Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin’

Final Approval for the Edgewater Hotel in Madison WI

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Well they finally pulled it off!  For months, the Madison City Council has been debating whether or not to approve the renovations on the Edgewater Hotel.  Local residents were concerned with the design of the new building(s) and felt it did not match the area of older homes and buildings.  I’m sure they were also concerned with the amount of construction that will be happening.

After hours of debate and months and months of discussions, the renovations should be allowed to proceed.  I personally think the design looks great (see below).  It will also bring jobs to the community.

What’s your opinion? 

Proposed Edgewater Hotel - Madison, Wisconsin

Regards,
Michael Collins – Broker
Rock Realty
Rock Solid Real Estate Strategies
PO Box 2444
Janesville, WI 53547-2444
c: 608.921.8536
f: 877.774.7625
Mike@RockRealtyWI.com
http://www.rockrealtywi.com/

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Recently Sold Homes in Janesville WI

Friday, April 30th, 2010
More Town of Janesville, WI homes for sale

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Newest Homes for Sale in Janesville WI

Friday, April 30th, 2010
More Town of Janesville real estate

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Morel Mushroom Hunting

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Its that time of year again in Wisconsin. That’s right, its morel mushroom season. We are fortunate to be in the Great Lakes region where they are prevalent. Even though they can be found all over the U.S., Wisconsin is a prime spot to find this delectable shroom. The season lasts from early April through most of June. Yellow morels seem to love growing around dead American Elms, but can be found almost anywhere. They can grow for about 2 weeks, but usually don’t last that long because animals know about morels too.

When you find a morel simply break it at the stem  as close to the ground as you can. Use a mesh type bag to hold them. Many hunters believe you can spread the spores and repopulate the area with more morels. Rinse the morels under running water, cut them lengthwise and then rinse them again. Store them in a bowl and cover it with a cloth. They will last 3-4 days. If you don’t intend to eat them right away it is best to freeze them. My favorite way to cook them is to fry in butter and a little salt. They are good as a side dish, but are just as good alone. Be careful not to eat too many in one sitting. After all they are a weak poison and will give you  an upset stomach.

It is important to go with an experienced hunter who knows how to identify morels. There is a kind of “false morel” which is poisonous. Be sure to know the difference before eating anything. Its a good idea not to eat any while out in the field.

I hope these tips help and I wish you all successful morel hunting. Please leave a comment or more advice. Good Luck!

Regards,
Michael Collins – Broker
Rock Realty
Rock Solid Real Estate Strategies
PO Box 2444
Janesville, WI 53547-2444

c: 608.921.8536
f: 877.774.7625
Mike@RockRealtyWI.com
http://www.RockRealtyWI.com

 
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New WHEDA Loan Programs

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Are you a first-time buyer? Do you want an affordable home loan with a fixed rate and 100% financing? If so, then you are in luck. Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has partnered up with Fannie Mae to bring affordable housing to qualified first-time buyers. You can find a link to WHEDA’s site on Rock Realty’s home page. Here are the features you will find on their site:

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

  • Low cost, 30-year fixed interest rate – Ensures the rate on your mortgage will never increase
  • $1,000 minimum borrower down payment – Reduces the cash you need to close your loan
  • Reduced mortgage fees – Your mortgage will cost less thanks to the elimination of fees commonly found with other traditional loan products
  • You may be eligible for the Federal First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit if you enter into a contract by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010
  • If you involuntarily lose your job during the first two years of your mortgage, WHEDA’s job loss mortgage payment protection will cover up to six months of payments.

There are eligibility guidelines as well as income and purchase price limits to this program. You can find them on WHEDA’s site too. Buyers are required to take a home buyers seminar and pass the WHEDA pre-approval. These are good things. You should be educated on owning a home and the pre-approval varifies you ablility to own a home long term. Don’t feel bad if you miss the tax credit that expires in May. Rock Realty offers buyers 1% of the purchase price to their closing costs.

There are new programs for those looking to purchase foreclosed homes or home owners wanting to make improvements and repairs to their home. You can find information on these programs with the same link. Good luck and please leave a comment.

Regards,
Michael Collins – Broker
Rock Realty
Rock Solid Real Estate Strategies
PO Box 2444
Janesville, WI 53547-2444

c: 608.921.8536
f: 877.774.7625
Mike@RockRealtyWI.com
http://www.RockRealtyWI.com

 
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New Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirement – Wisconsin

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Early last March, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed into law a bill mandating all 1-2 family residence to install carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is an colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly and has been know as the “silent killer”.  As my biology professor at UW-Milwaukee put it: “You go to sleep and when you wake up you’re dead”. This creates need for detectors to warn residence of its presence. This law expands existing requirements from 3+ family dwellings previously established.

Here is a breif overview of proper installation:

1. Required on all floors including basements except attics.

2. Must be in common hallways  within 15 ft of all bedrooms.

3. Must be within 75 ft of all fuel burning devices.

4. Detectors can be battery powered or plug-in for existing homes.

5. All new construction must have the detectors hard wired.

6. Homes without an attached garage are exempt from this requirement.

7. Requirement begins on February 1, 2011

There are no fines or penalties with violations, but home inspectors will be required to check for detectors. I hope this helps. Please leave a comment and good luck.

Regards,

Michael Collins – Broker
Rock Realty
608-921-8536
Rock Solid Real Estate Strategies
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Escape Foreclosure! Call Rock Realty for all of your short sale needs.

Friday, February 27th, 2009

  WORRIED ABOUT FORECLOSURE?

We want you to realize that your situation is not hopeless, regardless of what you might be thinking or may have been told by others. Your lender is not looking for an excuse to foreclose. The truth is most lenders would rather have you keep your home and keep making payments each month. You are not alone. Thousands of people across Wisconsin have similar issues with their mortgages every year.

The most important key to resolving your situation is being proactive. Even if your mortgage payments are just a few months behind, your lender has probably already started foreclosure proceedings against you. Doing nothing is the fast track to foreclosure. Thousands of dollars in penalties and legal fees may be added to your balance due. The longer you wait, the harder it is for us keep foreclosure off of your records.

 WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?

You may have heard of a transaction called a short sale. This is just one tool that Rock Realty uses to help home owners keep foreclosure off of their credit. With a short sale, sellers avoid having to go through a lengthy foreclosure process and prevent the impact of a foreclosure on their credit score.

A short sale occurs when a lender agrees to take less than the amount owed to payoff a loan as an alternative to foreclosure. Lenders know that it will cost them a significant amount of money to take a property back. We can often convince them that they will be better off financially if they sell the property now rather than taking the home through foreclosure and trying to sell it later. So, a short sale can actually be good for them.

WE CAN HELP! 

Our first priority is to help homeowners overcome the obstacles that could result in the loss of their home. We specialize in helping homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. We’ve helped people in Dane County and Rock County. You deserve a fresh start. If you are facing the possibility of foreclosure and you live in South-Central Wisconsin, we can help you.

The first step is looking through our FRESH START PACKET.

 Fresh Start Packet

 

www.RockRealtyWI.com

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