Let your home help you retire!
“My house is worth a million dollars” is NOT a retirement plan!
Your home may be worth 1 million dollars and that’s great…or maybe you paid 1 million dollars back in 2006 so surely you’ll be able to get that much out of it! Right….RIGHT! Well, investing in real estate is just like investing in anyting else, there will be ups and there will be downs, and couting on the imaginary numbers that are on Zillow’s Z-Estimate isn’t a good way to judge your homes value. You may not know this but Montana is a non-disclosure state so no one outside your local real estate offices actually have access to the sold numbers so while we love Zillow for giving it a try, they’re really just guessing. Now we love Zillow, don’t get us wrong…it’s just that Montana is not like every other state out there which is why it’s always best to get your home appraised, get a BPO or a CMA when you start thinking about selling.
So, as with investing in anything else you want to be sure to deversify! You probably wouldn’t put all your money on one single stock…you wouldn’t hide millions in cash in your mattress…so why would you put all your retirement into real estate. It can be a great place, and it is certainly a BIG investment that CAN payoff down the line but like any other investment it must be nutured, so let us help you with a few strategies to help your home be a big part of that retirement plan:
- Do you have a floor in your home you don’t use? Rent it out! Anything from nightly to annual rentals can make that unused space a real money maker!
- Cut back the utilities. Now we don’t mean that you should turn off your heat in January, but shut the doors to rooms you don’t use regularly, get a programmable thermostat or even cut that 10,000 channel cable bill down to just basic cable and you’ll start saving right away!
- Pay your mortgage off early! If you have the funds available now, pay that mortgage off early to save on the interest which could mean thousands of dollars that you get to keep in your bank account rather than someone elses!
- Tune up your mortgage! It seems like every few years there’s some great deal on mortgage rates or a new type of mortgage you may qualify for now that you didn’t just a year ago…keep your eyes open and talk to your mortgage broker to make sure you’re not spending more than you need to!
- Use your home for your side business! You can earn extra money while at home with a wide variety of side businesses and not to mention the tax benefits that may be available to you for all the space used for your business.
- Taxes. Make sure you’re not paying for more on your taxes than you should be! As a homeowner you receive tax notices but do you really read them…or just pay what they want! Take a look at the Flathead County Property Tax website to get some great resources that can help you save money!
When you’re looking at all the information about real estate in Montana, don’t be afraid to ask any of our agents by emailing us or call us at 1-866-599-8160.
For more information check out Trulia
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The NMAR Real Estate Showcase – Open House Weekend!
Real Estate Showcase 2013
Every Realtor ® in the Flathead Valley is gearing up for this weekends Real Estate Showcase! With up to 200 different properties holding open houses both Saturday and Sunday there will be no shortages on homes available to you to tour throughout the day!
National Parks Realty is holding 10 Open Houses in Whitefish, Kalispell, Bigfork and Columbia Falls and we’d love it if you could stop by for a tour! If there’s a property that you’re just dying to see that isn’t having an open house this weekend just let us know and we’ll get it scheduled as soon as possible to get you in!
Open Houses in Whitefish… |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price #320,000 | 200 Bridgewood Court Whitefish | MLS# 318491 Close to Whitefish Lake Golf Course, Whitefish Lake State Park beach &the bike/hike trail system,this 2 bedroom/2 bath cedar sided home alsofeatures a spacious loft, supersized dbl garage, an expansive wrap arounddeck, ample sheltered storage, outdoor hot tub,double sided fireplace,vaulted ceilings & an impressive master-suite. Extensive renovation &remodel completed in 2010. Listed by Julie Constenius |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 10 AM to 2 PM Price: $469,000 | 311 Blanchard Hollow Whitefish | MLS# 319416 Contemporary architectural designed home in popular Blanchard Lake area. Wonderful view of the ski slopes with Blanchard Lake access just down the road. Recent remodel and foyer/living room additions provide a comfortable floor plan with a great room and large deck off the main floor, perfect for entertaining. Private second level master suite with attached sunroom/office. Listed by John Middleton |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $419,000 | 1637 2nd Street Whitefish | MLS# 319186 Very cool custom home on 1.1 acres. 3 bedrooms, 2 .5 bath, radiant floor heat, rock fireplace, refurbished 100 year old maple hardwood floor in kitchen, Birch kitchen cabinets,office, bonus room, Blue Pine tongue and groove siding, well, city sewer, large deck, 2 car garage plus 2 stall carport with office and storage. Listed by Paul Siddall |
Open Houses in Bigfork… |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $393,000 | 33756 Westview Drive Bigfork | MLS# 318635 Gorgeous home on 1 acre, pond waterfront, stunning views, 4 bedroom, 3 full baths, game room, numerous updates. This beautiful home is located in the quite subdivision of Ridgewood, just south of Bigfork. Lovely landscaping, huge deck and patio, large garage with ample storage, giant storage area with built in safe room. Much more, must see, priced to sell. See documents for additional info! Listed by Susan Kratt |
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Open House: Sunday May 19, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $485,000 | 79 Bay Harbor Drive Bigfork | MLS# 318560 This beautiful 3 bed, 3.5 bath town home borders Eagle Bends Lake Nine 8th hole water feature. Wonderful views of the Mission & Swan Ranges. Tiled counter tops & showers in the baths. Kitchen with ample cabinets and granite counter tops. Lots of oak hardwood flooring. Don’t miss seeing this! Listed by Denise (Potts) Belt |
Open Houses in Columbia Falls… |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $349,000 | 421 Park Avenue Columbia Falls | MLS# 318548 Lovely immaculate ranch home on 3 lots! Great private location in quiet neighborhood. 3 bedrooms + bonus room, large open living room,spacious kitchen with alder cabinets, and stainless appliances. Beautifully landscaped with perfect backyard for entertaining. Priced to sell, easy to show, CLA. Listed by Susan Kratt |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $467,500 | 20 Blue Jay Way Columbia Falls | MLS# 317284 Stunning 360 degree views from this lovely country home. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, detached heated garage, barn with stalls & drive through doors, 3.51 acres completely fenced. Views into Glacier, Swan, & even to the west! Home is very comfortable, oak flooring, alder cabinets in kitchen, family room, master suite with loft area. Great neighborhood with no HOA dues. New septic pump & boiler (radiant… Listed by Susan Kratt |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $524,637 |54 Middle View Trail Columbia Falls | MLS# 318198 Stunning RANCH home on 4.87 acres with huge separate shop/garage. Beautiful landscaping, fruit trees, large master, 2 additional bedrooms plus office. Open floor plan with fabulous views. Please see documents for additional information. 40×45′ shop has 2 10′ doors, 2 13′ doors for pull through of large vehicles, horse friendly, fenced garden, lovely landscaping. Some furnishings may be available. Listed by Susan Kratt |
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Open House: Saturday May 18, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $549,000 | 514 Trapline Trail Columbia Falls | MLS# 319486 Beautiful 4,000+ SF, 3bed/3bath, custom log home on 15 parked out acres with gorgeous views of the Swan Range! Cedar and pine finishes, granite counters, wood and tile floors, new carpet throughout, large master and sitting room with views, huge exercise room with private deck, wrap around decks, triple car garage, 22×32 shop, many new upgrades! See Feature Sheet on docs. Listed by Jennifer Shelley |
Open Houses in Kalispell… |
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Open House: Sunday May 19, 2013 1-4 PM Price: $90,000 | 2154 Merganser Drive Kalispell | MLS# 317358 One of the best affordable opportunities in the Valley! 3 bed/2bath, 1,142 sf Townhome, fully re-furbished, large fenced/landscaped back yard. Community Land Trust property which allows buyers to own a new home at an incredible price! Check documents for qualifications and CLA for details – must show all your buyers that qualify this opportunity! Listed by Jennifer Shelley |
If you don’t already have a copy with all the properties you want to see circled with a sharpie then here are some other ways you can find this weekends Open Houses!
- View the E-Resource Guide Here: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/e-edition/showcase_guide/
- View the E-Showcase Here: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/e-edition/showcase/
- Use the Interactive Map Here: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/showcase/showcase_map/
- Download your Copy Here: http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/e-edition/showcase/2013ResourceGuide.pdf
60 Seconds in Real Estate – Tip # 1: It all comes down to Price
Price is one of the most important things in selling your property whether it’s a home or piece of land. Here are 2 examples of how a price can hurt you:
1. Lets say there are 50 properties that are comparable to yours, but you have yours priced either $30,000 over the highest or $30,000 under the lowest…many buyers don’t necessarily want the lowest priced option or the highest price one but rather something in the middle.
2. Although it can be fun as a buyer to look at million dollar homes, when it comes to actually buying the budget isn’t usually unlimited…if your home doesn’t fall in line with the competition you may not even get seen by that one perfect buyer.
See what properties like yours are selling for right now to see if it’s the right time to sell or if you’re better off hanging on until next year!
Avoid a DIY Disaster that could cost you!
Some of have great ‘handyman’ skills that make quick work of DIY projects…then there are those among us who well, don’t! Lets take a look at how to avoid total DIY disaster so that we don’t make it more difficult to sell any home.
- Start by defining the project, take a look at every angle and make sure that you have the right skills and equipment for the job…after all it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and sell a home with a halfway finished kitchen that you got stuck on getting finished.
- Permits, Permits, Permits…with a permit required for many of the bigger jobs you’ll need to find out if you need a permit…or multiple permits…for your project and be sure to get their requirements right, or you may have to start over!
- What are the safety and health concerns? Well, is there electrical or gas work involved? How about asbestos in that popcorn ceiling? If at any point you’re not sure…get help before you start!
- Costs…well this one can vary not only by project but by what you choose to use, for example: a full kitchen remodel with new everything could run thousands and thousands of dollars…but a kitchen remodel where you’re replacing the countertops, floors and refacing the cabinets to give them a more modern feel can be just a fraction of that!
- Don’t get in over your head! Not all projects are DIY…sometimes it’s better for everyone to call for help!
- Worst case senerio. “Gosh, I’m just putting in a wood stove…what could go wrong!” Well, it was an old stove you got at a yard sale…it has a crack in the back you didn’t notice yet, the flu doesn’t work, there’s a birdsnest just inches from the top of your chimney and it just lit your house on fire. OK, we know this is extreme, but it is very possible.
Do you have a DIY Story or photos you want to share with us? Let us know how you did, good or bad…what a great way to pat yourself on the back!
When you’re looking at all the information about real estate in Montana, don’t be afraid to ask any of our agents by emailing us or call us at 1-866-599-8160.
Get more details at Trulia
