Bozeman and the surrounding areas of Big Sky, Yellowstone and Paradise Valley have seen an influx of visitors who wanted to take advantage of our wide-open spaces, fishing, hiking, biking, camping and site-seeing in Yellowstone. Bozeman used to be a sleepy little cow town but has really hit the map in the last few months. We were experiencing a healthy growth for many years, with the market only seeing a downturn in 2008-2010 that everyone experienced.  The trend of the great western migration will continue as the uncertainty of cities continues, wildfires ravage the west coast and hurricanes beat up the southeast. 

With all of the demand to head west, we have been gifted three new direct flights. Charlotte, NC will start offering a direct flight in

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Not at all,  the two main drivers of housing remain rock solid...the below article from Hotwire will explain what the 2 main drivers are and what to watch.

Today, existing home sales blew out estimates, coming in at 5,860,000. With new home sales, pending home sales, housing starts, housing permits, and purchase applications already in v-shape recovery mode, this last metric completes the v-shaped recovery across the board for housing.

Let’s just say this is the final nail in the coffin for the housing bear troll camps that were so sure that this time, housing would finally crash. COVID didn’t get the housing market, but it did pull a fast one on those pesky bears.

Look, I get it. For the casual observers of the market, it may seem intuitive

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President Trump called on Congress to send him a bill that would fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was established by Congress in 1964, and restore our national parks. On August 4, 2020, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law, alongside bipartisan support from Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester. It is being called

"The biggest land conservation legislation in a generation"

This funding is much needed to fix deferred maintenance at national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and other federal lands, with $6.5 billion earmarked specifically to the 419 national park units. The number of visitors to the national parks system has increased by 50 percent since 1980, but the parks’ budget has

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One Family's Choice

Mel Visser and his wife, Marge, recently finalized a conservation easement on their Manhattan property with the help of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. The easement will protect the 779-acre land from fragmentation, development and non-agricultural commercial activity.

Montanans love their farms and ranches, so conservation is becoming more well-known and utilized for many reasons...protection of wide-open spaces is very important for one as development expands across the valley. With the recent Shelter in Place rule across the globe, more folks have flocked to the Rocky Mountains to seek more space and nature. It can take its toll on smaller communities and drive prices higher of land, development and housing.

To read the

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 Have you heard of the Series, "Yellowstone" on Paramount featuring Kevin Costner? If you haven't yet, you are evidently missing out! Locals watched it knowing the some of it was not accurate like "being allowed to move a river or creek" to suit a landowner's needs while tourists are enthralled with the storyline, the scenery, and the actors- loads of drama. The TV show has been so successful that they have decided to move the filming from Utah to Montana permanently. The location will remain active through fall and will host approximately 40 full-time staff members. Up to 150 staff will be on-site for filming. There have been casting calls to start in August for those interested in being front and center with the cast should contact casting

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Average 30-year mortgage rates dip below 3% for first time in 50 years

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was reported at 2.98%, down from 3.03%. It's the first time the rate fell below 3$ since Freddie Mac began tracking weekly rates in 1971 BY PATRICK KEARNS | 

The average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 3 percent for the first time Freddie Mac began tracking weekly rates in 1971. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was reported at 2.98 percent, down from 3.03 percent last week.

“Mortgage rates fell below 3 percent for the first time in 50 years,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “The drop has led to increased homebuyer demand, and

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Congratulations to PollyAnna Snyder and Stacy Ossorio for their production and recognition by Newsweek!

Searching for your home sweet home can be daunting. The long list of "musts" and "wants" paired with limits of price range and location make it difficult to sort through the many homes listed for sale. The most successful realtors are the ones who alleviate your stress by showing that they have your best interests in mind: the ones who make you feel they are truly working for you.

That's why it's good to know which realtors have a record of success - especially in today's fluctuating housing market. Newsweek partnered with REAL Trends –the trusted source of news, analysis, and information on the residential brokerage industry since 1987– to sort

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Market data affecting (or not) today’s mortgage rates

From an article on The Mortgage Report

Are mortgage rates again aligning more closely with the markets they traditionally follow? It’s too soon to be sure. But, if you’re ready to take your cue from them, things are looking OK for mortgage rates today. Here’s the state of play this morning at about 9:50 a.m. (ET). The data, compared with roughly the same time yesterday morning, were:

• The yield on 10-year Treasurys fell to 0.67% from 0.70%. (Good for mortgage rates.) More than any other market, mortgage rates normally tend to follow these particular Treasury bond yields, though less so recently
• Major stock indexes were mostly lower. (Good for mortgage rates.) When investors are buying

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4TH ANNUAL BIG SKY ARTISAN FESTIVAL

• DETAILSDate: Jul 4, 2020
  Location: Meadow Village
  Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  Artisan Festival Returns to Big Sky’s Meadow Village
  Contact: Kate Tompkinson
  Phone:260-312-0671
  Email:bigskyartisanfestival@gmail.com
  
  This July 4thBig Sky will host over 40 artisans in the Meadow Village for the 4thAnnual Artisan Festival. The festival will feature painters, woodworkers, jewelers, and a wide variety of juried Montana artisans and local members of the Big Sky Artist’s Collective. The festival will run from 9am until 5pm on Saturday July 4th. The public is welcome to attend the festival in person where they can meet and greet artists, purchase Montana made crafts, enjoy live

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Visit a Dude Ranch

Sponsored by the Dude Ranchers’ Association and shared from Explore Big Sky

Is there really any better way to experience the West than on horseback? We’ll wait…but in our opinion, the answer is simple: no there isn’t! Get your boots on and saddle up cowboys and cowgirls, because no matter where you are in Montana or the western United States, there’s a dude ranch nearby, ready to provide you with an authentic Western vacation experience, complete with a cowboy hat. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAINBOW TROUT RANCH

Since 1926 the Dude Ranchers’ Association has been assisting adventure seekers looking for the ride of their lives. Their website is a database of all registered member dude ranches in the U.S., helping pair you with a

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