Badger HomeownerIn the Market
New section, in preview. The guides and tools here are live and free. Backstory, for agents, is in a pilot.

In the Market · Madison and Dane County

Buying a house here, with the records in hand.

What to check before you offer, the deadlines inside a Wisconsin offer, what a house really costs a month in each town, and where down payment help is. Free, sourced, and written for buyers.

Start with Before You OfferI'm an agent

Buying a home

Six steps from the down payment to the closing table, with Wisconsin's offer rules and the public records to check on any house.

  • Buying a HomeGuide
  • Before You OfferGuide
  • Buying a House, Step by StepCalculator
  • Home InspectionsGuide
Start buying

For agents

Badger Backstory: a three-page, sourced report on any Madison address, co-branded with your name, to print or email to a buyer. Unlimited reports on one subscription.

  • The sample on a real Madison houseFree
  • Print and email versionsCo-branded
  • Every line linked to its recordSourced
  • Pilot with Madison agentsOpen
See Backstory

Free tools first

Run the numbers and the checks yourself

Calculators and checklists built from official rates, forms and records, with each source linked on the page.

Before You Offer15 free public-record checks on any Dane County house, with the official tool for each.15 checksBuying a House, Step by StepThe WB-11 offer, contingencies, default deadlines and closing, with a deadline calculator.Deadline calculatorTrue Cost of OwningMortgage plus your town's property tax and utility bills, and the most house a budget buys.CalculatorRent vs Buy CalculatorRenting against buying for the years you'd stay, with your town's real tax and utility rates.Calculator Down Payment HelpTen programs for Madison and Dane County buyers, with 2026 income limits and a finder.Program finderThe Condition Report, Item by ItemAll 76 items on Wisconsin's seller disclosure form, and how to check each answer.76 itemsHome InspectionsWhat Wisconsin inspectors must check, what they skip, and the add-on tests.Selling a House in WisconsinThe condition report, lead paint disclosure, transfer fee, closing and the home-sale tax exclusion.Net proceeds calculator
Badger Homeowner
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The backstory on

504 E Main St

Madison · Capitol Neighborhoods · a 1876 old style

1876Built
3Beds
2Baths
1,974Sq ft
Ask aboutTwo special assessments are on record for this parcel.
Good to knowHail was reported near this lot on April 14, 2026, but few neighbors re-roofed.
Good to knowBuilt in 1876, before 1978.
Good to knowTaxes rose 16.3% last year, mostly from the school district.
Prepared by Your Namepage 1 of 3

Badger Backstory

The public record on a house, in three pages

Agents hand it over at a showing: the assessor's record, sales and taxes, permits, hail and flood, and the questions to ask before an offer. Every line sourced, no owner names, never an opinion of value.

See how it worksOpen the sample

Every guide in this section

Buying, selling and the deals in between

Buying a HomeSix steps from down payment to closing, with Wisconsin's offer deadlines.Buying a House, Step by StepThe WB-11 offer, contingencies, default deadlines and closing, with a deadline calculator.The Condition Report, Item by ItemAll 76 items on Wisconsin's seller disclosure form, and how to check each answer.Down Payment HelpTen programs for Madison and Dane County buyers, with 2026 income limits and a finder.Before You Offer15 free public-record checks on any Dane County house, with the official tool for each.Home InspectionsWhat Wisconsin inspectors must check, what they skip, and the add-on tests.Rent vs Buy CalculatorRenting against buying for the years you'd stay, with your town's real tax and utility rates.True Cost of OwningMortgage plus your town's property tax and utility bills, and the most house a budget buys.Selling a House in WisconsinThe condition report, lead paint disclosure, transfer fee, closing and the home-sale tax exclusion. Renting Part of Your HomeBuying a duplex to live in, a room to rent or an ADU: Madison zoning, owner-occupant loans and taxes. Towns ComparedTax rate, electric, trash pickup, schools and housing age for 15 towns, side by side.