Housing Predictor has predicted Bozeman MT home prices may decline by about 4.2%.

Chart below indicates the Bozeman real MT estate market’s residential home sales history from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 for all areas of Bozeman’s residential housing market (1SM, 1NE, 1NW, 1SK, 2B, 2FC, 2G, 2N, 2NW, 2T, 2SE, and 2SW).

Note the currently active number of Bozeman homes for sale.

Dynamic, Proactive, Tireless…      Prudential’s Top Bozeman MT Real Estate Agent 2009, 2010, 2011

Taunya Fagan – A Trusted Name in Bozeman Real Estate, giving you the advantage…®

406.579.9683   –   taunya at taunyafagan.com  -  Prudential’s Top Montana Realtor 2010

From Big Sky to the Bridger Range there are multiple things for you and your children to do in Bozeman, MT.

Sourdough Ski Trails 2011 Brett Fagan

December 2011: If you want to ski or snowboard, hike or hunt, the Bozeman Montana region, has wonderful public and private schools; a major agricultural and technical university, Montana State University (MSU); shopping malls; museums (Museum of the Rockies with dinosaurs!); art galleries; music venues; health clubs…all sorts of indoor and outdoor forms to keep the kids busy!

For more information on the rating of Bozeman as a Best Place To Raise Your Kids in Montana, go to Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek.

Though Montana’s population just topped 1 million residents, Bozeman’s population is only about 36,000. Located at latitude 45.68N, longitude, 111.05W, elevation 4772′, the city is in southwestern Montana and is the seat of Gallatin County, MT, with a population of about 87,400.In the late 1800′s many called Bozeman The Egypt or The Garden Spot of Montana.

In the winter, Bozeman parents and their kids, if not in the great public and private Bozeman schools, are cross-country skiing, sledding, or attending sports events, theaters, and musical venues.

Here’s the lay of the land: Bozeman is in the Gallatin Valley with the Bridger Mountains to the east, the Big Belt Mountains to the north, the Tobacco Root Mountains to the west, and the Gallatin Range, rugged Hyalite Mountains, and spectacular Spanish Peaks of the Madison Range to the south.

Dynamic, Proactive, Tireless…     Prudential’s Top Montana Realtor 2010, 2011

Taunya Fagan – A Trusted Name in Bozeman Luxury Real Estate, giving you the advantage…®

406.579.9683  -  taunya at taunyafagan.com  -  Prudential’s Top Bozeman Realtor 2009 – 2011

On the National front, several factors appear to be against a US housing market recovery in 2012, which include both continued home foreclosures and high unemployment, according to David Stiff, Chief Economist at Fiserv.

On the Montana front, the Bozeman home sales market appears to be ready to defy this national trend with far fewer mortgage defaults and higher employment figures (see MT Employment Growth Table above) than most of the United States.

In 2005, Montana taxed the individual $763, 26th in the United States. Montana has both a state and local property tax, making it one of 37 states levying both. Like the majority of states levying both, Montana’s local property tax rate is higher than the state’s property tax rate. According to fiscal year 2004 data from the United States Census Bureau, Montana loacalities and communities reaped $774,842,000 from property taxes. During fiscal year 2002, Montana collected $183,937,000 in property taxes. The same year, combined state & local property tax collections equaled close to $959,000,000, which was $1034 per capita, 20th in the U.S.

The 2006 figure put the amount at $3108 per capita, ranking Montana 44th in the United States. Montana’s corporate tax structure consists of a flat rate 6.75%. Among states with a corporate income tax, Montana’s is 28th highest in the U.S. In 2006, state-level corporate tax collections (minus local taxes) averaged $162.68 per capita, 18th in United States.

giving you the advantage…®

Taunya Fagan Bozeman Real Estate    406.579.9683    taunya.fagan(at)prumt.com

This is a uniquely private sanctuary that is only about 10 miles from Downtown Bozeman, Montana. Drive over Bear Canyon Creek on your own private bridge; pass your horse pasture as you drive up to your custom, elegant Montana log home, which lies at the forest’s edge. Love to ski? This Bozeman fine home is approximately 15 miles from Bridger Bowl Ski Resort. Looking for Montana hunting and fishing? This Bozeman Montana horse property is roughly between the Madison and Yellowstone Rivers and offers hunting possibilities in every direction.

giving you the advantage…®

Taunya Fagan Bozeman Homes    406.579.9683    taunya.fagan(at)prumt.com

The private setting, with lush gardens and mature trees, backs to southwest Montana farmland with Bridger Mountain views.  Covenants allow for two horses.

giving you the advantage…®

Taunya Fagan Bozeman Real Estate    406.579.9683    taunya.fagan(at)prumt.com

Bozeman, Montana was ranked 18th and received an overall score of 54 points.

Population of Bozeman, Montana is approximately 27,500.

The median Bozeman home price is approximately $253,000.

1. Fifteen points for  Mountaineering Associations and Outdoor Science School that teaches youth outdoor classes.
2. Eighteen points for being a College town and Bozeman’s nascent high-tech industry. Also, 15 percent of Bozeman, MT people commute to work by walking or bicycling.
3. Twenty-one points because many homes are within a 15-minute walk of some type of  trail system. Also, it’s only a 1.5-hour drive to Yellowstone National Park. Bozeman is  close to abundant wildlife and beautiful national forests like the Gallatin National Forest, the Deerlodge National Forest, and the Beaverhead National Forest.

“If we are going to successfully pull our nation out of recession, we must address housing first,” said NAHB President and CEO Jerry Howard.

Fix Housing First, which consists of more than 600 organizations, home building companies and manufacturers continues to add new members on a daily basis, is pressing for a major stimulus package to stem the decline in home values, stabilize financial markets and reignite consumer demand. To get the economy moving again, the coalition is urging Congress to support enhancements to the home buyer tax credit and provide below-market 30-year fixed-rate mortgages for home purchases.

“If Congress enacts a meaningful tax credit, coupled with an aggressive interest rate buy-down program, we are confident that these measures will help to stabilize home prices, prevent future foreclosures, restore consumer confidence and start creating jobs,” said Howard.

The coalition cites a similar plan that worked in 1975, when the nation was also in the midst of a recession. Congress then passed a short-term $2,000 tax credit for all new homes ($12,000 adjusted for today’s median home prices) along with subsidized mortgage rates. The stimulus jump started the depressed economy and the effects continued long after the measure expired.

“Entering this holiday season, we saw a sobering loss of more than half a million jobs in November, and major job cutbacks among the nation’s top employers are being announced daily,” said Howard. “We need to put a stop to this dangerous erosion on Main Street before it grows out of control.”

Enzo Perfetto, a third-generation home builder from Cleveland, has gone from constructing 20-to-30 homes annually to just one this year as a result of the economic downturn. The situation is critical and getting worse, he said. “Home building generates American jobs. You can’t outsource the construction of a home. But these jobs won’t return until the credit freeze ends and our government addresses the housing crisis.”

“We are leaving no stone unturned in conveying to our government and the public the message that a housing stimulus is urgently needed, and that restoring demand for housing is the fastest and most effective way of reviving the economy,” Howard said.

The housing stimulus proponents are calling for significant enhancements to the current $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers. Among the improvements:

- All primary home purchases between April 9, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009 would be eligible.

- The credit amount would be increased to 10 percent of the price of the home, capped at 3.5 percent of FHA loan limits, bringing the credit to a range of roughly between $10,000 and $22,000.

- The current recapture provision would be eliminated. Repayment would only be required if the home were sold within three years.

- The credit would be available at the time of closing, making it easier to be used as a downpayment.

The second component of the stimulus plan would provide qualified home buyers with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at 2.99 percent on contracts closed until June 30, 2009 and 3.99 percent on closings between June 30 and Dec. 31, 2009.

The coalition has also announced its support for continuing foreclosure prevention measures to keep people in their homes.

To help buyers in California and other high-cost markets, NAHB is also calling on Congress to permanently keep the FHA/Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming loan limits at $729,750. Under current law, the loan limits for high-cost areas will be reduced to $625,500 on Jan. 1, 2009.

Fix Housing First points out that 3 million home building-related jobs have been lost as a result of the slowdown in housing production, which represents $145 billion in lost wages and $4.9 billion in lost purchases. Deterioration in these jobs has now spilled over into virtually all sectors of the U.S. job market.

“Over the past two years, the new home construction market has experienced an unprecedented decline. This has led to major layoffs, lost business and production cutbacks by thousands of building product manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. Clearly, innovative and decisive government action is urgently needed to stem the decline and create positive traction in the housing market,” said Frank Cicero, Executive Vice President of Store Operations for 84 Lumber Company.

Taunya Fagan, giving you the advantage…®

1. Stay where you are. Commit to your new house for at least two years prior to buying another home.

2. Money is important. If you will apply for a home mortgage, order a credit report and ensure your credit is adequate for what you need.

3. Have a motgage lender pre-approve you. This will save you time–you won’t waste it touring at houses that are too expensive.

4. Carefully figure the best home mortgage payment you can afford. Look at many home loan options in an effort to pinpoint a loan in your best interest.

5. Be certain about where you want to purchase your home and what you want to purchase, considering schools, work, location to recreation and amenities.

6. Consider your Montana home’s value when reselling. A good school district is a plus when reselling, even if you have no school-age children.

7. Do the neccesary homework. Predicate property offers on the trend in sales of homes similar to yours in your neighborhood.

8. Consider and then calculate every hidden cost, like insurance, home owner association fees, property taxes, home maintenance  and others. These “hidden costs” can cost extra money over time, if you fail to identify them.

9. Keep from being house poor. Never allow yourself to spend beyond the amount needed for your mortgage payments, leaving little or nothing for home maintenance, landscaping costs, etc.

10. Find professional assistance with Taunya Fagan Bozeman Montana Real Estate. As a Montana REALTOR® she will help you get the most for your hard-earned money and will look out for your best interest.

giving you the advantage…®

Taunya Fagan - Bozeman Montana Real Estate - Belgrade MT Real Estate

This charming, remodeled Manhattan, Montana home is a must see!

Charming and fully remodeled home in downtown Manhattan, Montana on a huge, secluded 14,000 sq ft lot. This home is surrounded by old growth trees and hedges.

Gutted to the studs and remodeled in 2001, the seller has re-finished the original fir floors throughout, built a new kitchen, bathroom, replaced windows, etc.

Seller built a new, oversized detached two-car garage with lots of storage space. The old single car garage could be razed and the footprint used as an additional structure for an office/studio and/or guestquarters above.

This is a great price and a must see property!

giving you the advantage…®

    Taunya Fagan Manhattan Montana Homes

Virtual Tour of This Montana Home       Manhattan, MT Homes