Services For Sellers

Listing with Us : Following is the recipe for success in marketing your property!

We at CM Realty feel that in today's global marketplace it is extremely important to ensure your property has the best international exposure possible so that you will receive optimum value for your real estate investment.

One of the tools we employ that offers global exposure is our comprehensive web site presence. Our site here at www.centralmontanarealty is being improved on a daily basis. We intend this site to include information on area hospitals, schools (as well as educational statistics), Montana State University, local recreational opportunities, demographics and of course complete real estate information on Montana.

CM Realty is also a regular advertiser in “Montana Land Magazine” This magazine offers international exposure for all the listings included within its pages as well as optimum exposure on its high traffic website (http://www.montanalandmagazine.com).

The local real estate magazines are also an important tool as they not only appeal to locals, but are also included the the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce relocation packets, as well as the relocation packets many real estate offices send out

Services For Buyers

We are active members of the Billings Association of Realtors, Lewistown Association of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors and the Montana Association of Realtors, as well as the Billings Multiple Listing Service. As members we can electronically access all properties currently listed in our service area. This enables us to provide accurate and current information on listings that meet the customers criteria. We work very hard to provide our buyers with timely information on new listing so that clients have the earliest opportunity possible to place an offer. Our memberships also help our sellers make their properties available on our Multiple Listing network which is one of the most valuable toos for selling your property.

• At CM Realty it is our goal to educate our clients on the real estate process. We regularly release fliers on issues such as "safety in showing your home" for For Sale By Owners, "how to prepare your home for sale" and "the importance of pricing in today's marketplace".

 A word from the Broker October 2008

Amidst all the Gloom and Doom we still seem to have a thriving economy and Real Estate market here in Billings and Central Montana.  Properties are still selling, people are still getting loans and the fall weather has been fabulous.

Billings is one of the Best places in the United States to live.  According to www.bestplaces.net

As of 2007, Billings's population is 100,148 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 11.47 percent.

The median home cost in Billings is $206,300. Home appreciation the last year has been 0.07 percent.

Compared to the rest of the country, Billings's cost of living is 12.98% Lower than the U.S. average.

Billings public schools spend $5,262 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 16 students per teacher in Billings.

The unemployment rate in Billings is 1.30 percent(U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. Billings jobs have Increased by 2.57 percent.

We find in http://www.developeronline.com/top-cities-for-development/ more signs of confidence in the Billings Economy.

Dark Horse Markets - We’re betting these six under-the-radar cities will be the next hot spots for development.

by Jennifer Popovec

You never know when a dark horse is going to score big. This past June, at the Belmont Stakes in upstate New York, underdog Da’ Tara outran favorite Big Brown, stealing the horse’s chance to be the first in 30 years to claim the coveted triple crown. Now, the real estate market is proving to have a few dark horses of its own.

Developer identified six markets that are hot spots for development based on Moody’s Economy.com forecasts for cities with the highest projected job growth over the next 12 months and low unemployment rates—both of which point to high demand for employees and a competitive situation for employers. Interestingly, none of these markets are major metros. Instead, the markets that are primed for the biggest job gains are small, off-the-beaten path markets that rarely show up on any developer’s hit list.

“Most larger cities will not experience the same rapid job growth as a smaller area that is growing in population and attracting new businesses to the area,” says Nathan Topper, an economist with Economy.com of West Chester, Pa. That’s why we’re calling these cities dark horse markets. They might not be well known, but these cities could turn out to be winners for the developers who are smart enough—and gutsy enough—to bet on them.

Billings, Mont.

Growth industries
»Mining, manufacturing and construction, as well as consumer services and business/professional services.
For example, GE Commercial Finance recently decided to locate an operations center in the city and plans to hire more than 250 new employees. The city provides a number of medical facilities to serve the regional population of 400,000. Tourism is also a significant contributor to Billings’ economy—2 million visitors pass through the city annually as it’s one of the big cities closest to Yellowstone National Park.

Sectors primed for development
»Billings’ population is growing by about 3,000 people per year, according to Economy.com. This surge has created the need for single-family and multifamily housing, particularly affordable housing, says Linda Beck, director of business outreach and recruitment for Billings, Mont.-based Big Sky Economic Development Corp. Additionally, more rooftops are creating the need for more service retail. On the commercial side, Billings’ office building occupancy is strong—right at 5 percent, according to local real estate firm NAI Business Properties - which indicates an opportunity for office developers.

Notable projects
»A 48,289-square-foot building for GE Commercial Finance is under construction at the Trans Tech Center, a high-tech industrial park; Carlsbad, Calif.-based Foursquare Properties is developing South Billings Center, a 440,000-square-foot retail center anchored by Cabela’s; and the 80-acre Shiloh Crossing retail project is also under construction.

Government incentives
»State incentive grant funds; state workforce training grant; and low-interest, fixed-rate capital and infrastructure loans.

Bet you didn’t know
»Eastern Montana has the largest coal reserves in the nation and boasts a palladium mine, the only place in the United States where the mineral used in catalytic converters is found. Recently, Best Life magazine voted Billings as the third best city in America to raise children after Honolulu and Virginia Beach, Va.

Fast Facts

¦ Closest big city: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
¦ Population: 100,000
¦ 2008-2009 job growth: 3.66%
¦ Unemployment rate: 2.9%
Sources: Big Sky Economic Development Corp.; Economy.com; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Lewistown Montana Ranks #6 in outdoor life’s top 200 towns for Sportsmen.

#6 Lewistown, MT

Affordable access to full spectrum of hunting

Leading Appeals: Central location amid a diverse landscape of prairie, grassy foothills and timbered mountains. Town is big enough to have essential services, but small enough to remain affordable.

Population: 6,083

Median Home Price: $75,400

Amenities: Its central location makes Lewistown a favorite convention spot with abundant lodging and catering facilities.

Bottom Line: Million-dollar views on a blue-collar budget and dizzying diversity of distractions for a sportsman.

Contact: lewistownchamber.com

From this central-Montana town, a quarter tank of gas puts you in elky timber, pheasant-rich sloughs and spring-fed trout water. Antelope, black bear, wild turkeys and impressive numbers of both whitetail and mule deer are visible from the hills above town. Drive a little farther and you're into bighorn sheep, walleye and even prehistoric paddlefish in the vast Missouri River Breaks.

Lewistown is not only in the center of Montana, it's at the center of a galaxy of hunting destinations, and the town has managed to preserve its mix of historic authenticity, affordability and small-town charm. Four mountain ranges rim the horizon around town and Montana's High Plains roll off their foothills.

The diverse landscape creates abundant opportunities for varmint hunting, ice fishing on nearby Fort Peck Lake and ranch-country reservoirs, spring turkey hunting, fly fishing and the full spectrum of big-game hunting.

"We have everything here," says Dave Snyder at Don's Sporting Goods. "There's so much to do just outside of town that if you're a hunter or a fisherman there's never a down time."

So for now, even though the media is crying The Sky Is Falling, we just need to keep our chins enjoy the election time lower gas prices and keep working.  Things just don’t look so bad from here.  If you are feeling a little depressed  about the times, go fishing  or soon we can go hunt the majestic Elk with our guns. 

Have a Great October

Mitch Marx

CM Realty