About Johnson Creek's Johnson Creek

Paul McCartney exclaims "This BEAUTY Turned FIFTY Today"


National News

THE FAMOUS LAURA S. BAKER of READY? SET,....SELL! HOME STAGING & REDESIGN who services Jefferson, Dane, Waukesha, Dodge and Walworth Counties in SOUTH CENTRAL Wisconsin turned FIFTY Today.

Look at the expression on Paul McCartney's face!!

He can not believe this BEAUTY is FIFTY!

Stop by her blog today and wish LAURA S. BAKER a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

About Johnson Creek, Wisconsin Real Estate
The Crossroads With a Future

View Community Knowledge Bank | View Johnson Creek Area MLS Properties

Welcome to Johnson Creek, Wisconsin!

The Village of Johnson Creek in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, is conveniently located halfway between Milwaukee and Madison at the crossroads of I-94 and Hwy 26. The current population of Johnson Creek is 2,012. The picturesque Rock River winds through the village, setting the stage for fishing and boating excursions. A few miles west, nature and history lovers explore the Aztalan State Park and Museum, an archeological site of a 12th-century Indian village.

The Village's park and open space system consists of 37 total acres of parkland and special use areas. When combined with the School District, there are about 50 acres designated for park and open space use. The Village's park system includes a full range of developed facilities including neighborhood parks, community parks and special uses areas located throughout the community. Hiking, biking, water sports and outdoor recreation of all kinds are year-round in Johnson Creek. Just outside of Johnson Creek is the midway point of the popular Glacial Drumlin State Bike Trail. Resident bikers, hikers and snowmobile enthusiasts enjoy the convenience of this 53-mile off-road trail, which begins near Madison and ends in the Fox River Sanctuary in Waukesha. And in the winter, those famous Wisconsin snows leave a fresh, immaculate blanket of white on which residents love to frolic; kids and families, fishermen, snowmobilers, skiers and hunters all delight in the many outdoors activities available in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.

And the indoor sports are just as prevalent in this community. A dazzling array of unique specialty and brand name shops comprise the Johnson Creek Mall which straddles I-94 as it stretches between Madison and Milwaukee. Downtown Johnson Creek also abounds with quaint shops that sparkle during the holiday season and all year 'round.

Known as "The Crossroads With a Future," a name adopted because of Johnson Creek's ideal location at the intersection of Interstate 94 and State Highway 26, Johnson Creek has become home to numerous new residential and commercial developments. Business and economic development is a major focus of village leadership and its locale gives the community an opportunity few can match, as both of its neighboring metro areas expand toward each other.

For more information on activities in and around Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, visit:

• The Glacial Drumlin Trail
• Village of Johnson Creek, WI
• Jefferson County, WI
• Johnson Creek Chamber of Commerce
• Johnson Creek, WI Real Estate Summary on IDCide (Local Info Data Server)
• Johnson Creek, WI Google Earth Map
• View Johnson Creek, WI Area Jobs on Career Builder
• View Johnson Creek, WI Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• Johnson Creek, Wisconsin on Wikipedia.com
• Johnson Creek, Wisconsin on epodunk

For more information on activities in and around the South-Central Wisconsin Area, including Jefferson County, Wisconsin, visit:

• Wisconsin: Life's So Good!
• Wisconsin Golfer
• Wisconsin Lakes
• The State of Wisconsin

(This and more local information is available at or through the above sites.)

Johnson Creek Homes, Properties and Special Feature Real Estate

Because of these special qualities, you would expect Johnson Creek, Wisconsin real estate to move quickly. Charming first-time or senior homes, executive estates, recreational properties for active lives and special view properties of all styles and sizes can be found within or near this community.

Johnson Creek, Wisconsin real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, water access properties (waterfront or scenic view), active adult communities, hobby farms and executive properties. Whether you're presently a buyer or seller, I am confident I can help you achieve your real estate goals. Sellers who have been in the area for a while know my reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. My associates and I will mine every source for suitable properties so you can feel at ease that your search will produce the right kind of solution for you.

For buyers new to the area, you can rest assured that I will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. I?ve gained a proud reputation for providing superior benefits to my home-buying clients as I help them complete their search - from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, golf course lots - all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, please let Amber Castonguay help you find the home or property of your dreams. Click Here to Contact Amber!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Johnson Creek and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask Amber Castonguay about homes for sale, lakeside/riverside properties and other real estate listings for nearby communities, such as Johnson Creek, Jefferson County, Jefferson, Dodge County, Beaver Dam, Watertown, Jefferson, Lake Mills, Rock Lake, Fort Atkinson (Ft. Atkinson), Waterloo, Koshkonong (Lake Koshkonong), Oconomowoc, Delafield, Pewaukee, Hartland, Dousman, Cambridge, Lake Ripley, Columbus, Sun Prairie, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Waukesha County and much more.

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UNDERSTANDING REAL ESTATE TERMINOLOGY

Purchasing a home can be a complicated and confusing process, especially for first-time buyers. Throughout the process, first-time home buyers will encounter a variety of unfamiliar real state terms. There are several key terms associates with purchasing real estate that are helpful to learn.

For example, many buyers confuse the terms broker and salesperson. A broker is a properly licensed individual, or corporation, who serves as a special agent in the purchase and sale of real estate, a salesperson is an individual employed or associated by written agreement by the broker as an independent contractor. The salesperson facilitates the purchase or sale of real estate.

Once you decide to purchase, a salesperson will prepare a sales contract to present to the seller along with your earnest money deposit. The sales contract is the document through which the seller agrees to give possession and title of property to the buyer upon full payment of the purchase price and performance of agreed-upon conditions. The earnest money is a buyer's partial payment, as a show of good faith, to make the contract binding. Often, the earnest money is held in an escrow account. Escrow is the process by which money is held by a disinterested party until the terms of the escrow instructions are fulfilled.

After the buyer and seller have signed the contract, the buyer must obtain a mortgage note by presenting the contract to a mortgage lender. The note is the buyer's promise to pay the purchase price of the real estate in addition to a stated interest rate over a specified period of time. A mortgage lender places a lien on the property, or mortgage, and this secures the mortgage note.

The buyer pays interest money to the lender exchange for the use of money borrowed. Interest is usually referred to as APR or annual percentage rate. Interest is paid on the principle, the capital sum the buyer owes. Interest payments may be disguised in the form of points. Points are an up-front cost which may be paid by either the buyer or seller or both in conventional loans.

In general, there are two types of conventional loans that a buyer can obtain. A fixed rate loan has the same rate of interest for the life of the loan, usually 14 to 30 years. An adjustable rate loan or adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) provides a discounted initial rate, which changes after a set period of time. The rate can't exceed the interest rate cap or ceiling allowed on such loans for any one adjustment period. Some ARMs have a lifetime cap on interest. The buyer makes the loan and interest payments to the lender through amortization, the systematic payment and retirement of debt over a set period of time.

Once the contract has been signed and a mortgage note obtained, the buyer and seller must legally close the real estate transaction. The closing is a meeting where the buyer, seller and their attorneys review, sign and exchange the final documents. At the closing, the buyer receives the appraisal report, an estimate of the property's value with the appraiser's signature, certification and sporting documents. The buyer also receives the title and the deed. The title shows evidence of the buyer's ownership of the property while the deed legally transfers the title from the seller to the buyer. The final document the buyer receives at closing is a title insurance policy, insurance against the loss of the title if it's found to be imperfect.

Buyers should plan on a least four to twelve weeks for a typical real estate transaction. The process is difficult and at times, intimidating. A general understanding of real estate terminology and chronology of the transaction, however, will help any real estate novice to confidently buy his or her first home.

Contact Amber Castonguay 920.699.8124 Amber@Century21Crossroads.com||www.AmbersHomeFinder.com

EASING YOUR WAY INTO HOMEOWNERSHIP: HOW YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT CAN HELP YOU QUALIFY FOR A LOW DOWN PAYMENT MORTGAGE

For many renters, the first step in buying a home is becoming educated about the process. If you're like many people considering a home purchase, you've spent nights and weekends poring over your local real estate section. You've talked to friends and relatives about their experiences. Maybe you've even purchased a book or two to help you become more familiar with real estate terminology and the various types of mortgages commonly used today.

Coming up with a down payment and finding a loan that meets your needs are the greatest hurdles faced by first-time homebuyers. So, you may even have leafed through stacks of brochures and flyers from lenders offering down payments that are far less than the 20 percent you'd always thought you'd need to save before you could buy. With so many excellent first-time buyer programs to choose from these days, you practically need to be an expert to sort through them all.

That's why if you're a first-time homebuyer seeking a low down payment loan, you'll save time by selecting a professional real estate agent who is experienced in working with people just like you in the area where you plan to buy. An agent who frequently assists first-time buyers will know from experience which lenders in your area offer a low down payment program that will most closely match your needs.

A professional real estate agent can help you determine whether you are likely to qualify for these special programs, since participation in some may be limited to buyers under a certain income level or for the purchase of homes below a certain purchase price. Your agent also will be able to tell you whether there are other requirements you must fulfill in order to be considered. With some programs, for example, you must attend an educational seminar before you can be considered for one of these low down payment loans.

`It's important that your agent become familiar with your current financial situation. Before you meet with your agent to discuss your financial situation and housing needs, you'll want to collect some basic information to make the process easier. Be prepared to show recent paycheck stubs or pay vouchers to certify sources of income; a complete list of current credit card, auto and other consumer credit payments you make each month; and recent bank and savings statements. These documents will help you and your agent determine how much home you can afford. It's also important that you disclose any prior credit problems or late payments. Your agent may be able to suggest ways to remedy any negative remarks on your credit report that could disqualify you from a low down payment loan program.

In addition, because most lenders will require that you have several months of house payments in the bank as a reserve, your agent may be able to suggest ways you can increase your savings in the weeks and months leading up to your home purchase. Don't forget that some programs allow you to apply a cash gift from a family member to cover the required down payment and losing costs.

Your agent also may know a motivated seller who would be happy to assist you in accomplishing your home purchase by caring a second mortgage. A second mortgage is helpful because it reduces the amount of the first mortgage you need to obtain. In some cases, a second monthly payment and generally is required to protect the lender when a down payment is less than the standard 20 percent of the loan amount. Even if your seller isn't willing to take a second mortgage to complete the sale, he or she may be willing to pay your closing costs, which will reduce the amount of cash you need to have on hand up-front.

With interest rates edging up, innovative mortgage financing programs that require a low down payment are even more important than ever to first-time buyers. A professional real estate agent can help you sift through the countless programs that are available and help find the one that's mortgage can eliminate the need for private mortgage insurance, which is added to your right for you.

Contact Amber Castonguay for more information. 920.699.8124 amber@century21crossroads.com