bozeman montana houses for sale: Bozeman Outpaces All Montana Cities in Utility Hook Ups - 10/23/15 03:54 AM
Bozeman and neighboring towns within the greater Bozeman district have outpaced all other Montana cities in utility hook up orders in 2015. As new utility hook ups are one of the best ways to measure a town’s growth, its clear the Gallatin Valley is attracting new residents.
The data was taken from a report measuring electric and gas connections from 2013 through this year. Utility hook ups have increased year-over-year since 2013. Bozeman outpaced Butte and Helena with approximately 1,000 new electric connections in 2015. Billings only had around half the number of connections made. There have also been 600 gas hook … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Commissioners Delay Vote on Affordable Housing Plan - 09/22/15 02:53 AM
I wanted to quickly apprise Bozeman locals and potential residents of the impending decision Bozeman Commissioners need to make regarding affordable housing. On Monday, Commissioners heard arguments from all sides on whether they should move forward with an inclusionary zoning proposal that would try to lower costs of home within Bozeman city limits.
Commissioners received solid opposition from members in both the real estate and building industries.  Both the Gallatin Association of Realtors and the Southwest Montana Building Association raised concerns about the new proposal. These two groups worried the proposal would set back a rebounding Bozeman housing market while also encouraging … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Commissioners to Address Bozeman Affordable Housing - 09/15/15 05:49 AM
In a great article by Eric Dietrich of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, he outlined the affordable housing proposal that commissioners will consider on September 21st as well as outlining the comments and concerns about the proposal from the two most prominent, opposing parties.
The proposal was made in light of rising values in the for-sale housing market in Bozeman and whether it’s the local government’s responsibility to help keep a certain segment of homes at the affordable level. Currently, there is worry that some residents will need to move to outlying communities to keep their homes affordable. Bozeman has had experts, non … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Yellowstone Park on Pace to Break Visitor Record - 09/14/15 04:32 AM
After 8 months, Yellowstone National Park is on track to break the most visitors it has had in its recorded history. After the high season starts to wrap up in late August to early September, park officials generally have a good idea of how well the year has gone and will go—so far, Yellowstone continues to trend more visitors each and every year, with old highs quickly becoming the new baselines. 
After August, the park had a total of 3.1 million visitors. That number is 15% higher than the total seen after 8 months in 2014. In 2014 through August, Yellostone had … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Creative Ideas Address Home Affordability In Montana - 09/03/15 07:55 AM
I read a great article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle about how Whitehall, Montana has attacked their affordable housing situation and how Bozeman might be able to use some of these strategies locally. Whitehall is a small town about an hour away from Bozeman and a little outside of Butte. Whitehall has worked hard on creating a new affordable subdivision in town with homes that can be built for under $120,000.
These homes will be built in the new Mountain Horizon Subdivision in Whitehall. Habitat for Humanity is helping to develop the new subdivision. They along with builders and city officials have … (1 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Plans forming for Bozeman’s Second High School - 08/05/15 05:07 AM
By Fall of 2020, high school age students in Bozeman may not all be attending the same school for the first time in the town’s history. Starting this year, plans for a second high school will be taken on in earnest, and Bozeman School District officials hope to present a finalized plan to voters by November 2016.
In order to have a finalized plan by then, school officials will need to put plans in place that work with their budget and local Bozemanites’ hopes for the school. This school year will be focused on open dialogue and communication between the district and … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Walkable Communities Most Popular for Millenials - 07/31/15 07:35 AM
The walkability of cities and towns in the United States has become increasingly important for homebuyers – particularly its youngest generation. According to a new study released by the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University, millenials show a strong preference to having a home that’s within walking distance of local amenities. These home buyers, those aged 18 to 34, preferred walking over driving by 12 percentage points.
All age groups saw walkability as a major asset in choosing a home—so much so that 48% of all respondents wanted a small home and yard within walking distance of activities, rather … (2 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Pet Friendly Bozeman Adds New 20+ Acre Dog Park - 05/18/15 04:24 AM
The Gallatin County and Run Dog Run, a local non-profit, will be creating a new off-leash dog park that organizers are calling the best dog park in Montana. The new park will be in Gallatin Regional Park and will be 23 acres in total. The first phase, which is on track to be completed by September 2015, will be 13 acres in size.
According to those working on the project, the new park will be a thick slice of doggy heaven. The park will include ponds, docks for diving and playing fetch, berms, shaded areas and hills. The whole park will be … (2 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Renters Still Struggling to Keep Up with Inflating Prices - 05/08/15 07:41 AM
Renters across the United States have been struggling to deal with rising rental prices and now 1 in 4 uses at least half their income towards their rent and utility bills. Sometimes, this kind of statistic may be warped due to the high percentage of Americans living in sought after cities like New York and San Francisco. But it’s not just a few states that are pulling down the nation. Minus Alaska, South Dakota and Wyoming, every state had at least 20% of its residents using more than half their income to rent.
In census data taken by Enterprise Community Partners, the … (2 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Housing Start-Ups Up, Permits Down in March - 04/30/15 04:38 AM
March gave some mixed results regarding the health of newly constructed homes in 2015. New permits shrank by 5.7% from February to March, yet housing start-ups rose by 2.9 percent.  Both directly affect the number of homes available on the market. How home inventory will be affected is yet to be seen.
Building permits and housing start ups are the leading indicator for the health of the new construction industry. On the positive side, single-family start-ups increased by 4.4% in March. Another positive note, the lack of building permits in March may be just a small dip because housing permits have increased … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Montana Unemployment Rate Lowest Since 2007 - 04/22/15 06:55 AM
March unemployment numbers were released, bringing more positive news to Montana and the Gallatin County. Montana’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 percent, down from 4.4% seen earlier this year. That rate is the lowest seen since October of 2007.
The Gallatin County had even lower totals. Only 3.6% of people are unemployed.
The national unemployment rate currently sits at 5.5 percent, also down from 5.7% from earlier this year.
Although the state dropped payroll employees by 500 in March, the state added 8,873 new jobs in the first quarter of 2015.
Coupled with Bozeman’s average cost of living, it makes sense why Bozeman continues to … (1 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Montana State University Building Parking Garage - 04/21/15 06:31 AM
Montana State University continues to ride the positive momentum from a growing student enrollment. With recent approval of a new College of Engineering Building at the heart of campus, parking might now be an issue for the growing school. Now, MSU has turned its sights towards a new parking garage to help address the needs of both the students and the public.
MSU had considered several other options to address parking on campus, but ultimately the parking garage dealt best with the issue while offering possible growth in the future.
As MSU has grown, its reputation and quality education have stayed in stride, … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Buying Cheaper than Renting Across Most of United States - 04/14/15 05:30 AM
A new study released by RealtyTrac suggests that in most places across the United States, renters are better off buying a home than paying to rent a home. In fact, in 76% of US counties, buying has become more affordable than renting a home.
Currently, the average price of rent on a 3-bedroom property takes 28% of the average homebuyer’s median income. Rental prices have been rising of late due to the high demand across the nation.
With current low mortgage rates, a monthly payment on a median priced home—inclusive of a 10% down payment, property taxes, home insurance, and mortgage insurance—only took … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Bozeman to Reconsider Historic District Regulations? - 04/13/15 07:14 AM
The City of Bozeman will pay $60,000 for an in depth study reviewing the effects of its Historic Conservation Overlay District on the local real estate market. There will be a meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday in City Hall to discuss Bozeman’s next steps.
The Historic Conservation Overlay district is in the heart of Bozeman and is designed to protect old historic structures that contribute to Bozeman’s look and culture. The district encompasses 3,000 properties in Bozeman.
If any of these 3,000 properties want to adjust, renovate or change the exterior appearance of their home, city planning needs to review and approve … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Gallatin County's Trails Leading to Best Health in State? - 04/10/15 06:12 AM
I read a wonderful editorial written by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that discusses Bozeman’s overall health and how that connects into the city’s cultural and economic growth. The writer draws some positive conclusions between the amount of public trails available in the area and the city’s overall health.
According to a University of Wisconsin, the Gallatin County was the healthiest county in the state for the sixth year running. In another recent study, Headwaters Economics concluded that well developed trail systems highly impact a number of quality of life issues in any town, both economic and societal. Could they be related? The … (3 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: 2015 May Bring Millennials to Home Buying Table - 04/01/15 07:19 AM
Realtor Magazine believes that this year will be the year when millennials, or Generation Y buyers, come out of the weeds and take a seat at the housing market table. The magazine has pointed to rising rent prices, a strengthening job market, and the impending Federal Reserve decision to raise interest rates.
Last year, the number of first time homebuyer purchases sank to its lowest level in 30 years. However, millennials comprised 32% of the U.S. housing market, suggesting they have not been shifting into home ownership as expected. Many experts have pointed to 2015 as the year that trend shifts.
Rent prices … (3 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: New and Existing Home Sales Increase - 03/30/15 08:54 AM
New home sales increased in February, rising to a seasonally adjusted pace of 539,000 homes sold this year. That number is up 7.8% from 500,000 in January.
Total home sales rose by 1.2% in February after a slow January start. Annually adjusted home sales for February 2015 are 4.7% higher compared to February 2014. Rising total home sale numbers reflect more movement in the market—a positive sign for the overall growth of the housing sector.
Home inventory dropped to 210,000, or a 4.7 month supply, after it had already dropped in January. Low home inventory continues to burden low-income buyers as home values … (1 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Builders Address Bozeman Home Affordability - 03/19/15 03:13 AM
Local Bozeman builders have tried to come up with viable solutions to the affordable housing scenario in Bozeman. Although more building permits have been issued in the last few years, many of these homes are aiming at prices above $300,000 (read some stats on 2014 single family residence homes here). As the Gallatin County has seen high economic prosperity, home prices have gone up as local buyers find themselves able to buy more expensive homes. However, several local builders have tried to come up with designs that would be both affordable and useful to future buyers.
One design has called for a … (2 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Eminent Domain in Bozeman Montana - 03/05/15 02:17 AM
On Tuesday, the City of Bozeman grappled with employing one of the more interesting real estate practices – eminent domain. Eminent domain is when a government body forcibly purchases private land from an individual for the overall benefit of the public. Eminent domain can be a very hot topic because it draws people’s basic political philosophies on the government’s role towards its people into a real estate conversation—two things I think most of us would like to keep at a comfortable distance from each other.
In this specific case, a property owner nearby the land in question wanted to develop his own … (0 comments)

bozeman montana houses for sale: Bozeman to Address Infrastructural Improvements in Coming Years - 02/13/15 03:05 AM

 
As Bozeman City Commisioners have discussed their priorities for the 2015 year, infrastructural improvements to the city has been high on the list in light of the city’s and surrounding area's growth. Bozeman has looked into upgrading their storm water utility system and enacted a few small changes already. In addition, the city has turned its focus on city street maintenance due to higher traffic and delayed projects. Both improvements will come with a significant cost, but the cost will prove necessary so long as new residents continue to buy and add new homes to the greater Bozeman area.
… (0 comments)