Are you racking your brain, trying to come up with exciting activities to add to your summer bucket list for your kids? Look no further! Believe it or not, the best resource for an incredible summer adventure with your children is right in your own community, and you might not have even considered it. In our hometown of Oshkosh, we have a fantastic organization called Discover Oshkosh. However, we're willing to bet that wherever you reside, whether it's Berlin, Omro, or any other town in the Fox Cities, you have a similar hidden gem—your local visitors bureau or Chamber of Commerce. On a recent visit to the Discover Oshkosh office, we were impressed. (Take a look here.)  The walls were adorned with pamphlets and brochures showcasing all the incredible attractions and activities available in our area. They even had a comprehensive visitors guide, which you can obtain either in person or online. They also had a  rotating rack filled with booklets from various communities across the state of Wisconsin. It's like having a treasure trove of nearby adventures waiting to be discovered. So, if you're struggling to find exciting activities for the summer, look no further than your local visitors bureau or Chamber of Commerce. They are the gatekeepers to a world of fun and adventure, just waiting to be explored. Don't miss out on the best-kept secret for creating unforgettable memories with your kids this summer. Take a leap of curiosity and dive into the wealth of resources your community has to offer. You won't be disappointed. Freedom Team Real Estate Agents (Kyle Meyer, Lauren Nobbe, Valerie Bohn) serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 (Kyle or Lauren) or 920-232-8683 (Valerie) today. Our Website: www.joinfreedomteam.com Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valerieannbohn/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom https://www.instagram.com/valeriebohnoshkosh

It’s really hard to do a market update when the market seems to be so unpredictable. I (Valerie) was all set to sit down and provide a market update for the Oshkosh Wisconsin area and I started reading articles about the Federal Reserves hike in interest rates.  Now this increase doesn’t automatically mean a rise in mortgage interest rates but it’s certainly a factor in the unpredictability we are seeing in the Northeast Wisconsin Housing market. What have we been seeing? Since mid April, agents across the country and within Wisconsin felt something change within the housing market. More homes went on the market (Spring Sellers) Buyers with interest rate sensitivity stepped back from their searches creating less buyer competition Homes that went on the market sat a little longer or those that were in desired price ranges saw less bidders in the multiple offer situations Homes sitting longer brought us seeing more price reductions/changes coming across our hot sheets on the MLS. May data for Oshkosh, Wisconsin: 70 residential homes closed in May 2022                 51 still over asking (ranging from $2000 to $66,000) In June from June 1 to June 14:                 25 residential homes have closed                 18 of them have been over asking ($2000 to $30,000) How on earth does that signal a change you ask since such a high percentage of homes are still selling at over asking price? The information that we have access to for Sold properties is LAGGING information.  Offer/bidding wars and the date that those homes listed on the market took place six (6) weeks ago.  We can only get the information after it’s all taken place. It’s never really current.  We can see trends and patterns in how many other offers are we competing with when we make offers for our buyers or we can see price changes on the daily hot sheet, we can dig deeper to see how long it takes a home to get to accepted offer. The next few days will be telling about the housing market’s reaction.  As agents we have been told that interest rates have mostly flattened since April, that mortgage rates already accounted for the FED rate hike predictions (meaning we won’t see a drastic impact as it’s already “in there”), and that housing is generally recession proof, especially since the housing market we have right now is vastly different than any other recession period (the low inventory factor.)  We are also being told that every housing specialist or economist is still predicting that homes will RISE in value --- they just don’t all agree on how much.  Homes will not lose value in the scenarios. We’ll keep monitoring what we are seeing.  Please reach out to our team if you are trying to figure out how to navigate this stuff.  You can still reach your 2022 homebuyer or homeseller goals. We just need to be mindful every step of the way.   Check out my video overview of this update also: Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.   Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/

Do you know one of the most searched home related questions on the internet? Dry basement and questions related to keeping your basement dry are searched over 1300 times each month. Check out our video here:   For those of us that live in northeast Wisconsin – especially Oshkosh and Neenah, we struggle with keeping water out of our basements.  When we take buyers through a home or have an inspection done, one of the single biggest callouts are related to water, dampness or evidence of water in the basement. As a homeowner there are a few simple things that we can do during spring, summer and fall to protect and help our basement situation.  Here are some simple tips and reminders that any homeowner CAN and SHOULD do.  I’ve done each of them personally myself--- you can too! Always make sure your downspouts are DOWN and pulling rain water away from the house. Next time your teenager mows the lawn, remind him or her to put those spouts back down after the mowing. Does the landscaping along side your foundation slope towards or away from the house? You want that soil and landscaping to slant away. How often are you cleaning your gutters of debris? The recommended timing for that is twice per season.  My fiancé is a stickler for this so he tends to do it once a month or more.  It has helped with my water issues tremendously.  If you have mature trees like I do, sticks, leaves, debris from the trees are constantly plugging up the hole the exits downward.  (and a little hint, don’t blow out your gutters too soon after a rain… I might have a little experience in that.) When you put your sump hose out this spring--- check them for small leaks that can be putting moisture back towards your house. Make sure the water runs far enough away from your foundation. I was also recently told by an inspector that having your lawn maintained helps with seepage back toward the house. That includes keeping the grass and landscaping in somewhat good shape and picking up debris.  All of that contributes to the overall health of your yard and home. Healthy grass absorbs the heavy rain; pulling water away from your foundation. We tend to have really wet springs here in Wisconsin and the clay that our homes are built on tends to suck up that moisture and create issues for us in lots of ways.  By being a little more diligent doing these foundation preventive maintenance items, I have had a noticeable difference in my water issue in my basement.  You can too! Check out Lauren's Spring Home Hacks here:  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 today.

HOUSING MARKET UPDATE - April 6, 2022 - THIS MARKET IS CRAZY! We get that comment a lot. We are hoping to answer some of those burning questions we get over and over again with a simple video update on what we are TRULY seeing in the market each week. Here is a quick update for March 29-April 5. Data for Oshkosh, Neenah, and Appleton - Number sold that were over list price and the median amount of the overages. Come back each week as we try to address the questions that we get from our clients and family and friends about this market. Our plan is to arm you with real time information as we gather it. WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK?  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN MARKET UPDATE – ARE HOMES REALLY SELLING FOR THAT MUCH OVER ASKING PRICE IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN? Video Here: Northeast Wisconsin Market Update - March 29 Yesterday, I shared about inventory and the real numbers for our market. I get asked questions about the craziness of the market and know that people are hearing all kinds of stories about how much over list price houses are selling for. I thought it would be interesting to run the actual data from our region – I did this not knowing what I would find. There are nuances to being successful in getting an offer as a home buyer in the 2022 housing market. It really helps to understand the data though before you make a buying decision based on rumors and news reports. For the homes sold between January 15, 2022 and today (March 29, 2022), here is what I found: Oshkosh, Wisconsin – 131 homes sold; 76 sold for under or at list price, of the 55 over list price – the median overage was $10,000 Appleton, Wisconsin – 147 homes sold; 57 sold for under or at list price, of the 90 over list price – the median overage was $11,600 Neenah, Wisconsin – 91 homes sold; 44 sold for under or at list price, of the 47 over list price – the median overage was $10,000 Additionally, if we just look at the median over/under price: 🏡Oshkosh – Median list prices- $165,000; 🏡actual median sold price $162,000 🏡Appleton – Median list price - $229,900; 🏡actual median sold price $235,000 🏡Neenah – Median list price - $280,000; 🏡actual median sold price $280,000 This market is tough. With so few homes, there truly are competitive offers being made. Price is NOT the only factor that is winning offers. Understanding what the seller needs is winning offers. That’s where your agent and the seller’s agent come in. We work together to find a win-win for both buyers and sellers. Get an agent that will share data with you AND is willing to work closely with other agents (ask them to give you an example of a time they did so.) Today, be empowered with the facts. Let the data help you decide your next steps. Let us know how we can help too!  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ 

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN MARKET UPDATE –WHAT DOES ALL THIS CHATTER ABOUT LOW INVENTORY MEAN?   Video Here: Northeast Wisconsin Housing Market Update - March 28 I needed to simplify market updates and the first reality that everyone needs to understand is how big the housing crisis is right now for available homes. I ran data recently on our local MLS for 3 main areas that we serve. I pulled off any homes that were on the market for double the average “days on market.” (These are homes that have been sitting on the market without offers for some reason or another. That number is less than 10 per community, but there are some.) Available homes = homes with no active offer on the market for less than 70 days 🏡Oshkosh Wisconsin – 16 available homes, median list price $294,900 (prices range from $58K to $1.4 million) 🏡Neenah, Wisconsin – 18 available homes, median list price $372,400 (prices range from $80K to $2.3 million) 🏡Appleton, Wisconsin – 21 available homes, median list price $315,000 (prices range from $60K to $770K) We need listings to meet the demands of buyers. Interest rates went up again last week--- locally we are hovering near 4.5% for a 30-year fixed mortgage. That’s up from 3% at the end of December. That will push buyers to move now also. More buyers, less homes, means crazy market bidding and list price escalation. If you have been thinking about buying OR selling and need help sorting out if it makes sense, we do have options and suggestions. Don’t go it alone and sit and wonder. Talking to a real estate agent and then a lender, doesn’t cost anything and it could give you piece of mind! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ 

Over the last few weeks and months, we've been releasing videos highlighting the communities in Northeast Wisconsin and the Fox River Valley (Fox Cities). Take a look at some of our playlist! UnPacking Wisconsin Northeast Wisconsin and the Fox River Valley have some of the best cities to live in within the nation and within Wisconsin. With this series, we highlight the communities we live in. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/