~  The Farmer’s Market in Monroe opened this week.  Stop by on Saturday to pick up fresh garden produce, baked goods, handmade creations and wonderful local meat.  North side of Monroe’s Downtown Square.

~  Many local nurseries are bursting with color right now.  Remember to support local business when you get your garden in top shape and pick up your favorite plants and flowers.

~  “Tour the Farms”  Come to the Brodhead area on Saturday to tour three area farms.  Kikoona Farm will feature their sheep, permaculture information and information on their day camps.  Sugar Maple Emu has emus (naturally!), sheep, chickens, guardian dogs and more.  Scoth Hill will feature their goats, soap and community garden produce.  Finally, finish the day in Brodhead at the Tinker’s Garden, pick up a map to view and vote for your favorite decorated pig.  Stop by to see the tank downtown too!

~  The annual Green Haven plant sale for Mother’s Day is Friday and Saturday.  You can stop by Roy’s Market, First National Bank & Trust, Albany Mini-Mart, or the Monticello Village Hall to pick up your plants.  All proceeds go to the good work they do at Green Haven Family Advocates.

~  Join the Geo Caching fun and help out at the same time this weekend.  It is “Cache In – Trash Out” weekend in Albany.  From 9 to noon, find the caches including some hidden just for this weekend.  At the same time, help clean up the park trail system after recent storms left some littered or impassable.  See the website for more details.

~  The Mighty Richland Players have a dinner and dessert theatre show this weekend.  “Oklahoma Hale & Damnation” is an original musical comedy written for this troupe by award-winning playwright and composer Mike Carver.  The Friday and Saturday dessert theatre shows are $20 per person; Sunday’s matinee dinner theatre is $40 per person.

~  If that show is not the right one for you, head down to the Winneshiek Playhouse for “Nana’s Naughty Knickers”.  This comedy plays Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30.  $15 per person.

~  Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  Did you remember to make brunch reservations to take Mom out?  Many of our fine local restaurants have special brunch menus for Sunday.  Call ahead to make sure that you have a spot reserved.

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site

Can you believe that it is May already? This year is zipping by, and the real estate market is moving along nicely as well. Shall we take a look at the market report for April of 2012?

• 41 properties sold though the MLS in April of 2012,
• The properties were on the market for an average of 127 days,
• The average sale price was $188,953,
• The median sale price was $140,000
• The highest priced property sold was $1,000,000,
• The lowest priced property sold was $17,000.

To compare with the market report for April of 2011:

• 46 properties sold through the MLS in April of 2011,
• The properties were on the market for an average of 155 days,
• The average sale price was $137,500
• The median sale price was $117,500,
• The highest priced property sold was $390,000,
• The lowest priced property sold was $37,275.

Looking ahead to May’s sales:

• 9 properties ranging from $16,000 to $205,500 have already sold through the MLS in Green County in May, 2012.
• There are currently 37 properties ranging from $14,900 to $550,000 asking price that are pending sale.
• Another 43 have accepted offers that still have contingencies to be met.

Are you looking for in depth market report analysis for your specific community within Green County, or data for Lafayette County? Curious to how this data can impact you as a seller? Drop us an email or give us a call.

The median home price is very high this time around.  That is due to the extremely expensive property that sold this month combined with the fact that two additional properties over $400k sold this month as well.  Only 18 of the 41 properties sold were under $100K.  This is exciting news for our market.  The more expensive properties are moving.  11 of the sold properties had sales prices that were between $200k and $300k.  Last year in April, we were seeing more activity in the homes that were under $200k, whereas this year, we are finally starting to move through that inventory.

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site

First Tuesday in April.  That means it is time to make your voice in our democracy heard here in Wisconsin.

If you are new to Cheese Country, you might be wondering where you should go to vote. Visit vpa.wi.gov to check your registration and to enter your address to find out the location of your polling station. You can also view sample ballots and find out all the current electoral districts and office holders for your location.

Wisconsin is a very easy state to register to vote in, so even if you have not registered yet, do not worry. However, voter registration laws have changed, so there is something new this year.  You must have photo id in order to vote.  You can still register at the polling station on Election Day, so do not worry about having to make two trips. If the address on your photo id or driver’s license is your current address, you are good.  If not not, you will need proof of residence in addition to your photo id.

Proof of residence must include your full name and current address and be valid on election day.  Proof of residence may be one of the following:

• A current residential lease;
• Any utility bill (online cell-phone bill print-outs count!) from the past 90 days;
• A bank statement;
• A paycheck;
• A property tax bill from either the current year or the year preceding the date of the election;
• Any check or document issued by a unit of government [for students attending a UW school, this includes any letter sent to students by the school].
• Student photo ID (If you live in a university-owned dorm, it doesn’t need your address, but you must also present a fee reciept that is dated within the last nine months)

Need more information?  Check the Registration and Voting website for Wisconsin.

<strong>It does not matter who your candidate of choice is in the various national, state and local elections. What matters is that you get out and vote!</strong>

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site

We can’t answer the age old question about a tree making noise if no one hears it fall. Let’s talk about what happens when that tree crosses a lot line, though.

Please remember that we are Realtors, not lawyers.  If you want to delve deeply into local law or receive legal advice on this subject, give your lawyer a call.

Those glorious old trees are a real asset to a home, but they come with some responsibility too.  From pruning to insurance question, they can raise concerns for homeowners.

Is your neighbor liable for damages if his tree topples and damages your home?  Don’t assume the answer is yes.  Like so many things in life, there are shade of grey to this question.   A couple of questions need to be answered before anyone can determine liability.  Was the neighbor aware of the fact that the tree was a hazard and did the neighbor refuse to act upon that knowledge?  Once, I was sitting at my kitchen table when a strange noise made me look out the window.  I watched the ancient, seemingly healthy oak in the neighbor’s yard topple over right onto their home.  There had been no visible signs of disease or decay, nothing to indicate that it would simple fall over on a calm summer day.  Had it fallen onto my garage, it is unlikely I would have been able to get the neighbor to pay for removal or repair since there was no sign of a problem the neighbor could have been aware of.  My first call would have been to my insurance company, not my neighbor.  My insurance company could then decide how to proceed.

A few years later, Mr X across the street was worried about a tree on the edge of a lot adjoining his.  The tree was obviously unhealthy with branches extending over the sidewalk; had it fallen in the right direction, it could have damaged Mr X’s garage.  Mr X began to proceed in the proper way:  he sent a letter to the property own documenting the problem and asking the property owner to take care of.  It would have been better had he included photographs of the issue, specified what he wanted done, and sent the letter via registered mail.  This would document that Mr X had informed the property owner of the problem, and that the property owner neglected to fix it.  Fortunately for Mr X, the property owner did remove the tree with no further action needed.

What about a tree that is growing over the property line?  Yes, you can prune it, but only to the property line.  Don’t forget to be neighborly.  Let the owner of the tree know that you are having a problem with the tree’s growth over your property and that you want it pruned.  This gives the owner of the tree the chance to do the entire tree properly instead of simply having a half-trimmed tree.  If they refuse, you probably are within your rights to trim, but do so carefully.  You could be liable if the tree dies after pruning, depending on local law.

Hopefully you never have to worry about these issues, but knowledge is always a good thing.

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site

The City of Monroe is hosting their free skateboard clinic for kids for the fifth year in a row.  This annual event helps kids learn to use their skateboards in a safe manner while still having fun.

The clinics are run by Monroe Area Skate Enthusiasts (MASE).  MASE was the driving force behind getting our local skate park up and running for area youth.  The clinic takes place on May 7 from 1 to 3 pm at Honey Creek Skate Park in Monroe.  The skate park is an 8500 square foot park that is adjoining Honey Creek.  There are a variety of ramps, obstacles, and jumps for all to enjoy.  Pre-registration is required for the clinic, even though it is free.  You can pick up a registration form at the Park & Rec Department in City Hall, or by downloading it.  Kids do need to be at least seven years old to participate.

Helmets and pads are required for youth who participate, but the Monroe Clinic is here to help with that.  They are providing helmets and pads free to the first twenty participants who register by May 2.

After all the work that happened to fund the Honey Creek Skate Park and bring it from concept to fact, it is great the the community is working together to make sure that our youth know how to use it in a manner that is both fun and safe.

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site

Friday means the weekend is almost here.  There are a wide range of area events for the next few days.  What is your plan for the weekend in Green County?

~  Come to the spaghetti dinner for scholarships at the Juda High School for dinner tonight.  The event is  sponsored by Smith Masonic Lodge of Monroe.  Dinner is from 5 to 7 p.m., just prior to the Juda-Monticello girls basketball game.  $5 for adults and $3 for children. Carry-outs are available.

~  So there won’t be snow showing, but you can still hike at the Snow Shoe Walk and Wine and Cheese Tasting on Saturday.  The fundraising event starts at noon at Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area near Browntown.  Registration is $20 per person, or $30 for two, plus a Wisconsin State Parks vehicle admission sticker is required.  Go ahead, buy the annual sticker because you know you’ll have 10 months to get your money’s worth.  Proceeds will be used to help purchase new playground equipment for the park. Need more info? www.cadizsprings.com, or call Bryan at (608) 214-1716.

~  The Darlington FFA and FFA Alumni host their annual pancake breakfast and farm toy show, hosted by Darlington FFA and FFA Alumni this Sunday.   The breakfast runs from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.  After you eat, visit the toy show, open from 8 am to 2 pm.  This breakfast is at the Darlington High School Tickets: $6 for adults, $4 for children twelve and under, and children under four eat free.  The breakfast price include admission to the toy show.

~  Highland Community College in Freeport will be the site of a gardening workshops this Saturday.  “Joys of Gardening” will cover a variety of horticultural topics including a keynote address “Gardening for Hummingbirds.”  $25 for the 8 am to 4 pm conference.  Pre-registration is required, so call 815-235-4125 today.

~  The Ludlow Mansion will host the annual Home Show this Saturday and Sunday.  Come learn all about the latest in building and remodeling.  The event is from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.

~  Get your farmer’s market fix this Saturday.  It is a Winter Market on the Square weekend, so stop by the Masonic Temple in Monroe from 9 am to 2 pm to pick up baked goods, jams, honey or whatever other food items that will be available.   Are you looking forward to spring and the outdoor farmer’s market starting up again as much as I am?

~  Students at the Monroe High School are performing “Peter Pan” this weekend.  Showtimes are Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm.  The play will be at the Performing Arts Center at the High School.  Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for students.

~  St Victor School in Monre has their annual Mardi Gras fundraising evening this Saturday.  Come join the fun!  There will be dinner, games, and dancing, in addition to silent and live auctions.  No tickets?  No problem.  Call 325-3395 to reserve yours.  $60 per person for a great evening out.  Will we see you there?

~  Fans of harmony will enjoy Saturday’s concert at the Freeport Masonic Temple.  River City Sound and the Rockford Barbshop Chorus will be doing a concert starting at 7 pm.  Reserved seating.  Adults are $20 or $15, students are $10 (balcony only).  Call 815-232-9000 to reserve your seats at will-call.

~  Looking ahead to next weekend, “Behind the Cheddar Curtain” will be performed as dinner theatre and as dessert theatre at the Might Richland Players theatre.  For advance tickets, call 815-819-1310.

~  Monroe Arts Center is sponsoring “Shake, Rattle, and Roll:  A Tribue to Elvis” next Saturday evening.  The concert, which starts at 7:30 pm, will be at the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center.  Tickets range from $35 to $10, and you can purchase advance tickets on their website.

As always, if we missed an area event that you are aware of, let us know.  We are happy to help your organization promote your events.

Cheese Country Realtors - Just another WordPress site