Whitefish Montana makes Best 25 Ski Towns

Just in from National Geographic – "25 Best Ski Towns" and guess what? Whitefish, Montana is one of them! If you are contemplating a visit to Whitefish, here are some tips…

Whitefish is the gateway to Glacier National Park and grew from logging and the Great Northern Railway. The train still carries passengers East and West daily.

Whitefish Mountain Resort at Big Mountain rises stunningly above this classy western town of 5000. There is a free skier shuttle that connects the town to the mountain. The ski area is family friendly with a good first-timer terrain and an abundance of long, wide-open, roller coaster groomers that skiers and snowboarders of all abilities can enjoy. A high-speed quad speeds to the mountain’s summit, which is often engulfed in clouds and studded with thickly rimmed, white trees known as “snow ghosts.”

Experts will find ample pockets of steep and deep terrain, including an abundance of backwoods tree skiing on the mountain’s less visited north side. The world-class groomers always make Inspiration and Big Ravine cruising delights. Advanced skiers should head for the East Rim and the Picture Chutes. Crowds are rarely a problem and views from the Summit House go on for miles!

Stay:
Budget - Hibernation House
High End – The Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Eat:
Budget: Buffalo Café
Gourmet: Tupelo Grille

After ski Party: Bierstube

Shopping: Pedestrian friendly Whitefish has tons of fun and eclectic shops. Enjoy!

Here is the link for more information: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/best-ski-towns-photos/#/whitefish-skier-montana_48135_600x450.jpg

*Information provided by Trails West Real Estate Blog & the National Geographic.

Where Are Rents Headed?

People are delaying the decision to buy a home because they are not sure where prices are headed. If they buy and prices continue to soften, they feel that they will not have purchased at the optimal moment. They reason that, if they sit and wait, they can’t be hurt. This thinking assumes that a non-decision comes without consequence

The normal retort to this thinking by people bullish on real estate is that prices may soon turn to the positive or that interest rates will start heading upward. Buy now before the cost of buying increases! Today, we want to look at this from a different angle. We want to alert our readers that their housing expense is about to increase if they continue to rent.

Currently, in most parts of the country, buying is less expensive than renting. Plus, purchasers can lock in their housing expense for the next thirty years by buying now. They will get a sensational price and a record low interest rate. What will happen if they continue to rent?

The Alternative to Buying

If a family continues to rent, they are looking at a housing expense which will rise with the market. Rental costs increase by 3% a year historically. But today’s rental market favors the landlord to a greater degree. Below is a graph of how rental prices have increased recently and where they are projected to go over the next few years based on a report from Marcus & Millichap.

According to MyApartmentMap.com, the average rent rate in Kalispell, MT for February, is as follows, 1BR for $740; 2BR $739; 3BR $802. Based on 204 apartment rentals. (below)

According to MyApartmentMap.com, between September & February Kalispell apartment rentals have increased by $27 or 3.79%.

According to MyApartmentMap.com, the average rent in each nearby city is as follows.  (below)

Bottom Line

Hoping to save by delaying the purchase of a home may result in higher housing costs while you’re waiting, thus achieving the exact opposite result. Check with a local real estate professional to determine the best option for you and your family.

*Information provided MyApartmentMap and by the KCM Crew on February 8, 2012.

When the Prophet Says Buy - BUY!

When the Prophet Says Buy – BUY!

John R. Talbott, previously a Goldman Sachs investment banker, is a bestselling author and economic consultant. When it comes to the housing market he is also a prophet. When housing prices started to skyrocket in 2003, he published The Coming Crash in the Housing Market correctly warning us that a real estate bubble was forming. Then in January 2006, he called the absolute peak of home prices in the US by releasing a new book, Sell Now! The End of the Housing Bubble.

Mr. Talbott, the person who accurately predicted the housing bubble and its bust, now has a new prediction – IT IS THE TIME TO BUY A HOME! In a recent article, Homes – Buy Now!, Talbott simply explains:

“I have been waiting for more than five years to offer this advice. It is now time in most cities across the country to buy a new home or refinance your existing home with thirty-year fixed rate mortgage debt.”

He goes on to explain that his conclusion is based on four different metrics, all of which favor buying today:

• Home Prices Relative to Peak Prices During the Bubble
• Home Prices Relative to Construction Costs or Replacement Costs
• Home Prices Relative to Incomes and Rents
• Home Prices in Real Terms, Not US Dollar Terms

Bottom Line

If the person who called the real estate bubble and its bust says now is the time to buy, we believe it is time to buy.

 *Information Provided by The KCM Crew on January 9, 2012