When people ask me what I do, I am proud to say that I help people realize their dreams. I have worked in the lending industry for 8 years, and can offer my clients a wealth of experience and knowledge from start to finish in the home financing process. As a Real Estate Lender with Mountain West Bank in Helena Montana, my specialties include residential, investment, construction and first time home buyers. Primarily I work with clients spanning the state of Montana, however I am licensed in and can provide financing in all 50 states. I was born and raised on a ranch outside of Helena, and still reside here with my husband Sean, and our two amazing daughters Brynn and Kennedy. When I first heard of Homes for Heroes, it did not take much to convince me that it was a program I wanted to b... 01/27/2014

We know the winter's been more snowy than the past 10 to 15 years, and the mountains have lots of snow.  All that snow melts, and flows down either to the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf Coast.  We watch the down river states and cringe at the amount of water they're dealing with this year.  Today a levy was even blasted open to protect the larger population center along the Missouri, at the cost of the smaller population and farm land.  There's a big meeting tonight in the Huntley Montana area to discuss how to purchase flood insurance, and what happens if it floods.  Flood insurance must be paid in advance, at least 30 days before the flood in order for the insurance to benefit the insured. The big question for us is more about the sun rather than the rain.  If we warm up quickly and the su... 05/03/2011

  3 Bedroom 3 Bath Custom Home for Sale, 60 Mountainbrook Dr., Red Lodge, Montana This 3 bedroom 3 bathroom Custom Home for Sale is set in one of the most picturesque small towns in western Montana. From the quaint Main street, where a Fourth of July parade still draws large crowds of flag waving residents, to the beautiful mountain vistas Red Lodge is truly a postcard of a town. This 3 bedroom 3 bath custom Home for Sale sits on the west side of town. Located on a plateau just above the West Fork of Rock Creek with dramatic mountain views and a short drive from the beautiful ski area you will find this one of a kind 3 bedroom 3 bath custom home for sale. Attention to detail is the only thing standard about this home. From the unique rustic hardwood floors to the hand carved wooden stai... 11/19/2010

Nothing but the sound of the gently flowing stream along with the beautiful falls scenery.   :) This picture was taken 4 miles North of Red Lodge at the Medicine Flower Lodge, a retreat center with Rock Creek frontage.  They do vacation rentals and offer some very private settings for weddings and social occasions.  The website is being revamped.  You can expect to see this photo appear on their updated website and colorful brochures.  :) I will have another post and more info about Flower Medicine Lodge once their new website is up and running. Happy Saturday and stay tuned for photos of the fall colors of Red Lodge coming soon on upcoming posts on AR!  Gerry Khatchikian Want to see more photos?  Check out my other photos by visiting my Photo Blog Book . Photos and/or written content p... 10/02/2010

I saw an ad in the newspaper about a book signing in Red Lodge Montana about a week ago and decided to get my husband and head 60 miles to the southeast of Billings and check out these "vintage trailers". I'm so impressed, and so excited to work on my own trailer now.  These gals know how to find friends and have a good time, hopefully I can get my act together and saddle up my own outfit and hit the trail with these gals. There is a website that shows over 400 pictures of sisters on the fly trailers, some have great paint jobs!  Check out their website at www.sistersonthefly.com. I'm really trying to figure out how I can jazz up my own 23 foot 5th wheel trailer.  The kitchenette is going away and I'm gonna put 2 lightweight recliners in their place and bolt them to the floor.  After a ... 09/04/2010

Two for Tuesday - It Happened Again...This Time, Right on Top of Mount Maurice in Red Lodge, Montana I had a recent post where I featured a double rainbow taken over Red Lodge (on July 11, 2010): Speechless Sunday - Double Rainbow Over Red Lodge  . Less than a week later, on July 17, 2010, it happened again!  I think this one is equally if not more beautiful as the sun was also hitting part of the mountain (Mount Maurice). Here are a couple of photos of this beautiful moment in time. This is your Two for Tuesday! Gerry Khatchikian    Want to see more photos?  Check out my other photos by visiting my Photo Blog Book .  I have lots of photos and posts on Yellowstone National Park (see chapter 11 after you click on the previous link). Photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchi... 07/27/2010

Photos from Red Lodge Rodeo and July 4th Parade - Red Lodge, Montana (Part 2) To see the first part, click on the following link: Photos of Red Lodge Rodeo and July 4th Parade - Red Lodge, Montana (Part 1)   All the following 16 photos were taken on Saturday, July 3, 2010.  There were 3 parades (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) on main street during the July 4th and rodeo weekend.  There are photos of the biggest parade on July 4th which I plan to share in part 3 and 4 of this series of photo posts. We sure have plenty of horses in this parade!   Nice private seats, close to the action and even the dogs joined in to watch the parade!     One of the organizations that I love to support in Red Lodge, the Beartooth Humane Alliance.  To find out more, please visit their website at www.beartooth... 07/17/2010

Photos from Red Lodge Rodeo and July 4th Parade - Red Lodge, Montana (Part 1) Here are the first 15 photos of the parade.   These were taken on Saturday, July 3, 2010 I will have more photos online in the next week.  I have a feeling this will be at least a 5 parts series of photo posts (if I stick to 15 photos per post).   Stay tuned!     Gerry Khatchikian   Need a unique and beautiful place to stay at when you are visiting Red Lodge?  Experience genuine Montana living with end of the road privacy!  At the crossroads between luxury retreat and untouched wilderness exists Beartrap Ranch.  Amidst a back drop of sheer beauty, the 160 acres of private ranch land provides you the opportunity to be a part of the old west or just get away from the daily stresses....  Click on the underlined l... 07/11/2010

Art in the Beartooths (Red Lodge, Montana) - July 10, 2010 Art in the Beartooths 2010 will take place on Saturday, July 10th, in Red Lodge's Lion's Park. The signature artist this year will be John Potter.  Above is one of his most recent painting: Rosebud Repose which John submitted as the signature piece for this year's art event.   John Potter's website is: www.johnpotterstudio.com (go check out some of his other amazing paintings!) For the event, tents will be set up in Lion's Park where more than 30 artists will be creating artwork which will then be offered for live auction later in the evening. The schedule of events will be:9:30 ... artists begin creating art in and around Lion's Park and Red Lodge2:30 ... artists check in artwork4:00 ...artwork on display in gazebo and artists ... 07/05/2010

A Mid-Year Good Night from Red Lodge, Montana It is hard to believe that today is June 30 and that half the year has gone by already! The following are photos of the latest full moon taken in Red Lodge.   I am making an effort and practicing taking photos with my tripod. It may seem that the full moon is just going to roll down the hill. For some reason, the latest full moon had a red glow to it here in Red Lodge.  Note the lonely cloud which decided to come by and add a little touch of spookiness to the night. Here is the full moon again over the same hill as in photo #1 and with the same red glow and lonely cloud (just below the full moon) as in photo #2.  No zoom here but a panoramic view of the night scenery.  This gives you an idea of the up to 26X zoom feature on my EasyShare Z981... 06/30/2010

Not-So-Speechless Sunday - Red Lodge Sunrise on Father's Day I was up earlier than usual today and in time to admire today's beautiful sunrise in Red Lodge. Here are a few of my best shots in chronological order.  They were all taken using a tripod on Father's Day (June 20, 2010) from the top of a hill in Grizzly Peak Mountain Homes subdivision.    4:43PM (Yes, I was up very early!).  All times shown under each photo are Mountain Time. 4:51AM (Red sky in Red Lodge) 4:52AM (You should be able to see the sage brushes on top of the hill in the above photo) 4:54AM (View of the Pryor Mountains) 4:59AM (Close-up of the Prior Mountains to focus on the clouds above it and that beautiful red/orange colored morning sky) 5:18AM (It is going to be a nice day in Red Lodge for Father's Day) 5:23AM 5:... 06/20/2010

Some Colorful Signs that Summer is Near at the Beartooth Nature Center in Red Lodge, Montana I have been volunteering at the Beartooth Nature Center (BNC) in Red Lodge, Montana for the past two months and I have enjoyed every minute of it.   Not only did I get to learn about all the animals at the BNC but I get to educate the visitors (mainly kids from various schools in Montana and Wyoming) about the animals by assisting with the Education Program and providing private guided tours. The following are photos I took on June 3, 2010 after I was done volunteering in the morning. The BNC is also know for having some of the most beautiful flowers in Red Lodge comes summer.  Credit goes to Clare Witcomb and Maureen Booth who are regular volunteers and year after year take care of the flowers ... 06/04/2010

Meet Peabody at the Beartooth Nature Center (Red Lodge, Montana) Peabody is a peacock at the Beartooth Nature Center (BNC) in Red Lodge, Montana.  You can meet him and another 70 animals when you visit the BNC.  As you can see from the photos, Peabody is very beautiful.  Every chance he gets, he shows his tail off to anyone who is walking by.    To learn more about the BNC, check out their website full of info and photos at www.beartoothnaturecenter.org All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian.  05/24/2010

The Soul of Red Lodge The following is an excerpt from an article that I loved reading and that I wanted to share online.   It was written by Audrey Clark for The Local Rag. Upon deeper reflection of what it really means to those of us who live here, I realized that it is the "culture" of Red Lodge that binds us and our hearts to this place. Webster's New World Collegiate Dictionary defines culture in many ways. When I came to the eighth listed definition, I found what I was looking for. "CULTURE: the ideas, customs, skills, and arts of a particular people or group in a particular period."   The culture of Red Lodge as defined above has meant many different things to many different people. To the Crow this area was a place to live and hunt. To the mountain man and miner it was a place ... 04/12/2010

Moose Monday - Moose Visions In Red Lodge I found a great way to display photos of my beautiful surrounding here in Red Lodge.   It's moosely fun to take these photos and it is called moose visions!  Now, I can get the moose in the photos any time I want.   :) I hope you enjoy moose visions. Here is a sample of moose visions taken in Red Lodge this past weekend, ski joring weekend. For more info about the ski joring, you can visit www.redlodge.com/ski-joring or check out my last year posts: Horse + Ski = Ski-Joring  (Part 1) Horse + Ski = Ski-Joring  (Part 2) Here is a moose vision of Main Street Red Lodge on a beautiful and sunny Sunday afternoon. If you want to see more moose on Main Street, check out the following Moose Monday post: Merry Christmoose from Red Lodge, Montana It's Good... 03/15/2010

I will admit that I have not had a real moose sighting in Red Lodge, Montana since my moose chase back in October 2009. I did go back to my photos from that day and pulled the following photo to share with you for Moose Monday. Moose be nice to be a Bull Moose on Moose Monday!  :)   If you want to know more about the moose chase and see more photos of this bull moose, just click on the following link (first of a series of 4 posts on the moose chase): Moose Monday - Big Bull Moose in Big Sky Country! Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Realtor Associate ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries    TRC: Transnational Referral Certification Gerry_Khatchikian@yahoo.com All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All right... 03/08/2010

Red Lodge MLS - Market Report - Residential Statistics as of 3/7/2010   Active* Contingent & Pending Sold in 2010   (Jan 1 to Mar 7) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2010      (Jan 1 to Mar 7) Sold in 2009    (Jan 1 to Mar 7) Avg Sold Price of Sold Listings 2009        (Jan 1 to Mar 7) City of Red Lodge 105 7 9 $193,078 5 $286,200 Cities Other than Red Lodge 78 7 2 $179,500 4 $279,600 Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) 183 14 11 $190,609 9 282,533 * Includes Contingent and Pending   Breakdown of Residential Actives   City of Red Lodge Cities Other than Red Lodge Red Lodge MLS (TOTAL) $0 to  $49,999 0 2 2 $50,000  to  $99,999 0 7 7 $100,000 to $149,999 6 8 14 $150,000 to $199,999 22 8 30 $200,000 to $249,999 16 8 24 $250,000 to $299,999 16 16 32 $300,000 to $349,999 14 5 19 $350,000 to $399,999 5 5 1... 03/07/2010

Moose Monday - Bull Moose in the Backyard - Red Lodge, Montana Weren't the inflatable giant flying moose interesting last night at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies?  A big round of applause to all the athletes of the word that participated and made these games a success. It was nice to see them relaxed and enjoying the closing ceremonies with most of them wearing foam moose antlers. After weeks of posting objects depicting moose on Moose Monday, it is time to post the real thing! In the following photo is a bull moose that was camera shy but I managed to capture a photo of him before he ran out and disappeared in the background. Happy Moose Monday from Red Lodge, Montana!   It's good to be here!! Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Span... 03/01/2010

This llama was having a quiet day grazing in the fields.   I had to call him and get his attention to get the following two photos. After I got his attention for a few seconds, he realized that I was only there to photograph him and decided to return to his regular schedule.    He did not know that I also love to list and sell property as well as show property.  I just happened to be in his area (Fromberg) showing property that day. If you are in the Red Lodge area and looking for property to buy or sell, call me.  I will be happy to assist you!  Llama me si usted esta en Montana, cerca de Red Lodge y necessita comprar o vender una casa.  Estaré contento de ayudarle. Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Realtor Associate ASA: Associate of t... 02/13/2010

The Sky Is the Limit!  Waking Up to Another Spectacular Sunrise in Red Lodge, Montana Just when I thought I saw enough beautiful sunrises here in Red Lodge, Montana, I woke up this morning to what I thought was a spectacular sunrise.  I could not believe the colors in today's sunrise.  I was almost like the sky was on fire. I will let the following photos describe the amazing views I experienced this morning.       I wish you a very healthy and Happy New Year and I hope the sky is the limit when it comes to love, happiness and success in 2010! Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)Realtor Associate ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries    TRC: Transnational Referral Certification Gerry_Khatchikian@yahoo.com All photos and/or written con... 12/30/2009