GREETINGS FROM VERNA ACKER
REALTY EXECUTIVES Elite
414.534.7400
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Real Estate Information from Western Racine County; Waterford, WI 53185
Vol VI March, 1999

ROCHESTER HAS A LAND USE PLAN ON THE TABLE
Rochester is moving closer to a land use implementation plan. The committee has worked hard to address that long-term concerns of the property owners, while at the same time preserving the agricultural farmland treasured by the residents of the area. The plan on the table addresses an average density of one house per five or more acres in areas where the DNR or local government is not interested in affected acreages. There is also a discussion of cluster developments which minimize costs and preserves open space. The goal is to get away from the random, scattered subdivision look. The summary chapter is being written and then the plan goes before the village and town of Rochester boards for approval. Bob Willard is the chairman of the committee.

WATERFORD AND BURLINGTON WIN FINANCING FOR BICYCLE PATHS
The municipalities will receive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grants from Gov Tommy Thompson's office, to be funneled through the DOT and SEWRPC. The Waterford bike/pedestrian path will run along a half-mile stretch on Hwy 20 and 83 and will connect the 386 homes in the 250-acre development, Fairview Estates on the western end of the village. The path will connect to the village's existing sidewalk system and make use of the Graded School District's existing bike path system

GREAT WEB SITE TO CHECK OUT
Go to http://www.inspect-ny.com/ This is an excellent home inspection site. I will be linking it FROM my web site, for your convenience. It has guidelines for choosing an ASHI home inspector, information on appliances, chimneys, electrical systems, environmental hazards, heating systems, maintenance of interiors and exteriors, roofing, structure and more. It is an exceptionally comprehensive site.

1998 RACINE COUNTY STATISTICS
Waterford closed 144 residential units at an average sale price of $150,137. Average days on the market was 103. Burlington closed 178 units in 1998, average price of $132,569, Days on market: 111. The town of Norway closed 61 units, average price: $172,959, DOM average: 90 These statistics are taken from the Multiple Listing Service by Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel.

NEED MORE CALCULATIONS?
Go to www.MortgageCalc.com - perhaps, according to Inman News, "the mother of calculator web sites.

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SO FAR IN MARCH?
38 PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN LISTED THROUGH THE MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM IN THIS MARKET AREA. FOR A COMPLETE LIST, E-MAIL AND WE WILL SEND THEM ALL TO YOU:
There is a 2 bedroom home own on Harrison St in the town of Dover. $94,900. MLS#455912
A new construction, 1.5 story on Daybreak Ct in Wind Lake. $187,900. MLS#456151
A 3 bedroom on Bark Lane on a small lot with access to the lake. $108,900. MLS#454924
A two family/townhouse on Herman in Burlington. $129,900. MLS#455403
Some nice 5 and 8 acre parcels in Dover for $65,000. MLS# 455376,455373,455380
There is a two family building site at 204 Musquequack in Rochester. $36,900 MLS#456122
How about 90 acres on Hwy DD in Rochester? $279,900. MLS#455638
Two condominiums on Eagle Lake, $94,900 and $114,900. MLS# 455826 and 455538
Marina Cove has a waterfront condo for sale at $138,500. MLS#455873
THE BEST YET! I just listed an extraordinary Italianate four-square antique with over 3,000 s.f. It is on 5 acres and is picture-perfect from the road. The interior is outstanding. Remodeling was done with taste and craftsmanship. It is a must see. By next week you should be able to view it on the internet. Call for a color brocure or better yet, call for an appointment. $239,900. MLS#455902
RECENT SOLDS IN THE AREA;
The brick antique at 207 E. Main closed on Wednesday at $76,000.
The 10.4 acres with pond, barn and ranch home closed at $223,000.
A Fannie Mae foreclosure duplex closed in East Troy for $95,000.
35 acres of secluded, pristine vacant land on Hwy DD in Spring Prairie at $132,500
An acreage in Shepherd Oaks just closed $135,000.
If you would like full printouts of any of these, just get in touch with me: verna@vernacker.com

HAVE YOU BEEN RECEIVING VIRUS WARNINGS?
To help you determine whether the warning is credible or whether it is a hoax, here are some sites you might want to bookmark and check every once in a while. The sites are like a 'consumer listing' of frauds on the net. http://netsquirrel.com/combatkit/ http://www.hoaxkill.com/ http://www.kumite.com/myths/ The next time you receive a warning message, verify the contents of the message before sending it to anyone else. The HoaxKill website contains some information to help you do this. Another good source of information about hoaxes is the Computer Virus Myths page by Rob Rosenberger, "kumite." If after visiting these websites, you are still not sure, you can send it to hoaxcheck@hoaxkill.com. They will try to verify it for you. This message comes from Jeroen Sikking of Oxcart Software.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Life is like a ten speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use. Charles Schulz

GREETINGS FROM VERNA ACKER
REALTY EXECUTIVES Elite
414.534.7400
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Real Estate Information from Western Racine County; Waterford, WI 53185
Vol VII March, 1999

JUST LISTED THROUGH MLS
A new listing came up on Mormon Rd in Burlington; a ranch home on 1/3 acre. The description says that there are a lot of updates, including a new septic. Asking $89,900. MLS#456922
A brick ranch was listed on Church St in Burlington. It has a screen porch and a rec room in the basement. Asking $136,500. MLS#456861
A lakefront home on Lakeshore Dr, Kansasville, on Eagle Lake was listed at $220,000. It has an exposed basement, a fireplace, a whirlpool tub and more. MLS#456857.
An executive home on Wildberry in Rochester with 4 bedrooms is listed at $349,500. This is a custom beauty in an area of lovely homes. MLS#456768
There is a duplex lot on Musquequack St in the village of Rochester. Asking price is $36,900. MLS#456122
A 4 unit apartment building in Burlington on Lewis St is listed at $174,900. MLS#456480
In all, 15 properties have been listed in this general area since March 8. If you want a full print out or want more information on any of these, e-mail me: verna@vernacker.com

SOLD/CLOSED SINCE MARCH 8, 1999
33910 Hillcrest, Burlington. $97,000. Bohners Lake area.
207 E. Main St., Rochester. $76,000. Antique rehab candidate.
2780 N. River Rd, Rochester. $145,000. Brick, stairless ranch on the river.
511 Honey Lake Rd, Rochester. $211,000. 2 story on a wooded parcel, 1+ acre.
28961 Sunflower Ln, Waterford. $162,200. 1800 s.f. on ½ acre in Golden Meadows.
8735 Halverson Rd, Waterford. $262,000. "Greathouse" design. 70s home on 8+ ac.
204 Front St, Burlington. $59,900. Vacant Land. 1.4 acres
Lot F, Bayfield Dr, Waterford. $42,700. Vacant Land. 1+ acre. Bayside.
968 Spyglass Hill, Waterford. $200,000. Condo. Country Club Villa.
Want a printout of any of these? Send me the address. verna@vernacker.com

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF SELLING, CONSIDER A PRE-SALE INSPECTION.
Think about ordering a pre-sale inspection if you have lived in your home for a while or if you have a property that may need some work. It is expected that a buyer will order a professional inspection following an accepted offer on a property. If the buyer discovers problems with the home that they were not aware of when they wrote their offer, they have a tendency to add up what they think the problems may cost to rectify and approach the seller with a request for a lowered asking price. As the listing agent, we can talk until we are "blue in the face" to try to convince the buyer that the deferred maintenance they are talking about was considered when we established the asking price. If you think that there is work to be done that could be considered significant, hire a professional inspector at the beginning. You will then be able to give the buyer detailed information about the home, along with your regular condition report. The offer to purchase states that the buyer accepts conditions that they know about (the full nature and extent). If you tell them everything that you know and then hand them a professional inspection, you eliminate most possible objections after an accepted offer. AND, if the buyer doesn't like something about the property it can be dealt with in the offer, rather than after-the-fact requests to renegotiate the sale price. Sellers, as well as buyers, are encouraged to use local inspectors who are well known and respected in the community.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS CARING FOR OR RESTORING AN OLD HOUSE?
I found an excellent web site that gives information, advice and assistance on castings, decorative glass, fireplaces, fabrics, hardware, joinery, lighting, plumbing, plaster, tiles as well as color schemes, decoration, bathrooms and kitchens -–in fact everything about old houses! Go to www.oldhouse.com

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER?
Have them e-mail to me and they will be put on the list.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If you want your dreams to come true….don't oversleep.

ANOTHER GOOD THOUGHT
And if I should lose, let me stand by the road and cheer as the winners go by. Berton Braley.

GREETINGS FROM VERNA ACKER
REALTY EXECUTIVES Elite
414.534.7400
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Real Estate Information from Western Racine County; Waterford, WI 53185
Vol VIII March, 1999

THE HOME SHOW WENT GREAT! Val Bostrom won the door prize for bringing in her e-mail newsletter. There were about 2500 show goers to see the more than 70 exhibitors. Everyone who attended said they had a great time. If you missed it, be sure to put it on your year 2000 calendar.

DO YOU HAVE A Y2K OBSESSION?
There is a Y2K survival bunker for sale. Billed as "the most unique and secure real estate you could ever own," this luxury home – a nuclear missile silo, is as impervious to the hazards of weather and social chaos as you can get. Two gentlemen who own Franwick Industries, a real estate developing corporation, are selling the silo located in beautiful Adirondack State Park near Lake Placid, as a $2.3 million secure luxury home complex with it own private airport. See it at www.adirondack-airpark.com

SOMEBODY SAID TO ME THE OTHER DAY…
That they thought most of my buyers came from the area because they thought I marketed mostly in the Waterford area. So….I took some time to check where our buyers have come from in our recent sales: Covington, KY, New Berlin, Kenosha, Beloit, Waukegan, IL, Waukesha, Hales corners, West Allis, Shorewood, So. Milwaukee, Brookfield, St. Francis, Appleton, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Racine, Clinton, MI, Grayson, KY, Westlund, MI, of course this area, too. This is just a partial list. Some of our prospective buyers, at the moment, are from Morton Grove, IL, Chicago, Bristol, Warren, OH, Barrington, IL, Kenosha, Crystal Lake, IL…and that list goes on, too! JUST IN CASE you think you should hire an out-of-the-area Realtor to find an out-of the-area buyer, I thought you might like to know that our marketing program is local and world-wide, too. Pass this along to anyone who asks J !

WHAT IS NEW SINCE LAST WEEK?
*A 2 bedroom in the Bohner's Lake area for $87,500 #457154
*A 3 bedroom, brick ranch in the city of Burlington. 3 season porch. $124,900 #457461
*A classic Victorian, in Burlington, with 4 bedrooms and walk up attic. $127,900. #457549
*A 2 bedroom on Jefferson St in Waterford with a garage. $89,000 $457071
*A two story across the street from Lake Tichigan. 3 bedrooms. $159,900. #457584
*A 4 bedroom, brick two-story on Barnes Lane in Waterford Woods. $162,500. #456955
*A ranch on 20 acres gently sloping to a creek. Two garages. $425,000 #457299
These are listed in MLS. Call me for print outs of the full information

WHAT HAS CLOSED IN THE PAST FEW DAYS?
*On Hillcrest in Bohners Lake area. $97,000. MLS#442208
*On Park Ave in Burlington, a 3 bedroom ranch with 4th bedroom lower. $119,900. #451615
*Luxury multi-level in Cedar Park with Browns Lake access. $123,000 #443013
*A colonial in the Bay Ridge Subdivision in Burlington on Ridgemont. $151,700. #448199
*2530 N. River Rd in Rochester on the Fox River, between the dams. $139,900. #452298
*Beautifully restored Victorian in Honey Creek. Many updates. $170,000. #450082
*Older 1.5 story on a triple lot. Maintained beautifully. Waterford Woods. $117,900. #454153
*Nearly new ranch in Ivy Glen in Waterford. $132,000. #449498
*A lot on Wild Goose Lane in Burlington, 1 acre +. $37,000. #457072
*A lot in the Norwood Subdivision in Norway, 413 x 163. $29,000. #444483
*A four family on W. Chestnut in Burlington. All brick. $150,000.
*An efficiency condominium in The Browns Lake Condo Project. $24,500. #430010
*A condo in the Country Club Villas in Waterford. 2 Bedrooms/2 Baths. $200,000. #427462
If you want further information on any of these solds, e-mail me: verna@vernacker.com

DID YOU KNOW?
The legions on the internet are growing by leaps and bounds and according to one recent study 38% of Americans older than 16 are already hooked up. The IntelliQuest Information Group, Inc study claims 79.4 million adults are already online, while 100 million will be accessing the Net by the year 2000. (Taken from Inman Stories Newsletter)

HAVE YOU HEARD?
The Realty Executives franchise has 485 open offices in 43 states, 5 Canadian provinces and 6 other countries. The Waterford office of Realty Executives recently received the top place award in the entire international franchise for the highest production per agent. We have placed in the top three for the past four years. We are "kind of proud". Our plaque came in the mail the other day. J

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Optimism: a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing even though it is in hot water up to its nose. (taken from my fortune cookie the other night)