The market, the market, the market, all that hype and speculation! The truth is that at Shorewest Brookfield Waukesha, we are within one percent of last year's sales track record, units and volume. Sales are still going strong, even with the onset of winter. Why, you might ask? Because we give full service, advanced marketing, strong networking and have the power to make it all happen. Shorewest has been the area's premier real estate company since 1956, serving families and individuals with real estate services, and the community. We care about our clients and customers, we work as a team and that makes all the difference. Call today to see what we can do for you, even in this "market!"

Did you know that Wisconsin is a stable area for employment, financial product, and all the other factors that make up the midwest economy. Dr. David Clark, the economist who advises the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, says that real estate is still the greatest investment you can make!

10 new tax laws you need to know (Page 1 of 5)

10 new tax laws you need to know :
By Kay Bell � Bankrate.com


The major new laws of 2005 were prompted by Mother Nature.
The violent hurricane season wreaked havoc on millions of coastal residents, motivating lawmakers to enact measures to help out the storm victims. In the process, they also added some storm-related breaks for the rest of the country's taxpayers.
The Internal Revenue Service also issued a couple of rulings that many taxpayers will welcome, such as increased mileage deduction rates and an easier way to put off the inevitable task of filing.
But other changes, most notably the new tax definition of a child, will cause some filers extra effort and potentially costly headaches.
There's also one welcome change that's due simply to the calendar. This year, April 15 falls on a Saturday, pushing the filing deadline to the next business day, Monday, April 17.
Now that you have all that spare time, let's put it to use by looking at 10 tax changes that could make a difference on your 2005 return and to your 2006 tax planning.

NASA's Solar System Exploration: Multimedia: Our Top 10

NASA's Solar System Exploration: Multimedia: Our Top 10

This is the coolest website, real pictures taken by the Hubble, worth taking a look at! The universe is such a beautiful place.

Travel Tips for your Flights this Holiday Season

Holiday Air Travel

Many of you will be traveling this holiday season to spend time will family, friends, and loved ones. It is important that you are aware of the newest air travel rules to avoid any unnecessary inconveniences.

Here are some travel tips from the Transportation Security Administration to help make your wait at Security Checkpoints shorter.

Before the Airport

Do not pack or bring Prohibited Items to the airport. Read the Permitted and Prohibited Items list.
Place valuables such as jewelry, cash and laptop computers in carry-on baggage only. Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop.
Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry and accessories that contain metal. Metal items may set off the alarm on the metal detector.
Avoid wearing shoes that contain metal or have thick soles or heels. Many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector does not alarm.
Put all undeveloped film and cameras with film in your carry-on baggage. Checked baggage screening equipment will damage undeveloped film.
Declare firearms & ammunition to your airline and place them in your checked baggage.
If you wish to lock your baggage, use a TSA-recognized lock.
Do not bring lighters or prohibited matches to the airport.
Traveling with gifts? Do not pack wrapped gifts and do not bring wrapped gifts to the checkpoint. Wrap on arrival or ship your gifts prior to your departure. TSA may have to unwrap packages for security reasons.
At the Airport

Each adult traveler needs to keep available his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID until exiting the security checkpoint. Due to different airport configurations, at many airports you will be required to display these documents more than once.

Place the following items IN your carry-on baggage or in a plastic bag prior to entering the screening checkpoint:
Mobile phones
Keys
Loose change
Money clips
PDA's (personal data assistants)
Large amounts of jewelry
Metal hair decorations
Large belt buckles
Take your laptop and video cameras with cassettes OUT of their cases and place them in a bin provided at the checkpoint.
Take OFF all outer coats, suit coats, jackets and blazers.

Be safe and have a happy holiday!

(tips courtesy of advancedaccess.com)

ShorewesTV

Shorewest TV: Now available on Time Warner Digital Cable channel 139
Shorewest Realtors is the first real estate company - local or nationwide - to start its own 24-hour television channel. Active listing programming is presented in half-hour segments, separated by community. Each property listing features exterior and interior pictures, a detailed description of the property, plus the listing agents contact information. Additional listing programming includes multi-Family properties, commercial properties, Christies Great Estates properties and new home builders shows. Informative programming on the home-buying proccess, mortgages and real estate careers.

Homestore - Cities

Homestore - Cities

Planning to relocate? If so, there's a good chance you'll be moving to one of the 20 perennially popular cities listed below. If you are moving, one of the first things you'll need to do is select a neighborhood. To help you, Homestore? commissioned local writers to review four great neighborhoods?two urban and two surburban?within each metropolitan area. Click on the links below to learn more about a city and its great neighborhoods."

Relocation Crime Lab : Homestore Moving - Compare City Crime Records

Relocation Crime Lab : Homestore Moving - Compare City Crime Records:

Considering a relocation? Visit the Relocation Crime Lab -
Find out how one city's crime record stacks up to another's
Public safety is a key characteristic of any city's quality of life. This tool allows you to choose two cities and see how they compare, including an overall rating and crime-by-crime details.

Home and Garden: From Home Improvement to Decorate to Gardening

Home and Garden: From Home Improvement to Decorate to Gardening: "Make Sure Your Fireplace is Safe
Learn how to keep your beautiful fireplace from becoming a deadly hazard this winter.

Waukesha Real Estate - Brookfield Real Estate - Waukesha County Homes

Waukesha Real Estate - Brookfield Real Estate - Waukesha County Homes (Click on the headline for the full story): "ADVANTAGES FOR HOME SELLERS DURING THIS SLOW SEASON. Unmotivated home sellers often take their residences off the market during the holidays because (1) they don't want to be interrupted by buyers and (2) they know this is perceived as not the best time of the year to sell and receive top dollar.
However, this can be a major mistake, especially in local markets where there aren't many listings, particularly in the lower price ranges. The home sellers who 'tough it out' and keep their homes on the market during the holidays often become the big sales winners."

Real Estate News Sorenson Koenig Law Office Attorneys Ripon Wisconsin

Real Estate News Sorenson Koenig Law Office Attorneys Ripon Wisconsin: "Working With a Real Estate Agent
How to get the most from a real estate agent when you buy a house.
Most home buyers use a real estate agent or broker to help find a home, negotiate the contract and handle other details of buying a home. But before you hire an agent, learn all you can about the process so you know what to expect from the professional who will assist you. You need to be knowledgeable about your legal rights, your ideal home and neighborhood, your financing needs and options, and how to evaluate comparable prices"

JS Online: Sellers working hard to grab interest

JS Online: Sellers working hard to grab interest: "Sellers working hard to grab interest
By EMILY SHARTIN
Boston Globe
Last Updated: Nov. 26, 2005
There's an unwritten rule in the real estate industry: When the housing market slows down, show off.
As inventory grows, buyers are being wooed by more options, and sellers are seeking ways to make their homes stand out.
'Today, the buyer's got 10 choices when he goes out there,' said Bruce Taylor, president of ERA Key Realty Services in Whitinsville, Mass. "

Realty Times - Real Estate News and Advice

Realty Times - Real Estate News and Advice: "The real estate bubble naysayers whine about the 'bubble' as if the whole national real estate market were nothing more than another over-inflated stock exchange -- like the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Folks -- it's not. Real estate, like politics, is local and I wish those real estate journalists scaring the buyers with quotes from their stock market experts would just stop what they're doing and consider some real facts.
Fact: The top hot real estate markets in the U.S.A. are also the top hot job markets.
Fact: Houses are where the jobs go at night.
Fact: Without enough houses in a hot job market, your housing inventory will escalate in price.
Fact: There are 'pockets' of over inflated real estate
Fact: Unlike the stock market -- you have to live somewhere. Whether renting or buying, there is an automatic necessity for the ownership of real estate -- either by a homeowner or an investor. "

Market Trends

Welcome to my blog! This is a new feature and a project in progress. I hope to publish information about real estate that you can use to make good decisions and discussions about buying or selling your home. You are invited to visit my website, http://www.janbaldryhomes for more information, including buyer and seller tips, statistics about schools and communities, wonderful homes currently for sale, staging and decore ideas and so much more.

Shorewest is a full service brokerage that prides itself on excellent and extraordinary client services, including mortgage lending, title and closing services, referrals to service vendors, and always real estate sales that protect your investment.

I hope you find something to take away that will help you with your real estate needs!