PARE Consultants

10/20/2026

🚨🏡 3 Things That Could Be Hurting Your Home’s Value

Think your home’s value is only about location and square footage? Think again!

Here are 3 things that can negatively impact value:

1️⃣ Deferred Maintenance 🔧
Leaky roofs, outdated mechanical systems, water damage, peeling paint, or other obvious repairs can make buyers question the overall condition of the property.

2️⃣ Poor Curb Appeal 🌳
Overgrown landscaping, damaged siding, cluttered yards, and neglected exterior maintenance can create a poor first impression and affect buyer appeal.

3️⃣ Overly Personalized Updates 🎨
Not every improvement adds value. Extremely specific renovations, unusual layouts, or high-end upgrades that don’t match the neighborhood may not provide the return you expect.

💡 Bottom line: The most valuable improvements are often the ones that keep your home well-maintained, functional, and appealing to the market.
Before investing thousands in a renovation, consider how it fits with the homes and buyers in your area.

🏡 Your home is unique. Its value is too.

10/08/2026

🍂🏡 Hello, October! 🏡🍂

Fall is here, and it’s a great time to take a fresh look at your home and your real estate goals.
Thinking about buying, selling, refinancing, settling an estate, or simply curious about what your property is worth? A professional appraisal can provide an independent opinion of value based on the property, market conditions, and comparable sales.
As the leaves change, the real estate market continues to change too. 📊
From all of us at PARE Consultants, we hope you have a safe, beautiful, and cozy October!

09/22/2026

🏡 Tuesday Knowledge Drop
“My neighbor sold for $500,000, so my house must be worth $500,000 too!”
Reality: Not necessarily! Even homes located on the same street can have very different values. An appraiser looks at a variety of factors, including:

📐 Size & layout – Square footage, bedroom/bath count, and overall functionality matter.

🔨 Condition & updates – A recently remodeled home may have a different value than a home needing significant repairs.

🌳 Lot characteristics – Lot size, location, views, waterfront, topography, and other features can impact value.

🚗 Amenities – Garages, finished basements, decks, outbuildings, pools, and other features can make a difference.

📊 Comparable sales – Appraisers analyze multiple comparable properties and make adjustments for meaningful differences rather than relying on one sale.

Your neighbor’s sale is certainly useful information—but it doesn’t automatically determine your home’s value.
Every property is unique, and so is its value. 🏠

09/04/2026

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

As we enjoy the long weekend, we’re taking a moment to recognize the hard work that keeps our communities—and our homes—moving forward. 🏡

Whether you’re working on a home improvement project, buying or selling a property, or simply enjoying some well-earned time off, we hope you have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend!
From all of us at PARE Consultants, thank you to everyone who works hard to make our communities great. ❤️

08/19/2026

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ PARE is proud to support the Tinman!
We’re honored to sponsor an event that brings people together while giving back to and strengthening our local community. The Tinman is more than a race—it’s an opportunity to support a great cause, get active, and make a positive impact right here in our community.
We’re looking forward to cheering everyone on and being part of another great Tinman!

We just can't thank our sponsors enough! We are so grateful for your support to make this another successful event :)

PRESENTING SPONSOR
Culver's (S&L Companies)

TRAILBLAZERS ($2,000 - $7,499)
PARE Consultants . Fun Company . FarmJam . Brian & Holly Slater

MENTAL HEALTH WARRIORS ($1,500 - $1,999)
Precision Automotive Repair . Reedsburg Area Medical Center . Pack-Em-Inn Sports Bar

COIN FRIENDS ($250 - $1,499)
Busted Knuckle Ag Repair. REWILD Natural Health Clinic . Premier Windows . Bees Knees Waxing Studio . Styles with Courtney . Littleton Trucking . Brian & Holly Slater Kevin & Karen Wilson . Cindy & Duffy Wage . Therapy Without Walls . Pro Cut Tree Service
Hay Creek Cabins . Grace Counseling . R Painting . Reedsburg Lions Club . Checkered Flag Embroidery . Wisconsin Dells . Paquette Center . Steve & Luann Blakeslee LaValle Team Penning Assn . Kinsman Construction . Marsten Construction . Bodendein Family . ABI Insurance Agency . Jamie Phephles REMAX . Nielsen Family
Fenwick Family . Heidi Nemitz-Gavin Bros . Miramont Behavioral Health . Viking Village . Peterson & Co. Fitness . Chrissy’s Moonflower Reiki . Sacred Grounds . Headwater Sage .
Barb & Richard Blakeslee . Corazon Counseling & Wellness . G-Line Fence Co . MH Construction . The Awakened Center . Busy Bee Bakehouse

Please let us know if we missed you!

07/30/2026

It's been a while since we've checked in with everyone! We hope summer is treating you well 🌞

There's no shortage of appraisal myths out there, and one of the biggest is something many people believe is actually true.

"I spent $50,000 remodeling my home, so it's worth $50,000 more."

✅ Reality: Cost does not always equal value.

One of the biggest misconceptions homeowners have is that every dollar they invest in renovations automatically increases their home's value by the same amount. In reality, an appraiser looks at what buyers in today's market are willing to pay for those improvements—not just what they cost.

For example:
✔️ A beautifully remodeled kitchen may increase your home's value, but it may not add every dollar you spent.
✔️ A luxury bathroom in a neighborhood of modest homes may not bring the return you expect.
✔️ Replacing an old roof or HVAC system is important, but buyers often see those as necessary maintenance rather than premium upgrades.

The bottom line: A renovation can absolutely add value—but the market determines how much value it adds.

Some simpler things you could do to up the value of your home. Start with the basics: improve curb appeal, keep up with maintenance, and make your home feel clean and inviting. Updates like refreshing kitchen and bathroom faucets & paint, modern lighting, updated flooring, and energy-efficient features can make a difference. Adding usable space, such as a finished basement or home office, may also increase appeal. Remember, not every improvement adds the same value you invest. The best upgrades are those that match what buyers in your market are looking for and improve the overall condition, functionality, and desirability of your home.

05/21/2026

We hope everyone has a safe & fun holiday weekend! It’s been a busy stretch for our team lately — plenty of boots on the ground and reports in progress!!

🇺🇸 Memorial Day Weekend marks more than the start of summer in Wisconsin — it’s often the unofficial kickoff to lake property season. 🏡🌲🚤

This time of year, appraisers historically see a spike in inspections for:
• Cabins
• Vacation homes
• Campgrounds
• Waterfront land

In Northern Wisconsin towns like Minocqua and Hayward, the market can completely shift after Memorial Day once docks go in, roads clear, and buyers head north.

Memorial Day also signals peak season for Wisconsin’s recreational economy:
🎣 Bait shops
⛳ Golf courses
🍔 Supper clubs
⛺ Campgrounds
⚓ Marinas
🍻 Seasonal bars

Wisconsin real estate truly has seasons — and Memorial Day is where the market starts to feel like summer. ☀️

04/22/2026

Earth Day is a reminder that the land we use, build on, and live from is more than property—it’s our shared foundation.

Today is a chance to appreciate the soil beneath our feet, the water that sustains us, and the spaces that shape our communities. Every thoughtful decision—big or small—helps protect what we pass on to the next generation.

Happy Earth Day 🌎

Check out pareconsultants’s video.

04/14/2026

Timeline Tuesday!

Did You Know? 💭
The 1990s Basically Rebooted the Appraisal Industry

Back in the 1990s, the real estate world had its own version of a system crash.

After the Savings & Loan Crisis of the late ’80s and early ’90s, investigators found that some banks were approving loans based on inflated property values and weak documentation. In short—too many deals were running on bad numbers.

So, the industry had to hit reset.

What came out of that era:
• Appraisers became state licensed (before that, many weren’t required to be)
• USPAP became the standard rulebook for how appraisals are done
• Stronger rules were created to keep appraisers independent from lenders
• Documentation standards got way more detailed (yes… that’s why reports are so thorough today)

Why this still matters:
Every appraisal today runs on rules built from lessons learned in the 1990s. The structure and credibility of the profession today came from fixing the mistakes of that era.

Think of it like upgrading from dial-up to high-speed internet—but for the appraisal industry.

04/08/2026

WOW! Thank you so much Lone Wolf Woodworking! We appreciate your hard work!