Tips, best practices, and guides people looking to buy a home or other real estate. We specialize in the beautiful Bozeman, Mt. region.

When I was a young girl I used to love going over to my grandparents’ house.  Everything was fun and I was treated so special as the only granddaughter.

I was always in awe as to how much my grandmother knew – to me she was the most connected and informed woman on the planet.  She had an answer for everything and it was really amazing how she knew, and frequently referred to “Them”.  They were doing this to give us a better life, or They were going about something in a way my grandmother didn’t approve of, or They were saying this or that.  Do you have similar memories of people in your life with those connections?

I always used to keep quiet about Them and the fact that my grandmother knew who They were – I did not want to give away her secrets…

1495 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

OK – it’s official.  We are back into multiple offers when it comes to homes for sale in Bozeman at certain price points.  Along with multiple offer situations, come bidding wars, stress, and some emotions you may not have visited for a while.

Usually, when we hit this stage, our home sellers take the “talk to the hand” approach because it is all about the dollars.  This is not an unexpected, unreasonable or ill-advised approach – and it can be a natural reaction.  It is then our job to help gain the highest dollar for our clients, with the fewest hassles, in the most desirable amount of time.

When we represent a buyer in this situation, there is then the “write a letter” approach that we advise and have great success with.  What if, all offers being…

1324 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

It can be difficult to discuss this with people sometimes, and I consider myself a person with a relatively good degree of confront willing to talk about most subjects in a candid manner.  However, in the current market condition of real estate, especially with homes for sale in Bozeman and the surrounding area, talking about when to buy or sell a home can be tricky. 

If I go to the end of the report here and give you the answer, you may have to put your thinking cap on and put some pencils to paper.  The answer about when to buy or sell a home always lies in the goals of the potential home Buyer or Seller.  Why would you, need to, or have to move?

Today’s real estate market is far different than the environement/market of my parents and…

1199 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

It has been fabulous these past few months re-opening a real estate business here in Bozeman, and getting everything set up and gaining momentum once again.  And just so I don’t fool myself, it is still very much a work in progress.

We have been serving multiple clients at any given time these past few weeks and while that is a blessing, it also reminds me of the crazy-busy days many years ago.

One of the big and similar things I see is the discomfort of clients at certain points throughout “the process”, and then the transformation to comfortable as transactions move along and close.

It is uncomfortable to put yourself out on a limb (especially financially) and take a relatively large loan out and obligate yourself to pay it back.  It is…

22726 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

After brokering real estate and especially people’s homes and dreams for over a decade, it has always hit me hard that the process is as important as the desired end-result we all seek – a smooth and uneventful  transaction.

Inside of that, most consumers and people looking for a new home for sale or who are looking to sell their residence, look to a Realtor®.

As you start choosing what you want in a Realtor®, focus on the process.  That process should include a degree of education that allows you to follow along in the transaction with comfort.  It is not necessary to know everything it has taken your Realtor years to learn - experience is a good teacher – and yet I would encourage you to still have a sense of “Real Estate 101”, so that you are at…

1089 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

1.       Fiscal Responsibility

Selling and/or purchasing a home or an investment property will probably be one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) purchase of your life.  Many moons ago, I was taught to look at the process of finding and inspecting a new home, its escrow process and closing, as if it were my own money.  Every detail must be administered to - every “i” dotted and “t” crossed, so to speak.  No one deserves less than what I would expect with my own money and expectations.  Demand that your Realtor® look after your purchase and interests as if they were his/her own.

2.       Professional Distinction and Discretion

Let’s face it…not everyone needs to know everything about your interests, position and transaction.  As a professional,…

840 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post