There are often challenges with selling or buying undeveloped acreage. Challenges can include lack of electric options, ground that would result in deep well depths, expensive driveway requirements, rocky ground which will make building difficult and more. The particular challenge being discussed in this post relates to access.  Specifically, there are two different types of access issues that could exist with a parcel of land, especially a larger parcel outside of town. One pertains to physical access, and one to legal access.    Physical AccessThe term physical access specifically refers to the actual road that is place and must be transversed to reach a specific parcel of land. In my area of Montana, there are many roads that are not maintained by the county. And while people in many... 07/26/2021

It's too late for other buyers... This twenty acre parcel of secluded mountain acreage with views of the Flathead Valley just 20 minutes from the center of Kalispell is sold!  The twenty acre property included beautiful Montana forest land with gorgeous views of the valley and mountains.  The land has no zoning, HOA or covenants so it is land the buyers can turn into whatever their dreams dictate.  Perhaps they will build a small off-the-grid hunting camp that allows them to walk out the back door and already be in fantastic hunting land. Deer and elk tracks abound!   Or maybe they will build a mountain side retreat with amazing views of the mountains and valleys.   Alternatively perhaps they will just use it as a never ending source of firewood and building materials.  Only the new buy... 07/23/2021

This nearly 20 acres of beautiful Montana land went under contract in 12 days. What's so special about it? Secluded and Great for Self-Sufficiency:With no electric or cell service, this property is the epitome of seclusion. At the same time, it is only about 20 minutes from the center of Kalispell. That means access to the town's four major grocery stores and many other options for food are nearby. The medical facilities, college, big box stores and smaller businesses in the area are all about the same distance from the property. And if this land is home to children who attend public schools, the bus stop is located at the end of Patrick Creek Road.   Part of the Outdoors:In addition, this property is perfect for lovers of the outdoors. It abuts the Flathead National Forest on two sides... 07/21/2021

If you live in the Kalispell Montana area, you know there are many options for hiking. For example, you could head up to Glacier National Park with its 700 miles of well-documented hiking trails, or perhaps go to Jewel Basin and hike one of their many popular trails. Or you could find a map, locate an off-the-beaten forest service road, and just head out. That's what we did this past weekend. Here's how it went.  PreparationAny hiking trip in the Flathead Valley area requires proper preparation. Not only do you need decent hiking boots or shoes, you need to dress properly. Pants are usually a better choice than shorts, since you may be walking through tall grass and shrubs. And even if the sky is totally blue, pack a jacket. You never know how fast the sky can change in the forest. You'... 07/15/2021

A beautiful parcel of Montana land has just come on the market. If any of the following options sound intriguing, this almost 20 acres of Montana property might be for you!  You love Seclusion and Self-Sufficiency:1875 Patrick Creek Road is located miles from the nearest electric service and there is no cell phone service. And while both of those facts could change in the future, at this point in time, you'd need to truly enjoy being disconnected. To obtain electricity, there are several meadow locations with lots of sun, so solar may be a solution that would work for your home. There may also be other off-the-grid options that would work. This property is only approximately 20 minutes from the center of Kalispell, so keeping well supplied with food and other items should not be an issu... 07/06/2021

This report covers the residential land market (active listings and sales) in Kalispell Montana as of the end of June 2021. Similar to the housing market, land sales remain strong.  Available InventoryAs of early July, there were 92 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is 15% more than last month's count of 80. That remains great news for buyers since there were only 60 listings a few months ago. Higher inventory levels equate to more choices for buyers.  Five or more acresOf the land currently for sale, half of the listings include five or more acres. While most of the land in Montana could be considered rural, I define rural as those properties in the 5+ acre category. Those are most likely to be parcels located on a gravel mountain road, agricultural farming ... 07/06/2021

Twenty acres of secluded mountain acreage with views of the Flathead Valley just 20 minutes from the center of Kalispell is under contract!  This property includes twenty acres of beautiful Montana forest land with no zoning, HOA or covenants. It is land that could be turned into whatever the buyer dreams. Perhaps it will be used for a small off-the-grid hunting camp that allows the buyer to walk out the backdoor and already be in fantastic hunting land. Deer and elk tracks abound!  Or maybe it will be used to build a mountain side retreat with amazing views of the mountains and valleys. Or perhaps it might be used as a never ending source of firewood and building materials.  The owner could also build a small rustic cabin for summertime use.  Whatever the result, a buyer has decided th... 07/05/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of June 2021. This report covers the entire residential market, including single family homes, townhouses, condominiums and manufactured homes.     The Kalispell residential market continues to be a strong sellers market. That being said, there are signs for the second month in a row that the market may be slowing down slightly. Sales VolumeIn the month of June 2021, there were 131 residential sales in Kalispell which is 7% more than last year and 25% more than last month. As can be seen by the chart below, sales in 2021 are following the same general trends as last year. Another data point - the number of homes under contract have remained just about the same as last month. This indicate... 07/05/2021

I recently enjoyed a brief vacation exploring Western Montana. One of the stops along the way was at the Bannack State Park which is located at 4200 Bannack Road in Dillon, Montana. Not only does this location offer camping, but also hiking and access to an old mining town (ghost town). Following is an overview of the park and amenities. CampingIn terms of camping, there are two campgrounds in the park. The one we stayed at was called Vigilante (yes, we picked that one because of the name). The other is called the Road Agent campground. Both are small, with only 16 campsites at Vigilante and 8 at the other.  As with many state campgrounds, there is some room between the sites so you can have a bit of privacy. Each site comes with a picnic table and fire ring. There is a restroom and som... 06/17/2021

People who are interested in purchasing land or homes in Montana quickly realize there is no public information available regarding home sale prices. That's because Montana is a non-disclosure state and sale prices are not provided to the public. They are only provided as part of a comparable market analysis for a real estate professional's buyer or seller client. So the question might arise, "well, is there any data I can actually get about a specific property?" And the answer is yes, there are several public data sources available. Montana Cadastral  The Cadastral system provides information regarding any property in Montana. Specifically, you can find out an owner's name and mailing address, specific address of property, legal description, assessment code which is useful for finding ... 06/14/2021

This report covers the residential land market (active listings and sales) in Kalispell Montana as of the end of May 2021. Similar to the housing market, land sales remain strong.   Available InventoryAs of early June, there were 80 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is just about flat from last month's count of 78. That remains great news for buyers since there were only 60 listings a few months ago. Higher inventory levels equate to more choices for buyers.. Five or more acresOf the land currently for sale, 55% of listings include five or more acres. While most of the land in Montana could be considered rural, I define rural as those properties in the 5+ acre category. Those are most likely to be parcels located on a gravel mountain road, agricultural farmin... 06/10/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of May 2021. This report covers the entire residential market, including single family homes, townhouses, condominiums and manufactured homes.     The Kalispell residential market continues to be a strong sellers market. That being said, there are some signs that the market may be slowing down slightly. Sales VolumeIn the month of May 2021, there were 105 residential sales in Kalispell which is 35% more than last year and 40% more than last month. As can be seen by the chart below, sales increased a little later in 2020 but that could have been due to the pandemic constraints not due to normal activity. Therefore, this increase is most likely reflective of normal Spring activity.  Another... 06/07/2021

On a beautiful day in the Spring of 2021, a sign appeared in a forest of Montana. It was a typical real estate sign with the contact information for a Montana broker.   It's important to note that a driver out for a Sunday drive won't ever see this sign. Someone commuting from home to work won't see it either. Nor would someone who was out running errands.  So why place this sign at all? This specific sign serves as the "You Have Arrived" notification to the rugged individual(s) who are looking for their own secluded piece of Montana land.  The type of person who might start their day with some black coffee and finish it with a glass of whiskey in front of a campfire. Someone who fills the day between those beverages with hiking, hunting, exploring, fishing, gardening and of course good... 05/20/2021

This report covers the residential land market (active listings and sales) in Kalispell Montana as of the end of April 2021. Similar to the housing market, land sales remain strong.    Available InventoryAs of early May, there were 78 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is a 34% increase since the last month's report. That's great news for buyers since higher inventory levels equates to more choices. Five or more acresOf the land currently for sale, 54% of listings include five or more acres. While most of the land in Montana could be considered rural, I define rural as those properties in the 5+ acre category. Those are most likely to be parcels located on a gravel mountain road, agricultural farming land, or acreage adjacent to National Forest or lumber parce... 05/07/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of April 2021. This report covers the entire residential market, including single family homes, townhouses, condominiums and manufactured homes.     The Kalispell residential market continues to be a strong sellers market. Sales VolumeIn the month of April 2021, there were 75 residential sales in Kalispell which is 6% less than last year and 35% less than last month. As can be seen by the chart below, sales dropped slightly in April of 2020 also, but that was likely due to pandemic constraints not due to normal activity. So the 35% drop from last month was not expected. I believe this was caused by the fact that there are fewer home options for buyers.  Another data point - the number of ... 05/06/2021

One of the first things a seller will want to know when considering putting land on the market is the answer to the question, "What can I get for my land?" In Montana, sale prices are not publicly disclosed, so it's hard to figure out what buyers are paying for properties without contacting a real estate professional.  So now you've contacted one, and have asked the question, "What can I get for my land?" The answer is NOT to use an average per acreage price and multiply times the number of acres you have. No, instead the following are some of the attributes that should go into calculating your land's value. First, the agent must physically visit your property. Each land parcel is so unique that even basing a price on an adjoining property can be problematic. The only way to know exactl... 05/03/2021

What is better to do on a sunny Sunday with no plans, than to explore? So on a recent Sunday, we decided to head out to Polebridge, Montana to investigate.  Polebridge is located near the northwestern entrance to Glacier National Park, and is approximately 20 miles from the Canadian border. The community contains just a few buildings: the Polebridge Mercantile and Bakery, a supply building, some cabins and a cafe/saloon. The Mercantile is open from March to October each year, and is accessible by driving about 35 miles up a two lane road that starts as a paved road in Columbia Falls. It becomes gravel for many miles, with another paved stretch as you get near Polebridge.  The ride itself is worth the time. Mountains can be in front of you, behind you, and on all sides, and the North For... 04/19/2021

You watch an HGTV show that pertains to real estate and everything always looks so easy. The buyers or the homeowners getting a home makeover are always happy, have a great budget, and enjoy the experience. The real estate professionals are jovial. The agents only show a few houses then they sit down with their clients who make an immediate decision, wind up with a fantastic accepted offer, and a few months later do a tour of their new home. Oh my gosh, real estate looks so easy!!!  Is it? Here's an example from my perspective. I plan to put together a video series about how to sell land in my area. Starting with the initial real estate professional tour of the land and subsequent pricing process, research required, documentation, listing, appraisal, buyer investigations, title report, ... 04/12/2021

This report covers the residential land market (active listings and sales) in Kalispell Montana as of the end of March 2021. Similar to the housing market, land sales remain strong. Available InventoryAs of early April, there were 58 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is a 13% decrease since the last month's report. Similar to residential listings in the area, land options have decreased over the last several months.  Five or more acresOf the land currently for sale, 60% of listings include five or more acres. While most of the land in Montana could be considered rural, I define rural as those properties in the 5+ acre category. Those are most likely to be parcels located on a gravel mountain road, agricultural farming land, or acreage adjacent to National For... 04/06/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of March 2021. This report covers the entire residential market, including single family homes, townhouses, condominiums and manufactured homes.    The Kalispell residential market continues to be strong, both in terms of sales and price points. Sales VolumeIn the month of March 2021, there were 115 residential sales in Kalispell which is 25% higher than the same time last year and 62% higher than last month. As can be seen by the chart below, sales do typically bump up in March, so the 62% gain was expected.  Looking at the total first quarter of the year, there were 273 sales in 2021 which is 40% higher than the same time last year. This year is definitely off to a strong start.  Also o... 04/05/2021