Home Appraisal versus Home Inspection The mortgage settlement process, often referred to as the mortgage closing, can sometimes seem confusing and a little overwhelming. Whether you are buying a new home or refinancing an existing home, there are various fees to be paid and steps to go through. Two steps that are often confused by homebuyers are the home appraisal versus home inspection. Remember the Difference: Home Appraisal versus Home Inspection One easy way to remember the difference between an appraisal versus a home inspection is that a home inspection is for your protection. A home inspector will not estimate the value of your home. Typically, home appraisals are for lenders; home inspections are for buyers. What is a Home Appraisal? A home appraisal is a document that provides ... 10/03/2011

How to Close on a Home Quickly Congratulations! You've finally found the house of your dreams and submitted an offer. Now on to the tricky part - getting your loan approved. How Long Should it Take from Purchase to Closing on a Home? Once your offer is accepted by the seller, your loan application will be submitted to an underwriter for approval or disapproval based on your financial and credit standing. This process, which can take as short as two weeks or as long as two months, is often the most stressful time for a new homebuyer. It is common for a new buyer to be excited about their home purchase only to hear horror stories that their loan may be denied or the offer may fall through. This anxiety or uncertainty can also be heightened if the buyer needs to move quickly, and has to co... 10/03/2011

Can You Still Buy with No Down Payment on a Home? For many 1st time home buyers requiring down payment assistance, the idea of putting the traditional 10 or 20 percent down on a home purchase can leave them feeling drained or hopeless. Will they have to sacrifice their dream neighborhood or home size simply to afford a pricey down payment? Fortunately, it may be possible for certain buyers to put no down payment on a home and still qualify for a competitive loan. Whether you are short on cash or just don't want to spend your cash on housing, 100 percent financing can be an attractive option for first time buyers. Prior to 2007, putting no down payment on a home was a common option for 1st time homebuyers. However, with mortgage lending practices coming under fire in recent years, the op... 10/03/2011

What are the Best Home Improvements to Sell a House? In a tough real estate market, many home sellers will find that it's difficult to sell their property. Whether it is a primary residence or an investment property, a soft market can force home sellers to make many home improvements to sell a house. It's important to remember that while there are many home improvements that couldbe made to a property, home sellers need to focus only on the home improvements that should be made. So how do you know what are the best improvements to sell a house? The answer is, it depends. Factors such as time of year, location and competing inventory all play a role. Generally speaking, there is no hard and fast rule. But there are general guidelines that apply to most home improvements. For example, the... 09/29/2011

Effective October 1, 2011, the costs associated with getting a VA mortgage are going DOWN! An overview: VA mortgages are bundled, securitized and sold in the secondary market with the backing of the Federal Government. In order to insure these mortgages, the government charges a type of insurance premium, called a VA Funding Fee, which is typically added to the loan amount (thereby financed). Remember, too, that the VA (subject to some restrictions) will insure loans up to 100% of the purchase price for the home. What is happening next week? On loans that close effective October 1, that Funding Fee is being reduced. Because it is typical that the fee is financed into the loan, the VA is effectively lowering the monthly cost (because the loan amount is lower) AND the amount that will be ... 09/29/2011

What is the Average Time to Sell a Home? In recent years, the average time to sell a home has dramatically increased. This is largely due to the unemployment rate and credit crunch, which are limiting the number of first time home buyers entering the market, as well as the increasing number of short and foreclosure sales. According to the Accredited Seller Agent Council, the average time to sell a home in the U.S. is 10 months. However, there are many factors that can impact how quickly your home will sell. Factors Affecting the Average Time to Sell a Home Home listing price - An asking price that is either too low or too high can dramatically reduce the chances of selling your home on a timely schedule. Your agent should be familiar with the local market and provide you with local comp... 09/29/2011

Stamp Out Hunger — the nation’s largest one-day food drive by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) with the help of rural letter carriers, other Postal employees and numerous volunteers— annually collects non-perishable food to help more than 35 million people, including 12 million children, who face hunger every day in America.  Despite a continued downturn in the economy, Americans have continued to support this outreach effort.The Sun Prairie and Marshall, WI carriers collected over 12,000 lbs. of non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes which were delivered to The Sunshine Place  and Waterloo/Marshall Food Pantry with the help of the Sun Praire JV baseball team on May 14, 2011. Thank you to the generosity of customers and the determination of the Sun Prairie an... 05/20/2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? If so, pack up the family and head on over to the Sassy Cow Creamery "Farm Adventure" Weekend.     Sassy Cow Creamery located at W4192 Bristol Rd. is gearing up for their first open house of the season. May 21 and 22nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.   They will be offering Creamery and farm tours, coloring, mooing and ice cream eating contests, pedal tractor and hayrides, the chance to be a “Farmer for a Day”, and pictures with a baby calf, and much much more.  The best part is all activities are FREE, so bring the family for a great time!    Sassy Cow Creamery is a farmstead milk bottling business that opened its doors in 2008 on the Baerwolf family farm located seven miles north of Sun Prairie off of Hwy N.      The Sassy Cow Creamer also has a local ... 05/16/2011

Sun Prairie Wisconsin home of Jimmy The Groundhog-What happened Jimmy--Its snowing now and more predicted for tomorrow???????? April 23, 2011 12:30 PM. Angell Park 100 Park Street Sun Prairie Easter Egg Hunt at 12:30 pm SHARP! 04/17/2011

  Robert and Julie are happily setteled in the UP now, or Upper Penninusula of Wisconsin.  That had been "home" to them before they moved to the   Madison Wisconsin suburb of Sun Prairie.   They wanted to return to family and longtime friends. Robert even got his dream job. They tried for a long time to sell their townhome themselves, since their situation was less than ideal and they knew they could not, as is the case with many many Americans, get as much for the house as they owed. l was referred to them by a mutual friend and together we set out to list and market their townhome. At that point they had a very tight time-frame but we got them where they needed to go and just in the nick of time.  Robert and Julie were a joy to work with. Robert single-handedly wrestled one of the BI... 10/03/2010

Michael Collins | Sell it Sunday | 608-921-8536 1577 O'keeffe Ave, Sun Prairie, WI Beautiful Ranch - SHORT SALE - Make an offer 3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $205,000 Year Built Unspecified Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Property Location: 1577 O'Keeffe Sun Prairie, WI Under assessed value Energy Star home! This ranch style home with open floor plan is great for entertaining or family fun! After a long day retreat to your owner's suite and soak in your oversized tub. Easy access to all city conveniences makes this home a must have! Also, lots of room to gain equity with 1500 sq ft in the basement to be finished. Don't miss the opportunity to own this fantastic ho... 10/03/2008

Market Statistics for the Westwynde Subdivision in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The stats show the difference between January and February of 2007 and 2008.  25 active listingsAverage List Price: $363,292Average Price/Square Foot: $118 Range in ListPrice: $199,900 to $549,900Average Days on Market: 137 February 2008: 1 SoldList Price: $339,900Sold Price: $331,900Average Days on Market: 1 February 2007: 1 soldList Price: $398,000Sold Price: $388,000Average Days on Market: 6 January 2008: 2 SoldsAverage List Price: $259,900Average Sold Price: $260,431Average Days on Market: 174 January 2007: 0 Solds ** All information provided courtesy of Mindy Allen, Keller Williams Realty. Information obtained through the SCWMLS.    03/05/2008

In 1837, President Van Buren commissioned 45 men to go to Madison to build a territory capitol. They left Milwaukee, travelling through rain for 14 days.  As they approached the Madison area, they stopped at the edge of a prairie.  On that day, the sun was shining brightly. They carved the name "Sun Prairie" into a tree. Some returned years later to seek out that tree, and establish the city called Sun Prairie.Sun Prairie has so much to offer!   Main Street demonstrates a gracious blend of historic buildings with new ones, offering local businesses and patrons an exciting setting in which to work and play. A delightful Farmers Market runs from Spring through the Fall.  Unique shops and restaurants adorn the area.  Health care facilities are available right in town.  The Library and the ... 03/01/2008

 Sun Prairie 2008 Upcoming Events4/4-13:  Sun Prairie Civic Theater Presents  Big, the musical              500 South Bird Street     Ticket information: 608-837-8217May:  Strawberry Fest at the Colonial Club (date to be announced)June:  Flags of Freedom Parade (date to be announced)6/14:  Taste of the Arts Fair 2008 / 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. / Sheehan Park7/25-26:    Maxwell Street Days 2008    Downtown8/14-17:  Sweet Corn Festival 10/31:     Halloween SpooktacularWatch for Additions and Updates on a Regular Basis  02/15/2008

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin is a suburb located Northeast of the capital City of Madison, Wisconsin in Dane County. Dane County is located in south central Wisconsin. The market statistics are showing the following for 2006 as compared with 2007 for sales of single family homes. There has been a decrease in total home sales, but a slight increase in average sold price. This is a trend that is fairly consistent with Dane County.  Dane County has shown a decrease in total home sales (about 4.6%), but an increase in average sold price (about 1.8%). The actual numbers are as follows: Active: 223 Active ListingsAverage Asking Price: $258,144 Sales: 2007358 Sold ListingsAverage List Price: $244,503Average Sold Price: $238,371Average Days on Market: 89Sold Price Range: $89,900 to $560,000 Sales: 20... 01/15/2008

As Sun Prairie grows by an average of 24% each year since 2000, the demand for housing in this city also grows. In addition, the inventory of homes available has also been increasing. As of September 2007, there were 326 single family homes and duplexes on the market. The prices ranged from $109,900 to over $1,000,000. Of those, 16 had an accepted offer and were under contract. Since July of 2007, 87 single family homes and duplexes have sold in city of Sun Prairie. The average home was on the market for 81 days before it was sold. The average sale price of these homes is $220,000 for an average price of $114/square foot. The range of homes sold was from $124,750 to $413,000. As for condominiums, there are currently 224 active listings. Price range from $74,900 to $449,900. Of those 11 ... 09/26/2007

My CommunitySun Prairie is a small city that is growing rapidly, yet still maintains a small town charm. It is located in south central Wisconsin, just northeast of the capital city of Madison, Wisconsin. The population of this city in 2005 was just over 24,000 residents. According to the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Sun Prairie has an estimated 2006 population of 25,180. Since the 2000 Census, Sun Prairie has grown almost 24% more than twice as fast as nearly every other mid-to-large community in the Wisconsin (over 20,000 population). Sun Prairie has added more people than any other community in Wisconsin during this period (4,811) with the exception of Madison (15,226). Transportiation Access U.S. Highway 151 - This major six-lane highway is a primary route for commerce be... 09/26/2007

Hello!The fireman's Park in Sun Prairie needs more volunteers to help construct a new handicap-accessible play structure for ages 2-12. They are looking for volunteers through the 23rd of September.The location is Angell Park in Sun Prairie. Anyone ages 10 and over can be on site, as long as they're with a parent. They are looking for volunteers for between 8 am and 8 pm. Right now, they're a bit behind schedule and do need about 100 volunteers per shift. PLEASE, PLEASE help! Even if only for a few hours!! There are a variety of duties needed. Activities for which help is needed include painting, cutting boards, serving food, working the volunteer table, handing out tools, stacking boards and setting posts. If you can help PLEASE send an email to:  bob_and_heidikrekel@msn.com or call th... 09/20/2007