Community News - January, 2009

NBC's Today Show features Bozeman, Montana

Bozeman was featured on the Today Show along with a few other cities across America.

Their focus was on homes ranging in price from $200,000 to about $400,000. They discussed each home along with a few key points either about the community or the area in which the home is located. They also discussed some pros and cons regarding things like living in a golf community and how some buyers are afraid of purchasing a model home because they may believe that it's too 'worn' but that is not the case. She does mention that model homes are great homes because it's usually the last home the developer will sell in a subdivision and the buyer can, most likely, negotiate a great price.

4 Views, 0 Comments

Scrub the Expenses!

When things were great and your commercial property was 100% leased there were few worries. Operating Expenses were a necessary evil and besides, your brother-in-law was handling the landscape maintenance and janitorial.

But now, with looming vacancies, late lease payments, and lower market rents - it is time to scrub the expenses. Your lender is looking for a plan. You need to be proactive and if you have the dreaded late mortgage payment conversation, you can demonstrate a determined plan to keep your property running efficiently.

No, your lender does not want to foreclose, in fact, that is the last thing they want. What they want is to be able to present to the powers that be a proactive solution-driven plan. So, pull out the Profit & Loss and a…

4 Views, 0 Comments

Black Bull, the New Family and Golf Community in Montana

Black Bull, the new Family and Golf Community in Montana, is one of only 10 new communities that made it on the list of the "Top 100 Golf Communities in America" by Travel Leisure Golf.

The January/February 2009 issue features those communities who, according to Travel Leisure Golf writers David Gould and Lauren Kay, have "exquisite environments which are case studies in how to make life on earth as pleasing, stimulating and worthwhile as possible. They have sited themselves within the finest natural surroundings one could wish for, and added all the comforts of home."

The Winchester Group, one of the developers of Black Bull, has six communities making this year's annual list, with three featured in the Top 25.

"It feels great to have others…

5 Views, 0 Comments

Bozeman in Top 25 Housing Markets

Housing Predictor, a national online real estate research firm, is forecasting that Bozeman and four other Montana cities will be among the top 25 U.S. housing markets in 2009. 

   The firm predicts — based on things like income levels, employment trends, school enrollment, and housing markets — that home values in Bozeman will increase slightly, by 1.8 percent, this year. 

   It forecasts Billings will lead the state with a 3.1 percent home appreciation rate, followed by Great Falls (1.4 percent), Livingston (1.3 percent), and Missoula (1.2 percent). 

   Such increases are modest, but look great compared to more than 36 states, from California to Florida, where the company projects double-digit deflation in home values. 

   Housing Predictor…

6 Views, 0 Comments

CRE Loan Distress Levels Escalating Rapidly

The volume of Delinquent/Defaulted CMBS Loans Could Triple in 2009

The distressed loan situation in commercial real estate is taking a striking turn for the worse, according to a CoStar Group analysis of December loan information on more than 83,000 loans in commercial mortgage-backed securities.

The level of distressed loans in the CMBS universe was at historically low, and unsustainable levels, in 2008 - less than 1% of outstanding loans. That compares favorably to the level of commercial real estate distress in banks and thrifts where distressed properties made up about 2.32% of their nonresidential portfolios as of Sept. 30.

However, that level of safety in the CMBS universe looks like it could be eroding rapidly.

The number of loans placed in…

6 Views, 0 Comments

Valentine's Day at the Museum's Fire and Ice Ball

Having trouble deciding what to get your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Support your local Museum by joining Jack Horner and friends at the 2009 Museum Ball fundraising event on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th from 6 pm–midnight. This year’s event, themed Fire & Ice, will transform the Museum’s main galleries into a steamy Fire Room featuring an all-you-can-eat tantalizing hot buffet catered by Montana Epicurean, and a glacial Ice Room with delicious delicacies from Custom Dining Experiences as well as a martini ice luge featuring 44˚ North Vodka. Come dressed in fiery red or frosty blue, and don’t forget your dancing shoes because Jeni Fleming and the Glen Johnston Swing Band strike up at 6 pm. 

“Not only is this event celebrating a keystone…

6 Views, 0 Comments

Museum of the Rockies Events & Exhibits for February 2009

Museum of the Rockies

Montana State University

600 W. Kagy Blvd

Bozeman, MT 59717

406-994-2652

fax: 406-994-2682 

museumoftherockies.org

EXHIBITS

TREE HOUSES: LOOK WHO’S LIVING IN THE TREES!

Back Gallery: February 21 – May 10

Spend some time hanging out in the trees. Immerse yourself in an indoor tree house and explore it firsthand through stereoscopic viewfinders, tracking clues, natural artifacts, and sound. Uncover fascinating facts about who actually lives in trees, what kinds of animal clues to look and listen for in the forest, and how people use trees for their homes.

TOYS: THE INSIDE STORY

Back Gallery: February 21 – May 10

If your parents never let you break open your Etch A Sketch® to find out how it works,…

10 Views, 0 Comments

Quality of Life Principles for Montana REALTORS

REALTORS® recognize the need to sustain and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by Montana's citizens. We believe we can build better communities by supporting quality growth and seeking economic and housing opportunities that embrace the environmental qualities we value while protecting property owners.

Quality of Life Principles

• Protecting Property Owners
• Providing Housing Opportunities
• Ensuring Economic Vitality
• Preserving Our Environment
• Building Better Communities

Special Thanks to the Montana Association of REALTORS® for the seminar and brochure as well as to our ERA Landmark REALTORS®, Mark Driscoll, Sharon  Tudor Isler, Arnie Kleinsasser, Kelly Seymour, Brian Tudor, that attended.

4 Views, 0 Comments

Just the Facts, Article by Robyn Erlenbush

As a rather news-worthy year in real estate is now in the books, it’s a good time to look briefly at what actually transpired in 2008. The media had its heyday with gloom and doom nationally while we enjoyed a somewhat sheltered version of the market “correction” here locally. But with all of the information posted, it’s important to stay familiar with “just the facts” regarding some of the terminology and changes that are the real estate market of 2009. Let’s look at three “headliners” and their definitions.

Revised Down Payment Requirements – The National Association of Realtors® recently issued a clarification of the four primary facts associated with the required amount of a down payment for a mortgage in today’s market. First, most potential…

4 Views, 0 Comments