Western Montana & Missoula Real Estate Blog & Area Information

Clark Fork River Views - 109 Osprey Drive, Superior, MT Real Estate - $239,900
RiverRidge Subdivision

We are excited to have just listed this beautiful, almost new (has only been used as part-time residence) home in RiverRidge in Superior Montana. This home was designed and built in 2006 to be low-maintenance and extremely energy efficient.

It has a dream kitchen with lots of space, beautiful cabinetry and tons of storage! There is an open living area off the kitchen, and it's all on one level for convenient living.

The large master suite features an over-sized walk-in closet, private bathroom, and lots of natural light from the large windows. There are two additional bedrooms at the other end of the house, along with a separate bath.

You'll enjoy relaxing or entertaining on the full-length Trex deck on the back of the house and overlooks the Clark Fork River.

• 3 bedrooms,
• 2.5 bathrooms,
• Square Footage: 1560 sq. ft.,
• Lot Size: 9981 sq. ft.,
• Central Heating & Air Conditioning

And, there's plenty of room for your RV with a full cement RV pad with all the hookups!

This beautiful home is located in Superior's RiverRidge subdivision - experience A Superior Lifestyle!

RiverRidge residents enjoy many amenities including a relaxing nature trail - perfect for an evening stroll, and self-sustaining trout ponds that were developed by world famous ecologist Joseph Urbani.

Superior Montana is a small but welcoming community located 60 miles west of Missoula and approximately two hours from Spokane Washington. Learn more in this Superior Montana Video. Also, you can read about Living in Mineral County Montana.

For more information, or to schedule a personal showing on this beautiful home or our amazing community, contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.

Ok, if you're a pet in the Ray house, it's safe to say that you'll get dressed up in funny outfits on a regular basis. Our daughter, Kelsey, loves to put hats, bandanas, and occasionally t-shirts, costumes, and even a tutu on our pets. She's also an amateur photographer which results in some pretty comical pet photos.

This is our chocolate lab, Caddis in her bandana and a baseball cap - looking a lot like the railroad conductor. This photo was featured on CuteasHell.com where she has a profile to showcase all of her photos.

Help Our Furry Friends - October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), American Humane and several animal rescue and welfare groups are working independently to let the public know that October Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

There are lots of great dogs - including pure breds in our local shelters just waiting for a home.

Learn More About Adopting a Shelter Pet

You can save a loving pet and you may also help yourself. According to several studies, pet owners may actually live longer! Read more.

Missoula Pet Adoption Facilities

Animeals
1700 Rankin Street
Missoula, MT 59808
406-721-4710

Humane Society of Western Montana
5930 Hwy. 93 South
Missoula, MT 59804
406-549-3934

Missoula Animal Control
6700 Butler Creek Rd.
Missoula, MT 59808
406-541-7387

There are also several breed-specific rescue groups if you are looking for a specific type of dog.

Other pet resources:

Petfinder - helps you find your new pet companion

Missoula Pet - Online Resources for Missoula Pet Owners

Search for Montana Pets on the Net

A Time Management System for Real Estate Agents & Entrepreneurs

I recently finished reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, as well as listening to the CD version in the car. This book is filled with great tools to help you improve your chances for success.

One of the tools that I found to be most helpful was the Enterpreneurial Time Management System. The system is featured in the book but was developed by Dan Sullivan of The Strategic Coach.

The purpose of the system is to allow you to be highly productive and successful in your career, while also enjoying free and recreational time with your family and friends.

To get started, divide your days into three kinds - Focus Days, Buffer Days, and Free Days

Focus Days - "A focus day is one in which you spend at least 80% of your time operating in your core genius or area of expertise."*

Everyone has a different core genius. It should be something that you love doing and may completely lose track of time when you're doing it.

For me, it's online marketing, blogging, and learning about technology. For Kevin, it's negotiating a contract and putting deals together.

Determine your core genius and schedule days to focus your time and energy working in that area.

Buffer Days - "A Buffer Day is when you prepare and plan for a Focus or Free Day."* My buffer days are spent in the office working with our office manager on files, closing preparations, setting up checklists, and training staff.

Buffer days allow you to tackle those issues or tasks that prevent you from havina Focus Day or a Free Day.

Free Days - "A Free Day extends from midnight to midnight and involves no work-related activity of any kind. It's a day completely free of business meetings, business-related phone calls, e-mails, etc."* This is the most challenging part of the system for us in real estate. We do our best to have a regular "Free Day" although exceptions are made in some instances.

There are many benefits to taking a Free Day, one of which is that you come back to work feeling refreshed, with a clearer mind, and a fresh perspective.

Implementing the system takes a bit of planning, training staff, and delegating but is well worth the efficiency and peace of mind it helps create. We're still working to perfect the system in our busy world but have already seen an increase in our productivity and creativity.

Jack Canfield also offers a Free Monthly Teleconference where he holds discussions and answers questions about applying the tools in his book. You can sign up for the next teleconference at www.AskJackCanfield.com. You can't beat the cost (Free) and the ones I have listed to have been very well done and informative.

What are Your Time Management Tools?

Focus Photo - Margolove

Here is some great information from Jeff Belonger for Missoula and Western Montana Home Buyers on what to watch out for when shopping for a mortgage.

This is great information for all home buyers in Missoula and Western Montana - it's about more than just the rate.

Three Beautiful Clark Fork Riverfront Lots in Superior, MT - $139,000 for All 3

This listing is for 3 adjoining city lots to be sold together. Just over a half acre of Clark Fork River frontage with breathtaking views of the river and mountains of Superior Montana. Less than half a mile to the schools and public pool and park and less than a mile from the hospital make this a great location. City water and sewer is available!

Multi -family use is approved - build riverfront condos or duplexes! Also perfect for single family home wanting a huge yard overlooking the river.

One of the best buys for riverfront in Western Montana - priced to sell at $139,000.

Take a Video Tour of Superior, Montana.

For more information, or to schedule a personal tour, contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty - Your Montana Riverfront Specialists - at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.

Fall is in the air in beautiful Western Montana, you can feel it in the crisp morning air and see it in the leaves that are starting to change colors. It is also bow hunting season, a perfect reason to climb to the top of of a mountain and watch the sun rise.

Kevin has been spending all the mornings he can on top of this mountain in the Lolo National Forest. He's seen a lot of wildlife and had a conversation with an elk using his bugle, no luck hunting yet, but with these views, he feels lucky enough.

Missoula Architecture & History - The Northern Pacific Railroad Depot on Higgins Ave.

Missoula has some beautiful buildings in our downtown area, and many have historical signficance as well. One of my favorites is the Northern Pacific Depot building located at the north end of Higgins Avenue.

The Northern Pacific Railroad Depot was built in 1901 by the nationally recognized firm of Reed and Stem of St. Paul, Minnesota. This depot is one of four that the firm designed in Montana. The building is a long, rectangular brick structure with one story wings on the east and west side of the building. It is said to represent a "simplified version of Renaissance Revival Style".*

The exterior of the building is decorated with four urns with the distinctive Norther Pacific symbol of the yin-yang.

Northern Pacific Depot Construction Controversy

The building of the depot was quite controversial at the time and became the topic for dispute between two prominent Missoula families, and eventually the entire community.

The Urlin family donated land to help bring Northern Pacific to Missoula. The family didn't intend for the Depot to be constructed where it is because it would block access to their ranch. However, the Higgins family felt that a depot at the end of Higgins Avenue offered an "appropriate level of grandeur.

The Urlin family protested the construction of the building along with other resident's from Missoula's north side. To emphasize their point, the initial wood frame of the building was burned to the ground by arsonists.

Today, the Norther Pacific Depot is used for office space for local Missoula businesses. It is also the site for the Missoula Farmer's Market that is held on Saturdays during the summer.

In 1955, one of Northern Pacific's Railroad Engines was located on the site and is still there today.

For more information on Missoula, Montana, or it's architecture and history, visit www.YourMT.com - Missoula Architecture & History

*Resource: A Guide to Historic Missoula by Allan James Mathews, 1948

Attn: Montana Builders and New Home Buyers
Are You Ready to Comply with House Bill 451 on October 1, 2009?

I attended a course for Supervising Real Estate Brokers yesterday with one of the state's top real estate attorneys, Zane Sullivan. We work a lot with local builders and new home construction so I was especially interested in the information he provided on HB 451 that goes into effect on October 1, 2009.

The law was designed to require builders to provide certain disclosures on new homes, and also a written warranty.

Builders are now required to provide the following in writing:

1.) General Liability Policy: a disclosure that the general contractor has a current general liability policy;

2.) Workers Compensation: a disclosure that the general contractor has a workers' compensation policy or is an independent contractor without employees;

3.) Billing Cycle: a provision setting out the billing cycle establishing the payment schedule to be followed by the owner;

4.) Change Orders: a provision establishing procedures for handling change orders by the owner;

5.) Inspections: a statement of all inspections and tests that the general contractor will perform or have performed prior to, during, or upon completion of construction and a statement that the owner is entitled to receive the results of any tests conducted by the general contractor or conducted at the general contractor's request;

6.) Additional Inspections: a statement that the owner is entitled at the owner's expense to have any inspections and tests conducted that the owner considers necessary; and

7.) Written Warranty:a statement that the general contractor is providing an express warranty that is valid for a period of at least 1 year from completion of the construction project.

The builder's warranty must provide:

• detailed descriptions of those components that are included or excluded from the warranty,
• the length of the warranty, and
• any specialty warranty provisions or time periods relating to certain components.
• the requirements that must be adhered to by the buyer, including the time and method for reporting warranty claims, in order for the warranty provision to become applicable.

Most reputable builders already provide the information that is required in the legistlation but this will make it mandatory for all builders in the state.

HB 451 is available in full on the State's Website.

If you are thinking about building a new home in Western Montana, contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty for information on available lots or land/home packages that are currently being offered at 406-207-1185. We provide information and assistance and can help you through the process.