Why Buyers Ask So Many Questions About Monthly Payments Sellers are sometimes surprised by how detailed buyer questions can get, especially around monthly costs. This isn’t hesitation; it’s preparation. Most buyers today are educated, cautious, and planning long-term. What Buyers Are Really Trying

  How Property Taxes Influence Buyer Decisions (Even When They Love Your Home) At Castle Rock Realty, we often hear sellers say, “Buyers will love this house once they see it.” And many times, they do. But there’s one factor buyers look at early, sometimes before emotions kick in, that sellers don’t

  What Is Escrow and Why Your Payment Can Change After Closing One of the most confusing moments for new homeowners is getting a notice that their monthly payment has changed. The interest rate didn’t move, so what happened? Most of the time, the answer is escrow. What Escrow Really Is (In Plain Eng

How Property Taxes Are Calculated in South Central Wisconsin At Castle Rock Realty, we hear this question all the time: “Why are property taxes different from one house to the next?” It’s a great question and one that’s much easier to understand once you know how local taxes actually work. Property

  The Hidden Monthly Cost of Homeownership: What the Apps Don’t Always Show At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping our neighbors across South Central Wisconsin feel confident about buying a home, not just excited on closing day, but comfortable every month after. One thing we talk through often with

  Selling Your Home in Frigid Weather? Here’s the Good News for Sellers At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping our neighbors across South Central Wisconsin feel confident about selling their homes, even when winter shows up with icy roads, frozen car doors, and windchills that make you question your

Why -17°F is the Best Day to Buy (or Sell) a Home in South Central Wisconsin They say character is built in the cold. If that’s true, South Central Wisconsin has plenty of it today. While most of the region is currently huddled under a weighted blanket or debating if it’s worth the frostbite to run

Three Costly Mistakes Sellers Can Still Make (Even in a Seller’s Market) Over the years at Castle Rock Realty, we’ve talked with many homeowners across South Central Wisconsin who assumed that selling in a strong seller’s market meant everything would fall into place automatically. While today’s mar

Why It’s Not Too Early to Start Planning for the Spring Real Estate Market Over the years at Castle Rock Realty, we’ve talked with many homeowners across South Central Wisconsin who felt unsure about when to start planning their home sale. A common question we hear every January is, “Is it too early

  What to Expect When Selling Your Home for the First Time (or the Fifth) Over the years at Castle Rock Realty, we’ve talked with many homeowners across South Central Wisconsin who felt both excited and unsure about what comes next when selling a home. Those feelings are completely normal. Whether t

Does Getting Divorced Affect Your Ability to Buy a House? At Castle Rock Realty, we know divorce can feel like it puts everything on pause. One concern we hear often is whether getting divorced permanently affects your ability to buy a home. The good news is that for most people, the impact is tempo

Can I Buy a New Home While Going Through a Divorce? At Castle Rock Realty, we often hear from clients who are ready to move forward but are unsure if buying a new home is possible before their divorce is final. This is a common concern, and the answer depends largely on lender requirements and docum

Do I Need to Sell My Home If I’m Getting Divorced? At Castle Rock Realty, we understand that divorce brings a lot of uncertainty, especially when it comes to your home. One of the first questions many people ask is whether selling the house is required when going through a divorce. The answer depend

  How Do You Know If You’re Ready to Buy a Home? At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping feel confident about every step of their real estate journey. One of the most common questions we hear is, “How do I know if it’s the right time for me to buy a house?” While everyone’s situation is different, th

  How to Get Top Dollar for Your Home in Today’s Market At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping our neighbors feel confident when it comes time to sell their home. Even though the market has shifted over the last couple of years, one thing is still true. We are still in a seller’s market. The differe

What Is Earnest Money and How Does It Work When Buying a Home? At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping our neighbors across South Central Wisconsin feel confident about every step of the home buying process. One question we hear often from buyers is about earnest money. What is it, how much do you ne

What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House? At Castle Rock Realty, we love helping our neighbors across South Central Wisconsin feel confident about every step of their real estate journey. One of the most common questions we hear is what credit score is needed to buy a home. The answer depends on

Mortgage Rates Are Down: What That Means for Homebuyers in 2026 If you’ve been watching the housing market and waiting for interest rates to come down, the shift over the past year is worth paying attention to. At this time last year, 30-year fixed mortgage rates were averaging around 7.62%. Today,

  At Castle Rock Realty, we love supporting the incredible businesses and creatives that make our community vibrant. That’s why we’re thrilled to spotlight Oh! Arts in Mauston for this month’s Giveaway & Business Spotlight. Oh! Arts is more than just a gallery, it’s a creative hub where art and comm

  At Castle Rock Realty, we love any excuse to give back to our amazing community—and our monthly giveaway is one of our favorite ways to do it. This June, we’re thrilled to partner with a trusted local business that goes the extra mile for their customers: Kudick Chevrolet in Mauston, Wisconsin. 🚗