If there's any brief way to sum up Bozeman's current housing market, it would be with two words "LOW INVENTORY". Realtors® across the board are reminded daily that no other issue is greater dictating the course and nature of the current market as much as a lack of places to buy. At its most basic, low inventory yields high competition, and, therefore, escalates prices.  It seems that the entry-priced, or starter homes, are seeing the biggest decrease in inventory across our market.  Inventory in trade-up homes has dropped as well, while inventory among higher-end homes has dropped the least significantly. As a buyer, the primary key to competing in the current atmosphere is to obtain lender pre-approval prior to shopping (don't forget to get a pre-qualification letter to go with) and to work with a quality agent that truly knows the market and can offer real-time listing notifications that fit your personalized search criteria; this technology will make you one of the first to know the moment new listings that match your search hit the market.  Make a point to work with a Realtor® who can help provide and navigate the latest technology and be a continued resource in our ever-moving real estate market.