Rick Ahmann

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 - Sat Jun 28 2008, 07:58

There is no correlation between what a home owner paid and what the current value of a home might be. Take for instance the possibility that the owner remodeled or on the contrary has really "lived hard" in their home. In addition, Montana is a "non-disclosure" State. That means there is no public access to sales data and the only means of verifying a sales price might be to inquire with your REALTOR. WHat you really want to do is make sure you are paying market value for a home.

While knowing the price paid might be helpful to determine what kind of an offer to formulate, it will serve your needs better to have your real estate agent prepare a market analysis that compares the home you are interested in to the rest of the recent market. Our father was a real estate broker for many years and he always advised as follows...

"In the stock market it makes no difference what you paid for IBM, it will only sell today for it's current quote - whether you make money or lose money depends on when you bought that IBM stock! The same thing applies to the real estate market - you are not entitled to make money - only to sell at market value! "

In other words - you have to check to see what market value is! We can help recommend a broker in your market that can help with a determination of value as well as to represent your interest in a purchase transaction. Let us know!

Rick Ahmann - Sat Jun 28 2008, 07:45

Don't forget the Helena Montana area! We have over 300 miles of lake shore minutes from town. Canyon Ferry Lake, Hauser Lake and Holter Lake are all impounds on the Missouri River and feature lots of public land, limited private opportunities and great ammenities. These lakes warm up enough in the summer to truly enjoy - unlike those lakes in Northwest Montana!

Holter is home to the historically significant "Gates of the Mountains" from the journals of Lewis and Clark. Imagine 200' tall limestone cliffs and properties that are minutes from Blue Ribbob Trout streams and rivers. All of this at dimes on the dollar compared to Flathead and Whitefish. GREAT Stuff! - Wed Jun 11 2008, 13:59

Quite Simple. That's it. Life in Montana is lived at a slower pace. Focus on the simple things! Outdoor lifestyle, friends, family and a world that defied the 7 day a week 24 hour per day mentality the rest of the world seems to require. Western Montana has it all!

As a 6th generation resident, I am constantly remined of how different life really is here. This morning in Helena- blue sky, sunshine and greem all around. By noon - a short snowstorm - on June 10th! As the day goes by, it just gets better. The only thing that could top it is the same day spent at thes business end of a fly rod! - Tue Jun 10 2008, 16:08