December 2008   Single Family Homes Condos All New Listings 10 8 18 Currently Listed 82 79 161 Average List Price $459,984 $177,902 $321,571 Number Sold 8 2 10 Average List Price – Sold $286,750 $408,266 $270,290 Average Sale Price $273,063 $193,950 $257,241 Average Days on Market 47 83 54   Compared to Last Month (November)    Single Family Homes Condos All New Listings 21 9 30 Currently Listed 86 85 171 Average List Price $464,989 $180,292 $323,473 Number Sold 2 1 3 Average List Price – Sold $384,950 $249,900 $339,933 Average Sale Price $370,750 $249,900 $330,466 Average Days on Market 75 0 50 Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.net Information obtained from the South Central Wisconsin MLS, deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. 01/07/2009

For the week ending December 24th, 2008. The average listing price of homes for sale in Verona went up by .6% to $366,770, while the median sales price decreased to $281,950. there are currently 249 homes for sale in Verona.     Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.net www.bentleyrealtygroup.net The real estate market data provided was obtained from Trulia.com Information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. 01/04/2009

Dane County Learn to Skate and the Eagle's Nest Ice Arena in Verona, WI will be celebrating National Skating Month.  They are promoting life-long fitness with a "Day at the Rink" event on Sunday, January 4, 2009 from 4:00pm - 7:00pm.  There are also activities throughout the month of January. The 1st Annual Day at the Rink will attract many families and will be totally sponsored by local businesses.  In other words, EVERYTHING IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC!  Free Open Skate and Skating ExhibitionJanuary 4, 2009 4:30 - 6:00   Free Open Skate & Ice Games 6:10   Free Pizza 6:15 - 6:45   Skating Exhibition   Free Skating LessonsJanuary 11, 2009 4:30 - 5:00   Free Lessons:  Ages 0 - 10 5:00 - 5:30   Free Lessons:  Ages 10 - Adult 5:40 - 6:00   Parent Information Session   Scouts on Ice (Girl Scouts ... 12/30/2008

  It's a great time to show support for The Verona Area Community Theater.  They will present Camelot beginning in January 2009.  What better way to spend a chilly afternoon or evening, than watching great performers interpret this version of Camelot.  The schedule and ticket information is included below:   January 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31, 2009 7:30 PM Matinee, Sunday, January 25, 2009 2:00 PM Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center For additional information and to purchase tickets call 608-845-2383 or visit the Verona Area Community Theater.   Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.danecountymarketconditions.com  12/21/2008

  November 2008   New Listings Currently Listed Ave. List Price Number Sold Ave. List Price-Sold Ave. Sale Price Average Days on Market Single Family Homes 21 86 $464,989 2 $384,950 $370.750 75 Condos 9 85 $180,292 1 $249,900 $249,900 0 Total 30 171 $323,473 3 $339,933 $330,466 50   Compared to Last Month (October) New Listings All Currently Listed Ave. List Price Number Sold Ave. List Price of Sold Ave. Sale Price Ave. Days on Market Single Family Homes 15 80 $491,350 9 $319,377 $310,744 59 Condos 23 85 $179,828 1 $269,900 $246,000 572 Total 38 165 $330,869 10 $314,430 $304,270 110    Bob Bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.net Information obtained from the SCWMLS, deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 12/07/2008

Make Sure Your Home is Easy to Show! In most areas including Madison and it's surrounding communities, to get your home sold quickly, it’s important that other Realtors® in the area show it to as many potential buyers as possible. The first thing a good Realtor® will do when working with a buyer is talk to them and learn what kind of home they are looking for. Then they will search all the available homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and other sources for those that most closely match what the buyer wants. Next, the Realtor® puts together a list of the best matches to show to the buyer. When a busy Realtor® is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, they will naturally tend to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first. Many homes on the market have “lock box... 12/06/2008

Dec. 1 (8:00am - 5:00pm) - Community Giving Tree for VASD Children Begins.    Dec. 3 - VAHS Food Drive Ends Today... get Your items in now!    Dec. 5 (6:00pm - 10:00pm) - Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Chili Supper sponsored by the Verona Fire Department at Central Park and Verona Senior Center   Dec. 5 (6:00pm) - Dec. 7 (2:00pm) - Verona Hometown Holiday Celebration. - Fri 6:00pm - Lighting of the City Christmas tree in Central Park. - Fri 6:30pm - Three Alarm Chili Supper at the Verona Area Senior Center. - Sat. - Sun. Retailers will be offering special holiday shopping opportunities. There will be retail give-away drawing sponsored by local businesses.    Dec. 6 (7:30am - 11:30:am) - Bloodmobile at St. Andrews Catholic Church    Dec. 6 (8:00am - 11:00am) - Breakfast with Santa a... 11/20/2008

Today I volunteered to assist with The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign through the Salvation Army.  Yep, I'm going to be a bell-ringer! The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign enables the Army to provide food, toys and clothing to over 6 million  people during the Christmas season, and helps more than 34 million Americans recovering from all kinds of personal disasters nationwide. I recently read that volunteers know the truth of the verse "it is more blessed to give than to receive."  How true that statement is.  I believe there are very few things more rewarding than giving of one's time to help another.  That is why I am a volunteer. Up until Christmas, for a few hours a week, you can find me at the Verona Walgreens ringing that bell in hopes of helping others.  As a business owner in the c... 11/18/2008

Take a break and go to this little gem - Avanti's Italian Restaurant in Verona, WI. Avanti's is a quiet, relatively casual restaurant located right on Main Street in the heart of downtown Verona. I had the pleasure to have lunch this week at Avanti’s Italian Restaurant in Verona. Although I've eaten at Avanti's on numerous occasions for dinner, this was my first lunch opportunity. I had lunch with my fellow Chamber of Commerce members; this was our monthly lunch "social" get together. Since this was a larger group of people, we had a buffet rather than ordering off the regular menu. Our buffet consisted of salad, pepperoni pizza, and spaghetti. The salad was fresh and crisp with a nice choice of dressings. The pizza had a nice balance of sweet and spice, and was loaded with plenty of ch... 11/14/2008

The Lincoln Traveling Museum "Self-Made in America" made it's momentous stop in Verona Wisconsin today. This exhibit celebrating the former president's 200th birthday in 2009, will travel the United States during the next two years inspiring visitors with the story of Lincoln's life and his accomplishments. It is free of charge to the public and will not make another stop in Wisconsin until May, 2010. The only exhibit of its type in the country, the mobile museum is very interesting and well worth the few minutes it takes to take the tour. The semi-truck/trailer, which carries the museum is very long at 53 feet, and has a double expandable trailer to make a very large inside area (what a nice RV it would make for a family traveling the country!). Once inside the trailer, I was greeted ... 11/14/2008

The Kiwanis Club of Verona has started putting out collection barrels around businesses in the Verona WI area. The Kiwanis hope that all of us look through our closets for gently used or new coats, hats and mittens that can be donated to those in need. With winter fast approaching everyone will need a warm coat to get through it. Let's look around our homes and find at least one extra coat or hat to give to others. If it hasn't already hit you, the spirit of giving will soon be overwhelming us. Though it would be great if we had that spirit year-round, the holidays do help bring it out even more. There are collection bins throughout Verona, and we are also willing to collect your donations at our office through this Thursday. Call 608-848-9998 to make arrangements to drop your items off... 11/11/2008

October 2008 New Listings All Currently Listed Ave. List Price Number Sold Ave. List Price of Sold Ave. Sale Price Ave. Days on Market Single Family Homes 15 80 $491,350 9 $319,377 $310,744 59 Condos 23 85 $179,828 1 $269,900 $246,000 572 Total 38 165 $330,869 10 $314,430 $304,270 110   Compared to Last Month (September) September 2008 New Listings All Currently Listed Ave. List Price Number Sold Ave. List Price of Sold Ave. Sale Price Ave. Days on Market Single Family Homes 17 80 $486,291 4 $329,925 $307,350 132 Condos 9 84 $181,883 0 $0 $0 199 Total 26 164 $330,375 4 $329,925 $307,350 166   Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.net   11/06/2008

  The Verona Chamber Raises Money Again for the Food PantryWay to Go! Last Thursday Evening (October 23, 2008) was the 2nd Annual Verona Chamber of Commerce "Wine & Dine", which benefited the Verona Food Pantry, and other local activites. The Event was held at the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Verona, a beautiful place. A good number of local Verona restaurants were at the Event offering their favorite menu items as a donation.  There was plenty of food available, and if you went home hungry it was your own fault.  I attended as a volunteer assisting with serving food to about 90 people.  We consider our 2nd Event a success. as we almost doubled the attendance over last year - hopefully next year can can double our numbers again! The event raised about $2500 dollars, of which $120... 10/26/2008

Remember the Verona Food PantryOn Thursday October 23rdby Attending the 2nd AnnualVerona Wine & Dine Event   The Verona Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Verona Wine and Dine with proceeds going to the Verona Food Pantry.  Reserve your tickets today for this "taste of" style event featuring food from Verona restaurants.  Call 608-845-5777 - Tickets are limited so call soon!     What:   Verona Wine and Dine When:   Thursday October 23, 6:30-8:30pm Where:   Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cost:   $25/Ticket (Benefits the Verona Food Pantry) Last year's event was a big success.  The food and music were both great!  Nearly 80 people attended, allowing the Verona Chamber to donate over $1,000 to the Verona Food Pantry.   Let's do our Part for the Verona Community Today! Bobbob@bentleyrealty... 10/21/2008

The Verona Area Community Theater will present Nunsense II beginning this week.   The schedule is as follows: Friday October 24 at 7:30pmSaturday October 25 at 7:30pmSunday October 26 at 2:pmThursday October 30 at 7:30pmFriday October 31 at 7:30pmSaturday November 1 at 7:30pm   For additional information and to purchase tickets visit the Verona Area Community Theater.   Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.net 10/20/2008

verona wine and dine 1008 Fork it Over for the Verona Food Pantry The Verona Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Verona Wine and Dine with proceeds going to the Verona Food Pantry.  Reserve your tickets today for this "taste of" style event featuring food from Verona restaurants.  Call 608-845-5777 - Tickets are limited so call soon!      What:   Verona Wine and Dine When:   Thursday October 23, 6:30-8:30pm Where:   Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cost:   $25/Ticket (Benefits the Verona Food Pantry) Last year's event was a big success.  The food and music were both great!  Nearly 80 people attended, allowing the Verona Chamber to donate over $1,000 to the Verona Food Pantry.   Let's do our Part Today! Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.net www.bentleyrealtygroup.net 10/15/2008

  Holiday Inn Express & SuitesVerona, Wisconsin Verona Wisconsin has a new hotel!!  The Holiday Inn Express & Suites opened in June, 2008 and I finally stopped in to check it out. The hotel is very nice with a beautiful entry and a large gathering room that sits behind a gorgeous water feature.  The rooms are very comfortable and spacious with high-end fixtures including 32 inch flat screen televisions, and free high-speed wired or wireless internet (there is also a computer available with internet in the lobby).  Their suites offer extra space, a microwave and a mini-fridge. They have a large meeting/event room that can accommodate up to 100 people, or can be divided for smaller sized groups.  They even have audio/visual equipment like DVD players and projectors available for meetings.... 10/13/2008

Went out driving this weekend to view the fall colors.  Wisconsin is beautiful in the fall.... and there's more color to come, as we haven't hit our peak yet.  Here's just a small look at what the Verona Area in Wisconsin has to offer at the beginning of Autumn.    Redden Park, Verona Wisconsin                         Military Ridge Bike Trail, Verona Wisconsin      Military Ridge Bike Trail, Verona Wisconsin      Bob bob@bentleyrealtygroup.netwww.bentleyrealtygroup.net       All Photos taken by Bob Bentley, all rights reserved.  Photos may not be reproduced without express written permission. 10/12/2008

Support the Make-a-Wish Foundation at Dependable CARSTAR Today!   Here in Verona the Carstar auto body shop is having a brat fry to support the Make A Wish foundation. They are providing free lunch (brats, potato salad & soda), and will have a re-creation of a 1967 mustang muscle car.  The car was specially built for touring the country to support the Make A Wish foundation to raise money for the cause. The car will be auctioned off in January in Scottsdale AZ. The Verona Carstar is trying to beat the 500 brats served in Stevens Point Wisconsin on Wednesday. If we all eat like pigs and donate a little cash we can beat the Pointers. In these tough times sales come hard but we must all remember that someone always has it worse than we do. Make a donation today to your favorite charity and... 10/03/2008

Upcoming Verona Events - October 2008 October 3 - Homecoming Parade October 3 - Super Stang Muscle Tour (Benefit for Make-a-Wish) October 18/19 - Verona Antique Show October 23 - Wine & Dine Benefit for Food Pantry October 31 - Halloween   Enjoy the Month of October in Verona! Bob Bentley www.bentleyrealtygroup.netbob@bentleyrealtygroup.net   10/01/2008