Not too long ago, ok maybe a long time ago (35 years seems like just a while back), my MOther In Law had a 6.25% 30yr fixed mortgage on her home.  I said "don't ever pay that off, you won't get money any cheaper", the going interest rate on a new home loan was somewhere in the vicinity of 12%.  This is a new day. The lenders are shouting with joy right now, because after being called the scum of the earth for helping people get into toxic loans (not the case around here, 3rd lowest rate of foreclosure), they are now the HEROES of the hour with rates at 4.5% to 5% 30 year fixed mortgages.  $$$ cha ching!  More dollars for you in your pocket, more dollars for them in transaction fees.  Even more interesting are the folks coming out of the woodwork wondering if the bottom is here. Should I... 01/28/2009

I was searching through the expired listings in my area this weekend, and yep, lots of weird paint colors on the interior walls.  I actually love some of the daring reds people are putting on their walls, but lots of folks just don't have the guts or the furnishings to make it work.  Let's face it, power paint jobs are great if you like them, but get over it when you put your home on the market.  If you don't feel like painting over the color, with the 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of new color; a buyer won't either.  I think you just reduce the chances of "grabbing" the interest of a buyer who wants to put their own "color scheme" to their new home.   In my job, I've heard this a number of times "I love that color, I'm so proud of it, lots of people comment on my wall.  Ok, but are the... 01/26/2009

Has your 401K made you reconsider your retirement home size?       Not too big, not too small, just right!  Since our average house size has increased, and increased and increased; will baby boomers look more to downsize and simplify, or do they still want McMansions?  I hear the voice of a little concern in my age group, what will the future bring?  What size will my Recession house be?  How long will a recovery of my 401K take?  Can I afford my big dream house or should I just have sweet dreams in a smaller one? Since Cash Is King, and the more of it you have the better off you are, maybe we'll see a bit more satisfaction in a normal sized house you can afford. So I ask you, what size will be the right size? 1200sf     2000sf     2500sf     3200sf     4500sf     5500sf     6500sf 01/23/2009

We're Flat, But Not Sinking.  Is this all there is or are we just behind the curve? Our peak number of closed sales occurred in 2006, like a lot of other places.  Now we're down in total number of single family home sales by about 20% but our absorbtion rate is still under 6 months.  I could of taken this right out of our latest issue of Realtor Magazine our number are so close. Our lenders are finally smiling, they have about 10 to 1 refi folders they're juggling compared to home sales.  I'm not sure what this means except that more people are staying put and getting a better deal than they had before. Oh, and those HELOC's that had a floating interest rate!  They're getting rolled right into the first mortgage refi.  I have a few buyers who are "on the fence", they want to buy but jus... 12/31/2008

And I quote "I want what every other buyer wants, I want a great house at a bargain price".  We call this a buyers market, and sellers YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION! The Power of WOW! Buyer's want to be impressed, dazzled, and worried that if they don't get this house now, someone else will.  I typically hear and see the facial expressions and the very words "Wow" when a buyer walks up to, and into a home that gives them more than they expected.  This reaction can be in any price range.  Features usually include: Curb appeal: everything you see is done at or better than the neighborhood standard.  The home style, roof, siding, windows, driveway, walkway, landscaping are well maintained and inviting. Staging: floor plan is desirable: each room has a purpose; paint, trim, fixtures, cabinetry,... 12/29/2008

Last week I got a call from some of my past clients (now friends) wanting to know why someone would be taking a picture of their street.  They thought that maybe it was a Real Estate Agent visiting a home across the street from them, but why would they want a picture of our house?  Is this customary? Or should we call the sheriff?  I had to think for a minute what might of happened, and I had a couple of ideas.  Maybe the agent was working for an out of town client and the client wanted to see what the rest of the street looked like?  Now I started thinking over the next couple of days wondering what else could be happening and I had a couple other revelations:  Google Maps?  The street that this client lives on does not have a street view picture yet, maybe one is coming soon?  Tax rec... 11/30/2008

First Impressions Start With The Road! Forget curb appeal if you have to travel over "jiggle me to pieces" washboards, or "how much is it gonna cost to grade this road?" questions.  I just spent 4 days traveling to about 12 out of town properties and my buyer identifies the locations with what shape the road is in!  One property caused us to stop before we ever saw the home (which was beautiful), to have a conversation about how roads are cared for in our part of the country.  If you're a seller, your property values take a big hit if the buyer struggles just to get to your property.  I think washboards and mud holes are the worst! Who Is Responsible For A Country Road? Local government is responsible for most of the arterial roads in our part of the country.  If you live in a subdivisi... 11/18/2008

 News article from the Billings newspaper The Billings Gazette, written by Jan Falstad, December 16, 2007http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/12/16/news/business/28-haveyouheard.txt  12/16/2007

  This is the 3rd best year in real estate history for Billings, Montana area.  Interest rates are good at approximately 6% right now, and the inventory is just above average for this time of year.Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about this information  Market update at glance12/1/2007 Year Percentage Increase or -Decrease      20062007               Residential Closed Sales Units  25682436 -5%             Residential Pending Sales Units  340217 -36%             Residential Active Property Units For Sale 968949 -2%             Average sales price all types of properties $ 173,496 $190,713  10%             Average sales price Single family Home Billings$ 192,041 $201,343  5%             Median sales price Single family Home Billings$ 169,900 $179,900  6%           ... 12/15/2007

Lonesome Spur, BillingsA dude ranch popularized by the movie "The Horse Whisperer." Attraction type: RanchPictograph Cave State Park, BillingsSee rock paintings that tell the story of the prehistoric people who took shelter in these sandstone caves 4,500 years ago. The 23-acre park also contains well-equipped picnic areas.Attraction type: Historic site; State park; Landmark/point of interestZoo Montana, BillingsThe focus is on animal life in northern latitude, temperate climates with a variety of state-of-the-art habitats and exhibits including river otters, black-footed ferrets, Siberian tigers and bald eagles.Attraction type: ZooThe Moss Mansion, BillingsDesigned by a prominent architect, this huge, red-sandstone, turn-of-the-century mansion has been shown on TV and in films, and comb... 11/24/2007