Of course the street is blocked off!  I can't wait till next year!     For homes of distinction, contact me for all your buyer and seller real estate needs. Let's chat about your dreams  MiddletonHomesOnline@gmail.com
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