Check out our new home

Cheese Country Realtors has been on hiatus while Brenda completed design of our website. Things over there are looking good, so pop over and take a peek:

MonroeAreaRealEstate.com

Part of the redesign includes rolling the blog into the website itself. This has been something on our wishlist for a while, and it is great to finally have everything under one roof so to speak.

If you want to go to the blog page itself, that is our News section on the website. This link will take you directly there.

We are leaving this blog behind in the interest of keeping everything in one place. If you have subscribed to the RSS feed for this blog, just pop over to the redesigned site and resubscribe.

We'll see you around Cheese Country!

Property of the Week

This week's featured property is a two unit investment property in Albany.

Finally, a fully rented investment property that cash flows! This two unit residential property in Albany has updates including a new roof and furnace in last 2 years. There is a large yard and off street parking. There are separate meters and private entrances. The location is great, close to downtown and Sugar River as well as near a village park. As the end of our tax year approaches, this is a great property to use for investment or in a 1031 exchange.

January and February Green Cty Wi Real Estate Market report

I realized today that it has been a while since we did a comparative market report for the Green County, WI area:

• 45 homes sold though the MLS in January and February of 2011,
• The homes were on the market for an average of 102 days,
  
• The average sale price was $116,028,
  
• The median sale price was $109,900,
  
• The highest priced property sold was $363,587,
  
• The lowest priced property sold was $10,000.

Let's compare with January and February of 2010:

• 21 homes sold through the MLS in January and February of 2010,
• The homes were on the market for an average of 141 days,
• The average sale price was $158,385,
• The median sale price was $129,900,
  
• The highest priced property sold was $333,500,
  
• The lowest priced property sold was $57,500.

Our interpretation of these numbers? The average and median home prices have dropped due to the larger number of less expensive foreclosure homes that have been moving. 22 of these 45 homes sold in January and February were under $99,999.

These numbers also mesh very well with what we have been seeing personally in the real estate market so far this year - things are starting to move again. This is not only true for single family homes. When we look at commercial properties, 4 sold through the MLS in January-February of this year, but only 1 in the same time last year. 3 parcels of vacant land sold this year compared to one last year; 3 multi-family properties have sold this year compared to none last year. The only class that sold better last year was condos: 1 this year compared to 4 last year.

Taking a look at the future, there are 17 single family properties currently pending sale in the MLS. That means that all contingencies have been removed and the parties are just waiting for the closing date. 22 single family homes are also listed as having an offer that still has contingencies. We like seeing those kinds of number in Green County again.

Let's keep real estate recovery going here in Cheese Country.

Things to Do Around Monroe

So, what is going on in the Monroe and Freeport region this weekend?

~ All aboard! Come to the Lena-Winslow High School this Saturday or Sunday for the model train show and swap meet. Admission is free, donations accepted.

~ Monroe Art Center hosts Marty Rayburn and Full Circle this Saturday. The show is at the Monroe High School PAC starting at 7:30.

~ Get out of the house and see a first sign of spring. Rainbow Fleece Farm hosts Cabin Fever Yarn on the Farm on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am until 4 pm. Fiber fanatics can come out to view the new yarns; bring the family to "ooooohhh" over the newly born sheep. Rainbow Fleece Farm is at W7181 Hustad Valley Rd., New Glarus. Call Patty Reedy at 608.527.5311 for more information.

~ SLICE in Monroe has open ice skating this weekend. Lace up and practice your twirls on Friday from 5:00-8:00, Saturday from 6:00-9:00, and Sunday from 4:15-6:45 pm. Costs are pretty minimal at $5 for skating and $2 rentals.

~ If you'd rather twirl on wheels, Roller Den in Monroe has a Talent Night this Saturday from 7 to 10 pm. Put together an act and go to town. Admission is $7.

~ Lend a helping hand at a community non-profit this Saturday. Monroe Theatre Guild has been working hard at the renovations in their building. MTG members and community people have been helping to reduce the costs of the renovations by pitching in and doing tasks that don't require contractors. This Saturday is a big day as MTG is carpeting the walls of the new black box theater for acoustical purposes. Come on down to the MTG building on 16th Ave on Saturday morning from 9 am to noon to help out. Luis will be there, so say hi and pitch in.

~ Remember to support your locally owned restaurant, coffee shop or pub if you feel like dining out this weekend. You don't have to travel and hour or more to the cities for a quality dining experience. Keep your money doing good work locally by spending it a locally owned eatery. From cafe to gourmet, coffee shop to dinner with all the trimmings, there are wonderful options in the Green County and Stephenson County area.

So, where we will see YOU around Cheese Country this weekend?

Property of the Week

This week's featured property is four bedroom home near Cadiz Springs.
Your own oasis! Find absolutely privacy just minutes from town with this 40 acre retreat with a Swiss Chalet home. Perched on the side the hill overlooking Skinner Creek, this property features 20 acres of pristine woodland and 2o acres of flat pasture bordering the creek.
Rare and familiar wildlife is in abundance: eagles, sandhill cranes, turkey, deer, towering oaks, wild orchids, private orchard, native grasses, rare pines, limestone bluffs.

The open floor plan home features an expansive great room with soaring ceiling, Douglas Fir beams, and expansive views across the woods and valley. There are two fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the lower level master suite. Four full bedrooms include a master suite with patio doors and attached private parlor. Both the kitchen and the bathrooms have been renovated; lower level bath features cedar plank walls, jetted tub and oversized tiled shower. Multi-level decks wrap around the home.

This property is so unique. Land like this does not come on the market often, and the home shows the quality throughout in the details.