Steve,

Pamela is correct in stating that Montana is a non-dsiclosure State. What this means is that there is no public information available in regards to sales prices. My suggestion is that you retain a quality Buyer Broker to represent you in a purchase transaction. There are a few keys to look for when retaining this broker.
1) Be sure they are not relying on "Gut Feelings" . Have your agent prepare a market analysis which should show you asking price and selling price for recent home sales in your preferred area.

2) Avoid agents who say things like "Homes in this neighborhood are selling for 98% of the asking price." without providing documentation supporting the statement. The problem with this statement is that it assumes the price of the home is correct. Imagine paying 95% of the asking price and feeling liek you got a great buy only to find out that the home you offered on was priced 20% over the previous high sale! Not Good!

Hope this helps. We know a very reliable broker in your area and are happy to provide an introduction if that would be helpful to you.

Rick Ahmann

Montana is a non-disclosure state which means that information on prices for home sales is not a matter of publuc record. INnsome states you can just look in the newspaper or go to the courthouse. In Montana, the best way to find the price homes sold for is to consult with a real estate agent. Although we generally will not tell you how much a specific home sold for, twe can tell you the trends in your neighborhood, identifying homes in a general fashion, rather than a specific one.

Most real estate sales are completed through real estate professionals in your area. Most local real estate association operate a multiple listing service through which buyers and sellers can obtain the most recent information on homes currently available for sale, pending or contingent sales, and up to date info on recent sold properties. Contact a trustowrthy real estate agent in your area to find out the latest info about the market in the neighborhood you're looking at.