New Harvest Art Auction Tonight

One of my favorite Biennial events in Madison is the New Harvest Foundation Art Auction. This is a great opportunity to socialize, raise money for a great organization and ultimately take home some amazing and wonderful art.

This year's auction is tonight, Friday, September 19, 2008.

The event has had a change of venue. It will be hosted at the Marriott Madison West and will begin at 5:00 and run until 8:30. For more information on tonights event, visit the New Harvest webpage by clicking here.

New Harvest Foundation is the only foundation in Dane County that channels charitable contributions exclusively to organizations working to promote gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) rights, services, culture and community development. Founded in 1984, New Harvest Foundation is operated by an 18- member Board of Directors, along with other volunteers. It pools contributions of hundreds of donors each year to provide grant money to GLBT causes.

Living in Madison-What a Summer It's Been!

I've made a commitment to post at least 3 items each week regarding real estate and lifestyles of Madison for the GLBT Community as a way to spread the word about what a great city Madison truly is.

It will be challenging. My summer is really busy. I have a lot of great business opportunity on the calendar and an awesome end of summer vacation planned. The good news, I can create the newsletter in advance, tweak it online from anywher in the world, and make sure what get sent is current.

What business opportunities are there for me? Here's just the next 6 weeks:

RISMedia CEO Exchange, Denver, CO: I've been asked to serve as a panelist for the kick off panel at this great event. I'll be sharing my thoughts on how to maintain profitability in a challenging real estate market. I attended this program last summer and had a chance to spend time with many industry leaders both from the brokerage side as well as the affiliated business side of our industry. I'm looking forward to hearing the latest and greatest from companies like Trulia, Google, Sharper Agent, and Zillow.

Keller Williams Realty Advanced Instructor Skills Camp, Dallas, TX: This invitation only event has me really excited. I'm one of just 12 people invited to this 2 day intensive training. As part of the program, I have to deliver a 1/2 hour presentation on a segment of KWU "Camp 443" to the group of my peers and the instructors for the course.

Wisconsin REALTOR Association Board of Director Meeting, Eklhart Lake, WI: This will be my last Board of Directors meeting for my term on the WRA Executive Committee of the past 3 years. I'll be staying involved after my term ends as I'm in year 1 of a 3 year term on the WRA Political Strategy Committee.

Fargo, ND Market Center Training, Fargo, ND: I lost a bet with Fargo Team Leader, Perry Hurth over the Wisconsin/North Dakota State Hockey Game earlier this year. The loss cost me $20 and a trip to Fargo to train at their office. I'm excited to spend 2 days in Fargo with Perry and his great group of agents.

Keller Williams Realty Mega Agent Camp, Austin, TX: This annual event should be a great one! Gary Keller will be releasing his newest book "The Shift" as part of this 2 day event. If it's anything like "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" it should prove to be an awesome tool to help agents succeed in this market.

VACATION: At the end of August I fly to London for a 10 day Atlantis cruise from Harwich, UK to the great city of Barcelona, Spain. It's been 2 years since we've had a trip like this and I'm really looking forward to it. Devery (my partner) and I will be catching up with great friends from Louiseville, KY and Montgomery, AL on this trip.

There you have it. My next 6 weeks. Along the way I will be certain to get at least blog posts out on a weekly basis. I'll also be sharing what I learn from many of this great upcoming opportunities.

Please give me your feedback as well. I'm always striving to make this the best it can be. Send me your thoughts at darren@kittlesonteam.com

Getting Married In California Could be Criminal

Yet, just another reason why the debate around same sex marriage should be ended, all U.S. residents should be treated equal and we can focus on more pressing issues comes this from The Capital Times:

"Wisconsin is a state that imposes criminal penalties on residents if they enter a marriage outside the state that would be prohibited in the state. The law was created to prohibit underage couples from crossing state lines to marry, but it could be interpreted to apply to same-sex marriages, according to Glenn Carlson of Fair Wisconsin, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians. In Wisconsin, the penalty is a fine of up to $10,000, nine months in prison, or both."

So not only is it not legal to get married to my partner in Wisconsin, it is ILLEGAL to get married to him in a state that recognizes Same Sex Marriage and come back to home to Wisconsin. The state where he and I reside, run a business, employ many people, pay our taxes, contribute by volunteering our time, etc....

I wonder what it's going to take to make this ridiculous debate end.

When To Lock Mortgage Rates

“What do you think about rates … should I lock in now or wait to see if they fall further?” Think I’ve been asked that a time or two over the past 18 years? You better believe it. It’s a good question—one that goes through every single buyer’s head at some stage. A quoted interest rate is no good unless you’ve confirmed, in writing, that your loan is indeed “locked,” or guaranteed for a designated period of time.

You need to be proactive with your locked rate as well and don’t assume that your loan officer already locked you in. In fact, your loan officer shouldn’t lock in your rate without your specific instructions. If it was locked in and rates went down you’d be pretty mad, wouldn’t you? While neither real estate agents nor loan officers are in the business of predicting the future, it’s still possible to make a prudent choice in the face of uncertainty. Would you rather lock in your rate and watch rates fall or not lock in your rate and see rates go up? If you decided to lock and rates go down, you’ve secured the market rate that you were happy with. But if rates went up and you didn’t lock, you’d be paying for that mistake for the rest of the loan.

There is an even worse possible scenario: After not locking in your rate, rates shoot up and you no longer qualify for the loan.

So it’s important to ask yourself: “Which way would I rather be wrong?”

If you are comfortable with the rate you’ve been quoted, talk to your real estate agent about the possible consequences of waiting to lock it in.

Written by David Reed, author of Mortgage 101 and Mortgage Confidential.

333 W. Mifflin-Met Place Phase II Resale

We just listed another great offering in Metropolitan Place Phase II.

A great unit with southern exposure on the 5th floor above tree line and roof lines. Great views, an open floor plan and plenty of space. The kitchen has granite countertops and stainless appliances. Maple flooring throughout the living areas and carpet in both bedrooms. Bath has granite surfaces and tile floors. Enjoy the amenities of the complex with a large excercise facility and 1 acre rooftop park above the 5 story parking facility.

List Price: $269,900

For up to 30 photos of this offering and a virtual tour, visit our website.

I Just Love Dane County Farmer's Market

It is another gorgeous Saturday in Madison, WI!

I just thought I'd extol the virtues of one of Madison's treasures--The Dane County Farmer's Market.

This event happens every Saturday from late April to mid October on the capitol square.

Today the produce is really starting to roll in. Strawberries are in season, asparagus is just leaving, lettuce and other leafy greens are big. Saw our first carrots today as well.

I purchased some strawberries, sugar snap peas and 2 mint plants for my balcony herb garden (mojitos for the summer). The market isn't all fresh produce either. We bought our first pack of Jalepeno Bacon Brats from our favorite meat vendor as well. (D&G Custom Processing from Poynette) Can't wait get them on the grill.

Perfect Harmony Men's Chorus Delights Crowd at Summer Concert

Last night we had the pleasure of listening to Perfect Harmony Men's Chorus (PHMC) perform their summer concert entitled " Sail Away with Perfect Harmony".

For those who might not know, PHMC is an 11 year old group of Gay Men and Allies who typically produce 2 concerts in the Madison area each year. Last night the group performed songs about the sea, sailing and seaman (pun intended). From the opening song of "Introit" from Mass for the Sea to the uplifting end of the first 1/2 of the concert with the singing of River in Judea that the group dedicated to recently murdered community activist Felicia Melton-Smyth, the group never missed a note and the performance was very enjoyable. Adding to the performance of the singers was a very well played "fiddle" by a member of the chorus to the "Introit" piece.

The second 1/2 was a preview of the songs PHMC will be performing at this years' GALA Festival of Choirs in Miami this July. I will say this 1/2 was a little less impressive due to the inclusion of 2 pieces PHMC had commissioned for their 10th Anniversary in 2007. Neither "Tomorrow, God Willing" nor "Things that Never Die" really came off well. I truly feel neither commissioned piece was well written, thus the thud of the performance by the group. There we 2 bright moments in the second half--the opening performance of "The Awakening" and the rousing rendition of "When I Sing" with soloist and co-artistic director Ian Riddell.

If you missed last night's performance you have another chance to hear PHMC this summer. They will be performing all of their repetoire for the GALA Event as a fundraiser for the Madison Chapter of PFLAG on July 10, 2008 at the Glenwood Moravian Church located off of Monroe St., near Dudgeon school. Suggested donation for this event is $10 with 100% of proceed going to the Madison PFLAG Chapter.

Keller Williams Madison on Power Broker Report

Agents at Keller Williams Realty Madison West and Madison Crossroads were beaming with pride when Real Estate Magazine released its 20th Annual Power Broker Report in its April issue.

The Madison offices, along with its sister office in Wausau, made the list of the Top 500 real estate offices in the United States. The three offices were ranked 316th for transactions and 361st in the sales rankings out of 887 companies who were participated in the survey.

“We are extremely excited to make the list," said Darren Kittleson, Operating Principal of the three offices. "Those rankings may not seem like much at first glance but when you take into account how many thousands of real estate offices there are in the United States, this is quite an honor for us.

"Although we one of the youngest companies to come into the market, our sales volume and sold units has climbed steadily over the past 6 years” states Kittleson.

"We always tell people we are one of the best companies in the local area and this helps to validate what we tell everyone," said Brett Boettge, Team Leader at the Madison Crossroads office. "Our education, training, KW Systems and culture have helped our agents stay productive even with the recent downturn in the market."

"Our agents work hard for their clients and have embraced the tools that the office has to offer," adds Jessica Fox, Team Leader at the Madison West office. "That is why we continue to stay highly profitable when other offices are merging with each other or closing down. We are also excited that they picked us one of the companies to watch," said Fox. "Keller Williams has always been one of the most innovative national real estate companies and has been called the "Microsoft of Real Estate" because of its unique model. We follow the model and that has helped us stay competitive in this market."

The annual rankings are based on results garnered from a survey by RISMedia, publisher of Real Estate Magazine. Based on these results, Kittleson has been invited to speak at the RISMedia Annual Power Broker Forum in Colorado this July

“They’ve asked me to speak on the topic of maintaining profitability in a downturn market” states Kittleson. “Our rise in the rankings from 499 in 2006 to 316 in 2007 without any company mergers or acquisitions has been an indicator that what we are doing is working. I’m excited about the opportunity to share this with top industry leaders in July.”

The magazine ranks residential brokerage firms according to closed transaction numbers and closed sales volume. All sales and transaction volume comes directly from brokerages, and is verified and substantiated by external sources-in most cases, accounting firms-prior to publication.

For more information on Keller Williams Realty, please call Darren Kittleson 608-662-9501

Madison Business Alliance-A Great Networking Group

Madison has a great and active group of LGBT business owner's and professionals who make up the "Business Alliance". This group, founded in the mid-1990's holds regular monthly meetings as a chance for the LGBT business community to network.

Touted as the Madison Area's LGBT Chamber of Commerce, this group promotes business to business referrals, networking and a chance to meet other community business people in a social setting.

Check out their website for upcoming events. http://www.madisonbusinessalliance.com/

A funny Review of New Bar-Woof's

I enjoyed reading the latest review of Madison's newest gay bar, Woof's in this weeks Isthmus. I found it odd that the female reporter chose to review the club on a Saturday "special event" night with the theme being "Beg For It" party.

Kudos to Dino and Jason, owners of this new club for getting a fair amount of good press. It's nice to have an alternative to The Shamrock downtown as well.

See the Isthmus article here.

333 W. Mifflin- Great Downtown Hideaway

Unit 209 was bought and finished to be a weekday apartment for an out of town executive. Perfect for that use or daily living as well.

Many upgrades include granite kitchen and stainless appliances.

Tastefully finished and furnished for the most discriminating downtown buyer.

Only $204,900

To see more photos of this great offering and a virtual tour, visit our website.

155 E. Wilson-Contemporary Union Transfer Living!

Ultra Contemporary Condo boast loads of glass tile and granite. Cork floors in bedrooms, tile everywhere else. This is a fun and funky place to be.

2 Bedrooms

2031 Sq. Ft.

Lake Monona Views

Awesome Kitchen!

Great Building just 2 blocks to capitol square!

To see more photos and a virtual tour, visit our website.

Camp Bingo-Not to Be Missed

Tomorrow, Sunday March 30 is the final session of Camp Bingo sponsored by The Onion. The "campy" event is a lot of fun and raises money for Madison's AIDS Network. Devery and I attended our first "Camp Bingo" last month. Being bingo virgins we had a lot to learn. We had a blast and plan on being there tomorrow.

Doors open at 1:00 p.m. with the first number called at 2:30. Why would you want to be early? Because this isn't your normal game of bingo. The games are fun and confusing so you want to get there early to "blot" out the numbers you won't need on your bingo cards.

Cost: $15.00
Location: Edgewater Hotel, 666 Wisconsin Ave. Madison

Theme tomorrow: Bingo in OZ (how many Dorothy Gale from Kansas' Queens will there be?)

100 Wisconsin Ave. Living in the center of it all

We're now offering a great 9th floor condo in the prestigious 100 Wisconsin Avenue building. This is the only residential building on the capitol square. This unit was completed in late 2007 and features over 2000 sq. ft. of great living space.

Some unit features include:

• High end kitchen with contemporary cabinets, SubZero refrigerator, Wolf 6 burner gas stove and a super quiet Bosch dishwasher. There's an under counter wine fridge and a large walk in pantry as well.
  
• Master bath with walk in steam shower, oversized, jetted stainless steel tub and double vanity stainless sinks.
  
• 8' 4 panel contemporary doors with 9-10' ceilings throughout.
  
• Entire home is wired for sound with programmable system, 2 flat screen plasma TV's and an awesome sound system.


• Large balcony with gas hook up for grill and views of Lake Mendota.

This is the builder's own unit so there are many great finishes. Visit our website to see a virtual tour of this great offering.

Great Downtown Condo for Sale

Summer is fast approaching and wouldn't it be great to be within walking distance of all the great activities downtown Madison has to offer?

Here's your chance. We just listed this great 3rd floor unit in Metropolitan Place Phase I. This building is only 3 blocks from the Capitol Square. Walk to Madison famous Farmer's Market, Concerts on the Square and the fantastic terrace at the UW Memorial Union.

This 2 bedroom unit is truly in move in condition. Tastefully appointed with many upgrades. To view more detail, loads of pictures and a virtual tour on this great offerring, click here.

Welcome To Gay Madison Real Estate

I decided to start a blog about real estate in Madison from the gay client point of view. Over the past 15 years, my partner, Devery Cash and I have built a strong business helping gay and lesbian homebuyers through the search and purchase process. Our team is dedicated to giving the best customer service to everyone from the initial search through to the offer creation and negotiation all the way to closing.

We've been life partners for 9 years and active business partners for the past 5 years. Devery really runs the day to day operation of the real estate team. I work with 3 Keller Williams Realty offices in Madison and Wausau Wisconsin serving as the Operating Principal, Broker and a trainer for over 250 real estate agents in Wisconsin.

I hope you enjoy our blog and visit is often.