Mindy Allen, Broker, ABR

POKER RUN TO BENEFIT OCCUPAWS

Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 11 am

Ride starts at Shelton's Bar, 1821 Main Street, Cross Plains

Route will cover 65 miles traveling through Martinsville, Sauk City, Spring Green, and Black Earth

Help us raise money and awareness for OccuPaws, a local non-profit that

supplies guide dogs to Wisconsin's visually impaired at no cost.

$25/person*

* $25 will get you food, drink, raffle entry, bandana, koozie and entertainment

Everyone welcome to ride/drive including all 2, 3 & 4 wheel vehicles

Yes, not only do I help my clients properties to fix and sell for profit, but I do the same for myself. Recently, I have had the um, fortunate, opportunity to do a project with my family.

In the past, it has just been my husband and myself, and we have been very sucessful at making a profit, every single time. We had our disagreements, but with only two "cooks in the kitchen," decision making wasn't too hard. We were able to quickly agree on cabinets, paint colors, flooring choices, etc.

Fast forward to our current project...there are 4 of us involved in this project. Its a 4 bedroom, 2300 square foot home on a country lot in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. The home is structurally sound and we basically finished it from the studs out. The participants are my husband and I (both experienced flippers) and my parents (newbies). I also have the benefit of being a Realtor, so I know what buyers look for in their new home, what they don't look for, and in which rooms we should invest the most. Lets just say, the decision making process has been a bit longer then usual. We disagreed on everything from lighting to flooring to what details needed to be addressed and which ones didn't (ie the screws on the hinges of the doors...no, I'm NOT kidding). I finally ended up being the one to do all the shopping for fixtures, flooring, countertops, etc. Things went much smoother at that point. We are near the end of the project and should be finished in the next couple of days. The house looks fantastic and should make any family a great home. We were even able to stay under budget, and still put in high end finishes, fixtures and appliances.

My question is this; Has anyone else had the pleasure of this experience? We plan on making a go of this, but any suggestions on keeping the peace would be helpful!

The question posed, is this market increasing the days on market for single family detached homes in the area? Here is what the statistics are showing:

Average Days on Market for East Madison:

2006: 53 (1,147 homes sold)

2007: 61 (1,113 homes sold)

2008 (YTD): 77 (633 homes sold)

Average Days on Market for West Madison:

2006: 60 (1,682 homes sold)

2007: 70 (1,561 total homes sold)

2008 (YTD): 67 (935 homes sold)

Average Days on Market for Dane County (excluding Madison)

2006: 57 (2,238 homes sold)

2007: 68 (2,186 homes sold)

2008 (YTD): 90 (1,193 homes sold)

So, while we are seeing a slight increase in total days on market, the average is still under 90 days. The stats are also showing a slight decrease in the total number of homes sold as well. However, the average sales price is holding steady, and increasing in many parts of the area.

I am happy to report that our condohotel project is still going strong at the Polynesian Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.

With the news of massive flooding and the draining of Lake Delton spreading like wildfire, the Dells remains busy. Less then 10% of all businesses were affected by the weather, and most of those have accomodated to the new conditions.

Here at the Polynesian Resort, we SOLD OUT last weekend! The roads are open, come visit the Dells!

Think you're ready to own your own condohotel here at the Polynesian? Ask for information on how you can own a newly renovated condo for as low as $125,0000, and a suite as low as $165,000. Over $20 million will be spent on adding 20,000 square feet to the indoor water park, building a 10,000 square foot convention center, adding kitchenettes to ALL rooms, with granite counter tops, stovetops, microwaves and dishwashers. In addition, there will be all new bedding, beds, furniture and flat screen tvs.

Think you are ready to invest in real estate here in Wisconsin Dells? YES YOU CAN!