• Chasing Kathy

    Finding me shouldn’t be hard.  But, that’s not always the case.  Pre-Covid-19, I was at EVP Coffee House having my usual Wednesday morning “office hours”.  A woman came rushing in, looked around and asked if I was Kathy Epping.  Yes, I answered.  She looked relieved.  She had a house to sell in the Vilas area and had been chasing me down! Well, the longer story is that she and her husband had already moved out of their Vilas home.  But the evening before she chased me down, she slept at the “old” house so she could find me the following morning.  She got up early and went to the EVP on Mineral Point Rd.  It was closed. Back to…

  • A Ringing Phone

    My phone rings a lot.  A lot!  It’s a good thing and this particular day was no different.  At the other end of the line was Caroline, a woman who wanted to look at one of the houses I had listed for sale.  We set a day and time to meet at the house. Upon arrival at the designated time, I met Caroline and Aaron, a young, newly married couple looking to purchase their first home.  It turns out this house wasn’t the right one for them.  After some discussion to learn more about their wants and needs, I promised to stay in touch and send them some others that might be of interest.  Over the next…

  • Timing is Everything

    My neighborhood has a Bunco Group for the ladies in the neighborhood.  We don’t actually play Bunco, but we do get together once a month and catch up on each other and happenings in the area.  Often times, the topic of real estate comes up.  A friend and neighbor was looking to sell their home. Could I help?  Boy could I! We got together, did the paperwork and listed the house.  Here we go!  And go, we did!  Showing after showing.  Feedback and more feedback.  Endless cleaning (with three young daughters!). Countless dinners out.  The result…nothing!  Hmm.  We reduced the price.  More of the same.  Showings, feedback, cleaning, fast food take-out.  Still nothing.  As the weather began to turn and their hopes began to fade, these clients decided…

  • Kate and Doug

    Kate and Doug were first time home buyers.  They were married a few years ago, had their first child last year and the next logical step was the purchase of a new home!  Very exciting, but also scary for first timers.   Always a big step, Kate was more timid with the prospect of spending so much of their hard-earned money on a house, while Doug could see the possibilities of every house we walked through. Kate and I have known each other for a few years.  When I offered to help them through the home-buying process, they were thrilled to have someone they know and trust looking out for them. The first decision was…

  • First Open House

    I was holding an open house for a colleague of mine one Sunday afternoon last spring.  It was a darling house in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood.  I was greeting guests as they arrived and telling them about the house. Amanda and Toby arrived and announced that this was their first open house.  “Great”, I said.  “Here’s some information about the house.”  Amanda replied that this was their first open house…ever!  I wish I’d had balloons, flowers, confetti, celebration music or at least a cookie to commemorate the moment.  I didn’t have any of these, but I did have a great sense of the house, the neighborhood and a willingness to help.  They were nervous, apprehensive of the open house…

  • The Comfort Zone

    A couple walked into my office a year ago and wanted to talk to a Realtor.  Yay me!  We sat down in my office to discuss what they were looking for, in terms of location, size, price, timeline, etc.  As we talked, I also discovered they like to bike, camp, hike and garden.  Excellent information to have when looking for a new house. As the discussion continued, I also tried to get a feel for their motivation for moving.  I learned they were living in rural Dodgeville on 30+ acres in a home that they had built.  They had some sentimental roots.  How were we ever going to find a place that had the home qualities they…

  • Transcontinental Transaction

    Referrals are the highest compliment I ever receive, so I was thrilled when a friend called to put me in touch with her friends who had a condo to sell.  It was a sweet condo for sale in a darling little condominium complex complete with an in-unit laundry area and a cute balcony off of the dining room. We set about getting the condo ready for sale, we signed paperwork and prepared marketing material We did a little staging, took great photos and I wrote a description to grab the attention of buyers.  We were all set!  The condo was on the market. A week or so later, I received a call from…

  • The Devil in the Details

    There is a reason there is a sign in the yard when a house is for sale.  Often times people who are looking to purchase will call the number on the sign to schedule a showing.  That was the case with Dave and Lianne.  I had a cute little bungalow for sale last spring.  It was small, and quaint and perfect for an investor or a young couple.  Dave called the number on the sign in the yard; my number.   We met at the house so he could take a look.  Dave and Lianne were looking for an investment property.  They lived in the area and wanted something close by.  It would be perfect.  He liked the house, but…

  • The “Contractor” Hat

    I never know where my next client will come from.  A friend of mine knew a family who needed to sell the family home.  The parents passed away and the children, now adults, were scattered across the U.S.  They needed someone locally to oversee the process.  That’s when my friend put the sellers in touch with me.  I was happy to help! The house was in a great area near a park with green space across the road.  It had served the family well for 50 years.  As is often the case in these situations, the house was tired.  Don’t get me wrong, it was sound with good bones and a great layout but it did need some…

  • Nancy and Kobie

    Nancy and Kobie lived in my neighborhood.  A quiet little spot off the beaten path surrounded by century-old oak trees and well-manicured cape cods.  I learned that they were planning to move and contacted Nancy to see if I could help.  After several meetings about getting the house ready for sale and what they could expect once the house was on the market, we listed their house for sale. A flurry of activity in the first few days rendered two offers on their home.  They were surprised and thrilled! We counter-offered all the offers and settled on the one that would be the best for them in terms of price, closing date and a…