A retirement plan, possibly to Bozeman (real estate, house, college)

[Frihed89]

I'm an American, living in Denmark, and approaching retirement age. I have plans to sell my small summer house, here in Denmark, and build a small summer home - you might call it a cabin - in a, dare I say, "hip" place, close to, or in, the Rockies, where my wife and I can spend mid-June - September, or until the

I lived in the Western US (CO, WA, OR) and have traveled pretty extensively in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. I've been to Bozeman several times on work and vacation trips and always enjoyed myself, but that was some time ago.

It looks like the land market is somewhat depressed there, but mostly what I see on the WWW lies in the plains. Maybe some of you can direct me to "locales" closer to, or just in the mountains, where there are available lots without a lot of building/zoning restrictions; where one can build a small (800 ft^2, or so) summer place, water is available, or it's not too costly to drill a well and put in a septic system; where property taxes aren't a noose around your neck, etc. but is still reasonably close to town (as my wife is a social butterfly).

I want this kind of preliminary information before i go there this summer with my wife and stick my head in the door of a realtor's office. I've moved around a lot in the US so I know a little bit about how real-estate agents work there (much harder than here), and I've also owned mountain property (never say never again). But if you have any recommendations that suit my plans, that would be helpful, too.

And anything else you'd like to add that might help me get started.

Thanks.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Hi Freedom, I have ties to Denmark and can absolutely relate to what you're planning. Owning a summer house in Denmark means you're totally used to winterizing a cabin, so that shouldn't be a problem--I know you guys have just come through weeks of single-digit temps (F!).

We're essentially doing the same thing, building a cabin right on the Montana-Idaho border, on 5 acres within 30 miles of a nice, mid-size town. We plan to spend summers there until we retire some 10 years from now, then hopefully full time . If you go to Zillow or Realtor.com you can get a really good impression of what's available. Then, when you've decided on an area, get in touch with one of the realtors who have links posted, and he or she will most likely go out of their way finding you the exact right place. Ours did.

Held og lykke (good luck)!

[Ms_Christina]

Regardless of what is available on the internet, contacting a local realtor with ties to the area may be your best best to gain the inside track on land in an area you want. My grandparents moved to Bozeman in the 1970's from Baltimore. Then to Philadelphia then to Florida. We all thought that Florida was their retirement destination but now they have up and moved back to Montana.

After over a year of watching the market they found what they were looking for but, I don't think it would have been possible without a local realtor helping them. Good luck to you.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Goes without saying: you need a local realtor who will work with you. The Internet is merely a great educational tool. When we started looking for property we looked all over W MT, N WY and N ID, and I thought we'd be able to find some wise professional person who could steer us toward the area that would suit us the most--some kind of Uber-realtor. Hahaha! Nope, that's work you have to do yourself, finding the area that's right for you. And a good thing, too, because that's the fun part!

Frihed, just do a lot of real estate research before you come over, and do Google Earth to get an impression of the areas; then when you're here, hit the towns in your preferred areas, and meet the realtors. Grab flyers and business cards, see a few properties, take pictures, and then let it all sort itself out in your mind. Ideally you could then proceed to the next phase of research, because now you really know what you're doing! But don't discount the power of chance. You might find the right place sooner rather than later. Keep an open mind...

[Mt-7]

I think it has to do with what are you looking for? Montana is very different on the west, mid, and east side.

[Frihed89]

No, I do not plan to rely on the internet. But I am looking for as much information as I can. I'm also looking in Eastern Oregon - a bit isolated, but I know it better, the Western Slope of Colorado, and near Ketchum, ID.

[Mt-7]

Well for socialization I would stay west.
For lower land prices I would look east, but this will change as the oil drilling moves in that direction from North Dakota.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Frihed89

No, I do not plan to rely on the internet. But I am looking for as much information as I can. I'm also looking in Eastern Oregon - a bit isolated, but I know it better, the Western Slope of Colorado, and near Ketchum, ID.

You were looking for a "hip" place; Ketchum certainly fits that description, but since you're also looking at Idaho, have you considered Sandpoint? Voted best small town in the West (or whatever the title was) by Sunset Magazine a few years ago. It is on Lake Pend Oreille, an absolutely spectacular location. The summer vegetation is a lot like Southern Scandinavia--with mountains as a backdrop!

[Frihed89]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

You were looking for a "hip" place; Ketchum certainly fits that description, but since you're also looking at Idaho, have you considered Sandpoint? Voted best small town in the West (or whatever the title was) by Sunset Magazine a few years ago. It is on Lake Pend Oreille, an absolutely spectacular location. The summer vegetation is a lot like Southern Scandinavia--with mountains as a backdrop!

Yes, I've been up there a few times, but in the 70s and 80s. It didn't "resonate".

But thanks. I think I'll actually end up on the Western Slope in Colorado. I have kept in contact with some old friends from the area, there, and they are doing some of my legwork for me.

I blew my best chance in the early-60s when, as a college student, I passed up an offer to by an acre of land with a cabin on it near Carbondale, CO from a rancher there for the unheard sum of $3,000, which I thought extravagant!