WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. — If you are trying to buy a home in Wisconsin, be prepared for some frustration.

As prices continue to rise and inventory remains low, it has created a perfect storm of frustration for many who have to put their dream of home ownership on hold. 

The price of a home in the state keeps rising. According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, in April 2019 the median home price was $184,000.

By April 2021, it had risen to $265,500. Even as interest rates rise, demand for new homes remains. 

Jacquelynn Bazylewicz has experienced this frustration firsthand. She and her wife have been searching for a home for nearly a year and a half. 

“We are at that point where our next big thing is to move out of our college apartment so we can start a family and all that jazz,” said Bazylewicz 

Bazylewicz and her wife have put in four offers on different homes, but they have been outbid each time.

At times, there have been more than fifteen other offers written for houses she was interested in buying. While she tries to remain optimistic, Bazylewicz admits it can be a bit defeating. 

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t gotten a little cynical. The last house we put an offer in on was $100,000 more than what they bought the house for four years ago,” said Bazylewicz 

It is frustrating for her realtors as well. Mother-son realtor team Travis and Sue Derby work with Shorewest in Waukesha.

For them, the current market is like nothing they have ever seen before in their careers. It has changed the entire dynamic of negotiation.

Travis Derby said it has gone from “buyer vs. seller” to “buyer vs. buyer”. 

“There used to be weeks where we would counter back and forth to shave $3,000 or $5,000 off the asking price,” said Travis Derby “It’s not like that anymore, in fact, we aren’t even getting counters back from sellers, they are just going with highest and best.” 

For Bazylewicz, her hope is to remain persistent until the market begins to normalize, or until a “new normal” begins.