In this installment of  Tom Braatz, How do I find the right real estate agent in Waukesha County? Series (#5) we will talk about the need to find a Waukesha County Real Estate agent that is very well connected; a support system and company, an active Internet presence, and the use of technology in in their business. I would be pretty fair and correct in saying that you could get any Waukesha County real estate agent to tell you they can get the job done, but there are many factors that can help you make a better and more informed decision about selecting the agent that can get the property listed, find you the right property, and get you to a successful closing with everything all addressed and followed in a correct manner. While there are a number of fine offices and companies located ... 09/24/2014

  In this installment of  Tom Braatz, How do I find the right real estate agent in Waukesha County? Series (#4 of 6)  we will talk about Waukesha County real estate agents specializing in different areas of the real estate Industry. This might seem very interesting to note that I see many Waukesha County real estate agents taking on different projects but I also know many that have a certain niche they have developed. There are those that I know which their niches make them strong. I know some people that work primarily on short sales. It requires a lot of time but because they have it down they make their numbers work. Then again I know agents that do nothing but land development and subdivisions. Again, these agents sell other avenues of real estate but they have a great knowledge of ... 09/20/2014

$239,900, 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House, 1380 sqft.     Tom Braatz | Re/Max | 262-377-1459 3320 N Silver Cedar Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Outstanding Summit Ranch on Large Park like yard 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House   $239,900 Year Built 1963 Sq Footage 1380 sqft. Bedrooms 3 Beds Bathrooms 2.5 Baths Floors 1 Parking 2 Garage Laundry In Unit Lot Size 2.6 Acres Website www.buyingvip.com DESCRIPTION Large parklike yard that is 2.6 acres. Long drive way with beautiul approach to home. Large kitchen with new cabinets and granite counter tops, large dining room with BICC,BIBC.Hard wood floors in all three bedrooms, craft room in finished lower level could easily be fourth bedroom,attractive living room with wood burning stove (nice),lower level finished with family area, and super bar, extra ... 09/20/2014

 In this installment of our series Tom Braatz, How do I find the right real estate agent in Waukesha County? Series (#3 of 6) we will talk about what to look for in selecting a commercial/Investment broker whether you are buying or selling commercial real estate. It's easy to see a lot of the great buys out there and there are many parts to the equation in buying or selling commercial real estate. When I sit down with a party that starts to pursue commercial avenues I ask them their needs and wants. I always recommend that they have a good attorney and accountant to talk to. I further ask them whether they are buying or selling how their accountant is going to structure the transaction, how they are going to finance the transaction and if I will be helping them find financing, and if th... 09/19/2014

 In our next part of our series  "Tom Braatz, How do I find the right real estate agent in Waukesha County? Series (#2 of 6)" the topic will be selecting the right real estate agent in Waukesha County to help you buy a home. This is not as easy as Googling Finding a real estate agent in Waukesha County . When you are ready to buy a home or property there are many areas of concern that you may want to address and make sure are covered before and during the home buying process. Your first plan of attack would be to have the Waukesha County real estate agent recommend a number of qualified lenders that will start an application and get you pre-approved for a property. By being pre-approved you know what you qualify for in terms of mortgage, what program will be best suited for you in corre... 09/17/2014

The topic today in Tom Braatz, How do I find the right real estate agent in Waukesha County? Series (#1 of 6) is finding the right agent to list your home. There are many real estate agents that are all too ready to list your home. There are a number of thoughts you need to entertain when hiring the right one. The first that comes to mind is the number of years they have been actively selling real estate, and do they sell or have they sold enough real estate to have gained lots of experience. The question is to ask them specific questions. I have put together a report entitled "The 19 Questions you must ask a real estate agent BEFORE you list your home". In this report are very specific questions that are to be asked to narrow the selection very fast. This saves lots of possible headach... 09/17/2014

A townhouse is a style of construction, whereas condominium and co-op are types of ownership. A townhouse is basically a building or unit that shares a common wall with the building or unit next door. The walls are usually straight and entry is usually from the ground floor. Townhouses usually have two or more stories. A townhouse can be a style of condominium.  A condo is where you own the actual structure of the building jointly with the other members of the association, along with common areas such as swimming pools, tennis courts or other common areas. Individually, you own the airspace and interior of the structure, but not the building itself. You and the other members of the association own the structure together. A co-op is where you own shares of a corporation or organization ... 09/16/2014

$179,900, 3Bd/1Ba Single Family House, 1060 sqft.     Tom Braatz | Re/Max | 262-377-1459 621 S Concord Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Magnificent Single Family Oconomowoc Wisconsin Ranch 3Bd/1Ba Single Family House   $179,900 Year Built 1952 Sq Footage 1060 sqft. Bedrooms 3 Beds Bathrooms 1 Bath Floors 1 Parking 2 Garage Laundry In Unit Lot Size .46 Acres Website www.buyingvip.com DESCRIPTION New roof 2013,gutters. Furnace/air 2005,appliances,all New Paint inside & out,all new windows,ceramic counters, ceramic floors in kitchen,bath, hallway,beautiful hardwood floors in bedrooms and living room.Lots of updates,large park like yard,2 car attached garage, nice Florida room off back.Large breezeway between attached garage and home. Natural fireplace for those winter days and central air for tho... 09/15/2014

$209,900, 3Bd/1.5Ba Single Family House, 1390 sqft.     Tom Braatz | Re/Max | 262-377-1459 1392 N Lapham St, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Estate and Rummage Sale Friday 7:30 to?. 1392 N. Lapham Oconomowoc 3Bd/1.5Ba Single Family House   $209,900 Year Built 1972 Sq Footage 1390 sqft. Bedrooms 3 Beds Bathrooms 1.5 Baths Floors 1 Parking 2 Garage Lot Size .3 Acres Website www.buyingvip.com DESCRIPTION This beautiful ranch in quiet Oconomowoc area. Attractive brick front. Hard wood floors in Dining room,Living room, and bedrooms. Family room with Natural Fireplace and patio doors that lead to private large deck. Large park like wooded yard with lots of Perennial plantings. Newer flooring going in kitchen,bath, and foyer shortly. Interior and exterior professional pictures to follow. Attached garag... 09/14/2014

When you live in Wisconsin and looking at the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real estate for sale you pretty much know we have our pride. We love our Waukesha County Lakes and Waukesha County Lake Homes, we love the Waukesha County farms and all Wisconsin farms, we love the Spring/Summer season, and we love the Fall/Winter season, but there is a third season that just makes Wisconsin a legend in football. That is Packer season and the Green Bay Packers. It's serious stuff here and one can often hear church services ending with "I know everyone is praying for the Packers today"or even the Pastor or the priest at the end of a service saying "Go Pack". This is a religion itself. Tailgating, parties, Packer Sunday, and if you are really lucky the pilgrimage where one makes the trip to Lambeau field i... 09/14/2014

 This is for the Oconomowoc Wisconsin market activity and is for the period of 8/14/2014 to 9/14/2014 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market 51 homes sold; 9 were list and sold by the same company, and 42 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc Real Estate market there were 55 new listings. In the Oconomowoc Real Estate market there were 29 pending listings. In the Oconomowoc  Real Estate market there were 0 withdrawn listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 0 canceled listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 45 expired listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 8 back on market lstings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 28... 09/14/2014

$239,900, 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House, 1380 sqft.     Tom Braatz | Re/Max | 262-377-1459 3320 N Silver Cedar Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Outstanding Summit Ranch on Large Park like yard 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House   $239,900 Year Built 1963 Sq Footage 1380 sqft. Bedrooms 3 Beds Bathrooms 2.5 Baths Floors 1 Parking 2 Garage Laundry In Unit Lot Size 2.17 Acres Website www.buyingvip.com DESCRIPTION Large parklike yard that is 2.3 acres. Long drive way with beautiul approach to home. Large kitchen with new cabinets and granite counter tops, large dining room with BICC,BIBC.Hard wood floors in all three bedrooms, craft room in finished lower level could easily be fourth bedroom,attractive living room with wood burning stove (nice),lower level finished with family area, and super bar, extra... 09/13/2014

  Off to Widmers to stock up on cheese and meet the Master Cheese Maker - Joe Widmer, Widmer's Cheese Cellars Entering Widmer's Cheese Cellars in the tiny town of Theresa, Wis., is like stepping back in time. Adorned with the flags of Swiss cantons on the outside, the plant inside affords visitors a close-up look at the making of some of the Dairy State's best, most classic cheese varieties. Just a step down from a small retail area sits the "make room," its traditional open vats being carefully tended, curds being stirred or hand-scooped into forms, or the famous Widmer bricks being gently placed atop the forms to press the whey out of the signature Brick cheese. The plant itself, purchased by the Swiss immigrant John O. Widmer in 1922, has been home-literally-to three generations of W... 09/11/2014

$239,900, 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House, 1380 sqft.     Tom Braatz | Re/Max | 262-377-1459 3320 N Silver Cedar Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 Outstanding Summit Ranch on Large Park like yard 3Bd/2.5Ba Single Family House   $239,900 Year Built 1963 Sq Footage 1380 sqft. Bedrooms 3 Beds Bathrooms 2.5 Baths Floors 1 Parking 2 Garage Laundry In Unit Lot Size 2.17 Acres Website www.buyingvip.com DESCRIPTION Large parklike yard that is 2.3 acres. Long drive way with beautiul approach to home. Large kitchen with new cabinets and granite counter tops, large dining room with BICC,BIBC.Hard wood floors in all three bedrooms, craft room in finished lower level could easily be fourth bedroom,attractive living room with wood burning stove (nice),lower level finished with family area, and super bar, extra... 09/06/2014

The Farmers’ Market is ALWAYS open! Every Saturday: 6 am to 2 pm – Rain or Shine AND Also visit The Wednesday Market in the 200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.Open from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm   This has got to be seen to believed. I always park of Mifflin Street and everytime I get back in my car I have a chance to reflect on all the interesting and bizarre things I have just seen for the last two hours. Totally modern, yet a through back to the sixties. I went with my friend and she was totally blown away at everything that was for sale, and I mean everything one can think of.  Have a productive day and I will see you at closing! tom braatz Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate, or any Waukesha County Real Estate LakeCountry Real Estate Feel free to email me at tom@tombraatz.com or call... 09/05/2014

Few know that the impact the dairy business in Wisconsin has on the state's economy is more than twice that of the citrus industry's impact on Florida's economy and nearly nine times the economic impact as Idaho's potato industry?Dairying in Wisconsin is not just another industry among many, but the industry that's made Wisconsin famous. It is the one industry that defines us in the eyes of our fellow Americans and in the minds of people from around the world. Wisconsin has been aninternational leader in dairy and cheese technology for more than 150 years.  Dairy farming and cheesemaking date back more than 160 years, before Wisconsin was even granted statehood in 1848. In fact, Wisconsin's first cheesemakers were farm wives who, in the 1830s, began making cheese in their kitchens as a ... 09/04/2014

So many times I have buyers ask me questions, and often many buyers will ask the same questions over and over. The same applies to sellers as well. I thought when I was redoing my website I would have a link that can take you to many different categories of interest; whether you are a buyer looking for advice and tips, or a seller looking for knowledge. You can find the answers and information by going to and clicking here at Thanks for the FREE buyer and seller information    I pride myself on my prolific Internet marketing plan and the degree I earned to get the certification. By the way; I am running low on listings and if you are at all interested in selling your home, or even contemplating the thought  I would be honored to give you a free determination and analysis in writing, and... 09/02/2014

                  There used to be a day that one would show up at their desk each week and between the MLS books and the desk phone you made things happen.  You stepped out of the box, you defined and invented yourself, you worked hard, and if you were successful you deserved to get paid. Well, to tell you the truth it has not changed much. You show up for the game prepared physically and mentally. You block out all the bad energy and objects that you know are not productive and never will be and you work your game plan. Sure times have changed. We have the Internet and if we are wise we have developed a system of viral marketing that enhances our business something fierce. We have enhanced our telephone techniques second to now, and when we cold call ( yes, I cold call everyday. Ask a... 09/01/2014

 This is for the Oconomowoc Wisconsin market activity and is for the period of 7/31/2014 to 8/31/2014 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market 56 homes sold; 12 were list and sold by the same company, and 44 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc Real Estate market there were 66 new listings. In the Oconomowoc Real Estate market there were 43 pending listings. In the Oconomowoc  Real Estate market there were 2 withdrawn listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 0 canceled listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 39 expired listings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 9 back on market lstings. In the Oconomowoc Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 2... 08/31/2014

Waukesha County Real Estate and the last 30 days of market activity. The following is the real estate market activity for the last thirty days in Waukesha County Real Estate . Waukesha County Real Estate is great. The following MLS information is for 7/31/2014 to 8/31/2014   In the Waukesha County Real Estate market 559 homes sold; 86 were list and sold by the same company, and 473 were sold by co-brokes. In the Waukesha County Real Estate market there were 788 new listings. In the Waukesha County Real Estate market there were 320 pending listings. In the Waukesha County Real Estate market there were 20 withdrawn listings. In the Waukesha County Real estate market there were 0 canceled listings. In the Waukesha County Real Estate market there were 351 expired listings. In the Waukesha C... 08/31/2014