WED AM News: September home sales in Milwaukee up over last year; WEDC’s annual Wisconsin Economic Summit starts today

October 15, 2025

— September home sales in Milwaukee were up 7.3% compared to last year, the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors reports.

Year-to-date home sales were also up in September by 1.6%. Prices also rose significantly this September compared to last year, growing by 10.7% to an average of $446,397.

And while total home inventory in September hit 3.4 months, the highest since 2019, that doesn’t count homes on the market that already have offers on them. When offers are counted, inventory dropped to 1.8 months, lower than the desired 6-month supply.

“Reaching 6-month territory is important because it provides a wider selection for buyers to choose from, moderates price inflation, and offers more time for buyers to decide on a home,” the report notes.

The current high demand for homes comes from generational pressures as Gen-Z and millennials compete with baby boomer empty nesters in the market at the same time, the report adds.

“There is a significant, long-term danger if we do not create additional supply in the form of single-family and condominium units,” the report continues. “Thousands of would-be homeowners will be forced into rental units, unable to save for a down payment and foregoing the opportunity to build wealth through a home’s equity – as well as all of the other benefits of homeownership.”

See the release here.

— The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s annual Wisconsin Economic Summit starts today.

The event, held at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, covers two days.

Today’s agenda includes a morning event covering how hospitality fuels Wisconsin’s economy, featuring Bartalotta Restaurant’s owner and Chef Paul Bartolotta. An event later in the evening features Department of Revenue Secretary David Casey talking about trends behind public and private investments, demographic shifts and the opportunities shaping Wisconsin’s next era of growth.

See more on the agenda here.

— Sen. Jesse James is praising a bill to provide a $10 million grant to Rogers Behavioral Health to build a new integrated mental health facility in the Chippewa Valley.

“This bill is no less than the most significant win for mental health in the Chippewa Valley, and our state, for that matter,” the Thorp Republican said.

The new facility, which James said is expected to open in 2027, includes a crisis stabilization unit, residential treatment center, partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient program, and supportive living to provide adolescents and adults with a full continuum of care for mental health issues, according to the Department of Health Services’ fiscal estimate.

The funding was originally set aside in the most recent state budget, but SB 388 creates an appropriation from which DHS can distribute the money.

— The Senate has approved a bill that would require health insurance to cover secondary breast cancer screenings for women with dense breast tissue.

Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, introduced SB 264 in memory of Gail Zeamer, who died of breast cancer. Cabral-Guevara on the Senate floor noted Zeamer died even after she went through multiple mammograms that gave her a clean bill of health. The mammograms failed to catch the cancer because Zeamer had dense breast tissue, Cabral-Guevara added.

The measure would also require that Medical Assistance cover additional screenings. The Assembly has yet to take up the bill, but the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network plans to be at the Capitol today to urge lawmakers to pass the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, also shared a story on the floor about how his wife had to go through two MRIs before doctors were able to identify breast cancer because of her dense breast tissue.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Madison, praised the measure as one that will surely save lives.

The only member to vote against the measure was Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield.

Kapenga told WisBusiness he has “consistently voted against legislation that mandates what a health insurance company should cover.”

“While I understand the financial pain a patient can face with health care testing and procedures, a government mandate forces an insurance company to spread the costs to all its customers,” he added. “It’s a major driver behind the skyrocketing health care costs that are hurting nearly all families across Wisconsin.”

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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