Western Montana & Missoula Real Estate Blog & Area Information

A Relaxing Afternoon Fly Fishing and Floating the Clark Fork River in Western Montana

A couple of weeks ago Kevin and Kelsey spent the afternoon fly fishing and floating the Clark Fork River with a friend of ours, Roger. Here's some photos from the outing:

Spending time on the river is a favorite Montana past time and a great way to cool off in the summer. They only caught a few fish on this outing but they had such a great time that they didn't mind.

More information on the Clark Fork River, riverfront or fly fishing properties. You can also contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty - your Montana Riverfront Real Estate Specialists!

Photos by Kelsey Ray.

Not-So-Speechless Sunday: Beautiful Views of Missoula Lake in Mineral County Montana

Mineral County has 42 Pristine Mountain Lakes, including Missoula Lake which is located approximately 30 miles up Cedar Creek Road from Superior near the Montana / Idaho border.

87% of Mineral County is publicly-owned (U.S. Forest Service, State) so we have thousands of miles of amazing wilderness!

The water is so crisp and clean you can see almost the entire bottom of the lake, and all of the fish swimming in it!

View from the State Line Trail above Missoula Lake. This is looking into Idaho. You can see that there is some smoke in the air from nearby forest fires.

Montana Bull Riding at the Bull-a-Rama Event - Mineral County Fair & Rodeo, Superior, MT

A long-time Montana tradition is Bull Riding and it continues at rodeos across the West. Mineral County Montana has an annual Fair and Rodeo the First Weekend in August every year.

This year the Fair Board had a Bull-a-Rama - a rodeo dedicated entirely to Bull Riding.

"It's bulls and blood, it's dust and mud, it's the roar of the Sunday crowd."

"It's the white in his knuckles, The gold in the buckle He'll win the next go 'round"

"It's boots and chaps, It's cowboy hats, It's spurs and latigo, It's the ropes and the reins"

"And the joy and the pain, And they call the thing rodeo"

"Well it ain't no woman flesh and blood, It's that damned old rodeo"

To Learn More About Mineral County, Montana Become a Fan on Facebook.

For Video from the Bull-a-Rama, and to read how bull riding is scored Read:

Montana Bull Riding Video from the Mineral County Fair & Rodeo Bull-a-Rama - Superior MT

Photos by Kelsey Ray Copyright 2009, Lyrics "Rodeo" by Garth Brooks

 

Montana Bull Riding Video from the Mineral County Fair & Rodeo Bull-a-Rama - Superior MT

The Mineral County Fair and Rodeo is the First Weekend in August every year, and this year was no exception. The Mineral County Lion's Club sponsored a Bull-a-Rama event on Thursday night of the fair this year.

 

 

To Learn More About Mineral County, Montana Become a Fan on Facebook.

How Bull Riding Is Scored from the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR):  "A qualified ride is 8 seconds. The clock starts when the bull's shoulder or flank breaks the plane of the gate. It ends when the rider's hand comes out of the rope, the rider touches the ground, or the rider's free arm touches the bull (a "slap"). A successful ride will earn a score of 0-100 points. Scores of 90 points or above are considered outstanding.

A rider only receives a score if he lasts the required 8 seconds. Judges look for control - the ability of the rider to successfully counter the moves of the bull.

The bull always receives a score, even if the rider is bucked off. His score is based on his degree of difficulty. Judges look for drop in the front end, kick in the back, spin, and direction changes (as contrasted with spin, this means changes to movement forward or backward, or left to right)."

For photos from this event, read:

Montana Bull Riding at the Bull-a-Rama Event - Mineral County Fair & Rodeo, Superior, MT

Feeling Frustrated with Your Real Estate Agent?

Here's 5 Things You Can Do Today!

Moving can be stressful and having your home for sale can shake up everyone's routine. In today's market, especially, it's not unusual to feel some frustration when you are trying to sell your home. Homes are often taking longer to sell than they used to, the time between showings can be further apart, and if you're needing to sell quickly, emotions can run high.

So what can you do to keep that frustration from getting out of control?

1.) Get to the Root of the Problem - are you frustrated with your real estate agent's performance or are you frustrated with the situation - i.e., the market conditions, financial circumstances, etc.

Are you frustrated with the communication (or lack of communication) from your agent or their promotion of your property? Identify what is causing the frustration then make a plan to address it.

2.) Schedule a Meeting with Your Agent to discuss the situation - whether it's financial circumstances or their marketing/communication, tell them how you feel and work together to find a solution. Open the lines of communication, you might be surprised.

If you are having a financial hardship, or need to speed up the sales process, talk to your agent about a price reduction or ask for assistance in approaching your lender about a potential short sale or loan modification. There may be resources or options that you didn't know exist.

Most agents genuinely want to help people if they are given the opportunity, and it's in there best interest, as well as yours, to have a positive outcome on the sale of your home.  

 

3.) Provide Clear Expectations - If it's your agent's performance that you're concerned about, your home isn't getting enough exposure, or if you need more follow up, communicate your expectations with your agent and discuss ways to improve the situation. If necessary, schedule a weekly call or regular email communication with your agent.

 

4.) Do your part to Ensure a Sale - the key ingredients to a sale are always:

• Price - is your property priced correctly? The market changes almost daily, request a current market analysis to see what homes are selling for in your area and price your home accordingly. If you are even priced 5% over the market, you are missing 70% of prospective buyers. Accurate pricing is critical.
• Condition - is your home in top-notch condition? Does it have good "curb appeal"? Potential buyers have to get inside your home to fall in love with it. If they can't get past the exterior appearance, they'll never get to the point of making an offer. Often a small investment on curb appeal, decluttering, and basic home staging can increase interest in your home.
• Location - they say real estate is about Location, Location, Location for a reason - it is a key factor on the value of your property and how long it will take to sell. Unfortunately, it's also something you can't control. If your location is a negative, you may have to adjust the price.
• Promotion - is your agent providing adequate exposure of your listing? Is it on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)? Where else is your home advertised? Ask for a list from your agent and regular communication about what they are doing to promote your property. "Google" your home's address to see how often it appears online.
• Availabilty of the Property - How difficult is your property to show? Is it easy for other agents to show your property to prospective buyers or do they need to provide several days notice? Work with your agent to develop a strategy that will allow prospective buyers to see your home.

5.) Contact the Broker - If you have tried everything and still feel frustrated, contact your agent's Broker and let them know you are dissatisfied. They may be able to assign you to another agent or may allow you to cancel the listing agreement. Each brokerage has its own policies that they have to follow but no brokerage likes unhappy clients. They want a positive outcome as much as you do and will usually do what they can to improve the situation, even if that means referring you to another company.

 

406 Main Street, Superior, Montana 59872 - A Mechanic's Dream!

This is an absolute must see and priced to sell at $158,900. A beautiful home with many updates in a charming Montana town with a dream mechanic's shop - a three car oversized-garage with a mechanic's pit built-in cabinets, a work bench and a cozy wood stove!

And when you're done touching up your cars in the shop, you'll love relaxing on the spacious deck with a large privacy-fenced yard. This home's beautiful hardwood floors are low maintenance and practical.

This home also features:

• new log siding,
• metal roof,
• gorgeous hardwood floors,
• 3 bedrooms, 1.75 bath,
• full finished basement with bonus rooms,
• large private deck,
• fully fenced yard (privacy fence) (15,678 sq. ft),
• storage shed 
• way oversized 3 car garage with woodstove,
• 3 automatic garage door openers,
• cement mechanics pit and
• huge workbench.

                

Home is currently on a well but scheduled to be hooked up to city water soon at no cost to buyers.

                

This home is located in the charming town of Superior, Montana (Mineral County) which is only about 50 minutes from Missoula and 1.5 hours from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. What's it like to live in Mineral County?

For more information or to schedule a personal showing, contact Kevin & Monica Ray of Access Realty at 406-207-1185.

Forbes Magazine Ranks Missoula as One of North America's Top 10 Trout Towns!

Forbes just released its list of the Top 10 Trout Towns in North America - Missoula, Montana is on that list.

According to government statistics, some 11 million anglers in the U.S. and Canada search for that moment of beauty every year - fly fishing. President Obama joined the ranks recently when he fished for trout in Montana.

Forbes Magazine states:

Missoula is a laid-back college town with a serious trout-fishing addiction. Anglers can fish the bouldery Blackfoot (A River Runs Through It author Norman Maclean's home river) and the cottonwood-lined Bitteroot, both of which empty into the Clark Fork, named after explorer, William Clark, which has 300 miles of fishable water.

Missoula Montana (MT) is an amazing place to live and work. We are in a deep valley with three rivers the Clark Fork River, the Blackfoot River, and the Bitterroot River flowing through most of the County. Needless to say, Missoula is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise!

Missoula County is home to approximately 95,000 people in several welcoming communities. Communities include Missoula - the County Seat, Lolo, Frenchtown, Huson, East Missoula, and Bonner. 

According to Kingfisher, one of Missoula's top Fly Shops,

In Missoula, Over 80% of our fishing is with dryflies. Montana has more miles of wild trout rivers than any other state in the lower 48 . . . by far! It's also true that the vast majority of these rivers just happen to be in the western part of the state.

Missoula has the reputation within the state of being the "banana belt" of Montana. This is because we have much milder winters than the majority of Montana, and a MUCH longer dryfly season than anywhere else in the country. Fish Missoula and see why it's the Crown Jewel of the Rockies!

Also Read - A River Runs Through It, Missoula Montana

For more information on Missoula's Rivers, visit Riverfront Montana. Are you thinking about a Western Montana Fly Fishing Property? Contact Montana River Front Real Estate Specialists Kevin & Monica Ray of Access Realty at 406-207-1185 or Search All Missoula Area Listings for Free.

Photo By Kelsey Ray: a.k.a. Krayphish - Not our dog by the way

Considering a Montana Real Estate Trade? It May be possible with the Montana Association of Real Estate Exchangers and the Agricultural and Commercial Exchangers

Depending on your goals and other factors, such as debt service and income, with your investment property, ranch, bare land, or primary residence, it may be possible for your to trade or exchange your property to get what you need.

A Licensed, Professional Real Estate Agent and Exchanger can help you achieve a tax-free exchange of real property through the tax deferral provisions of Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. These tax-free Section 1031 exchanges allow you to compound your real estate equity instead of bleeding it through the unnecessary payment of capital gains taxes.

Access Realty is a member of the Montana Association of Real Estate Exchangers (MAREX) and the Agricultural and Commercial Exchangers. We cooperate with other licensed exchangers to help our clients achieve their real estate goals.

Many of our clients are success real estate investors that we help identify:

• Distressed properties that are available for less than market value
• Properties whose owners will consider trade - in whole or in part, towards the purchase of real estate
• Income producing properties that generate positive cash flow

Sellers who may want to consider a partial or full trade for their property might:

• Have a large parcel or acreage, such as a ranch, subdivision, or recreational property,
• Have a significant amount of equity in the property,
• Receive tax benefits from doing a trade or 1031 Exchange
• Be in a position that they do not necessarily need cash right away

If you are considering trading or exchanging real estate to meet your real estate goals, or if your investment property has a positive cashflow and you are looking to sell, contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit our website at www.YourMT.com.

Still Think Social Media Is Just A Fad? Think Again. This video shows the undeniable revolution that is happening with social media. Welcome to the world of "Socialnomics" : Thanks to David Gibbons for sharing this link on Facebook.