Newest listings in Hudson Are There (Just Further Down!) You are doing some serious house-hunting. You’ve been Googling ‘newest Hudson listings’, but when you click on the most popular sites, somehow the ‘newest Hudson listings’ are the same ones you’ve seen before. Worse, some of them turn out to have been sold! Or the price was wrong! Or the agent isn’t even the agent anymore! What is going on? Doesn’t Google (or Bing, or Yahoo!) promise to show you sites with the newest listings in Hudson? How can the most popular sites (at the top of their results page: Zillow, Realty.com, Trulia) be showing ‘newest listings’ that were sold last month? Or contact numbers that take you to an answering machine that never calls back? The answer is not mysterious, but it can take a while to catch on. Th... 02/28/2013

Phipps Center for The Arts, 109 Locust St, Hudson, WI Galleries Exhibit! January 11th - February 10th Don't forget about the Phipps Center for The Arts Galleries Exhibition running through February 10th! It's FREE and a great way to see what some of our local artists are creating! Take some time and view some fine art and take advantage of our wonderful Phipps! Here are the artists on display: Gallery One: Leslie Pilgrim (Mendota Heights)Gallery Two: Ursula Hargens (Minneapolis), Tara Sweeney (St. Paul)Gallery Three: CathyJean Clark (Neillsville, WI)Overlook Gallery: Mary Bergs (Minneapolis)Commons: Tom McGregor (St. Paul)Atrium: Gloria Adrian, Barb Bend, Sheila Bergman, Karla Faith, Deanna Grigus, Theresa Harsma, Patty Kuebker Johnson, Steve King, Teri Power, Sue Rowe, and Linda Webste... 01/30/2013

Buy 4 Games, Get One FREE Coupon! Hudson Bowling Center 1801 Ward Ave, Suite 224 Hudson, WI 54016 Feeling cooped up this winter? Time to get out and do something fun with friends and family. Head out to  Hudson Bowling Center and get your bowling shoes on! Thanks to Hudson Bowling Center and Go Buy Local, you get a rewards coupon: Buy 4 games, get the 5th FREE! So come enjoy yourself and do something different for a change this winter!  01/28/2013

Hudson Wisconsin Hot Air Affair 2013 February 1, 2, 3, 2013 Come join in the family friendly fun for the 24th Annual Hudson Hot Air Affair! There will be an evening parade, hot air balloon launches, arts and crafts, art show, fireworks display, hot air balloon moon glow, food, geocoaching,  smoosh boarding (which as you obviously know is the art of skiing collectively with four people through an obstacle course), live music, including a concert featuring American Idol finalist Reed Grimm, ice carving, cook-offs, wine tastings and so much more! Don't miss this great event that attracts thousands from near and far! This year's theme is Majestic Flyway. I have no idea what that means exactly, but it sure sounds...majestic! See schedule of events for the Hudson Hot Air Affair here. UP UP A... 01/21/2013

$1 Off Bruegger's Bagel: Any Sandwich or Salad! Redeem this $1 Off Coupon at the locally owned and operated Bruegger's in Hudson, WI. Come in and get $1off any of Bruegger's wide selection of fresh sandwiches or salads for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! 131 Carmichael Road, Suite 105Hudson, Wisconsin 54016715-381-3510 Bruegger's gives $.50 to your selected local school or cause when you use this deal on a $15.00 purchase. Go Buy Local Hudson! 01/07/2013

  Azul Tequila Opens in Hudson, WI!  Located in Strip mall on Hanley Road at Carmichael Road Just this past Wednesday Azul Tequila Bar & Grill opened in Hudson, WI on Hanley Road. Serving Authentic Mexican cuisine in a family friendly, relaxing, yet fun environment, the Guzman Garcia family check off their sixth successful restaurant open in Wisconsin. Azul Tequila has something for everyone... children's menus, combo platters, daily and lunch specials, take-out, and did I mention Happy Hour all day long? So start the New Year right and celebrate at Azul Tequila for  buy 2 margaritas get 1 free deal, delicious food and more! Check out their menu here.   Happy New Year! 12/31/2012

 The Postmark Grille Opens in Hudson WI!                                                     225 Locust Street  Hudson, Wisconsin 54016  The former downtown Hudson post office building just got a major face-lift. It's now the Postmark Grille, serving Italian-American cuisine from scratch. Yes, I said from scratch. This unique restaurant has been restored beautifully, and owner Russ Evenson, his children and restaurant managers Derek Evenson and Erica Schletty have uncovered many of the original pieces of the building, keeping the "post office" feel in much of the restaurant. It has been decorated accordingly to maintain the historical integrity and intention of the building. Check out this great video done by Hudson Patch on the Postmark Grille: This Ma and Pa, family owned restaurant m... 12/27/2012

HUDSON REAL ESTATE MARKET: How Does 2013 Look? It's Wednesday, and we now officially have less than a week before Christmas, and less than two weeks before we ring in the New Year! My does time fly. So what will our local real estate market look like for 2013? There are a few key factors that will play an important role in the continued stabilization of the market.  Who's on The Job?  The unemployment rate is certainly a critical factor in whether or not our real estate market will continue to grow. The good news is according to recent unemployment rates reported here, the St. Croix Valley dashboard shows that St. Croix County is at 4.3 percent, which is below the Wisconsin and Minnesota averages, and well under the National Unemployment Rate at 7.7 percent. Unemployment has modestly de... 12/19/2012

Dunn Bros Coffee Bogo Drinks Coupon and Weekly Giveaway Time for a little update on our friends over at Dunn Bros Coffee: This week you can like their Facebook Page to get the member-only coupon & enter the weekly giveaway. This week you get a Buy One Get One FREE coupon for any drink after 1 pm through Friday. Click here to get your coupon. That's just the beginning of great coupons and giveaways. Sign up to become a Dunn Brother or Sister by signing up for emails or following them on Facebook or Twitter for news and exclusive rewards.  Don't forget to grab a pound of their freshly roasted HOLIDAY KONA BLEND to surprise your friends and family with over the holidays. Everyone will definitely be in the Christmas spirit with a good cup of joe to share! The Holiday Kona Blend features 10... 12/12/2012

Real Estate: What's The "Fiscal Cliff" Got To Do With It? Dare I write a blog about the looming "fiscal cliff" ahead? I know hearing that term one more time may push some of you right on over that proverbial cliff. It really is annoying, constantly hearing about what this mayhem could all mean, being at the mercy of our elected politicians we hope will make the right decisions for our future. It's no doubt how we handle the fiscal cliff ahead will affect the economy, but the real estate market has it's own cliff looming ahead. HSH.com wrote a helpful article here explaining 5 things to watch out for in the real estate market. I'll touch on each of these points: 1. The Mortgage Interest Deduction Expires Our elected politicians haven't voted to extend the tax breaks yet, so it's possible... 12/04/2012

1 Minute Hudson WI Real Estate Market Update Looks like deals this week aren't just in the retail world. Just this week this article from The Wall Street Journal stated that mortgage rates have "dropped to their lowest levels on record. The rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.31% last week from 3.34% a week earlier and nearly 4% a year ago". This is certainly motivating news not only for buyers, but for sellers as well. Median sales price is up in Hudson, and there have been 20 new listings on the market so far this November as opposed to 1 last November! It appears sellers are confident to list their homes, hoping buyers are out there taking advantage of record low mortgage rates. So far this November there are 17 sold listings. I'll update you next week on how the Hudson marke... 11/28/2012

Holiday Open House and Food Drive Keller Williams Realty Hudson, WI Non-perishable food items will be collected at the Open House to be distributed to food shelves in Hudson, River Falls, and New Richmond. Come for a great cause and lots of fun!: FREE Pictures with Santa Food sponsored by Brueggers Baked Goods Sale Face Painting Holiday Music We'll see you there! 11/26/2012

Tips for Selling Your Home During Winter Here we are again, snow is in the forecast tomorrow.  As you all know, the winter-like weather is imminent, and it seems like it lasts about half the year. I remember a few winters ago we had a snowfall in early May. April showers did not bring May flowers that year. It was cold and ugly for six months straight. So with half the year dedicated to dead foliage and frigid temps, a homeowner could use a few tips on how to sell their home during the winter months. Like I discussed in a previous blog, for some, the winter months are the right time to sell. So here are some tips for selling your home during the winter: 1. Shovel with a Dash of Salt: Nothing says home to a buyer like walking up a driveway, slipping and falling before they even get in t... 11/26/2012

Hudson Holiday Boutique 2012 December 1st 9am - 4pm Hudson High School 1501 Vine Street, Hudson, WI 54016 Looking for some one-of-a-kind gifts? Come see unique items from over 130 artists and crafters from Minnesota and Wisconsin for this unique sale thanks to the fund raising partnership of Youth Action Hudson & St. Croix Valley Youth Court. See all kinds of jjewelry, wood working, apparel, stained glass, floral, home decor, yard art, cards,  and so much more from local artists and crafters! There will even be door prizes and food!  Visit the Holiday Boutique and Craft Sale Facebook Page for more details!   11/24/2012

Reindeer in the Park December 1st 12 - 4 pm Lakefront Park Come see Santa and his reindeer at Lakefront Park, in downtown Hudson! Bring the kids and your camera to take pictures with old St. Nick and real reindeer! Santa's a kind soul, so of course it's FREE! Candlelight Stroll November 30th 6-9 pm Come enjoy carriage rides through the dazzling streets of downtown Hudson, decorated with festive lights, candles, music and more. Don't miss these great holiday events that downtown Hudson, WI has to offer!    11/21/2012

Light Up the Night Hudson, WI: Downtown Hudson Christmas Lights Display Second Street November 23, 7:00 p.m. 5,4,3,2,1... Lights, Camera, Action! Come enjoy the beauty of Downtown Hudson with friends and family as Santa and his elves light up the night on Second Street of downtown Hudson. Holiday music will fill the air, Christmas lights will dazzle the street, candy canes, a horse drawn sleigh, children's activities, hot chocolate, cider, cookies, face painting, and holiday sales will be available thanks to Second Street businesses. Get in the spirit and join this great tradition! Here's a sneak peak caught by Hudson Patch from last year!:   11/14/2012

Your Hudson WI Real Estate Pulse: Current Market Trends Phew!  The election is over, the holiday season is here, and dare I mention some fluffy white stuff is on the ground this morning? With so much to read and keep up with in the news these days, I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, and mostly because there haven’t been a whole lot of changes in the Hudson market since my last blog. So here’s the real estate market pulse for Hudson: Today's Market Trends for Hudson * Median Listing Price: $349,430 -0.05% Median Listing Price/Sq Ft: $128.00 -0.04% Total Listings: 208 -0.01% Total Listings Previous Months: October September   211 215   -0.02% 0.01% Currently, as you can see in the charts below there are 14 new active listings for November, and 7 sold listings.  *data collected f... 11/12/2012

The Phipps Center for The Arts Presents: "It's a Wonderful Life" Tickets: $22 for adults/ $15 for students, with a $2 discount for opening weekend, and 2$ senior discount for Sunday matinees. Fridays: Nov 9,16, 23 & 30 at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays: Nov 10, 17, 24 & Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Sundays: Nov 11, 18,25 & Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.   I'm going to assume if your reading this blog, you don't live under a rock and have seen Frank Capra's film "It's a Wonderful Life". Here's a clip if your having amnesia or have never watched television your entire life. (pretty much the only 2 ways you could possibly not know of this movie)   This movie is amazing, but the Phipps Center for the Arts makes it come alive with James W. Rodgers live stage production of "It's a Wonderful Life". The story is about George B... 11/07/2012

Selling Your Home During The Holidays? Good or Bad? November is here. The leaves are brown and dead, and fortunately annoying political commercials will die off now as well. Thankfully this past weekend granted us another hour of much needed sleep to prepare us for the holiday season ahead. Conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t try to sell your home during the holidays, but thanks to technology and the current market trends, it may be time for a new way of thinking. Now before you completely write me off and explain all the reasons why it’s a bad idea to sell during the holiday’s, spare me, I’ve heard every excuse in the book. I’d have to agree, for many it’s just not the right time to sell, but for others, the timing couldn’t be better. So for those of you who really could sell, but ... 11/05/2012

Hilltop Pumpkin Party at YMCA Camp St. Croix Hudson! 532 County Road F, Hudson, WI October 27, 10 am - 3 pm   Who knew a relatively boring, orange (my least favorite color) gourd could inspire so many parties, festivals, food options, coffee drinks, smashing, carving, decorations and the list goes on? Hudson keeps the tradition of the pumpkin going with the Hilltop Pumpkin Party! Get ready for: Horse Drawn Wagon Rides Petting Zoo Pony Rides Free pumpkins at the pumpkin patch pumpkin decorating magician shows arts/crafts food and drink of course bounce houses k-9 demonstrations MUCH MUCH MORE - see schedule of events here Bring the whole family and enjoy this free event! To the pumpkin patch!... 10/24/2012