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The Process

It’s okay if you know absolutely nothing about me, I love meeting new people. That said, I love it even more when the road to our meeting has been paved by the introduction of a friend, or someone I’ve worked with before. You see, enjoying what I do is paramount. When being offered a referral, it’s not uncommon for me to ask “Are they fun?” Maybe you found your way here after hearing my podcast “Real Estate in the 608.” In that case you’ve got an idea as to how I roll and we’re halfway there. Just like any home, our relationship will need a good foundation. While there is endless information I could, and arguably need, to tell you, our first step and meeting will be an opportunity for me to listen and to learn your goals. While I’ll begin to share with you the best practices and insights that will make the process successful, we’ll also get a feel for one another and decide if we’ll enjoy the process together. I’ve got high hopes.

Buying

Buying a home is kind of a big deal. It’s serious and if executed poorly could mean financial ruin.  It can also be the easiest way to achieve generational wealth, all while keeping you warm and dry.  The first step to making sure we achieve the later, is a meeting. We’ll talk process and gain together an understanding of your wishes, goals, and if they are achievable on your budget.  We’ll talk about your income and debts and really understand what those numbers can mean to your ability to borrow, to buy, and to achieve your goals.

We’ll also get a feel for how each other operate and if we’d get along. After all, this is supposed to be fun. Right?

Don’t worry, we’ll talk about great light, hardwoods, re-sale, room-size and neighborhoods too.  Together we’ll begin to narrow the scope of the search and zero in on your new house. With luck, we’ll have found the home that either is, or better yet can be, the house you were dreaming of (sometimes that one is more affordable.)

Understanding your finances is a great first step. The calculator below will give you a general idea as to your abilities. We can talk too about how other debt, down payment amount, and credit rating can affect the loan you’ll likely get. For now,  you can use what you know to get a general idea.

Mortgage Calculator

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5%

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4%

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$1421

Monthly Payment

Principal & Interest $1421

Taxes $1421

Private Mortgage Insurance $1421

Hazard Insurance $1421

Selling

It’s as simple as the Three P’s. It’s also very complicated and requires an understanding of psychology and several other disciplines. I’ll likely also address a few M’s.

Price, Prep, Plan.  We’ll start there. The very best thing I can help you do is pick the right price. That is done not only through the study of recent sales, but often my having toured those very same homes with buyers. This allows me to know not only what conditions buyers are accepting but what needs be addressed.  That’s right, Prep.  Price can be a function of Prep. Finding the balance between Price and Prep is all part of the, you guessed it, Plan.

The Plan addresses the relationship between Price and Prep but also imagines a timeline, overlaying reality with our conjecture and imagined outcome.

We can undertake this process in whatever way you are comfortable. I’ll need to assess your home, and discuss your goals. Together we’ll review recent sales and think critically about your home as a product.

Working with a listing agent that works as often with buyers can be a real boon. They know what buyers are snapping up and what they are letting linger.  Couple the understanding of what buyers want, with the knowledge of how to achieve lasting and high-impact but efficient updates, and you’re addressing nearly all of the aforementioned P’s.

You’re right. We didn’t cover the M’s.  Marketing. Machine.  For years I worked alongside Liz Lauer. At Restaino-Bunbury turned Bunbury, and then Keller Williams,  I watched her develop and hone a system of marketing and advertising specific to our market and the very clients that are seeking out your home. It was a system that no one agent could execute nor afford. It is that machine that allows me to do all the things I excel at, for you, while the machine does the same for your home.

Homes I've Sold

A visual example and potentially a nearly complete representation of all the homes I’ve sold in my career as either a buyer’s or listing agent. You can see I lean east, but can appreciate beauty and balance anywhere we find it. In the words of Paladin, “Have gun, will travel.”

View Sold in a larger map

Real testimonials, from real people like you

We were relocating to Madison with no knowledge of the area looking for our first home. We came across the Lauer Realty Group website and were lucky enough to be connected with Ben. He helped us navigate a tough market while helping us get to know the area and understand the home buying process as first time buyers using a VA loan. With us buying remotely from another state, Ben went to countless showings and submitted numerous offers, each time putting in the effort to make sure our offer was competitive, but also beneficial for us as buyers in a seller’s market. With his knowledge of home improvement, we learned a lot from Ben and he was quick to point out any potential problem areas in the homes we saw. We ended up in a home we love after buying it sight unseen and that was only possible by our trustworthy and honest relationship with Ben as our realtor. We’d highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home in Madison!

Marlene from Zillow

Ben was great to work with. His expertise and the great team at Lauer and associates made our home sale an easy process, even with the constraints of the pandemic. I felt like we were in good hands from day one with Ben, and the marketing of the Lauer agency was top notch. I also appreciated the tips Ben provided to help us prep the house for sale. If you want to deal with a down to earth guy who really knows the Madison market, I would highly recommend you give Ben Anton a call!

Charlie from Zillow

We loved working with Ben and would highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home in the area. Throughout the whole process he was timely, knowledgeable, and honest. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience buying our first home!

Maggie and Jack from Zillow

We loved working with Ben for the purchase of our first home! We appreciated his extensive knowledge of the Madison area and its history along with his experience fixing-up homes. He gave us great advice for buying an older home. Would definitely recommend him for other first-time home-buyers!

Alex and Cayla from Zillow

Ben’s knowledge and the Real Estate in the 608 podcast have been a great help for me as a first time home buyer. I credit Ben for giving me a very real, specific and actionable guidance that helped me find a great deal on a house. He was a valuable and much appreciated source of knowledge. I would highly recommend him to anyone! Thanks Ben! Jim & Brittney

Jim and Brittney from Zillow

Ben helped us to find and buy our first home. He provided all information we needed, was super responsive with all our questions. He never pushed us in any direction with our decisions, but made sure that we are aware of every single detail about the homes we were interested in. He is very knowledgeable of local market and is just a nice person to work with. I highly recommend him as a great real estate agent!

Dmitrii from Zillow

Ben helped us find a condo for my mother and then helped us buy a home that was for sale by owner. He steered us into something affordable rather than trying to make a high-price sale in the first instance, and in the second, he navigated all of the complexities that come with home inspections and negotiations. The best part is that after the sale, he keeps helping. We had water in our basement from a faulty boiler, and Ben came right over to help figure out how to stop the water and make sure it didn’t happen again.

Rita Mae from Zillow

Ben has a ton of experience and it shows. Not only does he have years of experience as a realtor, he has also worked and trained in a variety of related fields like construction and inspection. He is familiar with every inch of every neighborhood in the city, and seems to know at least half the people on any given block. His advice and expertise were indispensable and I always felt like he was being honest and straight with me. He is also just a likable guy who seems to really enjoy his work, which are welcome qualities given how much contact you end up having with your realtor. I genuinely feel lucky that we ended up working with Ben, and I can’t recommend him enough.

Chuck from Zillow

Neighborhood expert with great connections. Handled a tricky sale with diligence and knowledge. Helped with finding contractors. Dedicated to his job and customers.

Paul from Zillow

We got to know Ben in the process of buying our first house in the Emerson East neighborhood in 2016. Initial impressions of the house didn’t have us too excited, but during our walk through with Ben he showed us what relatively simple changes could be made to fit our interests, and that the house had sound and modern functional components. We have now been here two years and could not be happier. During this time Ben has also been available to answer and consult about any questions we have regarding specific improvements that can be made. Great experience with Ben with great results! We have recommended him to multiple friends, and will continue to do so.

Danny from Zillow

Ben helped us buy our first (and only, so far) house. He stuck with us through a rough market but we ended up getting the best one we saw. On top of that, he’s been a great resource for home advice, repair, and improvement. He’s an honest realtor who knows a lot about houses and cares about Madison and its development.

Alex from Zillow

Ben is very knowledgeable and knows Madison, especially the East Side, very well. He’s honest and is not just trying to get you to buy a house. He’s looking out and got your back!

Erin from Zillow

Ben was a tremendous asset. The current home buying climate is extremely difficult and I do not believe I could have found a home that I could afford (let alone the home I really wanted) without Ben’s expertise. I can wholeheartedly recommend Ben without qualification.

Lance from Zillow

Ben was great to work with! He quickly tuned into us, what our needs were, and the type of home we were looking for. Ben is incredibly knowledgeable about Madison real estate, the different neighborhoods, and home construction. When we found the home we wanted, he proved to be an offer-writing expert which basically got us the home. He was accessible throughout the process and followed through in a timely fashion. Ben is also well connected in the Madison area and was able to connect us with professionals to do some work on our home. We highly recommend Ben and would work with him again if the need were to arise

Sarah from Zillow

I found Ben through a recommendation via a public forum. When I looked through the wealth of knowledge on his personal site, I knew that as a first time home-buyer, I was making the right choice. Ben is extremely knowledgeable about Madison, the market and how to navigate it even during the toughest of times. I worked with him for about 4 months, during which I was able learn a lot about the process and what to look out for. As a handy man himself, Ben can spot what are big issues and what are not. He’s quick to pick up what you like and dislike and is very straight forward with his thoughts. During the process Ben made one recommendation on a potential home and it ended up being the one I bought. If that doesn’t tell you that he’s in tune with his clients, I don’t know what will.

From Zillow

We were relocating to Madison with no knowledge of the area looking for our first home. We came across the Lauer Realty Group website and were lucky enough to be connected with Ben. He helped us navigate a tough market while helping us get to know the area and understand the home buying process as first time buyers using a VA loan. With us buying remotely from another state, Ben went to countless showings and submitted numerous offers, each time putting in the effort to make sure our offer was competitive, but also beneficial for us as buyers in a seller’s market. With his knowledge of home improvement, we learned a lot from Ben and he was quick to point out any potential problem areas in the homes we saw. We ended up in a home we love after buying it sight unseen and that was only possible by our trustworthy and honest relationship with Ben as our realtor. We’d highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home in Madison!

From Zillow

We loved working with Ben and would highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home in the area. Throughout the whole process he was timely, knowledgeable, and honest. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience buying our first home!

From Zillow