If you are a first-time home buyer just starting out with a land or home search or are moving to our area from elsewhere, one of the questions you may ask is, "What are Covenants?" The simplest answer is, covenants are regulations that come with a particular parcel of land. The official document that contains the regulations is called CC&Rs, or Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions. In the Kalispell area, some properties have covenants and some don't. This blog post will provide an overview of both types of properties. Often, covenants are put in place when property is being subdivided for future new homes. The purpose is typically to make sure the development has a specific look and feel, and new home owners know what rules must be followed when living there. Sometimes covenants are put... 09/14/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of August 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 sellers market. That being said, there are signs for the fourth month in a row that the market is slowing down slightly.  Sales VolumeIn the month of August 2021, there were 93 residential sales in Kalispell which is 29% less than last month and 35% less than last year. There are currently close to 200 homes under contract, so homes are definitely still selling, but demand does seem to be slowing. As of the end of August 2021, there have been 808 sales in Kalispell, which is only 6% more than t... 09/10/2021

This nearly 20 acres of beautiful Montana land sold in August 2021!  Here's what kind of property the new owner has: 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 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. That makes hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback... 09/09/2021

This report covers the residential land market in Kalispell Montana as of the end of August 2021. The land market is still doing well, with sales and total sales prices setting records.  INVENTORYAs of early September, there were 88 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is slightly less than last month. There are still choices for buyers. Five or more acresOf the land currently for sale, approximately half of the listings include five or more acres. 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 parcels. They are often not located in a development, but by themselves, and provide privacy and multiple buildi... 09/07/2021

If you are planning to purchase land for a future home or hunting cabin, you may want water! If your land is in the city of Kalispell, you will likely have access to city water. If, however, you are out of town on more rural land, you may need to dig a well. Often the question that is asked is, "How deep will my well be?" And here's the answer. The answer is, "There's no way to know for sure until it's drilled!"  You will need to contact a Montana drilling company. They will come out, assess access and a possible drilling location and set up an appointment. Once they start drilling, they will note the type of material that they drill through. They will also measure how deep the drill is when water is hit. Usually they will drill a little further and then measure the water flow. Then the... 09/06/2021

Recently some friends were visiting and we decided to try "Hooked on Montana," a fishing company located just south of Kalispell MT in a town called Somers (pronounced "Summers"). We booked a five hour excursion with Erik, and arrived at 7am on the day of our reservation. So here's how the day went.  Hooked on Montana is located at 5463 US-93, about 15 minutes south of the center of Kalispell. When we arrived at 7am, we were directed straight to the boat which was located at the end of the pier. We hopped on board, completed some necessary paperwork and disclosures, and then off we went. Our guide was Erik, and he let us choose whether we wanted to go after lake trout or whitefish. We chose the trout and headed out to our starting point for trolling.  You don't have to bring any fishing... 09/04/2021

This report covers the residential land market (active listings and sales) in Kalispell Montana as of the end of July 2021. Similar to the housing market, there are signs that the market is slowing down from last year's highs. Available InventoryAs of early August, there were 92 residential land parcels for sale in the Kalispell area which is flat with the same time last month. That remains great news for buyers since higher inventory levels equate to more choices. 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 land, or acreag... 08/11/2021

Following is an overview of the Kalispell Montana real estate results for the residential market as of July 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 third month in a row that the market may be slowing down slightly. Sales VolumeIn the month of July 2021, there were 131 residential sales in Kalispell which is steady from last month and 10% less than last year. If you look at the chart below, it appears sales rates are similar to last year, but are occurring a month earlier. For example, sales started increasing in May last year (a late start due to Covid), compared to April this y... 08/05/2021

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