why are some people so mad? (Missoula, Bozeman: real estate, housing, condos)

[G&G]

I am not going to be anyones favorite here, I get the feeling. I just found these post's tonight, as my husband and I are heading out to Montana this weekend for about the 7th time in the last 2 years. Yes....we want to come live there. I could about cry after reading how the "locals" feel about transplants. I had no idea it was this bad. We are not coming to build a million dollar home or try to keep away any locals. We have a business here (small) and we originally were going to start up a new business (same) out in Montana...But then we thought we will buy a business for sale that is the same as ours, as to not add any competition to the locals, and instead take over a retiring mans business. I hope all that made sense...I am trying not to say what this business would be because now we are afraid that if local born and bred find out they will not use our business and so forth. It makes me sad to hear of so much distress about your situations, we just want to come and live a happy life and contribute. We believe we can make a better living there then here, and want to enjoy the beauty of your state with you. Everyone has always been so friendly when we have visited and to hear all this is rather disheartening. I feel for you all , I really do, but do you not think this sort of thing happens everywhere?

Can I come?????? I am from Minnesota, does that count??? Oh , but please respond..."yah, you betcha"

[GiftShoppeGuy]

We here in north central Montana have faired somewhat better than other areas of the state, namely Missoula, Kalispell, Bozeman.

The once smaller communities here like the 3 mentioned above, are having a pretty rough go of it.... Other Peoples Money (OPM) has turned these local economies on their ears..... grossly inflated home prices have been one of the more devestating effects of late.

Larger, more spread out area's in the state, like Great Falls, Billings, have been able to more successfully absorbe OPM. These larger communities have always been able to maintain their own organic economies, industries and so forth, this is why they've always been the largest for the longest. They handle both the changes and the growth much better, and still maintain the small town friendliness that Montana is so well known for.

I wouldn't get all off into changing your plans if I were you.... The folks you've met here are the kinds of folks that are going to be your neighbors.
People here aren't going to "not shop you" just because you came from out of state... that's silly..... we are much smarter than that.

For every one person that tells you not to come here, there are going to be 20 more that will welcome you, encourage you, help you grow.

Once you walk through our front door, you are a part of our community... a part of us..... you are home.

Go ahead, come here, start your business...... You'll be Montana owned and operated, and this is a good thing. We encourage growth such as this.
Maybe in a few years down the road, your business will be so good that you'll open another one just like it in the next town down the road..... Good... you'll need help, and there will be plenty of youngsters around that wouldn't mind a good summer job, or even a few older that might be worth working full time... who knows?.....

[lorelei2873]

Originally Posted by G&G

I am not going to be anyones favorite here, I get the feeling. I just found these post's tonight, as my husband and I are heading out to Montana this weekend for about the 7th time in the last 2 years. Yes....we want to come live there. I could about cry after reading how the "locals" feel about transplants. I had no idea it was this bad. We are not coming to build a million dollar home or try to keep away any locals. We have a business here (small) and we originally were going to start up a new business (same) out in Montana...But then we thought we will buy a business for sale that is the same as ours, as to not add any competition to the locals, and instead take over a retiring mans business. I hope all that made sense...I am trying not to say what this business would be because now we are afraid that if local born and bred find out they will not use our business and so forth. It makes me sad to hear of so much distress about your situations, we just want to come and live a happy life and contribute. We believe we can make a better living there then here, and want to enjoy the beauty of your state with you. Everyone has always been so friendly when we have visited and to hear all this is rather disheartening. I feel for you all , I really do, but do you not think this sort of thing happens everywhere?

Can I come?????? I am from Minnesota, does that count??? Oh , but please respond..."yah, you betcha"

Yah, sure. Bring us some lefse.

[Boof]

Originally Posted by GiftShoppeGuy

.... Other Peoples Money (OPM) has turned these local economies on their ears..... grossly inflated home prices have been one of the more devestating effects of late.

GiftShoppeGuy,

That comment raises a good question. Mainly because sooooo many others, including myself, have the very same concern. I agree 100% with you!

Here in CA, the same thing is happening. People in towns, large and small are facing the same challenges of trying to figure out how they can afford to buy a home in the town they were born in. It's a crying shame!!!

But what can be done about it? What would need to occur to bring home prices down and create a more realistic economical environment for locals....of any area? How do we create a balance between cost of living and wages?

I mean...take me for instance....We're moving out of CA, and are looking for another home to buy. We've found several homes in different areas that we're very interested in, and they are affordable for us. However, these same home prices may be too 'grossly inflated' for the local residents to ever be able to consider.

What then, should/could a buyer do? How would one go about purchasing a home, but NOT contribute to the economic hardships of others? It's a double edged sword, of sorts. The buyer wants to buy a home, and for as little as possible, and the seller wants to sell, but for as much a possible. Lets not forget the Realtors...they want top dollar too, as it increases their commission.

It's quite the quandary, no? Any suggestions anyone?????

Thanks,
Boof

[GiftShoppeGuy]

>>> ....But what can be done about it? What would need to occur to bring home prices down and create a more realistic economical environment for locals....of any area? How do we create a balance between cost of living and wages?.... <<<

The short answer??... Nothing

There are ways around some of the "grossly inflated" prices however, that can put ones mind at ease.
I don't like putting my money into someone elses pocket for no good reason.... I'm not one that would subscribe to the greed of others.

I'll avoid the mainstream... Contacting local contractors outside of the real eastate circles.... I'll ignore the promotional magazines, which I'm quite sure, those of you in California are a target market for.

I would buy my piece of ground separate from anything else, and then find a contractor to put a house together at a reasonable price.....
I would split or otherwise itemize, separating the would be money making entities from each other......

Then, my home purchase cost would land somewhere closer to the actual mean cost...... as opposed to landing on the "silly" cost of something that is already there..... marked up by some greedy huckster.

Another way, if you intend to buy something that already exists, don't buy anything newer than 30 years.... go in and upgrade it to your specification..... fix it how you like it..... You can knock your cost off by 3/4 doing it that way and still come out with a pretty nice living and ownership arrangement. Your taxes would be lower too. The Fed loves home improvement, so you'll see some rather attractive allowances on your personal income tax as well. You don't even have to have the home improvement loan paid off... all you have to do is tell the Fed about it, and you're in for a nice chunk of change the first year. Then, claim the interest payments every year after.

Divide and conquer...squeeze your pennies into dimes.... don't let your real estate agent and your builder be found sleeping in the same bed.... don't tie in with any marketing or design firms..... be sure your sources for a home are organic sources.... be sure that they've been in the state all of their lives......
If the firm that's marketing to you is found in California...... just walk away from them.... If the firm claims to be "from" Montana... check them out... be sure they aren't a front for some out of state company....
And above all.... never, never, never, buy into what internet magazines say about anything... 'cause it's 99% B.S.

Marketing and real estate firms only care about their own bottom line.... to hell with anyone else.... if they can take you for all you are worth... then by golly, that's what they're going to do. The only one you need to concentrate on here for the long term, is your bank....... Deal with a bank that operates soley within the confines of the state.....
If anyone tells you that "this is the price"... and "that's the way it is"... tell'em... Seeya... and don't look back...... nothing is ever cast in concrete.

Organic sources are much less expensive than those sources who are not.
Be resourceful, be thoughtful, be selective, and don't fall in for the first big wind bag that comes along offering you the almighty "good deal"...... there is no such thing as a good deal.... unless you fashion "the deal" yourself.

You don't have to be a real estate or a home building expert to do this.
You just move in with the same mind set that you would while shopping your local grocery store...only on a larger scale.. shop, compare, and save.

If you have $500,000 that you would be willing put out over 30 years.... take $250,000 of it and pretend it doesn't exist..... you'll find your piece of paradise just the same..... never let on that you've got it..... and you'll keep your cost closer to the ground. Don't finance for anything higher that that.

[shammy]

MontanaGuy - the point of my post was that G&G asked for encouragement, and thats what I was giving them - encouragement. Go to Montana - Please!
In the past 20 years or so 600,000 people have come to New Mexico and brought their attitudes and money. A house averaged $70K then in Santa Fe and now averages well over $400k. Worse still, our taxes are based on sales figures around us so even if we never sell, our property taxes still accelerate rapidly to the point that when I retire soon and my income goes down, I will struggle to live here or be forced to sell. Many of my friends and relatives have already been forced out for the simple sin of being on fixed incomes. I want other states to be able to share this joy of newcomers taking over, so any decision to go someplace nice other than New Mexico (and Montana looks really nice), I applaud and encourage. Less rich people comming to New Mexico are my only (very slim) possibility of suviving and holding on to the life style I used to love.

[MontanaGuy]

MontanaGuy - the point of my post was that G&G asked for encouragement, and thats what I was giving them - encouragement. Go to Montana - Please!

Ok, I guess it just sounded a little hostile when you said "people who sound just like you" because after all you don't know these people at all and they just sound like they're asking for a little friendly advice. I do understand your frustrations with Santa Fe. Now that's a city that really has been discovered and there's not many places like it. I really like Santa Fe but I am aware of how high priced it is and your frustration makes sense so I'm sorry if I came across a little hostile myself, I guess I misunderstood your meaning.

[jeannec123]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum. I am Montana born and raised and when I got married, my husband could not find a job in MT that paid more than $5.00/hour with no benefits. We moved to the Seattle area and have been here for almost 20 years. We both still have family in Montana and visit there once or twice a year. We want to come back but we're scared. The pay is lousy although I am noticing that a lot of jobs do offer benefits now. I have never felt at home here - Montana will always be "home" to me. Our neighbors aren't really our friends, they just live by us. We really haven't met any true friends since we've lived here. We're just beginning our search to be able to return to God's country, but they say you can never really go "home." I'm hoping I won't be disappointed if I do go home, however, with the breathtaking views and the laid back way of life there, I don't think I could be disappointed. I do have to say, though, that I don't miss the cold or the wind from Montana. That might keep a lot of people away!

[MontanaGuy]

We moved to the Seattle area and have been here for almost 20 years. We both still have family in Montana and visit there once or twice a year.

That's very interesting because I also moved to Seattle and lived there almost twenty years. I moved to Denver after that but I feel just like you do. Montana will always be home no matter where I go. I never really adjusted to the Seattle weather and I found it to be very depressing with about 220 days a year of cloudy days or rain. You really won't find the variety of jobs and careers available in Montana that you'll find in Seattle or any big city but if you really have a strong desire to return it can be done. It's too cold for me but if you choose to do it I wish you good luck.

[jeannec123]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

That's very interesting because I also moved to Seattle and lived there almost twenty years. I moved to Denver after that but I feel just like you do. Montana will always be home no matter where I go. I never really adjusted to the Seattle weather and I found it to be very depressing with about 220 days a year of cloudy days or rain. You really won't find the variety of jobs and careers available in Montana that you'll find in Seattle or any big city but if you really have a strong desire to return it can be done. It's too cold for me but if you choose to do it I wish you good luck.

I don't know if my husband is 100% convinced yet that it is best for us to return but we'll see what happens with this job. We make good money and will have to give up a lot to return to Montana, one of which is a pension. I'm scared too but I have always felt that we are just biding our time here. I'd rather work to live than live to work. We'll see what happens...