With inventory moving at a much quicker pace and some properties even receiving multiple offers, this is the time for anyone thinking about buying a house to get out and buy a house.

A side-by-side 2-bedroom/3-bath unit at 317 La Roche Lane has an open concept floor plan, finished lower level and a private deck, and is listed at $159,500. Located just across the street at 306 Louvain Lane is a 2-bedroom/2-bath upper unit with nearly 1800 square feet in living space as well as a front balcony and rear deck. All of this for just $124,900.

 Watch this video to get a glimpse of what awaits you.

I happily am able to answer that with a heartfelt, “Great!” Yes, activity is certainly picking up out there. Open house traffic is increasing, even in those homes that hadn’t had visitors for a while. Some homes are getting multiple offers, and the days on market don’t seem to be hitting the three-digit numbers as often any more.

Are we out of the woods? Probably not. But what we’ve seen in Ozaukee and Washington county homes sales since January 1st of this year through today compared to the same time last year is promising. As you can see in the chart below, the number of single-family units sold in Ozaukee County is up 31% this year over the same time period one year ago. Prices, however, have dropped about 6%.

Washington County also saw an increase in number of units sold — about 6% over the same time last year. Prices stayed just about the same.

It’s important to understand, however, that because of shadow inventory — those short sales and foreclosures that are expected to come on the market over the next several months — prices are anticipated to drop a bit more through most of 2012.

If you are thinking about selling, now is the time to do it. And if you’re thinking about buying, this is the time, as well, with interest rates hovering near and even below 4%.

I’m hopeful the worst is behind us and look forward to helping home ownership become a reality for more families and individuals in 2012.

And although this has been the reality for some time now, it still can be difficult to really wrap your head around the way things are. Prices are low and inventory is high. Foreclosures and short sales are out there — even in “your neighborhood.”

What does that mean  if you are ready to sell? LIST YOUR HOUSE AT A COMPELLING PRICE!

You want the buyers to come through your house, not your competition’s.

You want the buyers to write an offer on your house, not your competition’s.

So be aggressive. See things as they really are. Really study the comps your Realtor® provides for you and heed his/her advice.

Pay attention to what comparable homes have recently sold for in your area and consider those numbers when deciding on a list price.

Price below your competition — not the same as your competition.

Compel a buyer to buy your house.

It can be really hard to swallow what you will likely get for your house in today’s market, but if you are committed to selling, consider this.

How are you going to feel if that For Sale sign is sitting in your front yard six months from now?

Stay ahead of the competition — be aggressive. Sell your house — don’t just list it.

He said he’s looking for a house, has a few he saw on the internet he’d like to see, and would like to buy something sooner rather than later.

Then he told me that I wouldn’t be making much commission on this sale. Huh???

He explained that he really wanted to stay close to $100,000 and possibly buy more of a dream home down the road. Do I still want to work with him? He said he realizes real estate agents don’t make much on a $100,000 sale so wanted to be sure I was okay with this.

He reminded me of a comment I had received from another buyer the previous weekend. That buyer called me asking to take a look at a fixer-upper I had listed. When we met at the house, which was listed at $103,000, he told me he called because a friend of his in the business wasn’t returning his call. His girlfriend quipped it was because this is “only” a $100,000 house.

I will never understand that mentality of not wanting to work with a “$100,000 buyer.” I will be the first to acknowledge that if that is the only price point an agent works in, it will take many, many sold units to be able to keep up with the bills.

But at the same time, these buyers need my help just as much as a $200,000 or $500,000 buyer does. So if they can demonstrate to me that they are serious about and commmitted to buying a house, you can bet I will work with them. Hopefully one day they will call me when they are ready to move up to something bigger or maybe they have a friend or relative who needs my services.

And besides, I was a $100,000 buyer several years ago. To think an agent would have thought less of me because of my price point — well, I don’t ever want someone to feel they’re any less important than someone who may qualify for a more expensive home.

Looking for a place to donate clothes you no longer wear or items such as furniture, electronics, and housewares? Or are you looking for some gently used furniture, electronics, household items or clothes for yourself or your family? 

Goodwill is hoping to open a retail and drop-off location in Grafton! If all goes as planned, the store should be opening in June, and will be located in the former Sears building on Wisconsin Street, just a short distance south of Highway 60/Washington Avenue. This is a great addition to the community as this will be the only location in Ozaukee County.

If you’re not familiar with Goodwill, they are a non-profit organization with headquarters in Milwaukee that assists youth, seniors, veterans and military families, immigrants, and people with disabilities, criminal backgrounds and other special needs in securing employment and becoming and staying a contributing member of society. You can learn all about their mission, services, and opportunities by visiting their website, goodwill.org.

I don’t ever remember walking along the beach or strolling around the quarry at Harrington Beach State Park in the middle of the winter. But this winter is different.

So far this year, we’ve had minimal snow and unusually warm temps. Today we made it into the 50s. Add bluer than blue skies, a breeze out of the west, and the golden sun, and you have the makings of the perfect day to play hooky from work.

So that’s what I did — at least for part of the day. I couldn’t resist.

If you haven’t been to Harrington you should take some time to visit. Located in Belgium, just 25 minutes or so north of Milwaukee, this state park offers year-round activities including camping, fishing, cross country skiing, and hiking.

This is the place we’d go to as kids for some summer fun, whether we biked there from home or drove down with the entire family piled into our old green Dodge on a  Sunday afternoon.

No matter the season, there is awe everywhere you look. It’s the perfect place to go when you want to play hooky for the day.

The first step to buying a house is to get pre-approved.

I know some buyers out there don’t want to hear that. You just want to get a taste of what’s on the market. What can you get for $150,000? What can you get for $200,000? What can you get for $250,000?

But the bottom line is, it’s too risky for me to take the time to search the market for you, to email listings to you, and to drive around showing houses to you if we don’t know how much the bank will loan you. And it makes me wonder if perhaps you’re not as serious about buying a house as I might have thought you are.

And there’s a risk for you, as well. You could walk through a house that you fall in love with only to learn you don’t qualify for the price point. Or worse, you could write an offer on a house only to have the seller reject you because you aren’t pre-approved.

It’s worth it to take the time to talk to your lender about what’s affordable to you. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it’s the most important step you can take toward home ownership.

So please don’t back away when the question of whether you are pre-approved comes up in our conversation. It’s important for both of us to know the answer so we can determine the best way to proceed with your home search.

Got an offer that’s not quite what you were hoping it would be? Appreciate that you got an offer. There’s a buyer out there that wants to buy your seller’s house. Work together to come to agreeable terms. Getting angry at the buyer or the agent who wrote the offer only sets everyone off on the wrong foot from the get go. That’s just counter-productive.

Lost a buyer due to a misunderstanding about who was going to be working with said buyer? Assuming you haven’t spent too much time with the buyer yet, work out some sort of referral fee or perhaps just let it go. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away rather than create awkwardness and confusion for the buyer.

Have a buyer who’s making some less than desirable demands of your seller? Keep cool about it. Cursing out the buyer’s agent is less than stellar and just unprofessional.

Think your level of production puts you above those around you? Having the ability to stay grounded and offering help and advice to those around you is a much better thing to be rememberd for.

Behave and react with grace. It’s a pretty nice way to set yourself apart from those around you.

It’s a great offer. Clean, fair, and a pretty quick closing, too. But getting this to the “accepted offer” status wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. And this morning I found out why.

It came down to the realization that agreeing to this latest counter offer meant taking one step closer to letting go of the house. It’s the house where she raised her kids. It’s the house that defined her independence after a divorce. She told me she gets a lump in her throat when she thinks about accepting this offer. She was realizing she was having a hard time letting go.

I told the seller that no matter why a house is being sold — good or not so good — there is going to be emotion weaving its way throughout the process. It’s not just a business deal. It’s about letting go and moving on to that next chapter.

That house isn’t just a bunch of wood and nails and tile and windows and shingles; it’s a home. It’s where we laugh together, cry together, create holiday and birthday memories, share family meals, and grow together. It’s home.

My seller knows her life is pretty great right now. She said it herself. It’s time for her to close this chapter and continue the one she started with her new husband last year. I know she’s going to be just fine. And I know she’s excited for this family about to start a new chapter of their own.