Oconomowoc’s location is idyllic for both rural and metropolitan interests and further, offers the best amenities of both. Just 35 miles west of Milwaukee, 5 miles east of Madison, and 120 miles north of Chicago, Oconomowoc is located in close proximity to some of the Midwest’s most esteemed cultural epicenters, as well as maintains a strong culture, vibrant economy and unmistakable smaller city charm all its own. The area includes the City of Oconomowoc, Towns of Oconomowoc, Okauchee,and Summit, and Villages of Dousman, Lac LaBelle, and Oconomowoc Lake.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Do you know how to clean up a spill from your beautiful carpet?

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." Phyllis Diller

"Oops! I spilled!" Do you know how to clean up a spill from your beautiful carpet? Whether it's a child's spilled milk or an adult's goblet of wine, the first and most important step for preventing a spill from turning into a stain is by blotting up as much moisture as you possibly can.

If there are solids, scrape them up and blot with lots of clean towels. Paper towels work well. Here is one key pointer. Do not rub! If you're thinking of using spot remover, wait until you have thoroughly blotted the area. You probably know that club soda is an instant spot remover. Pour a little on the spot, wait a few seconds, and blot the area.

While you are waiting for the spot to dry, if you'd like the latest real estate news, or to check recent home sales in your area, please visit my web site at lisabear.remax.com. You'll see that we've taken the time to prevent problems in buying or selling real estate by providing the most current information the real estate marketplace.

I promise that when you invite me over to talk about buying or selling real estate that I'll deliver RE/MAX Premier Customer Service. And I'll be neat. No spills!

Welcome to Wisconsin Real Estate
RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

Thank you for visiting our REMAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin website.
Please feel free to contact us for any of your residential or commerical real estate needs including an online market if you are a seller, or finding a home if you are a buyer.

Our real estate focus in the Waukesha County, Milwaukee County, Lake Country, Jefferson County, Dane County, Dodge County and Washington County areas. Several agents in the office also their IRES designation (International Real Estate Specialist) so they can assist you with all your real estate needs in Wisconsin, the USA or anywhere in the WORLD!

When you are seriously looking or just browsing at real estate in Wisconsin, RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin, is the BEST resource to help you with all your needs and questions, whether a first time home buyer, relocating to or from the beautiful LAKE COUNTRY area, looking to invest or explore foreclosure opportunities or just thinking ahead to the future.

Lisa Bear is the broker/owner of RE/MAX Realty Center, Real Estate in Wisconsin (262-893-5555) is an experienced real estate agent in Waukesha County and the entire Milwaukee Metro area. Lisa thinks "outside of the BOX" and encourages her agents to do so as well. If you want creative options and exceptional marketing and service - look no further!

The RE/MAX Realty Center Office, has experienced agents with expertise in luxury home marketing, lake property experts, foreclosure and short sale specialists, investment and property management brokers and commercial brokers.

Our agents areas of service include, but are not limited to:
The prospering communities of Waukesha County including Delafield, Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Sussex, Wales, New Berlin, Dousman, North Prairie, Mukwonago, Chenequa, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Elm Grove, Okauchee, Eagle, Muskego and Merton.

Great municipalities in Milwaukee County including Milwaukee, South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Hales Corners, Greenfield, Glendale, Franklin, Bayside, Brown Deer, Cudahy, Fox Point, Greendale, Shorewood, Oak Creek, St. Francis, West Allis and Whitefish Bay.

The hometown favorites of Washington County, Jefferson County and Dodge County including Watertown, Hartford, West Bend, Germantown, Jackson, Richfield, Ashippun, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Slinger and Erin.

There is no place like "WISCONSIN LAKES"

If lake living is what you desire then Lake Country is the place to be! If you are thinking about buying waterfront property in Wisconsin, a little time invested in learning about waterfront living will pay back sizeable dividends in matching your expectations to realities.

Lake Country Living on one of Waukesha Countys great lakes as a full timer or vacationer is a must and there are some great lakes to choose. Nagawicka Lake, Pine Lake, Oconomowoc Lake, Beaver Lake, Okauchee Lake, Pewaukee Lake, Moose Lake, North Lake, Lake Keesus, Lac La Belle, Upper Nashotah, Lower Nashotah, Upper Genesee, Lowe Genesee, Middle Genesee, Upper Nemahbin, Lower Nemahbin, Fowler Lake, Golden Lake, Pretty Lake, Silver Lake, Waterville Lake, and Crooked Lake. Great lakes of the surrounding area also include Lake Michigan, Rock Lake, Big Cedar Lake, Little Cedar Lake, Pike Lake and Lake Ripley.

Your best source for Lake Country Living is RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin, 262-567-2455 or 262-893-5555, offer online markets, listing package and FOR SALE BY OWNER (FSBO) options, MLS search access, buyer agency and marketing that will exceed your expectations, all with outstanding service!

Your home purchase or sale is likely your largest investment, be sure you have an good agent you can trust! Real Estate in Wisconsin is an excellent investment, prices are superb, selection is great and rates are outstanding!!!

Ask us about our preferred vendors -- from lenders to help you finance your new purchase to contractors to help maintain!

When is the best time to refinance?

Refinancing

When is the best time to refinance?

It depends on how long you plan to hold on to your house and if you have to pay anything to refinance. In addition, it also depends on how far along you are in paying off your current mortgage.

If you are going to be selling your house shortly, you probably will not recoup any costs you incur to refinance your mortgage. If you are more than halfway through paying your current mortgage, you probably will gain little by refinancing. However, if you are going to own your home for at least five years, that's probably long enough to recoup any refinancing costs you incur and to realize real savings on lowering your monthly payment. If it is going to cost you nothing to refinance, you can gain even more.
Many lenders will allow you to roll the costs of the refinancing into the new note and still reduce the amount of the monthly payment. Also, there are no-cost refinancing deals available. In any case, it pays to consult your lender or financial advisor, or run the numbers yourself, before you refinance.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of no-cost loans?

In many states, real estate regulatory agencies are cracking down on such advertising. The very term, "no-cost" loan, is misleading because borrowers are actually paying a higher interest rate in exchange for not having to pay fees or closing costs up front when the loan is secured.
A "no-points" loan is one for which the lender does not charge points (one point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount). But there are other fees involved in no-point loans, as with most loans.

How does bankruptcy affect my refinancing?

Refinancing may be prudent but could be difficult after a bankruptcy. If you're considering bankruptcy, you may want to go to your current lender first and explain the situation. If you have been current on your payments, the lender may be accommodating and refinance your loan, easing your financial situation.

Which home buying costs are deductible?

Any points you or the seller pay to purchase your home loan are deductible for that year. Property taxes and interest are deductible every year.
But while other home-buying costs (closing costs in particular) are not immediately tax-deductible, they can be figured into the adjusted cost basis of your home when you go to sell (any significant home improvements also can be calculated into your basis). These fees would include title insurance, loan-application fee, credit report, appraisal fee, service fee, settlement or closing fees, bank attorney's fee, attorney's fee, document preparation fee and recording fees. Points paid when you refinance an existing mortgage must be deducted ratably over the life of the new loan.
Have a productive day and we will see you at closing!

Real Estate in Wisconsin is an excellent investment!

Welcome to Wisconsin Real Estate
RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

There is no place like "WISCONSIN LAKES"

Your best source for Lake Country Living is RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

Ask us about our preferred vendors -- from lenders to help you finance your new purchase to contractors to help maintain!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

What to Expect After Listing

Out of the gate

The first thing your agent will likely do is place your home in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This notifies all other agents in the area that your home is for sale. It will also likely appear on the Internet at realtor.com.

Soon, a for-sale sign will appear in the yard and a lockbox will be attached to your house, most likely the front door. The lockbox allows local agents access to the house when you aren’t home.

It may seem unsettling but it’s important to allow agents to show your home when you are away, especially in a slower market. If you don’t have a lockbox, many agents will put you at the bottom of their client’s list of homes to see because it’s a headache to track down your agent, who must track you down to find out when you’ll be around, which may not fit into the buyers’ schedule. Plus, unless you’re in a hot sellers’ market, there will be plenty of other houses to see.

Open house

Your agent will want to have a couple of open houses as soon as possible, which is why it’s not recommended to list your house until everything is ready for a good showing. This means you’ll likely be swamped with last-minute touch-ups and clean-ups to get the house ready

The agent will likely have a brokers’ open house, which is during the week, so area agents, hopefully with clients looking to buy, can see the property. Next, traditionally on a Sunday, will be the public open house.

It is best if you are not present during open houses because buyers want the freedom to look in closets and make comments. That’s difficult for most people to do it you are present. When potential buyers come for a viewing, try to step outside while they tour your house.

Whether you have additional open houses is between you and your agent. Many sellers incorrectly think that multiple open houses are needed to sell a house. In fact, few houses are sold at open houses but there are many good reasons to have one for the public and another for agents.

Traffic patterns

You should get the most traffic the first two to three weeks your house is listed. Anyone looking for a house similar to the one you’re selling will want to see your home. Don’t fret when the traffic dies down.

The average days on market (DOM) can be 60-90 days in a normal cycle, depending on the area of the country. In a slower market buyers can take their time and they usually do. If you have buyers come back a second or third time it usually means they are seriously considering your home and you’ll want your agent to keep in contact with their agent. Any offers, even one you consider low-ball, is a chance to begin negotiating, which often leads to a sale.

Neat freak

Keeping your house in tip-top shape, especially if you have kids and pets, is one of the more difficult parts of selling your home. But remember, buyers will walk into your house and try to picture living there.

Most people don’t have the vision to look past toys scattered throughout the house, dishes in the sink or pet food spilled on the floor. It doesn’t matter that they probably live the same way.

Changing course

Sellers usually hit the wall at about six weeks. The initial excitement of listing has waned, you’ve tired of keeping the house looking like a model and are irritated at yet another looky-loo coming through the front door.

Unless you are in a very difficult market, if you have not had serious interest in six weeks, it’s time to meet with your agent and discuss sales strategy.

Markets can change quickly, so you need to consider price and any physical changes or improvements that could enhance the home. This doesn’t mean you have to remodel the kitchen, but maybe realizing the garage should be cleaned out or the pink bedroom walls should be repainted can make the difference.

When you sign the listing agreement, you can generally expect a three-step process to begin: Getting ready, showing it off and responding to the market place. If you are prepared, especially for the last one, you can avoid getting that prescription for sleeping pills to get through the process.

Considerations for Renting or Selling a Home

Considerations For Renting or Selling a Home

Suddenly out of the blue you have found out that a new position has opened up within your company and they are asking you to relocate your family to the other side of the country. The job opportunity is too good to pass up so you decide to take the position. You realize with an impending move you are going to need to either sell or rent your home.

Considerations for renting or selling a home

Anyone who is considering selling a home in 2013 and has bought in the last seven or eight years faces the real possibility that they will be losing money on the sale. The thought of losing money is never pleasant but unfortunately is part of today’s Real Estate reality. In my experience the immediate thought process of most home owners is to rent the home and not sell for a loss. This is kind of similar to the stock investor who hangs on for dear life with their losing picks but sells their winners instead.

In many cases they will ride the loser for an extended period of time until they realize it will take a very long time for that stock to come back to where it once was when purchased. Anyone who has ever invested in stocks including myself has been guilty of this. It is hard to give up on a loser because there is always the thought that it will come roaring back. So is renting the home really the best move or should you unload this asset that is working against you?

Where is the local Real Estate market headed?

One of the considerations of whether to sell or rent your home is to find out from a local Real Estate expert where they feel market values are headed both in the near term, as well as longer down the road. A knowledgeable Realtor that has been in the business for a while should be able to help you determine the trend of where the market is headed at least in the short term. Crystal balls are a hard thing to come by in Real Estate. Those that are lucky enough to have one are often times millionaires. Unfortunately knowing exactly when the Real Estate market will turn around requires one.

Most economists believe that once Real Estate markets do hit bottom the climb back up will be a slow and steady one. The opinions of most are that yearly appreciation will return to more normal historic levels of 3%-4%. Of course this is an average and states, cities and neighborhoods that are desirable could rise at a slightly higher clip.

As a home owner what you should be trying to figure out is how long will it take you to get back to a break even point or even something you can financially stomach. You should also be asking yourself is the time it takes to get back to break even worth it to you?

For example, lets say you bought your home for $500,000 and it has dropped in value by 25% and is now worth $375,000. Lets further assume that the Real Estate market beats the economists predictions and rises by 5% yearly. Do you realize it would take seven years to get back to break even?

If you have equity in the home you need to figure out if you would be better off taking the loss and putting your equity somewhere that could potentially earn you more money. If you don’t have any equity you would need to figure out if you have the necessary funds to bring to the closing table or would need to explore other alternatives like a short sale.

What is the local home rental market like?

Again you should consult with a local Realtor to determine how well the rental market is performing. Has the rental market done as poorly as the Real Estate market or is there demand for rental housing? Some areas rental markets have done very well.

There is a good possibility there are folks who would like to rent a nice home rather than commit to purchasing if they feel they could be transferred in a short time period or feel market values are still sliding and don’t want the risk.

The rental home becomes an investment property

Relocating home owners need to remember that a rental home becomes an investment property. Owning a home as an investment property has the potential to help or hurt you tax wise. This is definitely something you would want to consult a tax professional for guidance.

Although you will be taking in rent you need to remember that you will still have principal, interest, taxes and insurance to pay. If the property is a condo you would more than likely also be paying the condominium fees as well. As a landlord you will also be required to maintain the property and fix any necessary issues that come up.

Many landlords that have relocated out of state will also consider hiring a property manager. The typical charge for management services runs around 8-12% of the rent. So if you are charging $2000 a month for rent you can expect to pay a manager in the neighborhood of around $200 a month. There are some excellent tax deductions for rental property that could play a factor in your decision making.

Taking on landlord responsibilities

As a landlord one of the 1st steps is going to be choosing the right tenant. Over the years I have seen a few occasions where the renter did not treat the home the same way an owner would. The owner was left with paying to replace carpets and do quite a bit of painting. These kind of costs can add up fast. Picking a responsible tenant becomes critical.

There are also considerations such as handling tenant complaints, maintenance issues or even legal issues such as eviction. In the end there is a lot to think about when deciding whether selling or renting your home makes the best fiscal and practical sense.

Monday, July 1, 2013

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Confucius

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Confucius

I know from experience that for some people, the process of finding a home is mostly work, and little joy. The road can seem long and winding.

As a RE/MAX Premier Customer Satisfaction provider, my goal is to create a situation where I do all the work and you can relax and enjoy the process. I'll be sorting out the ads, finding the addresses, and timing your home viewing appointments. In this way I can help eliminate hassles and save your time.

I'll show you homes you can afford with the features you want, in the areas you want. When you see the right home, you can take action, with my professional assistance. You have everything to gain as a result of leveraging my experience and contacts with your own efforts. Let's go on this adventure together.

Just contact me by phone, by email, or by visiting my website at http://www.lisabear.remax-northcentral.com/. Together we'll take an important step towards your new home.

Welcome to Wisconsin Real Estate
RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

There is no place like "WISCONSIN LAKES"

Your best source for Lake Country Living is RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

Ask us about our preferred vendors -- from lenders to help you finance your new purchase to contractors to help maintain!

Bathroom Makeover For Less than $100

Home Staging Advice -

Bathroom Make-over for Less than $100

Bathroom are usually overlooked when it comes to home staging.
To have a big impact, it is usually the simple changes that can have a huge impact.

First, it is extremely important that your bathroom be sparkling clean and that all personal items are put away.

Second, fresh towels can make a great first impression and can tie together the color in a bathroom.

Third, paint is always a great way to improve the look of any bathroom.

Bathroom Before Interior Redesign and Home Staging

Here is the Bathroom Before

Bathroom Afer a Kate's Home Staging Redesign

Here is the Bathroom After

By removing the clutter, painting the walls a more neutral color, and a few well placed accessories, this bathroom has been transformed.

Welcome to Wisconsin Real Estate
RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

There is no place like "WISCONSIN LAKES"

Your best source for Lake Country Living is RE/MAX REALTY CENTER, Real Estate in Wisconsin

Ask us about our preferred vendors -- from lenders to help you finance your new purchase to contractors to help maintain!