http://activerain.com/blogs/dougmaas The best place to find Real Estate and Homes for Sale in Great Falls MT. en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/3691063/homes-and-real-estate-for-sale-in-great-falls-montana <h3>Homes and Real Estate for Sale in Great Falls Montana</h3> <p><strong>Real Estate in Great Falls </strong>in most price ranges&nbsp;is very active right now. &nbsp;In fact, it did not seem to slow down much at all during the winter as it typicaly does. &nbsp;I think this is due in part to the very mild winter we enjoyed here and the slightly improving economy. &nbsp;This is good news for sellers who have been waiting to sell thinking the economy might make it difficult to sell thier home.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><a href="http://DougMaas.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/2/3/8/4/ar136570475848327.png" height="30" alt="Search the MLS in Great Falls MT" width="316" style="float: right; margin: 5px;"></a>Buyers are looking for information on the Internet like never before </strong>and with all of the national websites&nbsp;juggling for position to be the number one source of real estate information, many buyers are finding different and innacurate information on all of the sites. &nbsp;This is because sites like Zillow and Trulia do not have access to the MLS in each town. &nbsp;They rely on information provided by syndication or Real Estate Agents manually uploading to the sites.</p> <p><strong>If you are looking for a good website</strong> to search for accurate information on available homes and Real Estate for sale in Great Falls MT, try <a href="http://DougMaas.com" title="Homes and Real Estate for Sale in Great Falls Montana" target="_blank">DougMaas.com</a> &nbsp;Information is pulled directly from the MLS so it is always current and accurate.</p> <p><strong>You will find featured homes for sale</strong>, lots for sale, condo's for sale and be able to customize your search to find exactly what you need. &nbsp;If you require more detailed information about any of the properties, just send me an email and I will get you additional information to aid in your search.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://HolterLakeHomes.com" target="_blank"><img title="Holter Lake Homes" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/5/9/2/ar136570437429554.png" height="63" alt="Holter Lake Homes" width="217" style="float: left; margin: 6px;"></a>If recreational properties are what you are looking for</strong>, take a look at <a href="http://HolterLakeHomes.com" title="Holter Lake Homes Cabins and Land for sale" target="_blank">HolterLakeHomes.com</a>&nbsp;Here you will find Cabins, Homes and Lots and Land available for sale around Holter Lake as well as some beautiful scenery of the lake and surrounding mountains. &nbsp;Just for fun we have added some fishing videos so you can see what you might be missing.</p> <p><strong>New to the area and just want to rent for awhile?</strong>&nbsp; <a href="http://MaasProperties.com" title="Homes Condos and Apartments for rent in Great Falls Montana" target="_blank">MaasProperties.com</a> has a large selection of rental homes, condo's and apartments for rent in and around Great Falls, MT &nbsp;We think once you try living in Great Falls MT you will want to stay!</p> <p><strong>We have you covered when it comes to Homes and Real Estate for sale in and around Great Falls Montana</strong>.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:35:52 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3691063/homes-and-real-estate-for-sale-in-great-falls-montana http://activerain.com/blogsview/3644751/holter-lake-montana-homes-cabins-and-land-for-sale <h2><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Holter Lake Montana Homes Cabins and Land for Sale</span></h2> <p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong><img title="Holter Lake Homes" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/7/8/8/ar136225311988765.png" height="124" alt="Holter Lake Homes" width="150" style="float: right; margin: 4px;">Its time to start thinking about summer in Montana</strong>. &nbsp;Summer to many in Montana means camping, boating, fishing, hiking and ATVing.</span></p> <p><strong>We are fortunate in Great Falls</strong> to have all these recreational opportunities within just minutes of our doors.</p> <p><strong>One popular recreation spot which covers all of the above is Holter Lake</strong>. &nbsp;Holter Lake is a 45 minute drive through the scenic canyon between Great Falls and Helena. 3/4 of the trip is interstate and the rest is a well maintained paved side road.</p> <p><strong>Holter Lake is home to several public camp grounds</strong> from which you can boat, camp, fish, waterski, hike and ride your ATV's all from the same spot. &nbsp;The only catch is most of these sites are first come, first serve. &nbsp;It can get very busy on the major holiday weekends at Holter.</p> <p><strong>One solution to the shortage of camp sites</strong> is home or land ownership on the lake. &nbsp;Holter has many private waterfront lots with cabins or homes with their own private docks. &nbsp;These waterfront properties can be difficult to obtain since many owners hold on to them for generations. &nbsp;A limited few go up for sale each year and they sell for a premium because of this. &nbsp;Prices are no where near some of the other popular lakes in Western Montana however, so many still view them as a bargain considering the proximity to both Helena and Great Falls.</p> <p><strong>In the past there was no easy way to find out about all of these opportunities</strong> to purchase property at Holter in one location. &nbsp;I have solved that with a new website dedicated to Holter Lake Homes, Cabins, lots and land for sale. &nbsp;You can view this website and many beautiful pictures of Holter Lake by going to<a href="http://holterlakehomes.com" title="HolterLakeHomes.com" target="_blank"> HolterLakeHomes.com</a>. There is also fishing video's, Boating and Skiing video's and some amazing scenery photographs of the Gates of The Mountains.</p> <p><strong>I welcome you to check out the site</strong> and if you have any experiences to share I would love to see or hear about them and maybe share them on the site.</p> <p><strong>If you have a Holter Lake property that you are considering selling</strong>, contact me to find out how you can have your Home, Cabin or Land featured on our site.</p> <p><strong>Have a happy and safe summer season and I hope to see you at the Lake!</strong></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Sat, 02 Mar 2013 11:42:22 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3644751/holter-lake-montana-homes-cabins-and-land-for-sale http://activerain.com/blogsview/3610528/great-falls-horse-property-for-sale <p><strong>Great Falls Horse Property for Sale</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/8/5/5/0/ar135979770005586.jpg" height="243" alt="Great Falls Horse Property Home for sale" width="400" style="margin: 8px auto; display: block;"></strong></p> <p><strong>Looking for a Horse Property near Great Falls Montana?</strong> &nbsp;Want a large quality built home without a bunch of &nbsp;stairs to climb?&nbsp;</p> <p>Do you prefer lots of open space and vaulted ceilings? &nbsp;How about room in the garage for the Crew Cab Dually? &nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/0/7/9/5/ar135979804359701.jpg" height="267" alt="9 Shilo Lane Great Falls Home for Sale" width="400" style="margin: 8px auto; display: block;"><br><strong>Welcome to 9 Shiloh Lane.</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">This home offers it all and more. &nbsp;With 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths including a huge master suite, a large family room, large living room and office all on one level. &nbsp;Curl up next to one of the new Pellet Stoves and watch the winter roll by. &nbsp;Large garden space for all the veggies you can eat. &nbsp;A horse barn for the horses and an office for the business. &nbsp;And in the evenings stroll on down the lane and go fishing in the Missouri River.</p> <p><strong>2747 sq ft all on one level - 5 Acres of land</strong></p> <p><strong>All for only $324,900&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>More info, pictures and videos at <a href="http://dougmaas.com/listing/9-shiloh-lane/" target="_blank">DougMaas.com</a></strong></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:51:30 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3610528/great-falls-horse-property-for-sale http://activerain.com/blogsview/3572193/buyers-need-3-bedroom-2-bath-homes-in-great-falls-montana <p><strong>Buyers need 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Homes in Great Falls Montana</strong></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/8/2/9/ar135722946592858.png" height="154" alt="3 bed 2 bath home for sale Great Falls Montana" width="150" style="float: right; margin: 5px;"><strong>If you are shopping for mid range 3 bedroom 2 bath home with a garage in Great Falls Montana</strong> right now you may have noticed something strange - There are only 2 to choose from. &nbsp;That's right, in the $120K - $135K price range, there are currently only two 3 bed/2 bath homes with garages for buyers to choose from.</p> <p><strong>If you are a homeowner thinking about selling, or stepping up to a larger home, the timing could not be better for you.</strong> &nbsp;There is virtually no competition in this price range. &nbsp;We have active buyers who are looking and cannot find a home because there are none for sale. &nbsp;Activity is strong right now even though we are in the middle of winter. &nbsp;Families are moving here and need housing. &nbsp;Many end up renting because they cannot find a suitable home for them. &nbsp;This price range ($120K - $135K) is very popular because currently the payment for a VA or FHA buyer is in the $800 - $900/mo &nbsp;range. &nbsp;This fits perfectly with the BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) of many of our Military members moving here. &nbsp;It also works well for many first time home buyers.</p> <p><strong>If you have been thinking you should wait until Spring or Summer to list your home for sale, you should reconsider</strong>. &nbsp;Competition is much higher in the Summer months. &nbsp;You will be one of dozens in this price range in the summer, where you would be one of only a couple now. &nbsp;Maybe it is time to finish those projects and get your home on the market so you can take advantage of the low interest rates also.</p> <p><strong>With the winter mild so far, buyers will continue to be active in this market</strong>. &nbsp;Don't miss a perfect opportunity to sell just because you think it is better to sell your home in the summer - Buyers want it now.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:37:13 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3572193/buyers-need-3-bedroom-2-bath-homes-in-great-falls-montana http://activerain.com/blogsview/3465657/can-a-loan-servicer-forcibly-enter-a-property-prior-to-foreclosure- <p></p><p>If you are behind on your payments and no longer occupy the property, eventually the lender will secure the property and you will be locked out.&nbsp; If it is listed for sale and you are pursuing a short sale this can be frustrating.&nbsp; If possible, make sure it is obvious you are still occupying the property.</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3465308/can-a-loan-servicer-forcibly-enter-a-property-prior-to-foreclosure-">Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><img title="Who can enter a property prior to foreclosure?" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/5/6/9/7/ar134926680679656.jpg" height="304" alt="Who can enter a property prior to foreclosure?" style="margin: 6px 8px; border: 3px solid black; float: right;" width="454">Property preservation is a hot topic these days. </strong>If a servicer determines that a house is no longer occupied, they will enter the property by any means, change the locks, and start performing interior and exterior maintenance.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Property owners (and very often their real estate agents as well)</strong> often become incensed at the intrusion. They ask: &ldquo;What gives them the right to enter MY house without MY permission?&rdquo;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>And while that is a legal question that should always be directed to an attorney</strong> in the state where the property is located, it is very likely that buried somewhere in that pile of paperwork that the borrower signed at closing was a provision to allow a servicer to enter an abandoned property for the purpose of preservation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>In any case, legal or not, it happens every day.</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>It&rsquo;s just another facet of the new real estate reality.</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>Note: Laws vary by state. Always consult an attorney in your state with any legal questions.</em></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: small;"><a href="http://twitter.com/cowetafayette" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/5/6/6/ar125053794666568.png" height="64" alt="Follow Me on Twitter" width="64"></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/weisser" target="_blank"><img title="Follow Me on Facebook" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/9/6/2/ar12505378126992.png" height="64" alt="Follow Me on Facebook" width="64"></a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/cowetafayette" target="_blank"><img title="Lets get Linkedin" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/2/5/1/0/ar12505379701524.png" height="64" alt="Lets get Linkedin" width="64"></a> <a href="http://www.cowetafayetteinfo.com%20" target="_blank"><img title="My Outside Blog" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/1/9/2/7/ar125053799672916.png" height="64" alt="My Outside Blog" width="64"></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/cowetafayette" target="_blank"><img title="Watch my Videos on YouTube" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/5/9/9/ar12505380399568.png" height="64" alt="Watch my Videos on YouTube" width="64"></a></span></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/0/9/2/7/ar129599295372902.JPG" height="174" alt="" width="175" style="float: left; margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px;">All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of&nbsp;<a href="http://cowetafayetterealestate.com/" title="ERA United Realty Coweta Fayette Real Estate">Coweta Fayette Real Estate Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers, Newnan Georgia</a>. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. <strong>Richard Weisser REOS, E-Pro. licensed Auctioneer. 770-827-6225.</strong><br><a href="http://cowetafayetterealestate.com/" title="Coweta Fayette Real Estate">Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to</a> <a href="http://cowetafayetterealestate.com/" title="Coweta Fayette Real Estate Newnan homes for sale" target="_blank">search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required. Visit <strong>CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com!</strong></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://smokyphotos.com/" title="Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and vicinity" target="_blank">Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://northgeorgiaphotos.com" title="Photos of North Georgia" target="_blank">North Georgia Photos.</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://northgeorgiaphotos.com" title="Photos of North Georgia by Richard Weisser" target="_blank">North Georgia Photos</a></p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:20:11 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3465657/can-a-loan-servicer-forcibly-enter-a-property-prior-to-foreclosure- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3459999/what-closing-costs-can-i-expect-when-buying-or-selling-a-home- <p></p><p>Here is a breakdown of what closing costs and pre-paids are and what they are for.&nbsp; It is very common in Great Falls to ask the seller to contribute to some or even all of a Buyer's closing costs and pre-paids.</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3459502/what-closing-costs-can-i-expect-when-buying-or-selling-a-home-">Eric Proulx (RealEstate.com)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><img title="what closing costs can i expect" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/6/8/6/ar134879018268614.jpg" height="216" alt="" style="float: right;" width="324">The stakes in real estate transactions are high &ndash; and often fraught with emotion for people who may well be engaging in the biggest purchase or sale of their lives. Furthermore, it takes a lot of different people working together to make a home purchase or other real estate transaction happen. The buyer and seller are just the beneficiaries of a tremendous amount of effort that takes place on the part of lenders, real estate agents, escrow representatives, property and title insurance agents, county registrars and local property tax officials &ndash; and no one in these agencies can work for free.</p> <p>The good news is that if you are a buyer, you shouldn&rsquo;t be blindsided by any significant unexpected costs: Federal laws require lenders to provide their customers with a <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/what-is-a-good-faith-estimate" target="_blank">good faith estimate</a>, or GFE, of your closing costs, within three days of your loan application. All your expected closing costs are delineated in this document, though some of them can vary by as much as 10 percent when you get to the closing table.</p> <p>It is important to compare the GFE with any HUD-1 forms you receive in the mail during the escrow process. You may receive more than one as the loan progresses. It&rsquo;s important to read each one and compare the figures to those on the GFE. The information on page 3 of the HUD-1, located at the bottom of the second chart, will show you the difference between the figures on the two documents and outline which costs can&rsquo;t increase and which ones can&rsquo;t increase by more than 10 percent. You may be entitled to a refund if the lender miscalculated or failed to disclose certain items. Point out any discrepancies to your lender or your real estate agent.</p> <h2>Closing Costs When Buying a Home</h2> <p>As a buyer, using a conventional loan, you can expect to pay the following fees at closing:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>Origination Fees &ndash;</strong> This is a fee you pay to your lender for securing the capital for you. However, in some cases, the origination fee can be wrapped into the balance of the loan.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Points &ndash;</strong> These are essentially fees you pay to &ldquo;buy down&rdquo; to a lower interest rate. For example, your lender may give you an option of a loan at 5 percent with no points, or a loan at 4 percent with a payment of 1 percent of the mortgage value at closing. Each &ldquo;point&rdquo; is 1 percent of the loan amount.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Credit Check Fee &ndash;</strong> Self-explanatory. The lender has to pay a fee to run your credit report. They pass this fee on to you.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Appraisal Fees &ndash;</strong> These are fees for an independent <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/everything-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-home-appraisals" target="_blank">appraisal</a> of the property&rsquo;s value to the lender.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Lender&rsquo;s Attorney&rsquo;s Fee &ndash;</strong> Yeah, this is kind of the lender&rsquo;s problem, not yours. Consider objecting.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Title Services and Lender&rsquo;s Title Insurance &ndash;</strong> Title insurance provides coverage in case the seller does not own the title free and clear, and someone else comes to claim an interest in the property at some later date. This fee pays for a title search as well as a premium to compensate the lender in the event the title is in question.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Owner&rsquo;s Title Insurance &ndash;</strong> This insurance protects you, as opposed to the lender. If the seller does not have clear title to sell, and another claimant emerges with a legitimate interest in the property, title insurance ensures that you will be financially made whole.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Property Inspection Fees &ndash;</strong> At a minimum, you should have a <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/buyers-home-inspections" target="_blank">home inspection</a> and a wood-destroying pest inspection done. Additionally, you may want to get a water inspection, a septic inspection, or a <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/radon-gas-in-homes" target="_blank">radon inspection</a>, depending on the property.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Transfer Taxes &ndash;</strong> These are fees your municipal or state government may tack on for the effort required to update property records, search for outstanding liens on the property, and issue a new title. This tax is based on the sale price of the home.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Escrow Deposit &ndash;</strong> You will need to come up with money to give to the escrow company to pay for recurring charges on your property, including property tax and insurance.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Homeowners Insurance &ndash;</strong> You will need to obtain <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/homeowner-insurance-policy-definitions" target="_blank">homeowners insurance</a> coverage on the property prior to closing. Consider getting it in place about two weeks prior to closing.</li> </ul> <p>As a buyer, you shouldn&rsquo;t normally be required to pay any real estate agent or broker fees. For residential transactions, unless the buyer specifically requests a buyer&rsquo;s agent rather than a traditional real estate agent, the agent is always paid by the seller.</p> <h2>Shared Closing Costs</h2> <p>The buyer and seller each share the prorated <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/real-estate-property-taxes" target="_blank">property taxes</a>, as well as prorated property insurance costs, which are calculated based on the date the change of title is stamped and recorded. The date of recordation is not necessarily the same as the closing date. The seller will pay property taxes up through the date of recordation, and the escrow company will pay the remainder out of your escrow deposit.</p> <h2>Closing Costs When Selling a Home</h2> <p>For sellers, the transaction is simpler, but no less expensive: The seller typically pays real estate commissions for both the listing agent and the buyer-side agent. Some sellers bypass the real estate agent, however, offering their homes for sale directly &ndash; &ldquo;For Sale Buy Owner,&rdquo; or <a href="http://www.realestate.com/advice/tips-on-buying-a-fsbo-home" target="_blank">FSBO</a> - and potentially save tens of thousands of dollars in closing costs. The downside: It could take awhile to sell the house, unless you have a buyer in mind already.</p> <p>As a seller, you can also expect to pay your last prorated utility, water and trash pickup bills.</p> <p>Depending on your jurisdiction, you may also get tagged for transfer or stamp taxes at the municipal, county or state level. Your real estate agent should be able to give you a full breakdown on fees and taxes required of you for your particular locale.</p> <p>In sum, no matter which side of the transaction you&rsquo;re on, expect to bring some additional cash to the closing table. The total amount that buyers and sellers pay can vary widely depending on origination fees, commissions, local taxes, and other factors. For more detailed information, you can read the Department of Housing and Urban Development&rsquo;s <a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=DOC_12893.pdf" target="_blank">Guide to Settlement Costs</a>.</p> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:22:57 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3459999/what-closing-costs-can-i-expect-when-buying-or-selling-a-home- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3425892/the-real-estate-market-is-hot-invest-intelligently-you-won-t-get-burned <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Real Estate Market is Hot -<br> Invest Intelligently and You Won&rsquo;t Get Burned</span></strong></span></p> <div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/9/5/3/7/ar134625733073595.png" height="100" alt="Real Estate Invest Great Falls MT" width="100" style="margin: 3px 7px; float: left;">The real estate market has been heating up nationwide, and it&rsquo;s only getting hotter. On CNBC.com&rsquo;s Realty Check, real estate reporter Diana Olick writes, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no secret that investors have been inhaling foreclosed properties at a breakneck pace, trying to cash in on an increasingly hot rental market.&rdquo;^{<a name="_ftnref1" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1</span></span></span>} </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Recently Bloomberg reported that Blackstone Group, the biggest buyer of U.S. commercial real estate, &ldquo;is turning to residential real estate after a 34 percent plunge in prices since the 2006 peak. The New York-based company is the biggest investor seeking to enter the single-family leasing market as rents climb and the U.S. homeownership rate sits at a 15-year low.&rdquo;^{<a name="_ftnref2" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2</span></span></span>} &nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/2/0/6/8/ar134633407886021.png" height="100" alt="Home for Rent Great Falls Montana" width="164" style="margin: 2px 3px; float: right;">Here in Great Falls, rents are often higher than mortgage payments. In a popular neighborhood like Fox Farm, it would be cheaper for many families to buy a home than rent. The average price of a house for sale in the Fox Farm area is about $200,000. Occasionally you can pick up a Short Sale in the area for $160K or less.&nbsp; Monthly payments on a VA 30-year mortgage at $200,000 is usually less than $1,200, while rentals are around $1,500 - if you can find one.<a name="_ftnref3" title=""></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Real estate investors have the added advantage of record-low interest rates. According to Freddie Mac&rsquo;s Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for the first half of 2012 averaged 3.86%, while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.12%!^{<a name="_ftnref4" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">3</span></span></span>} Even investors who have the cash are locking in these incredible rates.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So who are the buyers making up this heat wave of investing? Surprisingly, the typical real estate investor isn&rsquo;t wealthy and middle-aged like you might imagine. The reality is that the median income of the real estate investor is $86,100. It&rsquo;s not much higher than the median income of the primary residence buyer: $72,400. And nearly 40% of investors made <em>less</em> than $75,000 in 2011.<a name="_ftnref5" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">⁴</span></span></span> Today&rsquo;s real estate investor is really just the average American homebuyer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When you consider today&rsquo;s market conditions, it&rsquo;s not surprising that investors are popping up everywhere. But not all discounted properties are good investments, no matter how low the price and interest rate may be. Several factors affect a property&rsquo;s return on investment, and they all need to be carefully considered. For example, experienced investors know to invest for cash flow&mdash;a property&rsquo;s return on investment in the form of monthly rent. It&rsquo;s immediate, steady, and can build wealth over time. Many new investors tend to think in terms of appreciation, but intelligent investors know that investing for cash flow helps ensure a profitable investment regardless of appreciation.</span></p> <div id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">^{<a name="_ftn1" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1</span></span></span>} CNBC <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/47890798/Investors_Get_Creative_with_Hot_Rental_Market">http://www.cnbc.com/id/47890798/Investors_Get_Creative_with_Hot_Rental_Market</a></span></p> </div> <div id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">^{<a name="_ftn2" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2 </span></span></span>}Bloomberg <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-03/blackstone-makes-foray-into-houses-for-rent-mortgages.html">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-03/blackstone-makes-foray-into-houses-for-rent-mortgages.html</a></span></p> </div> <div id="ftn4"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">^{<a name="_ftn4" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">3</span></span></span>} FreddieMac <a href="http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/">http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/</a></span></p> </div> <div id="ftn5"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">^{<a name="_ftn5" title=""></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">4</span></span></span>} 2012 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey</span></p> </div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:45:44 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3425892/the-real-estate-market-is-hot-invest-intelligently-you-won-t-get-burned http://activerain.com/blogsview/3420136/300-new-jobs-for-great-falls-montana <p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">300 New Jobs for Great Falls Montana</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/1/2/5/ar134582113852111.png" height="162" alt="300 New Jobs Great Falls Montana" width="180" style="margin: 2px; float: right;"><strong>According to reporting by the Great Falls Tribune</strong>, a Canadian company may bring 300 high-paying jobs to Great Falls.&nbsp; A tenative deal was struck Wednesday according to Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Development Authority.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Who it is is still a secret.</strong>&nbsp; Doney declined to name the company since it is publicly traded and still needs to consult with its shareholders about the deal.&nbsp; The company is said to be involved in the construction industry and the overall project to be at least $15 million.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/1/4/0/ar134582122204192.png" height="200" alt="300 New Jobs Great Falls Montana" width="187" style="margin: 2px; float: left;"></span>The plant will be located north of Great Falls</strong> on U.S. 87 near the Malteurop North America malt plant and construction is expected to start in the spring.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Although not finalized</strong>, this is great news for the Great Falls area and the local real estate market, even though it will probably make an already&nbsp;tight rental market even tighter.&nbsp; It could also explain the increased number of calls from Canadians inquiring about homes in the area.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:24:44 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3420136/300-new-jobs-for-great-falls-montana http://activerain.com/blogsview/3272985/take-control-of-your-future-use-your-sd-ira-to-invest-in-real-estate <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Take Control of Your Future: <em>Use Your SD IRA to Invest in Real Estate</em></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/1/9/6/ar133752250169114.png" height="200" alt="Invest in Real Estate Great Falls MT" width="200" style="float: left;"></em></strong></span><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Did you know you could use your nest egg to purchase an investment property and increase its value through cash flow? You can roll your traditional IRA or 401k into a self-directed IRA (SD IRA) and&mdash;as the name implies&mdash;have direct control over where your funds are invested, namely a cash flow-producing rental property. &nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Traditional IRAs, in most cases, are distributed among stocks, bonds, and mutual funds at the discretion of the bank or financial institution by which they&rsquo;re managed. The financial institution acts as the trustee or custodian of the IRA; it distributes, receives, and holds the account funds for the investor. In most cases, the investor is out of touch with his or her investment activity and just hopes for the best. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">While approximately 97% of all retirement account assets are invested with banks, brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, and insurance companies, many people don&rsquo;t know there are other retirement investment options available and that many of these options have greater return capabilities.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftnref1"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[1]</span></span></span> Real estate, limited liability companies, private companies, and joint ventures are just a handful of possibilities. These investments require that you first roll your IRA into a <em>self-directed</em> IRA to allow you to direct its activity. Because self-directed IRAs are less profitable for financial institutions than traditional IRAs, and because fewer institutions are proficient at handling them, they&rsquo;re more reluctant to communicate this option to investors.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftnref2"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[2]</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">There&rsquo;s no penalty for rolling your retirement funds into an SD IRA, but like a traditional IRA, it requires an account custodian. The difference is your ability to <em>tell</em> your custodian where to invest your funds. For example, you can have your custodian purchase real estate with your SD IRA, then hold the property as a rental investment and have the cash flow go back into your SD IRA. <span>As a bonus, the fees associated with SD IRA custodians can be lower than traditional IRA fees.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftnref3"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span>[3]</span></span></span></span></span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">It&rsquo;s much simpler than most people think. The first step is to find an SD IRA custodian. Not all banks and brokerages handle this type of account, and you&rsquo;ll want to find one that specializes in SD IRAs. And be aware, rolling your IRA into an SD IRA typically takes six to eight weeks. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Once you have your SD IRA all set up, you can make an offer on a selected investment property in the name of your SD IRA. After negotiating a deal, your custodian executes the contract. There&rsquo;s extra paperwork involved when going this route, but your custodian can help guide you through the process. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.05pt 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If you&rsquo;re interested in boosting your retirement and diversifying your investments, using an SD IRA to invest in real estate is a great strategy. You&rsquo;ll want to consult with your accountant and find a custodian who is experienced with SD IRAs. This method is certainly more proactive and lucrative than leaving your retirement funds in the hands of someone else and simply hoping for the best. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <div id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftn1"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[1]</span></span> Allen, Matthew M. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Leverage Your IRA: Maximize Your Profits with Real Estate</span>, Scottsdale: LIFESUCCESS PUBLISHING, 2010. </span></p> </div> <div id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftn2"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[2]</span></span> Ibid. </span></p> </div> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a name="_ftn3"></a><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">[3]</span></span> <a href="http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/3088-4-reasons-to-invest-with-your-sdira-in-real-estate">http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/3088-4-reasons-to-invest-with-your-sdira-in-real-estate</a></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Sun, 20 May 2012 07:06:45 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3272985/take-control-of-your-future-use-your-sd-ira-to-invest-in-real-estate http://activerain.com/blogsview/3047672/5-design-secrets-to-stage-a-small-living-room <p>Here is some good information on Staging Small Living Rooms from a professional stager. We have lots of these smaller rooms here in Great Falls MT.</p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3045448/5-design-secrets-to-stage-a-small-living-room">Kim Gaston, Colorado Springs Home Stager (Front Porch Interiors, LLC, Colorado Springs, CO)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>5 design secrets to stage a small living room from a </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.frontporchinteriors.com/portfolio" title="Certified Stager, Front Porch Interiors">Colorado Springs</a></strong></span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.frontporchinteriors.com/about" title="Colorado Springs Home Stager"> home stager</a></span>.</strong> If your room is somewhat size-challenged re-think your space by&nbsp;blending in&nbsp;these key design elements.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">1. Consider the scale as well as the amount of furnishings you currently possess</span></strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">. Take a picture of your living room. Is the overstuffed, comfy, 5-piece sectional the first thing you notice? Do you think the Buyer will overlook how it resembles Clifford the big red dog? They won&rsquo;t get past how much valuable square footage is eaten up by this elephant in the room. <em>You can</em><em>&nbsp;remove/store it and replace with furniture that is the correct scale. Or, split it up at the corner and use a section to create a loveseat. It&rsquo;s okay if there&rsquo;s one arm or none. Pop color with an accent pillow on the end.</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">2. Use tables that have very little visual weight.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"> Think translucent and reflective. <em>Glass, lucite,&nbsp;metal and mirrors are surfaces that enable the eye to see through or to see light as it bounces around the room. Mercury glass lamps</em> are brilliant for this purpose. </span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><img title="Bella Mancini Design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/4/2/8/ar133178490582432.jpg" height="523" alt="" style="margin: 8px;" width="739">&nbsp;<em>- Bella Mancini Design</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">3. Hang window treatments high.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"> If privacy isn&rsquo;t an issue and inadequate sunlight is, remove them altogether - especially if you&rsquo;re lucky enough to have millwork. Buyers love a trimmed out window. This detail equates to a more custom, thus better quality home. If, however, privacy is a concern, or you&rsquo;d like to showcase a beautiful view, here are some good options. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">Lightweight panels hung to the ceiling create the appearance of more height (more space). An airy, open weave, like linen, will diffuse light unlike heavy, lined draperies which obstruct sunlight. Remove valances or swags. Keep it simple. </span></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">Another great alternative are woven shades. They create texture and architectural interest to windows that may be a tad dated.</span></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">4. Replace old dingy, stained carpet.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"> If you find hardwoods underneath, it&rsquo;s a no-brainer to refinish. If you can&rsquo;t make this investment, consider ripping out the shag and replacing with <em>a carpet remnant or a sea grass rug, both economical and visually fresh.</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;<img title="vanessa de vargas design" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/6/1/9/6/ar133178653569162.png" height="600" alt="" style="margin: 8px;" width="529"></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;- Vanessa de Vargas Design&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">5. Last, but never least, paint.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;"> Before spending $40/gallon consult a <a href="http://www.frontporchinteriors.com/services" title="Front Porch Interiors, services">professional home stager</a>. Warm, creamy neutrals are typically the go-to, but should they be yellow-based or gray-based? How much daylight does your room actually get. Is it north-facing? Does it feel cool in the morning? Would Buyers feel too warm in the afternoon? Is there tile on the floor or your fireplace surround? Should you paint the ceiling the same color? Many variables determine which hue is best for your room. Don&rsquo;t wait until you&rsquo;ve made your third trip to the paint store to ask for help. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">5 design secrets from a home stager to help you create an airy, spacious living room that Buyers will love.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/7/1/0/ar132812368601758.png" height="80" alt="Colorado Springs Stager and designer" width="700" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;"></p> <p><a href="http://www.frontporchinteriors.com/whystage.htm" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/5/5/8/ar132812298785574.png" height="192" alt="Front Porch Interiors Colorado Springs Stager" width="700" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; font-size: small;">Front Porch Interiors, LLC | <a href="mailto:Kim@FrontPorchInteriors.comHome">Kim@FrontPorchInteriors.com<br></a>Home Stylist, Interior Redesigner, Consultant | 719-661-6987 <br><a href="http://www.frontporchinteriors.com/about.htm" target="_blank">Stager, Colorado Springs</a> <br>To view more inspiring Before &amp; After photos, visit my portfolio at: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.FrontPorchInteriors.com">www.FrontPorchInteriors.com</a></span></p> <table style="width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimgastonfrontporchinteriors" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/6/4/0/4/ar132802684940467.png" height="108" alt="follow me on linkedin" width="108" style="float: right;"></a> </td> <td>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.front-porch-style.com/" title="On-site staging blog" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/8/2/9/7/ar132802651679281.png" height="108" alt="my blog" width="108" style="float: right;"></a> </td> <td>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrontPorchInteriors?sk=wall" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/2/8/ar132802653282089.png" height="108" alt="facebook" width="108" style="float: right;"></a> </td> <td>&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/#107218844825632291496/posts" title="My Google+ Profile" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/3/0/0/5/ar132810679250035.png" height="108" alt="" width="108" style="float: right;"></a> </td> <td><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/GastonKim" title="Follow me on Twitter" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/3/5/2/ar132810685325338.png" height="108" alt="" width="108" style="float: right;"></a></td> <td><a href="http://pinterest.com/frontporchinter/" target="_blank"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/8/3/5/3/ar133005051035384.png" height="108" alt="Pinterest" width="108" style="float: right;"></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/0/9/9/ar132812872899068.png" height="65" alt="home staging colorado springs" width="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:46:45 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3047672/5-design-secrets-to-stage-a-small-living-room http://activerain.com/blogsview/3047501/things-are-looking-up-for-great-falls-montana <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Things are looking up for Great Falls Montana</span></strong></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>According to a <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120313/NEWS01/120313003/Montana-s-January-unemployment-rate-6-5-percent" title="Montana Unemployment rate drops to 6.5%">recent story</a> in our local newspaper</strong>, the Montana jobless rate is down again for the 6th month in a row to 6.5%. This is good news for all Montanan's and locally we are starting to feel the effects of an improving economy. Rental activity is heavy here, and we are seeing many newcomers to Great Falls. Military, Doctors, Nurses, Construction Workers and all sorts of Retail, Restaurant and Service industry workers are all showing up here because jobs are available.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Confidence in Real Estate is high.</strong>&nbsp; Investors are out buying Multifamily units and homes in the $400K and up price range starting to sell again.<br> </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>With all the oil activity just to the north of us,</strong> we are looking forward to some good growth in the coming years as it spills over into our area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>If you are considering a move to Montana</strong>, come see us in Great Falls, we just might impress you enough to stay!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:35:22 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3047501/things-are-looking-up-for-great-falls-montana http://activerain.com/blogsview/2823472/it-s-a-sign-of-the-times- <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://hosted.cdpe.com/GreatFallsForeclosureHelp"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/9/8/0/7/ar132882759070897.png" height="145" alt="Short Sale Foreclosure help in Great Falls Montana" width="110"></a></span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">It&rsquo;s a sign of the times!</span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most of us grew up thinking that if we planned well and played by the rules, we&rsquo;d never have to stand by as our financial lives unraveled.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">But upheaval on Wall Street, unacceptable rates of unemployment and plummeting real estate values have taken their toll.<span>&nbsp; </span>Since 2007, 7.9 million homeowners have lost their homes to foreclosure. Current estimates are that one in four homeowners owe more on their mortgages than they could get from the sale of their home. Millions more homes will be lost to foreclosure before this real estate crisis runs its course.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sad fact is that foreclosure is not an isolated event. For months leading up to the loss of a home, financially strapped homeowners live under a cloud of uncertainty.<span>&nbsp; </span>And then for many years afterwards, the blow to credit gets in the way of buying another home or buying anything on credit. Foreclosure even complicates employment prospects.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-size: small;">he impact of foreclosure is huge and the sad fact is that it&rsquo;s often avoidable. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a real estate professional who has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, my mission is to provide financially strapped homeowners with options to foreclosure, ensure that they steer clear of scams, and help navigate them through the solution that best meets their needs. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Among the most important facts to keep in mind: the sooner help is sought, the better the options.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">These are tough times, but more help is available than ever before. If you or someone you care about is ready to navigate away from the dark cloud of an unmanageable mortgage and realize that hope and blue skies are within reach, contact me today and let&rsquo;s get started.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can also obtain my free report at <a href="http://www.GreatFallsForeclosureHelp.com">www.GreatFallsForeclosureHelp.com</a> </span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:48:00 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2823472/it-s-a-sign-of-the-times- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2706005/what-is-the-absorption-rate- <p>Buyers and sellers need to be aware of the local absorption rate when deciding on a price to offer or to list. This is something I share with all my clients. </p><div id="reblogging_tag">Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2701646/what-is-the-absorption-rate-">Myrl Jeffcoat (Real Living Great West Real Estate)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="padding-bottom: 0in; background-color: transparent; padding-left: 5.4pt; width: 11.8pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; border: #d4d0c8;" width="20"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://www.webstarmagic.com/gmac/images/for_sale_house.jpg" height="157" alt="" width="153">&nbsp;</span></span></p> </td> <td style="padding-bottom: 0in; background-color: transparent; padding-left: 5.4pt; width: 14.9pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; border: #d4d0c8;" width="25"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> </td> <td style="padding-bottom: 0in; background-color: transparent; padding-left: 5.4pt; width: 416.1pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; border: #d4d0c8;" width="694"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 11pt;">It&rsquo;s not often that I am asked the question, &ldquo;What is the real estate &lsquo;absorption&rsquo; rate?&rdquo;<span>&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">But, occasionally the question will arise.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span><span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">&nbsp;</span><strong></strong></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 11pt;">The question is one sometimes asked by folks interested in buying or selling real estate; or for those simply interested in current market condition.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">The term, &ldquo;<strong><span style="color: black;">real estate</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: black;">absorption rate&rdquo; </span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">is&nbsp;used </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">to help predict the housing market.<span>&nbsp; <br></span></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="padding-bottom: 0in; background-color: transparent; padding-left: 5.4pt; width: 6.15in; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0in; border: #d4d0c8;" width="738"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;"><strong>The general public sometimes hears the label used via the media,</strong> but they don&rsquo;t often have the data to translate it into meaningful information.<span>&nbsp; </span>The real estate absorption rate helps the public more accurately determine whether it is a buyer&rsquo;s or seller&rsquo;s housing market.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;"><br>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">In a <strong><span style="color: black;">&ldquo;Normal Market&rdquo;</span></strong> the absorption rate is between 5 and 6 months.<span>&nbsp; </span>In a <strong><span style="color: black;">&ldquo;Buyers Market&rdquo;</span></strong> the absorption rate is higher (7+ months).<span>&nbsp; </span>But in a <strong><span style="color: black;">&ldquo;Sellers Market&rdquo;</span></strong> the absorption rate is lower (1-4 months). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span>A clearer definition of real estate absorption rate is to ascertain the number of months it will take to sell all homes currently on the market.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">If the inventory of homes presently on the market is a 12 month supply, it would mean at the current rate of sales, the market would need 12 months to clear the inventory, IF no additional homes came on to the market.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Being aware of the real estate absorption rate assists in creating perspective for homebuyers and sellers.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">It educates sellers so they can have realistic expectations about pricing their home for the market.<span>&nbsp; </span>By being competitive in price, they improve their odds of having their home sell quickly.<span>&nbsp; </span>Sometimes while making an offers on homes, buyers will use the absorption rate to obtain a lower price during negotiation.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span>It should be remembered however, that outside influences may dramatically affect the predictability of real estate absorption rate.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">For example, government policies and programs can either stimulate or wither the marketplace.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>An improved job market would have a significantly positive effect on the economy, which could spur buying and quickly clear out housing inventory and change the absorption rate picture.<span>&nbsp; </span><br><br><strong><span style="color: black;">It is important that serious homebuyers and sellers understand their local real estate market, and trends for their area,</span></strong> in order to make informed decisions regarding their real estate need</span>s.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p><img src="http://www.webstarmagic.com/realtor/images/myrl_jeffcoat_signature2.gif" height="63" alt="" width="179"><br><br><strong><span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Real Living Great West Real Estate</span><br></strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>(916) 635-0420<br></strong></span><a href="http://www.myrljeffcoat.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.myrljeffcoat.com</span></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:33:35 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2706005/what-is-the-absorption-rate- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2573746/great-falls-montana-haunted-houses <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Great Falls Montana Haunted Houses</strong><img title="Great Falls Montana Haunted Houses Sparkettes Kranz" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/0/7/2/4/ar131965124442703.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana Haunted Houses Sparkettes Kranz" width="267" style="float: right;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls has a couple of choices for Haunted Houses this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>The Sparkettes Haunted House</strong> features 30 rooms of fright, children's Halloween town and more. Admission is $5 and a can of food.&nbsp; Scare Free Halloween town is open from 7-8:30 p.m. and costs $1 and a can of food.&nbsp; The Haunted House is open from 7 - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday until Halloween.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Local News Stories about the Sparkettes Haunted House:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/Sparkettes-Open-Annual-Haunted-House-131925018.html" title="Great Falls Montana Haunted House">KFBB Story on Sparkettes Haunted House</a><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.krtv.com/videoplayer/?video_id=10471&amp;categories=403" title="Great Falls Montana Haunted House Sparkettes">KRTV Story on Sparkettes Haunted House</a><br></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparkettes-of-Montana-Haunted-House/141929352519863" title="Great Falls Montana Haunted House"><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Sparkettes Haunted House Facebook Page.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Kranz Flowers and Gifts</strong> at 1305 3rd Ave S is also going to attempt to scare you with their annual Haunted House.&nbsp; Open Oct 21st - Oct 31st from 7 - Midnight weekdays and until 1 am on the weekends.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Admission is $5 and a can of food.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Video of Previous Kranz Haunted House</span></p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rb8J_8jg7us" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!</span></strong></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:14:07 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2573746/great-falls-montana-haunted-houses http://activerain.com/blogsview/2534922/great-falls-secrets <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-large; color: #000000;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Secrets</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">So What's the Secret?<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/7/4/9/5/ar131743351059471.jpg" height="202" alt="Great Falls Secrets" width="200" style="float: right; margin: 3px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">We won't know until you share it with us! </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Great Falls Secrets is a local Facebook page which allows everyone to share their favorite spot, event, or the simple things only locals could know.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a great place to share your upcoming event, or special.<br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recents shares have been:&nbsp; </span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">City Leader Dunk Tank</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Volunteers needed for Sletten Cancer Center</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Donate your used or junk car to Meals On Wheels</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Girls night out at the Hi Ho Tavern</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Safe Trick or Treat</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Job available at the Downtown Doghouse</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take a look for your self at:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsSecrets" title="Great Falls Secrets">www.facebook.com/GreatFallsSecrets</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is one Secret you can share!<br></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:52:10 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2534922/great-falls-secrets http://activerain.com/blogsview/2532207/ok-women-it-s-all-about-you- <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-large; color: #ff00ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">OK Women, It's All About You!</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Want to know what women want in Great Falls?<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/1/9/1/ar131731915119176.png" height="200" alt="What Women Want Expo" width="200" style="float: right; margin: 2px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then you need to attend the "What Women Want" Expo 2011 at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls Montana October 7 &amp; 8, 2011.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shop til you drop with over 200 vendors offering goods, gifts and services.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 8th Annual Expo has presenters, free fitness classes, shopping, wine, chocolate, comedy and some serious fun.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will also be able to vote for your favorite Bra at the <a href="http://www.benefis.org/benefis/index/ourservices/womenchildren/spiritofwomen/bravo" title="BRAvo"><strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">BRAvo 2011</span></strong></a> display.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.benefis.org/benefis/index/ourservices/womenchildren/spiritofwomen/bravo" title="BRAvo"><strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">BRAvo</span></strong></a> is a contest designed to draw attention and show support for breast Cancer Survivors.&nbsp; All proceeds will benefit Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute's Circle of Hope Program, to provide wigs and prosthetics for cancer patients.<br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hours are: Friday 7th 12-7 p.m. and Saturday 8th 10-5 p.m.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's only $5 for a 2-day Expo ticket.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/whatwomenwant/" title="What Women Want">Get them here.</a></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:02:04 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2532207/ok-women-it-s-all-about-you- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2531446/great-falls-historic-trolley-tours <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Historic Trolley Tours&nbsp; </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Want to know a great way to tour Great Falls?<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/7/0/0/ar131726908400718.gif" height="130" alt="Great Falls Montana Historic Trolley Tour" width="200" style="float: right; margin: 2px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Check out the Great Falls Historic Trolley.</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp; Take a tour of Great Falls in the motorized climate-controlled trolley replica.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Explore the History, Culture and Beautiful Scenery of Great Falls Montana.<br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You can take one or two hour guided tours consisting of the "City" tour or t</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">he "Historic" tour.&nbsp; Learn about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the hazards they had to endure when they passed through Great Falls.&nbsp; View 3 of the area Waterfalls. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img title="Great Falls Montana Historic Trolley Tour" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/2/4/6/ar131726886964264.jpg" height="198" alt="Great Falls Montana Historic Trolley Tour" width="300" style="float: left; margin: 3px;"></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">At Christmas you can ride the Trolley to view the Christmas Light displays around town.<br></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">All tours are available year round by reservation, but summer tours are first-come, first served.&nbsp; The tour departs from the Visitor Information </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Center at 15 Overlook Drive, next to the Huge U.S. Flag.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Tour information and pricing is available on their <a href="http://www.greatfallshistorictrolley.com/" title="Great Falls Historic Trolley Tours">website</a>.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:10:21 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2531446/great-falls-historic-trolley-tours http://activerain.com/blogsview/2529529/great-falls-montana-public-and-private-schools <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools&nbsp; </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/index.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools">Great Falls Public Schools</a> consist of 15 Elementary Schools, 2 Middle Schools, 2 High Schools and 1 Alternative High School.&nbsp; School districts are determined by the <a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Parents/Map.html" title="Great Falls Public School Boundary Map">School Boundary Map</a>.<img title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/1/9/0/ar131718780309104.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools" width="155" style="float: right;"><br> </span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Public Elementary:</span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/ChiefJoseph/ChiefJoseph.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Chief Joseph</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/LewisClark/LewisClark.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Lewis &amp; Clark</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Lincoln/Lincoln.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Lincoln</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Longfellow/Longfellow.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Longfellow</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Loy/Loy.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Loy</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/MeadowLark/MeadowLark.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Meadow Lark</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Morningside/Morningside.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Morningside</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/MountainView/MountainView.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Mountain View</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Riverview/Riverview.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">River View</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Roosevelt/Roosevelt.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Roosevelt</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Sacajawea/Sacajawea.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Sacajawea</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Sunnyside/Sunnyside.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Sunnyside</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/ValleyView/ValleyView.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Valley View</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/West/West.html" title="Great Falls Bus Route - Great Falls Transit"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">West</span></a></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/Whittier/Whittier.html" title="Great Falls Public Elementary Schools">Whittier</a><br> </span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Public Middle Schools</span>:</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/East/East.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">East</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/North/North.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">North</span></a></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Public High Schools:</span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/CMRussell/CMRussell.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">C.M. Russell</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/GreatFallsHigh/GreatFallsHigh.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls High</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gfps.k12.mt.us/Schools/PGEC/ParisGibson.html" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Paris Gibson Education Center</span></a></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls Private Schools consist of 6 Elementary and 3 High Schools</span><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/5/5/0/0/ar131718796000559.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools" width="214" style="float: right;"></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Private Elementary:</span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.fivefalls.org/" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Five Falls Christian School</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.foothillschristian.org/" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Foothills Community Christian</span></a></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://holyspiritcs.org/default.aspx" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools">Holy Spirit Catholic School</a></span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://olloffice.home.bresnan.net/index.htm" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools">Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School</a><br></span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls SDA School</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Heritage Baptist School</span></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Private High School:</span></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.foothillschristian.org/" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Foothills Community Christian</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.greatfallscentral.org/" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls Central Catholic High School</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.treasurestate.org/" title="Great Falls Montana Public and Private Schools"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Treasure State Academy</span></a></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">No matter where you choose to have your children attend school, you will find Great Falls to be a Safe, high quality environment for learning and an overall Great Place to Live.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:37:10 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2529529/great-falls-montana-public-and-private-schools http://activerain.com/blogsview/2527466/great-falls-symphony <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Symphony </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls Montana has been home to the Great Falls Symphony since 1959.&nbsp; Performing in the Mansfield Center the Symphony Consists of:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> Orchestra and Symphonic Choir - composed of a 75 member Orchestra and a 90 Voice Symphonic Choir.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Cascade Quartet - highest quality chamber music.<br></span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Chinook Winds - a traditional wind quintet.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Great Falls Youth Orchestra - 75 young musicians from public, private and home schools.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Symphony season opener <strong>"Patriots, Citizens and Soldiers"</strong> pays tribute to the anniversary of the Civil War and those who served.&nbsp; The opener is Saturday October 1st at 7:30.<br></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m94N0ZocMiw" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.gfsymphony.org/tickets.htm" title="Great Falls Symphony"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You can find Ticket information here.</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.gfsymphony.org/gfsymphony-brochure-1112.pdf" title="Great Falls Symphony">The season Brochure is available here</a>.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:25:17 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2527466/great-falls-symphony http://activerain.com/blogsview/2525814/montana-air-national-guard-to-keep-f-15-s-until-late-2012 <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Montana Air National Guard to keep F-15's until late 2012 <br></span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The National Guard announced Friday a slight delay in the transfer of the Montana Air National Guard's F-15's to the California National Guard.&nbsp; Apparently the Environmental Impact Statement in Fresno, CA is not complete.</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/5/6/9/4/ar131701505249659.jpg" height="225" alt="Montana Air National Guard F-15 Transfer" width="300" style="float: right; margin: 2px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This is good news to those of us who Love to see the F-15's Flying overhead.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Since moving to Great Falls in 1990 I have been able to watch F-16's and now lately F-15's flying their exercises.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My office is close to the Airport and my Window faces the Northeast end of the Airport, so almost daily I get my own air show of F-15's flying by and landing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">It will be a sad day when they depart for their next mission in California.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/1/0/2/ar131701516920108.jpg" height="137" alt="Montana Air National Guard F-15 Transfer" width="200" style="float: left; margin: 2px;">Many here in Great Falls have been working hard to keep this Flying Mission at MANG, but so far have been unsuccessful.&nbsp; MANG is expected to make a transition to a cargo mission in the coming years as Great Falls is the preferred location for for C-27J transport aircraft.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A 30% reduction in personnel is possible with this mission change.&nbsp; Currently the base has 900 personnel, of which 300 are full time.&nbsp; To make up for the personnel loss, other missions are being considered.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:37:43 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2525814/montana-air-national-guard-to-keep-f-15-s-until-late-2012 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2524480/great-falls-real-estate-pure-montana-rustic-horse-property <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Real Estate - Pure Montana Rustic Horse Property <br></span></strong></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/7/7/4/5/ar131692471754775.jpg" height="247" alt="Great Falls Real Estate - Montana Horse Property" width="400" style="display: block; margin: 3px auto; border: 1px solid black;">If you need space, privacy and room for horses then take a look at this 5 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath 5,150 sq ft property, located just outside the city limits of Great Falls with 3 acreage options.</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/7/3/7/0/ar131692503007379.jpg" height="162" alt="Great Falls Real Estate - Montana Horse Property" width="250" style="float: right; margin: 2px;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You will have Amazing views from the Huge windows in the exposed truss Great Room of this Rustic Cedar sided Ranch. </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Enjoy a relaxing fire in the gas Moss Rock fireplace.</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">There is nearly unlimited Cabinet space and Counter tops in the large updated Kitchen.&nbsp; Unbelievable walk-through Pantry</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">. Formal Dining room with slider to the wrap around Deck.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/6/7/9/8/ar131692514889761.jpg" height="167" alt="Great Falls Real Estate - Montana Horse Property" width="250" style="float: left; margin: 2px;"></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Main level Master suite. Updated Master bath with Granite Countertops, Heated floors, Travertine tile and custom tiled double shower with seat. Large office off Master suite can also be used as a Bedroom. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Updated walk-out lower level with huge family room with woodstove, New bathroom, workshop and 3 more bedrooms.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Unbelievable st</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">orage with a 3 car garage and a Huge heated shop wired with 220V for woodworking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Buy with 6.01 acres for $429,500, with Barn and outbuildings on 13.82 acres for $525,500 or $575,500 for all 28 acres.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.dougmaas.com/pages/1264707/sys_0/id_197611/MT/GREAT-FALLS/5-Meadowlark-Ridge.aspx" title="Great Falls Real Estate - Horse Property">See the full listing here</a>.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:55:50 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2524480/great-falls-real-estate-pure-montana-rustic-horse-property http://activerain.com/blogsview/2523291/great-falls-montana-bus-transit <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Montana - Bus Transit<br> </span></strong></span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When it comes to getting around town, most Montanan's are pretty independent.</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp; We like having our own vehicles and the convenience that comes with them, and with little traffic, driving around Great Falls is usually pretty easy.&nbsp; </span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/1/0/0/ar131683580800199.png" height="100" alt="Great Falls Montana Bus Route - Great Falls Transit" width="182" style="float: right;"></span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We even now hold the title of the<a href="http://realestateingreatfallsmt.com/post/2521616/great-falls-montana-home-of-the-shortest-commute-in-the-u-s-" title="Great Falls Bus Route - Great Falls Transit"> City with the Shortest</a></span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://realestateingreatfallsmt.com/post/2521616/great-falls-montana-home-of-the-shortest-commute-in-the-u-s-" title="Great Falls Bus Route - Great Falls Transit"> Commute in the U.S.</a>&nbsp; But with gas prices hovering around $4.00 a gallon and vehicle payments, insurance and maintenance costs on the rise, some folks are looking for alternative means of getting around. </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> Because we could have snow on the ground for up to 6 months of the year, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles are only a partial solution.<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Even though Great Falls is not a large city, we still have big city conveniences like cabs and&nbsp; a complete bus transit sys</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">tem called the Great Falls Transit District.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If you are looking for an inexp</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/1/0/5/ar1316835050119.gif" height="89" alt="Great Falls Montana Bus Route - Great Falls Transit" width="278" style="float: left;"></span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">ensive way to get around town, the transit system just might be your ticket.&nbsp; With 7 different r</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">outes, you should be able to find a route that takes you right where you want to go with a limited amount of transfers.&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Pretty much the whole city is covered from</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> the Airport all the way to Malmstrom Air Force Base.<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This <a href="http://www.gftransit.com/system_map.htm" title="Great Falls Bus Route - Great Falls Transit">system map</a> shows where each route goes and gives you the route schedule.<img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/6/5/1/ar131683587715618.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana Bus Route - Great Falls Transit" width="109" style="float: right;"></span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Fares for an adult are $1.00 with students being $.75 and Seniors and Disabled riding for only $.50.&nbsp; Children 5 and under ride for Free.&nbsp; Punch cards are also available for convenience and give you one bonus ride with the purchase.&nbsp; If you are planning a day of riding around town a Day Pass can be purchase for $4.00</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For those riders that plan on riding consistently during the month, a Month Pass is the way to go.&nbsp; Regular monthly passes are only $30.00 with discounts for students and seniors.<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">With a tank of gas in a small car costing nearly $70 to fill, a monthly unlimited ride pass of $30 seems like a steal.&nbsp; Calculate no car payments, maintenance or insurance and it really makes sense.&nbsp; This might be a good solution for a single car family where both adults work different hours.&nbsp; The transit runs M - F from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm and 9:30 am- 5:30 pm on Saturdays, so you can even use it on your day off.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:53:56 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2523291/great-falls-montana-bus-transit http://activerain.com/blogsview/2521616/great-falls-montana-home-of-the-shortest-commute-in-the-u-s- <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Montana - Home of the Shortest Commute in the U.S.</span></strong></span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/0/7/6/2/ar131675049126706.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana - Home of the Shortest Commute" width="206" style="float: right;"></span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">It's Official.&nbsp; Great Falls now owns the title as<em><strong> The City with the Shortest Commute Time in the United States</strong></em>.&nbsp; According to the Census Bureau report "<a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-15.pdf" title="Great Falls Montana - Home of the shortest commute">Commuting in the United States: 2009</a>" released Thursday, on average, Great Falls drivers need only 14.2 minutes to commute to work.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The average US commute time - about 25 minutes.&nbsp; New York Metro area workers average 34.6 minutes to get to their jobs.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Of course those of us who live in Great Falls already know that you can get just about anywhere in town in around 15 minutes.&nbsp; Now the whole country knows it too.&nbsp; We don't have a "rush hour" in Great Falls, maybe just a few busier times during the day.&nbsp; Even with around 58,000 people in the city, and two rivers to cross, there are still plenty of good roads to make your way around town quickly.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/5/2/2/5/ar131675070852258.png" height="200" alt="Great Falls Montana - Home of the Shortest Commute" width="181" style="float: left;">To put this into perspective, if we are 11 minutes each way below the national average, that is 22 minutes a day.&nbsp; If you work 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, that adds up to 5500 minutes a year, or over 91 hours.&nbsp; That gives us more free time to hunt, fish, golf, boat and whatever other fun things we decide to do with our time saved on commuting.&nbsp; I feel sorry for those folks that have to commute 30+ minutes each way.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Missoula, another Montana city averaged around 15.8 minutes.<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Just another reason I am glad to live in Montana.</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:16:30 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2521616/great-falls-montana-home-of-the-shortest-commute-in-the-u-s- http://activerain.com/blogsview/2519911/downtown-great-falls-brian-s-top-notch-cafe <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Downtown Great Falls - Brian's Top Notch Cafe</span></strong></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/5/1/2/3/ar131666688632154.JPG" height="224" alt="Downtown Great Falls - Brian's Top Notch Cafe" width="300" style="float: right; margin: 2px 3px; border: 1px solid black;">Remember the day when you would go into a Diner for lunch, not a fast food restaurant.&nbsp; There would be a long counter with stools, a waitress running around waiting on all the tables and the counter, and it smelled like real food cooking.&nbsp; You know, the All-American Diner your parents took you to when you were a kid?<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Well, those days are still here in Downtown Great Falls at the Top Notch Cafe.&nbsp; Owners Brian and Lynda Kapphan have been running the Restaurant by themselves for 23 years.&nbsp; You will also see them at their concession stand at Fairs, Auctions and Rodeo's.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/3/4/9/ar131666709094305.JPG" height="118" alt="Downtown Great Falls - Brian's Top Notch Cafe" width="175" style="margin: 2px 3px; border: 1px solid black; float: left;">I visited Brian's Top Notch Cafe the other day for lunch and ordered the Cheeseburger Deluxe with Fries.&nbsp; Well, this thing is huge, as are all of their portions.&nbsp; It is a large homemade hamburger patty, with all the fixings and the biggest pile of homemade fries I have ever seen.&nbsp; I could not even come close to finishing the fries.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Their breakfasts are great also, with huge pancakes to fill you up.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">They are open for breakfast and lunch - 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.and serve Breakfast all day.</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp;</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/7/1/9/2/ar131666723829171.JPG" height="224" alt="Downtown Great Falls - Brian's Top Notch Cafe" width="300" style="margin: 2px; border: 1px solid black; float: right;"></span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> Located at 718 Central Ave. they are withing walking distance of most any downtown business.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You will always leave the Top Notch with a full belly and a reminder of the aroma for the rest of the day.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> If you haven't tried Brian's Top Notch cafe, check it out soon.&nbsp; If you haven't been there for 20 years, head on back, it probably looks exactly like you remember.&nbsp; </span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Big portions, reasonable prices and oh yeah, they have a really cool sign o</span><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">ut front too!<br></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:10:31 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2519911/downtown-great-falls-brian-s-top-notch-cafe http://activerain.com/blogsview/2518205/great-falls-real-estate-victorian-in-need-of-your-help- <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Falls Real Estate - Victorian in need of your help!</span></strong></span></p> <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/2/5/6/2/ar131658240026523.jpg" height="333" alt="Great Falls Real Estate - Victorian Beauty" width="500" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: 1px solid black;"></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Step back to a time when life's pace was a little slower</strong>. Imagine sitting on the porch swing on the Veranda of this Victorian Beauty sipping lemonade on a warm summer evening exchanging stories and gossip with the neighbors. </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>This Award winner can be yours if you are willing to finish her</strong>. She is in the middle of a major remodel and needs completing. She sits in the downtown Historic District in Great Falls Montana, surrounded by other beauties. Built in 1910 she has withstood the test of time.&nbsp; At only $110,000 for nearly 6,000 sq ft. she is a steal.<br> </span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>When the current owner saved her she was a 10 plex, gasping for life</strong>.&nbsp; Now she has been started down the road to recovery with a conversion back to single family.&nbsp; All new windows and exterior paint and interior updates like electrical and custom tiled baths point her in the right direction.</span></p> <p><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>If you have the vision and capabilities</strong>, you can have a Victorian Beauty that will be the envy of the neighborhood.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.dougmaas.com/Listings/0/175101/MT/GREAT-FALLS/624-3-AVE-N.aspx" title="Great Falls Real Estate - Victorian Beauty"><span class="data_text" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">View the full listing here.</span></a></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GreatFallsRealEstate"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/7/5/7/9/ar131647627697576.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Facebook" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmaasmt"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/0/8/1/ar131647635818089.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Linkedin" width="64"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Doug_Maas"><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/9/4/0/ar131647639004905.png" height="64" alt="Doug Maas Great Falls Real Estate Twitter" width="64"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.DougMaas.com" title="Great Falls Real Estate and Homes for Sale">www.DougMaas.com</a></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com" title="Real Estate in Great Falls MT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">www.RealEstateinGreatFallsMT.com</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">(406) 868-6053</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Doug@DougMaas.com</span></p> </div> Doug Maas - Broker/Owner - REMAX Of Great Falls - MT Real Estate (RE/MAX of Great Falls) Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:29:07 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2518205/great-falls-real-estate-victorian-in-need-of-your-help-