Lake Homes | Stapleton Realty

Realtor Etiquette: 5 Unwritten Etiquette Rules Home Buyers Might Not Even Realize Are a Big Deal

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2024-01-25T11:22:01-05:00September 22nd, 2023|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, News|

Thinking of buying a house, you’re probably eager and excited. That’s fine, but just keep in mind that in this heightened emotional state, it’s easy to get swept up in the moment and behave, well, not perfectly. This can lead to trouble as, just like anything else, buying a home comes with its own set of rules. Some may be fairly obvious, since they’re outlined in all that real estate paperwork you’ll soon be signing. But some of these rules are the unwritten, etiquette-based kind. And if you break ’em, it could still stop a real estate deal in its tracks. For instance, “If a Realtor shows me a house, do I have [...]

Will Waiting to Buy a Home Actually Save You Money? Let’s Look at the Numbers.

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2023-09-22T10:45:52-05:00September 22nd, 2023|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, Lake Homes, News|

Mortgage interest rates: it seems like all anyone can talk about these days. And with good reason. The basic equation of housing affordability boils down to just two main factors: home price and interest rate, which together make up that seemingly overwhelming number that is your monthly mortgage payment. One of the things we hear almost daily from the homebuyers we work with is, "I hear that rates might be coming down, and I think I should wait." But while current interest rates might not be as enticing as they were two years ago and are expected to fall as the economy goes through a correction, that doesn't necessarily mean you should [...]

Why Do I Need a Realtor?

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2023-09-22T10:42:43-05:00September 22nd, 2023|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, News, Selling a Home|

Most of us will buy and sell a home or property at some point in our lifetimes. When the market is “hot”, we might be tempted to think we could sell it easily to the neighbor or put a sign out in front and have it sold quickly. It might be easy to get interest in your home in an active market, but a Realtor helps you value your home, so you are getting the most for your home. They help you to choose the offer with the most benefit in your situation and timeline. Most importantly, they help you to disclose all that is legally required of you and structure [...]

Get Ready: The Best Time To List Your House Is Almost Here

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2023-04-04T13:22:25-05:00April 4th, 2023|General, Lake Homes, News, Oconomowoc, Selling a Home|

If you’re thinking about selling this spring, it’s time to get moving – the best week to list your house is fast approaching. Experts at realtor.com looked at seasonal trends from recent years (excluding 2020 as an uncharacteristic year due to the onset of the pandemic) and determined the ideal week to list a house this year: “Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2023 is approaching quickly. The week of April 16-22 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week [...]

How to Make Your Dream of Homeownership a Reality

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2023-04-04T13:15:48-05:00April 4th, 2023|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, News, Oconomowoc, Selling a Home|

According to a recent Harris Poll survey, 8 in 10 Americans say buying a home is a priority, and 28 million Americans actually plan to buy within the next 12 months. Homeownership provides many financial and nonfinancial benefits, so that interest is understandable. However, it’s unlikely all 28 million Americans will accomplish that goal in the coming year. Experts project a total of around five million homes will be sold in 2023. Why is there such a big difference? It’s partly because there can be challenges to buying a home. In the same survey, when asked, “Which of the following are preventing you from pursuing homeownership at this time?”: 34% answered, “I don’t have enough saved for a [...]

Mortgage Rates Are Dropping. What Does That Mean for You?

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2023-01-18T13:42:26-05:00January 18th, 2023|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, News, Oconomowoc, Selling a Home|

Mortgage rates have been a hot topic in the housing market over the past 12 months. Compared to the beginning of 2022, rates have risen dramatically. Now they’re dropping, and that has to do with everything happening in the economy. Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains it well by saying: “Mortgage rates dropped even further this week as two main factors affecting today’s mortgage market became more favorable. Inflation continued to ease while the Federal Reserve switched to a smaller interest rate hike. As a result, according to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 6.31% from 6.33% the previous week.” So, what does [...]

Neighborhood Nicknames

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2022-10-05T10:41:47-05:00October 5th, 2022|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, Oconomowoc, Selling a Home|

Reading an article earlier this month by Bob Dohr of NOW titled “ Why are Milwaukee’s suburbs called what they are?” had me thinking about how even within the City of Oconomowoc, the areas have official names and nicknames. West of Downtown and north of Wisconsin Avenue is “Merchants Plat” as it is currently known, where the houses designed by Roy Henszey for the Carnation Company executives are found along Woodland Lane Glenview Avenue. Just east of Fowler Lake you find “Presidential Row” or “The President’s Streets”, comprised of streets surrounding North Oakwood named Washington, Wilson, Madison, Harding, and Roosevelt. The flower patch is an array of flower names, Lily, Rose, Blue [...]

How to Choose…

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2022-07-26T15:09:30-05:00July 26th, 2022|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, General, Lake Homes, Selling a Home|

When you are looking to start the process of buying or selling a home, what is your “step one”? First things first, you are going to need a Realtor. We believe that when it comes to finding your Realtor, it is very important to find someone you can relate with. The journey of buying or selling a home can be emotional, frustrating, and a bit stressful at times- but if you have someone you can trust and feel comfortable with during this process, it will make all the difference in the world. Take the time to read through different Realtor’s bios online, check out their Agency’s reviews, and maybe even meet for [...]

What is the attraction of Lake Country?

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2021-07-16T11:19:54-05:00July 16th, 2021|Buying a Home, First-Time Home Buyers, Lake Homes, Oconomowoc, Selling a Home|

Why are people moving to the Lake Country Area in droves? There are several reasons…The Lake Country Area which includes the charming communities of Pewaukee, Delafield, Hartland, Merton, Nashotah, Chenequa, Okauchee, Oconomowoc, Summit, Lac La Belle and more, have an abundance of beautiful lakes. There are approximately 25 of them in this immediate area. There are also many parks and recreational places where you can hike, bike, golf and camp. Lake Country provides a peaceful atmosphere that seems to be a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Milwaukee and Chicago. That being said, it is still a relatively easy commute to Milwaukee or Madison. At Stapleton Realty, we’ve recently [...]

Northcote on North Lake

Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen2021-07-06T16:55:00-05:00July 6th, 2021|Buying a Home, General, Lake Homes, Maureen's Musings|

It has been Stapleton Realty’s pleasure, and good fortune, to represent a number of fabulous properties for sale over our 40 years in business. But, I have to say, having the excitement of being able to market the Northcote Estate, nestled in Chenequa will be a highlight and delight beyond works. Steeped in history, the property on almost 15 private acres having 140 feet of prime sandy North Lake frontage, tennis court, pool, petanque court, guest house, and carriage house with living quarters, is the epic of style and comfort combined. It also comes with your very own 3+ acre vineyard – to see it is to fall in love. Come and put [...]