Sample Backstory. Real public records for 504 E Main St, pulled Oct 12, 2026. Owner names are left out, as in every report. The agent is a placeholder.
Your NameREALTOR · Your Brokerage(608) 555-0100 · you@yourbrokerage.com
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The backstory on
504 E Main St
Madison, WI · Capitol Neighborhoods · an 1876 old style on a 3,267 sq ft lot
1876Built
3Bedrooms
2Baths
1,974Living sq ft
–Fin. basement
0.08Acres
2026 assessment$701,400
2025 net tax$12,278.27
Last sale$475,000 · 9/2018
Records as of10/9/26
What stands out 1 to ask about
Good to know
Hail was reported near this lot on April 14, 2026, but few neighbors re-roofed.
NOAA logged 1.5-inch hail about 0.2 mile from this lot on April 14, 2026, and reports up to 3.25 inches within 1 mile. Afterward, 0.4% of Capitol Neighborhoods homes pulled a re-roof permit in the 2026 season, against a normal 1.1%. City permit records show no roof permit at this address through September 2026. The assessor lists the roof as replaced in 2012.
NOAA Storm Events · City of Madison permit reports
Good to know
Built in 1876, before 1978.
Anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in a home built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices. A house this old may also still have original wiring, plaster and a clay or cast-iron sewer lateral; the inspection is the place to find out.
EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule · Madison Engineering
Good to know
Taxes rose 16.3% last year, mostly from the school district.
The 2025 net tax was $12,278.27, up from $10,554.34. The school portion rose 29.4%. Two voter-approved referenda add $838.45 to this bill, through 2042 and through 2045.
City of Madison tax details and tax referenda pages for this parcel
Good to know
Test for radon before closing.
Dane County is in EPA's highest radon zone (Zone 1), and EPA says every home should be tested regardless of zone. Public Health Madison & Dane County sells test kits for $10.
EPA Map of Radon Zones, Wisconsin · Public Health Madison & Dane County
Ask about
Two special assessments are on record for this parcel.
Sewer Lateral (2025, preliminary estimate): $3,097.00 outstanding; Street Improvement (2025, preliminary estimate): $1,953.36 outstanding. The city says special assessments may have to be paid as part of a sale or refinancing; the offer should say who pays them.
City of Madison special assessment page for this parcel
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The record504 E Main St · Parcel 070913316042
The house, as the assessor has it
Style
Old Style, 2 stories
Year built
1876
Living area
1,974 sq ft
Basement
715 sq ft
Finished basement
–
Bedrooms
3
Baths
2 full
Foundation
Stone
Roof
Asphalt, replaced 2012
Exterior
Brick
Garage
None listed
Central air
Yes
Fireplaces
0
Lot
3,267 sq ft
If anything here is wrong, it affects the assessment. Owners can ask the assessor to correct it.
Sales and transfers
Date
Price
Deed type
What it was
9/2018
$475,000
Warranty Deed
Sale
6/1991
$101,500
Warranty Deed
Sale
2/1990
$0
Other
Transfer, no price
6/1986
$0
Other
Transfer, no price
6/1986
$42,900
Fulfillment of LC
Conveyance
6/1986
$42,800
Fulfillment of LC
Conveyance
6/1986
$31,800
Fulfillment of LC
Conveyance
5/1986
$62,000
Warranty Deed
Sale
Assessment
Year
Land
Building
Total
2025
$111,000
$566,700
$677,700
2026
$211,000
$490,400
$701,400
Change
+90.1%
−13.5%
+3.5%
The city's 2025 average assessment ratio was 97.43%, which puts the 2025 estimated fair market value on the tax bill at $695,576.
Special assessments
Project
Type
Owed
Sewer Lateral (2025)
Prelim
$3,097.00
Street Improvement (2025)
Prelim
$1,953.36
2025 tax bill
Taxing body
2024
2025
Change
Dane County
$1,465.72
$1,596.90
+8.9%
MATC
$393.28
$417.02
+6.0%
City of Madison
$4,500.32
$4,746.10
+5.5%
Madison School
$4,547.49
$5,883.36
+29.4%
Credits (first dollar, lottery)
−$352.47
−$365.11
Net tax
$10,554.34
$12,278.27
+16.3%
The Lottery & Gaming Credit ($273.83 on this bill) only applies to a home that's the owner's primary residence on January 1. When a home sells, the credit goes with it and belongs in the tax proration at closing (Wisconsin DOR, as of Oct 10, 2026).
Voter-approved referenda on this bill: Madison School $271.65 through 2042; Madison School $566.80 through 2045.
Prepared by Your Name, Your BrokerageBadger Backstory · badgerhomeowner.com/backstory · page 2 of 3
Neighborhood and permits504 E Main St · Parcel 070913316042
Capitol Neighborhoods
Homes in the neighborhood
448
Median year built
1899
Built before 1978
97.3%
Zoning
HIS-FS, DR1, HIS-L, WP-17
Hail since Jan 2025
Apr 14, 2026, May 15, 2025
Schools
Lapham · O'Keeffe · East
Trash and recycling
District 07C
Alder district
6
Water frontage
None
FEMA flood zone
Not mapped
Permits at this address
Issued
Work
Contractor
Est. cost
No City of Madison permits at this address from October 2023 through September 2026.
Recent sales of similar homes nearby
2 sales since January 2024 in the assessor's Near East (Square) area (area 25), living area within 35% of this home's 1,974 sq ft. These are the city's recorded sales, not an appraisal or an opinion of this home's value.
Sold
Address
Style
Built
Living sq ft
Bd / Ba
Price
10/2026
126 S Hancock St
Old Style
1862
1,968
3 / 2
$670,000
4/2024
101 S Franklin St
Old Style
1872
1,902
3 / 2
$750,000
2 sales · middle price
$710,000
Area 25, all sales
2021
2022
2024
2025
2026
Sales
3
1
3
1
1
Middle price
$250,000
$517,000
$390,000
$250,000
$670,000
Water and sewer
Lead service line: Madison Water Utility says that as of Nov 4, 2025 it has no known lead service lines. The state utility commission's 2025 data still lists 12 customer-side lead lines citywide. The utility can confirm by address (608-266-4651).
Sewer lateral: the owner owns the sewer line from the house to the city main, usually under the middle of the street. If the city replaces it during a street or sewer project, the owner is assessed 25% of the cost. A lateral is usually as old as the house.
Questions to ask before you make an offer
Was the roof inspected or an insurance claim filed after the April 14, 2026 hail? Ask for the adjuster's report or a roofer's inspection.
Has the original wiring been replaced? Any knob and tube left in walls or the attic?
Has the home been tested for radon? If so, when, and what was the result?
Who pays the special assessments on record at closing, and are any street or sewer projects planned that would add more?
Has the sewer lateral ever been scoped or replaced?
Built from public records. Not an appraisal, a home inspection, a title search or legal advice. Permits cover October 2023 through September 2026; NOAA hail reports through Apr 14, 2026. Fixed facts (radon, wiring, lead, laterals, credits) re-checked Oct 9, 2026. Generated Oct 12, 2026.
Prepared by Your Name, Your BrokerageBadger Backstory · badgerhomeowner.com/backstory · page 3 of 3