What Will Echo Boomers Learn From Baby Boomers? - 01/27/11 12:21 PM
What will Echo Boomers learn from Baby Boomers?  While the terminology of Baby Boomers seems to have an identity I'm familiar with, the term Echo Boomers is something I've recently started to think about, especially since I produced a few of them myself.
What is an Echo Boomer?  A child of a Baby Boomer, and the Echo Boomers are watching their parents!  What will they be learning and doing for their future?  What will we (a Baby Boomer myself) teach them about home ownership?
That you can make a lot of money, tax free, when you sell your home if you … (6 comments)

What's Holding People Back From Checking Their Credit Score? Fear! - 01/22/11 09:23 PM
I heard something on one of the morning news programs today that just made me want to chuck my coffee at the new big screen tv. 
Some "knowledgeable" woman was being interviewed about the housing market and was telling the commentator that people would no longer be able to get a mortgage loan unless they had 6 months of monthly payments and utility bills in the bank (cash reserves), after they paid their down payment and closing costs.  WHAT?
I haven't even heard of this before, and maybe I heard it wrong, but that's what I heard, and I was listening.
… (10 comments)

Electric heat in homes is a tough sell in Montana - 01/18/11 09:32 PM
The resale value on homes with electric heat is a big problem in Montana.  People are very scared of the electric bills, especially when they hear claims of bills for a 2,000 square foot home at $300 per month or more during the winter. 
About the only all electric homes that seem to do well, are those that have heat pumps with propane tanks for back up heat when it gets really cold.  The electric ground source heat pumps are actually more efficient and a much better value for home resales.
We didn't always have this issue, and in fact, there … (4 comments)

What Is That RSID on my Yellowstone County Tax Statement? - 01/17/11 02:12 PM
What is an RSID and why do I have to pay that for my Yellowstone County Montana taxes?
RSID stands for Rural Special Improvement District, a tax structure developed by a group of property owners, usually in a rural subdivision, for the purpose of maintaining roads, parks, water and sewer lines, fire suppression tanks, street lighting and other improvements that benefit property owners within a specific boundary area.
The County does not "impose" a RSID on property owners, the property owners can petition the County to help develop the RSID.  New subdivision rules for new developments do include RSID plans as … (3 comments)

A Peek At The Market Activity on the West End of Billings - 01/13/11 11:39 PM
The West End of Billings Montana has seen a slower than average amount of buyer activity, but really not too slow considering we're just about to reach the middle of January.
The area measured in today's graph is Area 8, most of which is South of Grand Avenue and West of the downtown area. 
20 homes have sold in the last 30 days, with an average size of about 2,000 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.  The average sold price was $180,825 and the average number of days it took to sell those homes was 41 days!

… (1 comments)

My East Slope Internet Guy Is Really Good, Small Town Service - 01/12/11 10:09 PM
My East Slope Internet Guy Is Really Good, Small Town Service.
Tonight I was having a little internet connection trouble so I gave my internet provider a call, it's after 6pm.
The wife of this family team always answers the phone with the sweetest voice, you'd think she had a fresh batch of cookies she just pulled out of the oven.  Her husband Bill is the techy brains of this outfit, I don't know how old he is, but let's just say most guys his age retired 10 years ago!
Bill I say, I don't have a connection and I've done … (3 comments)

Name the mascot for blue skies green pockets, kids 10 to 15 years old - 01/11/11 07:34 PM
How about we get the word out to the Billings Montana and surrounding areas about a Mascot Naming contest for the new City Of Billings Energy Star program!
A new public information campaign named "Blue Skies Green Pockets" has been launched after more than a year of planning between the City of Billings and Montana State University Billings.  A $53,000 grant has been awarded to the collaboration with a target of marketing energy star information to our local public.
The website is fabulous and deserves a look around.  I ran across a page that asks for middle school kids, aged 10 … (3 comments)

Let The Quilt Shows Begin - 01/09/11 09:26 PM
 I know it's early, but already in Billings Montana we're having a quilt show at the local Montana State University Billings Library.  This all started when one of the special library workers wanted to brighten up the dreary gray winter with beautiful colorful quilts.  It just seemed like a good idea to hang them in the library so that students and the general public could enjoy them.
The show opens this Wednesday and lasts until the end of February, during regular hours of the library operation, which includes every day of the week.  The address is 1500 University Drive.

I've … (11 comments)

Do you say minutes or miles? - 01/08/11 02:53 PM
How far is it to Lewistown?  110 miles or 2 hours (if you stop in Harlowtown at the burger joint).
I'm doing a little experiment to find out if the distance to a destination is explained in minutes (hours) or miles.  Why?  Sometimes I wonder if this measurement is gender determined, country lingo or what?  Do people who live in big cities measure miles or time?  I'm just curious.
When I "go to town" it only takes me 20 minutes to get downtown and about 30 minutes to get to the west-end, I have no idea how many miles it is???
… (8 comments)

Water Wells In Montana are a risk we all take, the first time! - 01/06/11 05:42 PM
Water is really, really important (and not just in Montana), but some people think it either comes to you in a ditch or comes outta the ground via a well, and well, there you are!  I know I'm leaving out the municipal water systems, often supplied by rivers and reservoirs, but I'm talking country living here!Several times over the years I've shown clients Montana Land and welcomed the assistance of a seller's agent to help with property details only to have the seller's agent claim that the water is about 200 feet down and very plentiful.  Oh really?  How do you … (2 comments)

Netflix and daughter home from college, a great day - 01/04/11 12:18 AM
I'm a serial Netflix watcher today!  My daughter is home from college for a few more days and we're having a "McLeod's Daughter's" Marathon! 
We have to hurry through this series 3 because Netflix is turning this disc off tomorrow!  I just learned that this could happen, and I'm not too happy about it!
This series takes place in Australia, in country very much like Montana.  They drive these Utes, these little things that remind me of an old Subaru Brat with the half pickup look. 
I don't see any diesel pickup trucks?  I didn't think it was possible to ranch … (5 comments)

 
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Wanda Thomas, Billings Montana Real Estate

Billings, MT

More about me…

Montana Homestead Brokers, Broker, CRS, GRI, SFR, RN

Address: Billings, Laurel, Shepherd, Huntley, Worden, Joliet, Park City, Fromberg, Columbus, Red Lodge, Bridger, Billings, MT, 59105

Office Phone: (406) 698-8640

Cell Phone: (406) 698-8640

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This is where I write updates and information about Montana Living. Sometimes you'll see Real Estate stuff (my business) and sometimes you'll see Montana Local Events, Montanaisms and what I see and do when I travel around our state. You will definitely see stuff about huckleberry picking, a family tradition, and quilting, my personal passion.


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