Wisconsin real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Wisconsin gives the seller 10 days after your offer is accepted to hand over a condition report, puts a small transfer fee on the seller, and has agents write every offer on one state-approved form. Here is what is the same everywhere in Wisconsin, and where to search homes.
Wisconsin: search homes by city
Tap a city to see the newest homes for sale there.
What every Wisconsin buyer and seller should know
The seller owes you a condition report within 10 days
Wisconsin makes the seller of a 1 to 4 unit home give you a completed Real Estate Condition Report no later than 10 days after your offer is accepted (Wis. Stat. 709.02). The state writes the form (709.03). It asks about the roof, basement, well, septic, heating, electric, flooding, environmental problems and more.
A missing or bad report lets you cancel
If you do not get the report within those 10 days, you can cancel the contract. If the report shows defects, you can cancel in writing within 2 business days after you get it, with no penalty, and get your deposit back (Wis. Stat. 709.05).
Some sellers do not fill it out
The law does not make a personal representative, trustee, conservator or other fiduciary who never lived in the home fill out the report (Wis. Stat. 709.01). Estate and trust sales often come without one. A seller who is exempt from the form still cannot hide defects they know about.
The transfer fee is on the seller
Wisconsin charges a real estate transfer fee of 30 cents for every $100 of value, or $3 per $1,000, and the law puts it on the seller (Wis. Stat. 77.22). There is no separate county or city transfer tax on top of it.
A transfer return has to be filed first
Before the county can record the deed, an electronic real estate transfer return has to be filed with the state and the fee paid (Wis. Stat. 77.22). The title company or closing agent usually handles it. It is why closings ask you to confirm details like whether you will live in the home.
Offers are written on one state form
Licensed agents in Wisconsin write offers on forms approved by the Real Estate Examining Board. On the standard residential offer, the WB-11, the seller gives the buyer an owner's title insurance policy for the purchase price and pays for it. The form's terms can be changed if both sides agree.
Special assessments follow the offer date
Towns charge special assessments for things like new streets and sewer lines. Under the WB-11, assessments levied, or for work started, before the date of the offer are the seller's to pay by closing. Later ones are the buyer's. Ask the city clerk what is planned on the street.
Condo buyers get a 5-business-day exit
When you buy a condo, you get the condo documents, and you can cancel in writing within 5 business days after you receive all of them, for any reason (Wis. Stat. 703.33). That right cannot be waived in the contract. It ends if you go to closing.
Closing costs in Wisconsin: who pays what
Who pays what in Wisconsin. The transfer fee is set by law and put on the seller. Title insurance follows the state offer form. The rest is custom and can be negotiated.
| Buyer pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| Lender's title policy | Only if you have a loan. Based on the loan amount. |
| Closing fee | A flat fee from the title company, often split. |
| Recording the deed and mortgage | County register of deeds fees. |
| Home inspection | A flat fee. Not required, but the standard offer lets you make the sale depend on one. |
| Well and septic tests | Only on homes without city water and sewer. |
| Condo documents | Whatever the association charges. |
| Special assessments levied after the offer | Under the standard offer, these are yours. |
| Tax proration | Your share of the year's property taxes. |
| Seller pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | 30 cents per $100 of value, set by law. |
| Owner's title policy | The standard offer makes the seller provide it and pay for it. |
| Closing fee | A flat fee from the title company, often split. |
| Mortgage payoff and release | Your lender's payoff plus the fee to record the release. |
| Special assessments levied before the offer | Paid by closing under the standard offer. |
| Listing agent's commission | Set in your listing agreement. Always negotiable. |
| Tax proration | Your share of taxes for the time you owned the home. |
| Your own lawyer | Optional. |
Fees change. The transfer fee rate is set in Wis. Stat. 77.22, and each county sets its recording fees. Confirm current numbers with your title company.
How a Wisconsin home purchase runs
The order most Wisconsin purchases follow. Your offer sets the exact deadlines, so keep a calendar.
Get pre-approved →-
Get pre-approved. Know your budget and payment before you tour.
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Write the offer on the state form. Your agent uses the WB-11 for a house.
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Get the condition report. It is due within 10 days after acceptance. You have 2 business days to act if it shows defects.
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Inspect. Use the inspection contingency. Add well and septic tests if they apply.
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Condo? Read the documents. You have 5 business days after you get them all.
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Appraisal and loan approval. The lender orders the appraisal and finishes underwriting.
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Title work. The seller orders the owner's title policy. The title company clears liens.
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Final walk-through. Check the home is in the condition you agreed to.
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Close. The transfer return is filed, the fee is paid and the deed is recorded.
Wisconsin by region
Wisconsin's markets run from the Milwaukee suburbs to lake and river towns up north. Tap a city to see the newest homes for sale there.
Milwaukee and the southeast
The state's biggest city, its western suburbs and the lakeshore south to Kenosha.
Madison area
The state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin.
Green Bay and the Fox Valley
Paper-mill cities along the Fox River up to Green Bay.
Western and northern Wisconsin
River towns on the Minnesota line and the north woods.
AXEN Realty in Wisconsin
Every AXEN agent in Wisconsin works under a licensed managing broker: Jamie Berger (AXEN Realty, LLC, firm license 905398-91). See every state on the state brokers page.
Buying? Start with the home buying guide and get pre-approved.
Selling? Read the home selling guide and get your home value.
Moving here? Read buying in a new state.
Wisconsin real estate questions
Do I need a lawyer to buy or sell a home in Wisconsin?
State law does not require one. Title companies handle most closings, and agents write offers on the state-approved forms. You can hire a lawyer at any point, and it helps for estates, land contracts and unusual titles.
Who pays the transfer fee in Wisconsin?
The law puts the transfer fee on the seller. It is 30 cents per $100 of value, or $3 per $1,000. There is no extra county or city transfer tax.
What if I never get the Real Estate Condition Report?
If it does not arrive within 10 days after your offer is accepted, you can cancel. If it arrives and shows defects, you have 2 business days after you get it to cancel in writing and get your deposit back.
Who pays for title insurance?
On the standard Wisconsin offer form, the seller buys the buyer an owner's title policy for the purchase price. If you have a loan, the buyer usually pays for the lender's policy.
How long do I have to cancel a condo purchase?
Five business days after you receive all of the condo documents. You do not have to give a reason. The right cannot be waived, and it ends once you close.
Who pays special assessments?
On the standard offer, the seller pays assessments levied, or for work started, before the date of the offer. The buyer pays the ones that come later. Ask the city clerk about planned street or sewer work before you write the offer.
Is a home inspection required in Wisconsin?
No law requires one. The standard offer lets you make the sale depend on an inspection, and you should. Add a well and septic test if the home is not on city water and sewer.
What is the real estate transfer return?
It is a state form filed online before the deed is recorded, along with the transfer fee. The county will not record the deed without it. Your title company usually files it for you.