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La Pointe, WI Real Estate News

By Eric Kodner, Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
(Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes)
Madeline Island Real Estate Broker Eric Kodner Quoted in a Wall Street Journal Article on the Vacation Home Market I was delighted to be quoted in a January 10, 2011 article in the Wall Street Journal, entitled "Market for Vacation Homes is on the Rise". The article last Monday, by S. Mitra Kalita, referred to our Wisconsin real estate office on Madeline Island and quoted me, along with NAR Economist Lawrence Yun, in a discussion of various luxury real estate markets that also included Cape Cod (MA), Southhampton (NY), the Pocono Mountain area (PA), Hilton Head (SC), Palm Beach (FL) and Mercer Island (WA). Even more important than the much-appreciated PR received by our La Pointe, Wisconsin real estate company, Madeline Island Realty, was the fact that the article included Madeline Isl...
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  MADELINE ISLAND FEATURED IN WALL STREET JOURNAL REAL ESTATE SECTION ALONG WITH CAPE COD, HILTON HEAD, PALM BEACH, THE POCONOS AND THE HAMPTONS    The Real Estate section of today's Wall Street Journal features an article entitled, "Market for Vacation Homes is on the Rise".  I was interviewed for this article by S. Mitra Kalita and it is a great honor to be mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. The Journal article mentions and provides real estate market statistics for Hilton Head (SC), Palm Beach (FL), Mercer Island (WA), Cape Cod (MA), Pocono Mountains/Lake Naomi (PA), Hamptons (NY), and Madeline Island (La Pointe, Wisconsin) Real estate industry sources interviewed and quoted in the article include NAR economist Lawrence Yun, Ned Monell (Sotheby's International Realty in Palm Beach...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  MADELINE ISLAND DECEMBER 2010 REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT - ASHLAND COUNTY, WISCONSIN   As reported by the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA), November sales of single-family homes in Ashland County, Wisconsin declined by fifty per cent compared to November 2009 statistics.  There were twelve reported home sales in November of 2009 and only six reported sales in November of 2010.  Madeline Island Realty (in LaPointe, Wisconsin) made one-sixth (nearly 17%) of the total November 2010 home sales in Ashland County. Average sold prices for Ashland County homes also declined in November of this year when compared to 2009 statistics.  November 2010 average sold prices were down 21.1% from a year ago.  The average price for a single-family dwelling sale in Ashland County in November of 2010 w...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  NEED TO SELL YOUR MADELINE ISLAND HOME IN 2011? WHY NOT TRY A CURB APPEAL STRATEGY?   Okay, what's a "curb appeal strategy" you ask? For one thing, you can't rely upon marketing alone to sell your home.  Once you grab a prospect's attention, the real thing has to match up with the expectations created by photographs and virtual tours. Your agent can bring you showings, but the success of your efforts will rely upon how your property shows in person. Remember that a home in mediocre condition, even if priced right and marketed to the max, can mean "no sale".   You may have to wait for Spring to try some of these simple ideas, but they can make a big difference: Power wash/pressure wash decks. Replace rotted wood on decks, walkway planks, rails and stairways. Apply an exterior sealant t...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  MADELINE ISLAND SELLERS - TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN 2011    Want to sell your Madeline Island home or parcel in 2011?  You may have to re-think your strategy if you hope to succeed in the New Year. For starters, take a fresh new look at your objectives and goals, as well as how to get results. Consider these suggestions: - Resist "upside down" pricing next season.  Start with your best price at the beginning of the season.  Don't wait until November to price it right! - Develop a "curb appeal" strategy for getting your home or cabin ready to sell.  Homes that are in good condition earn more favorable comments from prospects and are more likely to sell. - If your home for sale looks plain or just like everybody else's listing, how will it stand out in the mind of a prospective buyer? ...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
ASHLAND CURRENT ARTICLE DISCUSSES WHO'S CONSIDERED A "MADELINE ISLANDER" A recent article in the Ashland Current contains an interview with a Pennsylvania researcher who spent several summers on Madeline Island, in an effort to determine who could be justifiably considered a "Madeline Islander". This is a subject that has interested me for years now.  I've owned property on the Island since the early 1980s and my real estate office has been open on Madeline Island for over ten years now, but I still feel that there is some sort of dividing line between being a local merchant and being considered a true local. The Pennsylvania researcher apparently divided "Islanders" into three classifications: long-term, medium-term and short-term.  And according to his study results, I am what he woul...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
MADELINE ISLAND ZONING INFORMATION - TOWN OF LA POINTE ZONING SCHEDULES AND DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS Below you will see a chart published by the Town of LaPointe which outlines the various zoning districts (classifications) on Madeline Island, together with maximum structure height, required lot area, minimum lot width and setback requirements.   You'll also find this information on the Town of La Pointe Zoning page. Please keep in mind that the above information is subject to change without notice.  If you're considering buying or building on Madeline Island, it would be an excellent idea to familiarize yourself with the minimum lot sizes, building setbacks and dimensional requirements above.  Please contact our office at 715-747-6500 for an explanation of these Zoning Schedules and Di...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
MADELINE ISLAND ZONING INFORMATION - LA POINTE LAND USE FEE SCHEDULE Below is the Fee Schedule for various land use permits on Madeline Island.  Please keep in mind that these fees and other related information are subject to change without notice. You will find zoning information, including zoning classifications, fees and contact information for the zoning department, on the Town of LaPointe website Zoning page.  Keep in mind that permit fees must be paid in advance for seemingly simple improvements, such as placing a Fire Number or putting in a driveway.  There are fines levied for proceeding with improvements without obtaining a permit beforehand. You can reach the Town of LaPointe Zoning Department by phoning (715) 747-2707.  The mailing address is: Town of LaPointe, Zoning Office ...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  CONSIDER IMPROVING YOUR MADELINE ISLAND VACANT LAND LOT OR PARCEL TO HELP IT SELL FASTER   In today's real estate market, the rule of thumb is this: What sells first and at the best price are the most prime properties, in the best location and condition, with the most amenities.  Vacant land can be a tough sell today.  Lenders don't want to make land loans.  Most second home buyers are looking for waterfront, rather than interior lots and homes.  Building permits are a challenge to obtain and site prep costs are high. If you want to compete with the rest of the pack, consider improving your lot or parcel, in order to make it more attractive to a buyer. - Hire someone to clear brush and remove dead or diseased trees.  If you own lakeshore, clear a "view corridor" so buyers can see the ...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  WHY VACANT INTERIOR LAND SALES ON MADELINE ISLAND LAG BEHIND WATERFRONT SALES   Interior land prices on Madeline Island are at record lows, yet no one seems to be buying.  Many of our Island sellers are puzzled about this.  Here are a few reasons why vacant interior land seems to be experiencing a slowdown. 1) The vast majority of our prospective buyers are either looking for existing waterfront homes or buildable vacant waterfront lots.  They want an affinity to Lake Superior.  They're looking for either a water view or a beach lot, maybe with a dock or a shoreline staircase.  For the same reason, resales of interior homes are very slow right now on the Island.  2) Interior lots may be more affordable, but the costs of building on Madeline Island are somewhat higher than on the mainl...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  WANT TO SELL YOUR VACANT LAND PARCEL ON MADELINE ISLAND?  GET A FIRE NUMBER FROM THE TOWN OF LA POINTE   The advice I'm about to provide is worthwhile, regardless of where your vacant parcel is located, but I'm directing this at sellers in the Madeline Island community. The ability to get your vacant land parcel sold is dependent upon several different factors (including correct pricing, of course) but there are two very important requirements: 1) Make it possible for prospective buyers to find your property and view it. 2) Make your property searchable on the Web so that your agent can effectively market your listing. You need to fulfill both of these requirements or your chances of success are greatly reduced. If the vacant parcel has no street number (or fire number), it appears on...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  PROPERTY SHOWINGS ON MADELINE ISLAND - IN DECEMBER?   Yes, 2010 has been an unusual year for real estate on Madeline Island. It looks like the month of December will be no exception.  We have multiple property showings scheduled during the first three weeks of December.  Our sales season got off to a slow start this year.  The summer months were very quiet in the office.  And yet you could  definitely tell that there was an undercurrent of buyer interest. We didn't encounter our first serious buyers until late August. Now, smart buyers who have been watching our market very carefully appear to be making a move.  We've seen an unusually late volume of property inquiries over the past six to eight weeks.  They're doing their homework, requesting detailed information, plat maps and floor...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  Is There a Market for Million-Dollar Plus Homes on Madeline Island?   Like many second home and recreational markets around the country, we have our share of large, elegant, expensive homes on Madeline Island. Most people never gave a second thought to resale when they built these homes.  Some are elegant old mansions that were built for a lifestyle popular in the early to mid-twentieth century.  Others are large, luxurious and built within the last decade or two. Today, we're faced with sellers who want top dollar for these homes.  And finding those buyers is a big challenge, for several reasons: The luxury lakeshore home buyer for a Madeline Island home is typically buying a vacation home, rather than a year-round residence.  Second homes are a luxury, not a necessity. Jumbo mortgag...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
  Google Places Search Queries for Real Estate on Madeline Island   When you set up a Google Places account, you receive the added benefit of monthly "performance updates".  These updates include data on searches (both impressions and actions), plus the top search queries used by people visiting your business listing. We created a Google Places account for Madeline Island Realty, our company in LaPointe, Wisconsin.  Between October 21 and November 16, our Google Places listing received a total of 419 visitor impressions (the number of times users found and viewed our company as the result of a local search.) Interestingly, the top search query used to find us was a search for "madeline island" which yielded 250 impressions and fourteen clicks through to our company website.  The search ...
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For at least the past seven months, our northwest Wisconsin real estate company, Madeline Island Realty, is the only real estate firm to show up on page one of a Google search for the search term "Madeline Island". The first entry for a real estate brokerage competitor in the same search came up as the fourth result on page three of that search. In the Google search results, Madeline Island Realty ranked just behind the Madeline Island Ferry Line and ahead of both the Madeline Island Museum and the Inn on Madeline Island.  We also dominated the page one search results for "Images on Madeline Island". According to Google Analytics, most searches for real estate companies on Madeline Island still use the search term "madeline island".  That would suggest the need to be on page one of the ...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
MADELINE ISLAND MARKET INFORMATION FOR LATE NOVEMBER 2010 Here is the current state of our Madeline Island real estate market as of November 21, 2010 (statistics for the past six-month period) : The average list price for all homes on Madeline Island is reported as $351,010. The average list price for a waterfront home is reported as $594,767. The average sold price for a dwelling is $530,000. The average sold price for a vacant lakeshore lot is $269,000. No recent home sales have been reported as financed (by mortgage or seller financing). The estimated dwelling price per square foot is $320. The average time on market is 57 days.   Trulia reports that the average list price of a Madeline Island home dropped 9.4% as of November 10th from the prior week's average.  The todal inventory o...
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By Eric Kodner, Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
(Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes)
Where do you Rank on a Google Image Search? Most of us know where we stand when we run a regular keyword search for our service area, our name and our real estate company.  Depending on whether you are an independent broker/owner or an agent, those results become a major part of our marketing goals and Web strategy. But what about your ranking on Google Images?  Have you checked to see where you rank in an image search? The results can be surprising.  And photos or images can make a difference on your overall page rank, as well as the ability for consumers to find you on the Web. [Panoramio Image, courtesy of Madeline Island Realty LLC]   Since the bulk of my current listing inventory is on Madeline Island (where my northwest Wisconsin office is located), I started by running a generic...
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By Eric Kodner, Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
(Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes)
WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS IDENTIFY YOUR LISTINGS BY ZIP CODE, AS WELL AS BY STREET ADDRESS, CITY & STATE Are you uploading your listings to the Web by street address?  Or are you using a description like "three bedroom starter home close to downtown"? The "three bedroom starter home" tag would make a great subheading for your listing.  But if you want to lead with something that will be found by search engines, upload and title your listings by address. DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE PROPERTY'S ZIP CODE TO THE LISTING TITLE.  WHY? BECAUSE SO FEW AGENTS AND BROKERS ARE DOING IT. Here's the result of a Google search for "(zip code) real estate" [Image of Google search for "54850 real estate" showing Madeline Island Realty listings in postitions four, five and six on page one.] More and more listing...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU OVERPRICE YOUR MADELINE ISLAND HOME It's hard enough to sell a correctly-priced home in today's real estate market.  Don't make things worse by hiring an agent who will tell you anything you want to hear, just to get another listing. Here's what happens when you overprice your Madeline Island home: 1)      An overpriced second home becomes excluded immediately from consideration by a large percentage of eligible prospects.  Once they form the impression that you're trying to "hit a home run" at their expense, they cross your home right off their own list of potential dream homes. 2)      After the first blush of enthusiasm, sometimes a few phone inquiries or maybe even a showing or two, interest in your overpriced home subsides.  Your listing agent of choice...
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By Eric Kodner, CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
(Madeline Island Realty)
THE "HIRE A LOCAL AGENT" MYTH One of my competitors is fond of telling visitors to his office that his real estate office is "open year-round".  He also tells customers that they should always "hire a local agent". Uh-huh. Last Friday, I was in Bayfield, Wisconsin for a closing and afterward I took the Madeline Island Ferry to LaPointe.  I arrived on Madeline Island at around 3 pm and stopped by a few competitors' offices.  Guess what?  Not one of those real estate offices were open.  Nope, not a single one. I called one of my competitors, who also happens to be a friend of mine.  I left him a voicemail message, asking about one of his listings that a client of mine is interested in seeing.  Guess what?  I didn't get a call back from him until today. Okay, c'mon now.  If you're going to...
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