April 20, 2009 at 08:51 PM
Oconomowoc is such a terrific blend of lifestyles! I am blessed to be able to live and work all in one community and really take in all that it has to offer. My drive to work everyday is just a few short miles, and yet it’s like traveling between two different worlds. I live in the country, surrounded by farmland and beautiful views of rolling hills and pastures.
Oconomowoc has a rich history in farming, with many farms being operated by the same family for numerous generations. It’s great to be able to stroll down the road with a fishing pole and wile away a lazy summer afternoon. You’re bound to catch some of the local wildlife up close, or at the very least, enjoy the hum of the dragonflies while baiting your hook!
When we feel like getting out on the town, we can be there in just 5 minutes. There you are surrounded by small town charm and a lake always nearby! Historical homes and buildings make for interesting converstion while on a walk around one of the lakes. Pedestrian friendly Oconomowoc offers many parks and walking trails, several beaches, quaint shops and restaurants. The city also has a flair for the arts, offering free concerts in summer, gallery night and art festivals, as well as performances in the new Oconomowoc Arts Center and at Theatre On Main.
Plus we’re tucked right in between Milwaukee and Madison, so in less than an hour you can be in either of the two larger cities!
It’s a wonderful place to call home. People have been flocking here for decades to enjoy the lifestyle that the lake country brings. Whether you’re looking for a quiet night of star gazing, dining on the lakefront, or taking in some live music, you’re sure to find it here!
Posted By:
Lisa Tremaine
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April 16, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Sara Belle Boutique is a children’s store located in downtown Hartford.
Sara Belle has been opened for 2 1/2 years and is now liquidating. Sara Belle is currently offering 40% off. Please stop in and say farewell.
Sara Belle was truly a great addition to the Hartford area and will truly be missed.
Thanks for the memories Sara Belle.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 16, 2009 at 03:48 PM
Slinger is a great town that offers small town living with easy access to the city. Slinger has a population of just over 4200 with great schools and parks.
Slinger is known for the Slinger Speedway which is opened from May through September. Slingerfest is a great festival for all that is usually in June and Spooky Slinger is a great gathering every year on Halloween. Slinger also has baseball leagues running all summer for adults and children as young as 4. The village Park and Rec center has many other programs available to residents and non-residents. Everything from kick-ball and sand volleyball to dance and yoga. There are also cooking classes, babysitting coarse, financial planning classes and scrapbooking. The list goes on and on.
On the sweeter side of things Sweet Creations is a great bakery in town and Jims Place is downtown with Pizza, chicken and enormous ice cream cones.
Slinger is truly a community with much to offer.
For Homes for sale in Slinger go to sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 16, 2009 at 03:41 PM
When searching for a home, school districts tend to be an important search criteria for many home buyers. There are many different online sources to help you grade the area schools.
www.GreatSchools.net is a site that can give you many stats on the school district you are searching. I found that Slinger School District scored a 10/10 from this site.
Slinger has a median household income of $55,114 and a Median Home Price of $247,410.
The site will also give you information on spending per student, student ethnicity, ACT results and WKCE-CRT results. This site also posts where the school landed on the testing according to the rest of the state.
This site is a great tool when relocating to the area and when deciding what school district you want to live in.
For listing of homes for sale in Slinger go to sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 16, 2009 at 03:36 PM
Many buyers today don’t realize there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to buying a home. There are many pieces of the puzzle that all need to fit together in order for the transaction to be successful. Having a real estate consultant coordinate your transaction will help ensure a smooth one.
Choosing an agent to help you can be challenging. It’s important to choose someone that is knowledgeable about the market you’re looking to buy in, and they should also be able to talk with you about their negotiation strategy. Most importantly, you should be able to relate to them well.
After all, buying a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make and you’ll be sharing a lot of information with your agent.
The most common decisions that need to be made at the “offer table” include the following:
- What price are you going to offer?
- What are you going to offer for earnest money?
- When are we going to close?
- What kind of financing are we going to use?
- What kind of testing and inspections are we going to have?
There are many other smaller decisions to be made as well, both in the offer and following inspections, and they all play an intricately important part. Finally, once you have negotiated an accepted offer, you have to start working on putting your puzzle together. Coordinating everything in the offer to purchase in the time frame allotted and communicating with all the players is where your agent earns their commission. Down to the last detail, they’re there to help you through from starting your home search to the closing table and beyond. If you have any further questions about what to expect when purchasing a home, please get in touch with me at 262-719-9649, or ltremaine@shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Lisa Tremaine
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April 13, 2009 at 02:24 PM
In this market you may be thinking that now is not the time to sell. However, now could be the perfect time to sell.
If you are thinking about buying up and need more space now is the time!
You may have lost some of the equity you have in your home, but so has the everybody else. If your home has gone down 10% in value, so had the higher prices home. So if your home was worth $250,000 and now you can get $225,000, the home you may want that was once at $350,000 is now priced at $315,000. That means that you may lose $25,000 but the larger home has lost $35,000 which is a difference of $15,000. Your at the advantage of getting much more home for the money.
So now IS the time to sell….if your buying up!
For a free Market Analysis of your home contact me at saraschneider@shorewest.com or visit my website at sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 13, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Now that Spring is here and the weather is nicer I’m always drawn to the area parks. The village of Slinger has a few different parks. The community park is located downtown and has the softball field, basketball courts, playgroud equipment, batting cages and restrooms in the large pavilion. This park is the most used in the town. Most days you drive by and there is something happening there, from Slingerfest and Spooky Slinger in Fall to the ball games all summer long.
The Fireman’s Annex Beach is the newest park in Slinger. It has a sand beach and swimming area with a small turtle slide and flowing raindrop and a diving area. There are bathrooms and a pavilion with small snacks and drinks available.
There is a fee of $2.00 for village residents and $4.00 for non-village residents (3 and under are free). It’s a great addition to Slinger. You can pack a lunch and spend the day enjoying the sun.
To search homes for sale go to sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 07, 2009 at 08:31 PM
When searching for properties in Southern Wisconsin, you may be astounded by the region’s variety of unique communities and diverse atmospheres. Whether you are a young professional that thrives in urban frenzy, or a growing family that craves open space and the serenity of the countryside, Southern Wisconsin has the perfect home environment for you. The region’s largest residential areas include the casual, All-American city of Milwaukee and the energetic state capital of Madison, as well as the lakeside communities of Racine and Kenosha, and the beautiful tree and park-abundant city of Janesville just 12 miles north of the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. In and around these areas, Southern Wisconsin home buyers have an incredibly wide selection of housing options, and can find their dream home in lakeside resorts, waterfront condominiums, brand new townhouse developments, golf course communities, master planned communities, and well-preserved historic districts.
Furthermore, Southern Wisconsin boasts dozens of quaint Midwestern towns and villages where “Main Street” is the place to be and carefree is the way of life. Places such as Elkhorn, Waterford, Evansville, and Fort Atkinson possess friendly, tight-knit communities, excellent schooling with a smaller child-teacher ratio, thriving downtown districts, and plenty of green space for recreation. With their unique attractions—one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, historic sites, galleries and museums—each of these communities is a gem waiting to be discovered.
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April 07, 2009 at 08:17 PM
…To make a sale? You guessed it- one. Believe it or not, I am working with several buyers who are running into the frustrations of competing offers.
On average, about 40% of the homes they would like to see in the Lake Country area already have accepted offers! Yes, in today’s market. That’s because many buyer’s think alike. Who doesn’t want the house with good sized rooms, nice yard, clean and dry basement, and some updates? Oh, and at the best price!
Did you know that Shorewest.com averages between 10,000 and 12,000 unique visitors every day? A unique visitor is just that, unique. If I go on the website 3 times in one day, I’m still counted as one unique visitor. Each visitor looks at an average of 30 homes! Let’s say that 10% of 10,000 people are looking in each $100,000 increment. If you’re looking between $100,000 and $200,000 you are one of 1,000 people looking for the best home in that price range.
To the seller’s out there, there are 3 things that can be controlled.
- Price 2.Condition 3.Availability. When you pay attention to all 3 things and they’re realistic for the market they’re in, the buyer’s will come in droves. Most of them have been looking for a long time and have seen a number of houses. They know a good value when they see one, and are ready to jump on it.
Posted By:
Lisa Tremaine
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April 07, 2009 at 08:11 PM
Whether you’re thinking about buying or selling, 2009 will definitely shine! Think about a time when you’ve made a great decision but didn’t know how great it really was until you looked back on it. This is the year that buyers, and some sellers, are going to look back and think exactly that!
Let’s say you want to buy a new home but aren’t sure you can sell your existing home. First, if you are considering moving up to a larger home, 2009 is a fantastic time to sell! You may not have as much equity in your home as you had a couple of years ago, but you will be able to get a terrific deal on your new home. For example, you own a $250,000 house and need to sell it to buy a larger $350,000 home. While it's true that in 2006 you might have sold your home for $260,000, you also would have paid $375,000 for your new house. In other words, in this market you may lose $10,000 on your current home, but you will be save $25,000 on your new home, for a net gain of $15,000!
Read the complete article >
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April 06, 2009 at 08:52 PM
If you’re going to be purchasing, at some point your REALTOR will talk to you about Buyer Agency. You may even have spoken to a lender who tells you to find a REALTOR to be your buyers’ agent. So naturally you want to know what Buyer Agency is and what will it cost me?
Buyer Agency is a contract between you, the buyer, and your REALTOR. This contract is set for a length of time in which the agent works in your best interest, above all others. This contract ties you and the agent together.
You must look at all homes and purchase your home through the REALTOR that you have the contract with. The biggest service your agent will offer you is negotiation. When you do find the home you wish to put an offer on your agent will do a CMA (Comparable Market Analysis). The CMA will help you determine if the property is priced properly and what price to offer the seller.
In real estate generally the seller pays all commissions due in a transaction. As long as the property is listed on the MLS (multiple listing service) system, you will not have to pay your agent out of your own pocket.
The buyers agency contract also ties you to the agent you have under contract. You would owe a success fee to your agent if you purchased your home through a different agent during the length of the contract.
To find out more about Buyer Agency contact me at saraschneider@shorewest.com
To search homes for sale go to sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 06, 2009 at 08:48 PM
So you’ve decided to purchase your first home. You know that now is the time. But what’s next?
First of all you should meet with a mortgage lender. They will be able to help you determine your buying power in this market. They will also provide you with a pre-approval letter. This letter will be very important to you once you find your home.
After you’ve met with your lender and you have your pre-approval letter you should then meet with a REALTOR.
Working with a REALTOR can make your home search a much easier and smoother process. A REALTOR will sit down and explain the whole process with you from searching for a home to closing day. You will know what to expect from looking at homes to writing an offer to closing day. A REALTOR will take care of the whole process for you. You can also choose to work under a Buyer agency contract. This is a contract that allows the REALTOR to work in your best interest.
To start your home search contact me at saraschneider@shorewest.com or sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 06, 2009 at 08:44 PM
If your a first time home buyer you’ve probably heard more than once that NOW is the time to buy. It’s a buyers market and you have the upper hand.
But what does that really mean. Well to start with you have options. Once you start searching for homes you may find that there are multiple homes that fit your criteria.
Interest rates are at an all time low. There are different loan programs available for first time home buyers. For example:
First National Bank of Hartford is offering a $850.00 closing cost savings coupon for 1st time home buyers purchasing a single-family owner occupied home(Slinger & Hartford Branch).
NOW is a great time to buy with so much in your favor.
To search homes for sale go to sara.shorewest.com
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 03, 2009 at 09:14 PM
If you’re a first time home buyer or considering purchasing your first home you’ve probably heard about the $8000.00 tax credit. This tax credit is a great incentive for first time home buyers, every dollar of this credit will reduce your income tax by a dollar. The tax credit is based on 10% of the cost of your home purchase. So if you purchase a home for $80,000 you could qualify for the full $8000.00 credit.
Here are a few of the rules of the tax credit:
You have to be a first time home buyer or haven’t owned in the last three years.
You must take ownership of the property before December 1, 2009
You must make $75,000 or less or $150,000 per year if filing jointly
You do not have to pay back the credit if you own the property for three years
You may purchase a single family home, Condo or townhouse
For additional rules to the tax credit go to www.irs.gov and read form 5405.
For a list of homes for sale go to sara.shorewest.com.
Posted By:
Sara Schneider
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April 02, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Since its origin in 1946, Shorewest, REALTORS® has always been a family-owned company dedicated to helping other families in Wisconsin. We’ve grown from a one-person office in Wauwatosa to 27 sales offices covering a twelve-county area. And the Shorewest “family” now includes over 1,700 people as committed to Wisconsin as the day John A. Horning started the company out of his home over 60 years ago.
Today, the Shorewest family of companies includes Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation, Heritage Title Services, Shorewest Real Estate Institute and Shorewest Insurance Associates, plus Home Closing, Marketing, Information Technology, Home Services, Career Development and Relocation Center divisions.
Staying true to our mission and values.
Midwestern values like hard work, dedication and a family-first philosophy are deeply ingrained in the people of Shorewest. As a family-owned company since 1946, all of us are driven every day by the following mission statement, adopted October 1986:
We are a team…
Proudly independent;
Dedicated to serving the housing needs of Wisconsin;
Committed to unsurpassed customer service;
Pledged to share our talents for mutual growth and prosperity.
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Steady leadership for the road ahead.
Joe and John Horning
Joe and John P. Horning represent the third generation of leadership at Shorewest, having taken the reins in 2002. Joe (President) and John P. (Executive Vice President) joined Shorewest after college and have since proven themselves as accomplished business leaders.
The people who make it all happen.
You don’t become Wisconsin’s Largest Home Seller™ without an exceptional sales staff. At Shorewest, our 1,300-plus associates know the market and are driven to put your needs first. With 27 offices located throughout Wisconsin—each with a full-time manager for support—you’ll get the responsiveness you need whether you’re buying or selling a home. We train our people to be the best, so the service you receive is nothing short of just that.
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