Bozeman Real Estate Blog: Montana Real Estate Blogs

Gorgeous, custom Manhattan Montana Luxury Real Estate on 20 acres in the Churchill-Amsterdam area. Be wowed the minute you walk in to this rustic Montana beauty.

Soaring ceilings, fir beams, massive stone fireplace, and a wall of glass to display the magnificent Bridger Mountain range.

This Manhattan home contains 6792 +/- sq ft finished, with approximately 3396 +/- sq ft finished on the main floor with great room, dining area, kitchen, game room, combo laundry-mud room, luxury master wing, powder room, two guest suites with full baths and extra storage space.

Enjoy the Chef's Kitchen replete with Monogram stainless steel appliance package: double ovens, over-sized refrigerator, six-burner range, granite counters, over-sized walk-in pantry, built in wine bar.

Luxury master wing includes private office, deck, fireplace, and bathroom with double vanity, soaker tub and walk-in tiled shower with triple shower heads.

The walk-out lower level is 3396 +/- sf unfinished but framed, insulated, plumbed for a bathroom, and wired.

This southwest Montana luxury real estate has a gorgeous stone fireplace, family room, two bedrooms, bathroom, game room, extra storage, and the mechanical room. Enjoy the incredible concrete patio highlighted by boulder retaining walls, beautiful unobstructed mountain and valley views.

For all the toys, enjoy the oversized 3-car garage, with work station, and bonus room above.

Offered at $929,000  -  MLS 166661

Discover the History - Manhattan, Montana

Taunya Fagan Prudential Montana Luxury Real Estate      406.579.9683      taunya.fagan@prumt.com

giving you the advantage...®

Have you ever imagined  driving a team of sled dogs? Spirit of the North sled dog trips at Big Sky, Montana's Moonlight Basin Resort allows you to do so...

And, it's not as hard as you may think because the dogs know the trail; you just need to keep your balance, apply drag or brakes, and move your body like a skier.

The Huskies used for these eight mile trips come from Montana's sled dog racer Jessie Royer's vast kennel of Alaska-Siberian mixed dogs (greyhound and other breeds mixed in).

As we (five-year old boy included) helped hitch the teams up, these lean, work-loving canines began yipping, then yapping, and finally jumping and howling, filling the air to a fever-pitch of canine cacophony.

My husband drove ours and as soon as he released the brake the dogs shot down the hill and away into the trees, hot on the trail of the lead team.

Over hills and hummocks we raced, never sure what was around the next bend in the trees...exciting, exhilirating...and the vistas of the snow-covered Madison Mountain Range and the northwest side of Big Sky's Lone Peak...well, you'll just have to try it for yourself!

According to the International Federation of Sleddog Sports, "sled dog activities may have existed for almost as long as the relationship between dogs and humans, in the regions where snow was a seasonal probability."

In the 1920's gold miners returning to New England brought sled dog racing where its popularity soared.

And into the 1930's, sled dogs were the primary means for the Post Office to reach remote places to deliver Alaska's mail.

For information on Montana Sled dog trips, make the call (406) 955-3424

Taunya Fagan Prudential Big Sky Montana Real Estate,

giving you the advantage...® 

Bozeman Real Estate Prices, Values, Statistics 2008 Through 2009

Includes Southwest Montana Real Estate Market - Gallatin County Montana Real Estate Volume

Earlier this year, Housing Predictor (a housing forecasting website) had ranked the 25 top US cities for home value appreciation in 2009. The Housing Predictor Montana Rankings had five Montana cities in the top 25 and two within the top 10 (you may recall that in January 2009, Billings ranked 3rd and Bozeman ranked 9th, placing both cities in the top 10 for appreciation in 2009: excellent rankings for any state).

Apparently, based on US housing data received during 2009, Housing Predictor has published a revised, or more accurately, a final tally of the top 25 US Housing Market appreciation results for 2009. Again, five Montana cities have placed in the top 25 for 2009, but the revised ranking now places Bozeman 14th, Billings 18th, Livingston 20th, Great Falls 22nd, and Missoula 25th, still far better 2009 housing sales results than ANY other state in the US, and a fairly accurate prediction on the part of Housing Predictor for, at least, Bozeman, MT.

Housing Predictor will be coming out with its 2010 predictions in the next month or so. The independent real estate market forecaster has made some early predictions as to US housing prices in 2010.

Pertaining to Montana real estate prices for 2010, the housing forecaster has Montana real estate prices dropping from 2.5% to 3.6% across the five, aforementioned Montana cities.

Below is a comparison chart for regional, Gallatin County and Bozeman Real Estate Prices, January through December 2008 and January through November 2009: 

* DOM = "Days On Market"

giving you the advantage...®

Taunya Fagan Bozeman Montana Real Estate

406.579.9683   -   taunya at taunyafagan dot com

'Tis the time of year to harvest the Montana Christmas tree, with, of course, your $5 permit, which you may purchase at a Ranger District office of the Gallatin National Forest.

You may also get your permit at some other Bozeman area businesses, including Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply Company, the Gateway Exxon Station, Lee and Dad's Grocery Store, and Owenhouse-Ace Hardware Store.

In ten degree, snowy weather, my husband, son, and I, in our 4x4, convoyed with some others up Bozeman's Hyalite Canyon Road, which has winter plowing.

When heading up, don't forget your shovel (a grain scoop works great), and it's always good to have four-wheel drive, chains, jumper cables, and a tow rope--hopefully only to pull others out.

We hiked in the requisite 100 feet away from the road (50 feet from streams), found and cut decent little fir trees, strapped them to our roofs, and headed home.

We hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Taunya Fagan

Prudential Bozeman Montana Real Estate,

giving you the advantage...®

Already in 2009, the number of people departing Bozeman Airport - Gallatin Field (BZN), Belgrade, Montana, has surpassed all previous records...

...so the present 28,000 sf, $30 million, Phase III expansion of the Gallatin Valley's airport, designed by Bozeman's Prugh and Lenon Architects, comes at the perfect time to accommodate the apt projection that Bozeman's yearly air traffic will continue increasing at the rate of 5 percent each year well into the next decade.

Gallatin Field, services Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky, and a good portion of the southwest Montana region. Presently, Montana's Gallatin Valley region continues to grow and, according to October 2009 figures, Gallatin Valley and Bozeman's unemployment hovers around 5.5%.

In 2008, two carriers into Bozeman, Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines, increased the number of travelers to Bozeman and southwest Montana with their Las Vegas and Denver flights. Beginning Dec. 17, 2009 United begins seasonal non-stop service to San Francisco's International Airport (this seasonal service will end March 27, 2010.) United Express has also added a nonstop, service to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD).

Gallatin Field's constant flow of corporate and cargo planes, four air flight schools (including a helicopter flight school), and rising private jet traffic are what keeps Bozeman's regional airport, and a large number of Bozeman area residents, employed. Gallatin Airport employs over 400 people through almost 30 companies whose offices reside right at Gallatin Field.

According to the Gallatin Airport Authority, which oversees Bozeman's airport operations, the new expansion will add four gates to the existing five,  for a total of 9 gates, which will still leave additional space for future population growth in and increased tourism into the Bozeman region.

Question: Whose plane was the first and only 747 ever to land at Bozeman's Gallatin Field Airport?

Taunya Fagan Prudential Montana Real Estate, giving you the advantage...®   

Bozeman's Green Balance Homes Announces Affordable Bozeman Green Homes: Green Buildings For Tomorrow's Active Montana Lifestyle

These single family green residences will be located in Bozeman's highly desired Valley West Subdivision north of Huffine Lane and east of Cottonwood Road. Green Balance's project is to be built according to the Energy Star and NAHB Green Building Guidelines. Energy Star and NAHB certifications will be issued after homes are constructed.

Green Balance LLC homes will be built by Rotherham Construction, a regionally recognized construction firm serving the Bozeman area for over 15 years.

Rotherham Const. is the only Bozeman green real estate construction company presently offering residential Bozeman green homes at this level of energy efficiency. Homes will be built in Valley West Phase 3, on lots 11, 12, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, which are approximately 5000 sf.

Green Balance Program Highlights:
Sunburst I - 1221 square feet at $195,300
Sunburst II - 1480 square feet at $207,900
Sedona - 1498 square feet at $207,100
Sweet Grass - 1499 square feet at $207,700
Upgrades are available.

Since insulation and windows are the core elements of home energy efficiency, the insulation (R-values) and Windows (U-Values) of these Bozeman Green Homes will meet or exceed a set standard of insulation, which at this time is R-25 for walls and R-50 for attics.

Enjoy reduced ownership and maintenance costs because Energy Star qualified homes on average save 20 to 30% on annual utility bills over standard, conventionally built non-green homes. Energy Star rated appliances (Included: Range, Microwave, Refrigerator, Dishwasher) contribute to this cost savings and provide you, the homeowner, with a quality-built, reliable green house that will last for many years.

Components of the green construction process will utilize sustainable practices, including on- and off-site waste reduction, recycling of building materials, advanced construction framing techniques, and northwest regional green building products and other, necessary, construction materials.

The Bozeman homes in this Bozeman green home development will be environmentally sensitive and will follow specific green home designs, green home construction guidelines, overall finishing specifications, and the Valley West Subdivision requirements. Following these guidelines will result in greater energy efficiency and a lower environmental impact.

In addition to ensuring these Valley West homes have efficient insulation and windows, additional energy efficiency will be recumbent upon aspects such as sealing ducts, sealing the building envelope, creating an air and vapor barrier, and establishing Water efficiency both inside and outside the home; maximizing both efficient indoor water delivery systems and exterior water efficiency landscaping methods ensures minimial waste of water.

This green Bozeman real estate will be finished using environmentally conscious products, reducing indoor environmental contaminants while providing a healthier, higher quality indoor living environment.

Along with being able to control your home's interior humidity and temperature, you will rest assured that your indoor environment is of a higher quality than most Bozeman residential properties.

To qualify as an Energy Star home, each dwelling must have third-party verification prior to receipt of the Energy Star Certification. Third-party verification ensures the consistency of the green construction process and gives you, the homeowner, confidence and necessary information about the testing procedures, energy efficiency aspects, and specific green building features of your southwest Montana green home.

Features:

In-Floor Radiant Heating/Cooling
Living Area
Dining Area
Laundry Room
Storage/Closet
2-Car Garage
Front Porch
Patio
Concrete Driveway
Landscaping Lawn with Underground Sprinklers
Bozeman City Water
Bozeman City Sewer
Amenities Pond-Ditch
Association Fee of $75/quarter

For More Information - Taunya Fagan Prudential Montana Real Estate

Call 406.579.9683

giving you the advantage...®

Builders of Residential Montana Real Estate...

And builders of homes in the rest of the Northwest region of the US in 2009 began building residential properties, including condominiums and town houses, at a rate of between 8 and 9 percent.

Fifty-nine percent of year 2009 home sales throughout the United States have been incumbent upon FHA, VA, or USDA home loan programs.

In the Northwest Region of the US the rate of the use of these government loan programs has been fifty-one percent:

1. Veteran's Administration (VA) loans, eleven percent.
2. Federal Housing Administration (FHA), thirty-four percent.
3. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), six percent home financing programs

Throughout the United States in 2009, the use of one of these three government home mortgage loan programs was through a No-Equity high home Loan-To-Value (LTV) rate of between ninety-six and a half and one hundred percent, which basically means home buyers were able to secure a home loan almost equal to, or in some cases equal to or greater than, the home's value at the time of purchase. Some LTV loans surpass a home's assesed value by as much as 25 percent!

Taunya Fagan Prudential Montana Real Estate,

giving you the advantage...®

Blog Catalog Bozeman Real Estate Blog

According to the National Association of Realtors...

NAR says, so far in 2009, the trend is: First-time Home Buyers have pushed 45% of all US home sales.

In concert with this national trend upward in US home sales, which was 13.0% for existing home sales in the Western part of the United States, interest in the Bozeman, Montana Real Estate Residential Home Market, including interest in the Bozeman Luxury Real Estate Market, had been trending upward in the last few weeks of the third quarter of 2009.

Bozeman and the Surrounding Area's Sold Data For Years 2003 Through 2009 

* DOM: Days on Market

The Year 2009 Pending Bozeman Home Sales Breakdown Through September 2009:

• Bozeman - 111
• Belgrade - 42
• Big Sky - 17

The total number of homes sold in 2009 in the Bozeman real estate market appears to be trending toward 2008's sold total but with a trend downward in Bozeman area home sales prices, which is good for Bozeman home buyers.

Good News Update: with the October 28, 2009 Congressional (Senate) action on the distinct possibility of extending the Home Buyer Tax Credit, Bozeman home sales for 2009 may end up being higher than the number of Bozeman homes sold in 2008. After Senate approval, the Bill would have to go to the House and on to President Obama, who, along with some key Democrats, is a bit reluctant to extend the tax credit because of the additional cost to tax payers.

Taunya Fagan Prudential Montana Real Estate

giving you the advantage...®

Ready to become one of the projected 350,000+ Amtrak riders to again ride the rails through southern Montana?

An October 16, 2009 Amtrak Rail System study says it'll be costly--over $1 billion--to rejuvinate the old North Coast Hiawatha Amtrak line that ran across the southern tier of Montana.

But the rebirth of this new branch of Amtrak's Hiawatha train service, servicing Montana from Paradise and Missoula, through Billings and Bozeman, Montana to Miles City and Glendive would add about 270 employees and cut greenhouse gas emmisions, releasing much less CO2 into the atmosphere.

This new, green way and green energy solution to travel from Seattle to Chicago, would earn Amtrak over $40 million each year.

Over long distances, train trips are close to 30% more energy efficient than car excursions and about 20% more efficient than airplane travel. A train can move a ton of human cargo over 400 miles of train track on one gallon of diesel fuel!

This extremely energy efficient form of travel is possible in large part because train drag is minimized as its length is increased, and, concomitantly, increasing a train's mass requires a relatively small amount of energy as compared with engaging the mass, if you will, of multiple busses or autos in an effort to transport large groups of people.

In about five years from now, on a trip across the United States, you may be able to stop off in Livingston, Montana for a quick side trip to Yellowstone National Park!

Taunya Fagan Prudential Bozeman Real Estate

giving you the advantage...®