Brenda Carus

Are you looking ahead to the weekend plans? Here is a snapshot of area events in the upcoming days:

~ Behring Senior Center in Monroe has a Brat Fest every fall, and it is here again. On Thursday from 10 am until 6 pm, you can stop in for single brats at $3 each or a meal for $6 (brat, chips, soda/water, and a cookie).

~ The Young Professionals of Green County are playing wiffleball and kickball with the YP of Freeport on Saturday at Little Cubs Field at 2 pm. Bring the whole family for a day of fun. Afterwards, some of the YPs are planning to head over to Cannova's in Freeport for dinner.

~ Bag Ladies in Monroe has an open house event this week from Thursday through Saturday. New fall purses are in, so come and browse.

~ Get your registration in for the collaborative class between Stef at Goose Chaser Farm and Laura at Kookaburra's in Monroe. The October 5 class will feature Oktoberfest foods. Who better to teach it than a native German? Brats, kraut recipes and much more including the beer. Also sign up for the Fall Foods class on October 11 where Stef will be cooking soups and stews.

~ Artisan Gallery in Paoli has a new exhibit opening on Friday evening. The opening reception of the 6th Annual Ceramics Invitaional Art Show is on September 25 from 5 until 9. The show will be on display through November 1

~ It is Oktoberfest weekend in New Glarus! Festivities kick off with a brew master from New Glarus Brewing Company tapping into a keg of their Oktoberfest Staghorn beer. There will be classic cheese fondue, a tractor pull, chainsaw wood carving demonstrations, and plenty of food and live music all weekend long.

~ Monroe Arts Center has Big Top Chautauqua’s “Wild Woods & Waters" coming to the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center at 7:30 pm on Saturday. The Blue Canvas Orchestra and singers travel to Monroe with an original musical theatre production highlighting the natural beauty and history of Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. The multi-media performance features live music and songs by talented musicians, dramatic storytelling, and hundreds of breathtaking large screen, historical images.

~ Dance to beat of your own drummer. Oakdale Nature Preserve in Freeport will be the site of a Community Drumming Circle on Friday evening from 7 until 9. All ages are welcome and a variety of percussion instruments will be available or bring your own. Reservations are preferred by the day of the event; call 815-235-6114. $4.

~ Argyle has a Homecoming celebration this Sunday with a parade and high school football game. Come support the youth athletes! The parade starts at noon and kickoff for the football game versus Benton/Scales Mound is at 2 pm.

Usually when a buyer is purchasing property or a home, the seller provides a form called a real estate condition report. The seller is legally required to make no mis-representations about the property and its condition.

Sometimes, though, the condition report is not filled out or the contract contains a provision that states "The buyer accepts the property as-is, where-is. Seller makes no warranties, expressed or implied." This happens most frequently in the case of bank-owned properties (foreclosures) or when a personal representative fills out the documents for an estate, but it can also happen in regular transactions as well.

Buyers need to be very aware of what they are signing when they agree to an as-is, where is statement in a contract.

When a buyer agrees to an as-is, where is statement in the contract, they effectively lose their right to sue the seller later for mis-representation. This statement implies that the buyer is purchasing a property that is not in perfect condition and cannot rely on the seller to diclose any or all defects. Wisconsin Court of Appeals recently heard a case regarding a real estate transaction where the seller assured the buyer that the property had a clean environmental analysis, but where there was soil contamination. The buyer signed a contract with an as-is, where is provision. Because of the provision that the buyer agreed to, the court ruled that the buyer was in breech of contract when attempting to back out of the deal.

Buyers should tread carefuly with any offer that has an as-is, where is provision attached. Try to obtain any inspections or testing that could help determine condition prior to submitting an offer. Perfect properties rarely come with the as-is, where is language, so keep buyers need to be aware of any potential hidden risks.

August 28 already. Back to school time is here. Labor Day is just around the corner. How quickly this year has flown. Four more months left in the year.

Three more months before the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit expires.

Are you or someone you know hoping to take advantage of this tax credit? Time is running out. You must close on a home on or before November 30, 2009 in order to claim this credit.

Considering that the average closing happens about 30-45 days after an offer is accepted, there is not a lot of time left to find the perfect first home. If you are writing an offer on a short sale home, it can easily take 60-90 days to close, sometimes more.

Now is the time to be looking for your home if you want to take advantage of this offer. There are great homes out there, and with inventory very high right now, local sellers are willing to negotiate considerably more than they ever have in the past.

Give me or Luis a call if you are thinking of looking for a home. We will be happy to show you what is currently available in the area, and we can help you connect with a reputable mortgage banker who can help you figure out what you can afford in a home. Our market has houses from under $75K to hundreds of thousands, and everything in between. People start at all price points, and each buyer is valuable to us.

95 days and counting. Don't miss out on this credit; call us.

Here is a look ahead at area happenings in the upcoming week:

~ If your children are attending a Monticello school this year, remember that the open house night is on Friday at 6 pm.

~ Also in Monticello this weekend, Habitat for Humanity is working on this year's home. Come out to the site on Summet Avenue to help out or call Cathy at 513-1626 for more details.

~ There is a concert at the Piazza on Saturday evening. This is a private party concert, but the hosts love meeting new friends so gate crashers and new people are always welcome. Andrew Calhoun and Campground are performing folk music spanning spirituals to prison ballads. The potluck theme is 'Tis a Gift to be Simple. Call Terry or Nancy for details at 608-328-4023

~ Stef at Goose Chaser Farm between New Glarus and Blanchardville is having a tomato party on Saturday. Bring your ripe tomatoes and your canning jars. Together, attendees will boil, peel and puree their way to the scarlet jars of tomato sauce. Work like this is more fun with a group, so come out and participate. No canning knowledge or experience is necessary, so come learn. RSVP to Stef at 608-523-4165.

~ The Green County Entrepreneurs and Inventors Club meets on Monday evening at 6:30 in the New Glarus room of the Monroe Hospital. This month's topic is "Legal Aspects for Small Business. This meeting will be the September meeting due to the Labor Day holiday.

The Monroe Theatre Guild officially announced plans to conduct a major $750,000 capital campaign for the purchase and renovations of the Stage Building located in downtown Monroe. Earlier The Swiss Colony announced a challenge grant of up to $100,000 if the community pledges reach certain levels during the effort. The announcement of the community campaign and plans for the building were revealed at a dinner for the Guild’s Inner Family. The “Inner Family” includes members of the Theatre Guild’s board of directors, committee members and campaign leaders.

The campaign is divided into four phases: Inner Family Gifts, Pacesetting Gifts, Major Gifts and Community Teams Gifts. Rick Maliszewski, owner of Ekum Abstact is the Chair of the campaign.

The goal of the Inner Family campaign was to raise $75,000 and to receive 100 percent support from the board and committee members. , Maliszewski, stated that he is extremely happy that the Theatre Guild’s “Inner Family” has reached its goals as he announced that the Inner Family has pledged a total of $92,700. He adds, “It demonstrates to the people of Monroe and Green County and the surrounding area that the Inner Family of the Monroe Theatre Guild supports this tremendous project; our first capital campaign ever.”

Additional campaign leadership was also announced. Jeff Ingebritsen will chair the Major Gifts Committee, Joe Peters will chair the Community Teams effort, Mary Soddy will chair the Prospect Committee, Stephen and Katee Eliasson will chair the P.R. Committee and Suzanne Miller will chair the Speakers Bureau. The campaign is scheduled to begin quietly over the next few weeks and conclude with the Community Phase which well begin in October and run through November.

The funds raised during the campaign will assist in renovating The Stage. Specific plans call for a flexible performance space and theatre, full modern lighting and sound system, large scale rehearsal area, costume storage and work area, full scene shop, prop storage, rehearsal space for youth theatre programs and workshops, conference room and offices.

The Monroe Theatre Guild offers performances, workshops, seminars and artistic opportunities for local constituents throughout Green County and the surrounding area.