It’s 2018, why is buying a home such a royal pain in the a$$?

The Madison area real estate market is hot.

It’s no secret, the Madison area real estate market has been booming the last few years. All trends point towards 2018 being no different.

In what is commonly referred to as “a seller’s market,” homes are selling at record prices and the nicest listings only last for a matter of days, sometimes hours. As a buyer, this can be intimidating, especially for first-time home buyers.

For those of you considering making a move in 2018, don’t let fears of missing out on the perfect property or overpaying keep you out of the market. Instead, be ahead of the market.

Is real estate technology really as helpful as it seems?

Many of today’s technological advances in real estate are amazing. Websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com allow buyers to shop at their own leisure and effectively narrow their search to a few of their favorites without help from a Realtor. While this is great for getting a grasp on the local real estate market, the problem arises when a hopeful buyer finds “the one.”

In a fast-paced market, by the time the hopeful home buyer musters the initiative to inquire about their next potential home, they all too often hear, “thanks for your interest, but that home has an accepted offer.” Soon, the short list of  “a few favorites” becomes a checklist of unavailable listings. To make matters worse, after contacting several realtors, the potential buyer now has several hungry agents conducting consistent follow up to “earn their business” or show the buyer a “similar property around the corner.”

This leaves home buyers frustrated and confused, unsure where to turn. Call more realtors? Try more searching on Zillow? Keep waiting for the perfect home or settle for the next best?

In the South-Central Wisconsin region, all homes being listed for sale by a realtor or brokerage service are put on the MLS (multiple listing service). From there, the listings are pushed out to all the third-party websites (Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc), a process which can take a few hours or a few days to hit your favorite website. Along with the time needed to make contact with a Realtor, coordinate schedules for a showing, and get a pre-approval from a lender, it’s no surprise to see many of a buyer’s favorite homes come-and-go.

What is the best way to find your dream home in the Madison area?

This is where MHB Real Estate is filling a void to help home buyers find their perfect home and make it easy by rolling out the Orange Carpet Buyer Program. As we look toward 2018, the third Monday of January, (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), is our prediction for kick-off in our local real estate market. After taking a short break for the holiday season, home buyers and sellers are ready to kick their moving plans into gear.

From there, the market will gain momentum through spring and chaos may ensue for the summer season. In order to assist buyers and help them gain a head start in 2018, MHB is offering an incentive to anyone who is looking to purchase a home in 2018. Upon completing three simple steps, we’re giving away Sonos Play:1 speakers.

To qualify for the Orange Carpet benefits and a Sonos, all you need to do is:

  1. Provide a pre-approval from a lender
  2. Sign with MHB
  3. Meet in person (or virtually) to set up notifications directly from the MLS so
    you’re the 1st to know about new listings

Have a home to sell before buying? MHB Real Estate’s $2,500 listing program might fit the bill to help you sell and net a lot more money than hiring a traditional Realtor or selling for-sale-by-owner.

We’re here to answer questions or point you in the right direction. Contact us anytime.

Updated: November 30, 2017