Your Realtor will have the inside scoop on which neighborhoods have established a great community

6 Strategies to Create a Kid-friendly Street

Neighbors with and without children can have very different ideas for what constitutes a harmonious community. Avoid an “Us vs. Them” mentality with these tips to foster a kid-friendly culture on your street.

Be inclusive
Don’t exclude neighbors without kids from your social circle. For example, offer to have your kids help the retirees down the road with yard work. They’ll appreciate the help and will likely be more patient if your kids start a ruckus with their friends.

Use sign language
Placing one of the popular “Drive like your kids live here” signs in your yard is a friendly reminder for neighbors to keep an eye on the road and their foot off the gas.

Start a community Facebook page
No doubt, your kids can help you with this one if you’re not social media savvy. Posting family announcements, neighborhood news, or items for sale can boost a feeling of community and inclusivity.

Summer flicks
Neighborhood gatherings can be beneficial for your kids’ social lives and your own. Hang a sheet over the garage, set out the beach chairs and host a “bike-in” kid-friendly movie screening. Don’t forget the popcorn and Twizzlers!

Work together
When concerns for your child’s safety or enjoyment of the neighborhood arise, gather other parents to bring the issues to the HOA. This is where fostering community will benefit you most: It’s important you’re able to raise your concerns and ideas to neighbors without everyone splitting into tribes.

Party on
Throw a block party for every season to help neighbors, and neighborhood kids, get to know one another. Try lining the street with luminarias in the fall. Or kicking off summer with a bike parade. Create a friendly atmosphere so that neighbors will come to you with problems rather than letting them stew.

Your Realtor will have the inside scoop on which neighborhoods have established a great community. Find a RE/MAX agent

It's a beautiful time of year...

8 Staging Tips for Small Outdoor Spaces

An attractive outdoor space, even if it’s just big enough to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or evening cocktail, can be a major selling point for potential buyers. Here are a few suggestions for maximizing your outdoor living space.

1. Floor it.
If you have a small outdoor area, it won’t break the bank to invest in higher quality tiles or stones. Snap-in deck tiles are another option for adding a touch of class.

2. Envision clarity.
When it comes to tables, go for glass-topped: It will help create the illusion of a larger space.

4. Watch your back.
Chairs and benches with more open backs don’t interrupt sight lines as much. They’ll keep your space feeling open, and looking larger.

5. Focus.
Creating a focal point in a small space adds visual interest. A simple piece of garden art, a small flowering tree or a tiny water feature in a corner can add style and distract buyers from focusing on square footage.

6. Scale down.
The world’s largest outdoor chaise lounge may be a napper’s dream, but it won’t do much to help your patio or deck. Choose outdoor furniture scaled to set off your space, not smother it. You can even find fire pits in smaller sizes.

7. Get vertical.
Wall gardens help add green without sacrificing space. Wall art made from succulent plants is another low-maintenance option for adding foliage, and drawing attention to the edges of your space, which helps visually enlarge it.

8. Don’t hide the grill.
A clean barbecue can help buyers imagine their own outdoor meals. Unless you have a grill or smoker large enough to hold the entire pig, or if your grill is in disrepair, keep it out.

Ready to show off your newly decorated deck or patio? Start by finding a RE/MAX agent here

Tricks to Help Sell Your Home in Autumn

6 Tricks to Help Sell Your Home in Autumn

It's easy to boost buyers' impression of your home in new, inexpensive ways with each season. Here are a few things you can do in the fall to make it as inviting as a basket of Halloween candy.

1. Light it up.
Shorter days and longer shadows mean you need to be particularly careful to maximize natural light with open drapes and blinds, and add more light where needed with floor and tabletop lamps. Replace any burned-out bulbs in outdoor lights. And schedule showings earlier in the day, when the light is stronger. Adequate lighting makes a bigger difference than you might think.

2. Rake in the leaves (and the buyers).
Keep up with your yard work to help hike curb appeal. Clean up the leaves, and trim back any overgrown or dead plants. Cut back trees and hedges that hide or overshadow windows and porches.

3. Stash the toys.
Store all those pool toys, bikes and croquet sets. A less-cluttered yard appears larger. Leave the grill, though. One that's shiny and clean can help buyers see the possibilities of living out their hamburger-and-steak fantasies. If you have nice patio furniture, arranging it around a fire pit – even just a portable or tabletop one – creates a warm, social atmosphere.

4. Mum’s the word.
They’re cheap. They’re cheerful. And they’re hard to kill. A pot or two of orange or gold chrysanthemums can brighten up your porch, deck and steps. Pumpkins also can add a bright, seasonal touch as well, but be careful not to overdo it. You're decorating a home, not a department store.

5. Burn, baby, burn.
If your home has a fireplace, now’s the time to let it shine. Of course, you probably don't want to light a blaze for showings, just in case the fire's unattended between appointments. But you can make sure it’s clean. Tasteful fall décor, like a simple vase of pinecones can add a nice seasonal touch to the mantle or hearth. If your agent will be hosting an open house, a crackling fire with lots of comfy seating can be a great touch.

6. Two words: pumpkin spice.
Don’t worry, there’s no need to actually bake a pie. Before showings, simply burn scented candles with seasonal aromas, like apple, cinnamon and ginger, to add to your home’s coziness.

If you're looking for more personalized recommendations for selling your home, find a local RE/MAX agent who can help you show your home at its best.

Save yourself some money

Tips to Lower your Utility/Energy Bill and put money in YOUR pocket

Tips to Lower your Utility/Energy Bill

1. Adjust your thermostat.  As a rule of thumb, every degree you lower a thermostat's set temperature in the winter or raise it in the summer will save 1% of energy costs over an 8 hour period.

Wisconsin weather is calling for thermostats to be turned on soon.... so lower your thermostat at night and use extra blankets on your bed. Not home during the day? Then adjust accordingly.

2.  Turn down the water heater temperature to a maximum 120 degrees.  Lower it to 80 degrees if you are going to be away from home for more than a couple days.  If you have a gas water heater, this tactic will save you gas, not electricity.

3. The refrigerator is one of the biggest energy users in the home.  To operate at maximum efficiency the door should only be opened briefly and adjust the COLD control according to the manufacturer's directions.  Vacuum refrigerator coils to remove excess dust.

4. Unplug appliances like microwaves, stereo's, VCRs and printers that do not have to be plugged in all the time, but use energy when plugged in.  Simply unplugging these appliances can save a lot of energy.

5.  Use the microwave as much as possible, instead of heating up the stove or oven.

6. Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with high efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, which use from about one quarter to one third the energy to produce the same amount of light. Though most cost more than conventional lights, they last up to 13x longer.

7. Don't use nightlights that remain plugged in an outlet. Instead, use motion sensor night lights that only light when they detect motion.

8. To help lower water bill, install low-flow shower heads and toilets.  Take shorter showers and turn the water off while brushing teeth.  Collect rain water in a container and use that water to water your plants.

Of times past...

If we could only go back....

Housing Inventory Continues to Be Tight in Wisconsin

September Homes Sales Up 13.1%

3rd Qtr Sales Up 12.5% 

Market Highlights

• Strongest September in 10 years
• Inventory Continues to Be Tight
• Prices Up In All Counties 

October 14, 2015 - Home sales were up 13.1% in September in the Metropolitan Milwaukee market. 

1,738 homes sold in September compared to 1,537 in September of 2014.  Comparing the numbers to 2013, sales were up 17.1% (1,484 in '13).

The last time the metropolitan market saw over 1,700 sales in September was in 2005.

County	September  Sales 2014	September Sales 2015	% Change
Milwaukee	807	905	12.1%
Waukesha	467	553	18.4%
Washington	153	163	6.5%
Ozaukee	110	117	6.4%
4 County Area	1,537	1,738	13.1%

Through the 3rd quarter, Washington County lead the region with a 20.4% increase in sales.  However, all four metropolitan counties saw very healthy gains in units sold, totaling 15,347 regionally.  The last time the market saw over 15,000 sales through the 3rd quarter was in 2006, when there were 15,803 sales. 

County	3rd Qtr Sales 2014	3rd Qtr Sales 2015	% Change
Milwaukee	7,532	8,128	7.9%
Waukesha	3,974	4,593	15.6%
Washington	1,304	1,570	20.4%
Ozaukee	904	1,057	16.9%
4 County Area	13,714	15,348	11.9%

The 2015 market can be characterized as very solid, with buyers quickly absorbing available listings since the beginning of the year.  The GMAR expects this trend to continue through the rest of the year.  Based on recent data it appears that total sales for 2015 will be approximately 18,827 units, about 9.8% ahead of 2014.

Listings Decrease

New listings have dropped the last two months (1.3% in August and 3.4% in September), but in the first nine months of 2015, five had listing increases.  Regardless, the extra volume they provided did not alleviate strong buyer demand, which still outstripped supply.

County	September Listings 2014	September Listings 2015	% Change
Milwaukee	1,313	1,267	-3.5%
Waukesha	625	636	1.8%
Washington	236	202	-14.1%
Ozaukee	146	135	-7.5%
4 County Area	2,320	2,240	-3.4%

County	3rd Qtr Listings 2014	3rd Qtr Listings 2015	% Change
Milwaukee	13,098	13,071	-0.2%
Waukesha	6,611	6,823	3.2%
Washington	2,175	2,279	4.8%
Ozaukee	1,443	1,500	4.0%
4 County Area	23,327	23,673	1.5%

Inventory

The seasonally adjusted inventory level for June was 6.7 months, down from August's 7.0 month level.  The seasonally adjusted level was 8.2 months in September 2014.

Subtracting the 1,569 listings with an active offer from current listings results in an effective inventory level of 4.5 months for September.  A year ago, the same calculation showed September's inventory level at 5.9 months.

The decrease in inventory - by well over a full month in the last year - reveals just how tight the market is in 2015.  

 

Average Sale Price

Healthy increases in unit sales and tight inventory has expressed itself in higher prices.  The average sale price in all four counties was up solidly in the 3rd quarter.  Ozaukee County lead the way with an average sale price increase of $22,722, 8% ahead of 2015.

County	Avg Sale Price '14	Avg Sale Price '15	$ Change	% Change
Milwaukee	$149,582	$160,645	$11,063	7%
Waukesha	$280,978	$288,866	$7,888	3%
Washington	$205,626	$221,841	$16,215	8%
Ozaukee	$273,281	$296,003	$22,722	8%

While reasonable price gains are always welcome, the market has not completely recovered from a very deep recession.  Prices for the 3rd quarter in the 4-county region peaked with an average sale price of $258,922 in 2006, and bottomed out at $210,513 in 2012, an 18.7% drop.   The following table shows where each county is in the recovery and how much each needs to grow to get back to peak prices.

Average Sale Price for 3rd Quarter

County	Peak		Valley		Current	Back to Peak
Milwaukee	2007	$192,276	2012	$129,331	$160,645	19.7%
Waukesha	2006	$308,354	2011	$257,477	$288,866	6.7%
Washington	2007	$232,642	2012	$196,013	$221,841	4.9%
Ozaukee	2006	$315,352	2012	$257,866	$296,003	6.5%
4 County Area	2006	$258,922	2012	$210,513	$241,839	7.1%

Hottest Markets

The following table shows the most popular communities in the region (with at least 75 unit sales), characterized by those that generally had an increase in units sold, an increase in average sale price, and a decrease in days-on-market (DOM).

 

Community	Avg Sale Price '15	Avg Sale Price '14	Change in Units Sold	Change in Sale Price	% Sale Price Change	Change in DOM
Brookfield	$315,994	$301,896	19%	$14,098	5%	-32%
Cedarburg	$309,536	$283,130	26%	$26,406	9%	0%
Franklin	$236,486	$222,109	22%	$14,377	6%	-15%
Germantown	$244,505	$240,186	12%	$4,319	2%	-13%
Glendale	$170,554	$166,312	14%	$4,242	3%	-6%
Grafton	$244,715	$228,245	13%	$16,470	7%	-12%
Greenfield	$155,644	$151,072	2%	$4,572	3%	-12%
Hartford	$189,589	$168,985	28%	$20,604	12%	-19%
Kewaskum	$186,066	$167,184	38%	$18,882	11%	-2%
Lisbon	$340,752	$313,870	18%	$26,882	9%	-5%
Menomonee Falls	$267,543	$263,087	8%	$4,456	2%	-9%
Mequon	$415,948	$393,679	17%	$22,269	6%	-16%
Muskego	$283,191	$274,195	14%	$8,996	3%	-21%
New Berlin	$247,214	$240,506	19%	$6,708	3%	-16%
Oconomowoc	$293,299	$285,520	14%	$7,779	3%	-11%
Pewaukee	$274,061	$256,506	16%	$17,555	7%	-7%
Port Washington