There are times I will drive miles out of my way and take the long way to my office at 6:30 am just to avoid something I know I could cave to. It reeks of wonderful essence and it can pull you in like a salmon hitting the line on a warm June morning. Unbelievable how something so simple could be so powerful. What is this place that even a really strong and focused Waukesha County real estate agent named Tom Braatz can't even stand up to? Well, it's the Brownberry Ovens located on Summit Avenue in Oconomowoc. What could go better with ten cups of coffee in the morning, having all your cold calling ready for hours and ready to go? Well, that would be some great bakery? The smell travels for miles and pulls you in like a GPS.  Once inside you may as well surrender to your temptations. Lots... 12/20/2009

"You know you can always call me to ask about starting your Waukesha County Business: The beauty of the SBA" Over the years in my career I can honestly say some of the greatest and most rewarding times were when I was at a SBA closing and the buy said to me "Thanks for pulling this off for me Tommy, I can't believe I have my own business and building now." That made me feel so good because the work and the effort that was put into every Small Business Administration process was a joint effort working with some very amazing people; local and government underwriters, helping buyers with their mission statement and business plan, and seeing that smile at closing. God, I love seeing that smile! The truth is there is SBA money that people have access to. Take a look at Small Business Adminis... 12/18/2009

It seems every where we look there is someone telling you that you can't begin to breath unless you get their products, you can't do something because of one reason or another, and their remedy will make it all better; kind of like a band aid on a broken arm if you will. The sad thing is that many fall for many of these because they may have been searching or reaching deep down and at that moment a chord was struck. Now, there certainly is some great people out there and I have been fortunate to have some superb coaches and mentors. What gets me is where some one is telling some one how to pick up the phone and call, or to do this, or to do that, and guess what? They don't do it, or have not done it for years. The truth is we all have a strength in us that exists; what is hard is findin... 12/15/2009

  It was -2 degrees below zero this morning with a wind chill of -27 below. The temperature may be cold but the Oconomowoc real estate market. If looking for homes for sale in Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, or you are looking at selling a home in Oconomowoc or any homes for sale in Waukesha County, this may give you a good idea of the great activity taking place in the market. The following information is for the period of 11/10/2009 to 12/10/2009 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market 28 homes sold; 8 were list and sold by the same company, and 20 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc ,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 59 new listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 16 pending listings. In the Oco... 12/10/2009

In the Waukesha County Real estate market it's important to look good. Lars takes great pride in looking as dapper as he can be and does it by going to see Linda Rowland which owns Barkin Basement Dog Grooming. Easy to get to, and located in Oconomowoc Wisconsin Linda and Barkin Basement makes your dog look like a million dollars and she does it knowing and acting as if it were her own dog. Linda is absolutely charming and you pick up real fast on what a quality lady she is. Lars noticed it immediately and now he knows he has a friend that he loves to spend time with and she makes him look his best. It's not easy working on a 120 pound dog, but Linda does it with style and grace. So this holiday season and the rest of the year when you are looking to have your dog groomed you have a maj... 12/09/2009

Another great day in the Waukesha County real estate market and once more Lars kicks it out! Who would have thought that hanging around with a really great search dog/ therapy dog could have such an impact on my business. Lately this hit home when one of my new found friends that works in the Oncology department in the new Aurora hospital in Summit said he would talk to his HR connection and see if I could get Lars in there to visit people. I love the thought. Lars is very used to visiting people in isolated care and hospital, as well as retirement facilities so I just smiled at the idea.  It also resonates when clients call me and say "You and Lars be here about 4:30 so we can go look at the apartment building." I get tweets on Twitter www.twitter.com/tombraatz and Lars has a city of p... 12/08/2009

I suppose the first thing one really notices is the attention to detail in every Loos home. My clients are always pleasantly surprised by all the added amenities and outstanding craftsmanship that isput into every Loos home. Whether it be in Ixonia Wisconsin, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and lots of other wonderful areas in Wisconsin, one can always count on many wonderful surprises when they enter a Loos home. Corey Gerth is a wonderful salesman and a real asset to the Loos home construction team. He is a very personable person and makes everyone comfortable in the home building process. Greg Loos is a real gentleman and makes every Loos customer feel literally right at home. If you are looking to build an outstanding home and are comparing homes I invite you to let me show you these fine ho... 12/07/2009

  If looking for homes for sale in Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, or you are looking at selling a home in Oconomowoc or any homes for sale in Waukesha County, this may give you a good idea of the great activity taking place in the market. The following information is for the period of 11/04/2009 to 12/04/2009 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market 30 homes sold; 9 were list and sold by the same company, and 21 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc ,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 72 new listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 16 pending listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 2 withdrawn listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 0 canceled lis... 12/04/2009

It seems like some of the best places for food can be of the beaten path at times. There is a relatively new restaurant in Oconomowoc Wisconsin that has some pretty amazing food. Even though it is on Highway P (Brown Street) in Oconomowoc it is still being discovered by many. There are times I have a hankering for good chinese food in Oconomowoc Wisconsin and when I go to the China Town restaurant I know I will always have the bet of service, amazing food, and a happy environment that makes me feel right at home. It's always nice to see Danny's face welcoming me, and he and his family always make sure you are very welcomed. Did I mention the food was phenomenal? The China Town restaurant is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday 11:00 am - 10:00 pm, and Sundays 11:00 am - 9:00 ... 12/02/2009

  If looking for homes for sale in Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, or you are looking at selling a home in Oconomowoc or any homes for sale in Waukesha County, you can always search everything with my IDX MLS search button below. The following information is for the period of 10/26/2009 to 11/26/2009 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market 33 homes sold; 8 were list and sold by the same company, and 25 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc ,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 58 new listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 20 pending listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 1 withdrawn listings. In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 0 canceled listings. In... 11/26/2009

IPUAC name  Tryptophan or (2S)-2-amino-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoic acid Other names 2-Amino-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoic acid There are numerous ways to offset the effects of Tryptophan on the human body; many of these common Thanksgiving day remedies include a number of Beck beers, a few glasses of Dewars scotch, and also retiring to a den and turning on some action packed ice skating or a dynamic episode of the QVC channel. Whatever you may do have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Thanksgiving in the Waukesha County Real estate market. There are so many things to be thankful for, and sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the big picture. It does not take long to realize that happiness exists in no more than an eye glance.I thought you may want to take a little closer look at t... 11/25/2009

  When you are looking for homes for sale in Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, or you are looking at selling a home in Oconomowoc or any homes for sale in Waukesha County, you can always search everything with my IDX MLS search button below. If you are interested in selling your home or even knowing what is my Waukesha County home worth please visit the on-line value below. It's a busy time, and Oconomowoc real estate companies are there to help you. The following information is for the period of 10/16/2009 to 11/16/2009 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market 35 homes sold; 12 were list and sold by the same company, and 23 were sold by co-brokes. In the Oconomowoc ,Wisconsin Real Estate market there were 50 new listings. In the Oconomowoc... 11/17/2009

Anyone that works really hard at selling real estate in the Waukesha County market will tell you that everyday they get a reality check, or have to tell a client something, well, sometimes that might not be that easy. Seller: "Why isn't my home selling?" Straight forward agent: "That's because I told you we were competing with lots of homes and we are overpriced. In order for the home to sell we need to have all the stars lining up, then we can get to a successful closing.Your home is still very cluttered and the others are immaculate and are set in a stage where the buyer can visualize and get a concept of what the rooms really lend to." Being positive is crucial in Waukesha County real estate, and being realistic is ever so important. I see everyday three factors that can hurt a marke... 11/16/2009

It was a long day in the Waukesha County Real Estate market so my son Spencer decided since we went to the cheese factory last Saturday (see Saturday with my son Spencer in Waukesha County to Dodge County: Our trip to the Widmer's cheese factory ) we should visit the candy store across the street. Confections For Any Occasion is a wonderful candy store that just so happens to have heavenly chocolates. Confections For Any Occasion has a great selection, great atmosphere, and very friendly people working in it. The counter help Rachel was very pleasant and helped my son Spencer with everything he needed to know about the superb candy at Confections For Any Occasion. The owner of the shop Joel became interested in candy making in his advanced baking class where he learned to make chocolate... 11/14/2009

Lot 1 and Lot 2 are now ready to be purchased, and I will have Lot 3 and lot 4 ready soon. The first two lots are each 3/4 acre, abut the retaining pond, and best of all they can have outbuildings. The lots right across the street are $105,000 and $110,000 and can not have outbuildings. All the grading, the engineering, erosion and drainage work is in, and we seeded the lots as well. Why are these magnificent lots such a bargain? That is easy; the investments that we go into are waiting and now you can really benefit. I have attached a number of pictures and I have a complete file from everything from the county, plats, CSMs, and all my records. Call me at 262-377-1459 or email me at tom@tombraatz.com. In Waukesha County I had comps from the city of Oconomowoc far more expensive. These ... 11/08/2009

Today is October 28th, 2009 and the meter is literally ticking for first time buyers to take advantage of the First time buyers home tax credit. Buying a home is like a calculated chess game, and the time to buy is now. If we really worked at it and we found you a home in the next week we could make the closing deadline of November 30th, 2009. It will require some work, and effort, but if you are looking at buying a home in Waukesha County, and you are a first time home buyer in Waukesha County we could make this happen. All you have to do is pick up the phone and call me or email me. The first time buyer tax credit is for real, and it will only last for so long. Have questions about the credit? Want to start, but need to know the steps or the procedure? Call me and I will be glad to t... 10/28/2009

Often in life, and when buying or selling Waukesha County Real Estate the process can be confusing. When it seems like we should trust our gut feelings, or more appropriately our intuition as it is known, it turns out just fine. Some of my best decisions have been listening to my intuition. I guess it just goes to show that  Sometimes in Life you just have to take risks and go for it! Granted, there are some risks that one knows will be possibly detrimental or may have other consequences, but for the most part, when we are reasonable and we are able to keep focus of what our primary mission or perspective goal was it turns out to work for the best for us. It's no different when we are buying a home in Waukesha,Wisconsin or we just started looking at homes for sale in Waukesha,Wisconsin.... 10/25/2009

 When you are looking for homes for sale in Oconomowoc,Wisconsin, or you are looking at selling a home in Oconomowoc or any homes for sale in Waukesha County, you can always search everything with my IDX MLS search button below. If you are interested in selling your home or evenknowing what is my Waukesha County home worth please visit the on-line value below. It's a busy time whether you are buying a home in Oconomowoc or if you are selling a home in Oconomowoc. Oconomowoc real estate is good and Oconomowoc real estate companies are there to help you. The following information is for the period of 6/20/2009 to 10/20/2009 and is for the entire MLS content for this period.   In the Oconomowoc,Wisconsin Real Estate market 133 homes sold; 36 were list and sold by the same company, and 97 w... 10/21/2009

Recently, I was talking to a fellow Oconomowoc real estate agent, Mike Herro, of Oconomowoc Real Estate.Mike Herro , his brother Ken Herro , and brother attorney Mark Herro always do alot for the community and now they are really stepping up to the plate with others in order to make a difference in the Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation www.opef.info . I am fortunate to have such wonderful agents and attorneys to work with in this community. The Haunted High School will be one of a kind in experience. In all honesty, I have a uncle named Tom Pearce that was accidently killed in this high school on November 13th, 1944. A very True story.Dates:  October  9 - 10,  16 - 17,  23 - 24,  29 - 30 - 31.  Open 7 - 10:30 p.m.. Ticket counter 6:30 p.m    Built in the early 1900s as Oconomowoc H... 10/20/2009

I learned a long time ago that the minute you thought you were spinning your wheels you had to take a step out of the box and find a way to get out of your slump. It's like taking an escalator up to no where. When we can be critical and yet improve our real estate knowledge and awareness to benefit ourselves, our clients, and everyone else it becomes a win-win situation. Sure I like wearing nice suits but I also like the idea that I have the ability to be laided back at times and always love what I do by helping people buying and selling real estate in Waukesha County. I have other Waukesha County agents telling me they are busy but not seeing results. That confuses me. If you are not seeing results it is time to take a step back and convert being busy to being productive. If you are lo... 10/17/2009