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THE ARCHIVES -
Unedited. Unfiltered.
An Archive of Northwest Montana Real Estate News from Deaton and
Company
Welcome to the Newsletter Archives of Deaton and
Company. We invite you to browse past issues and
encourage you to join our mailing list at the bottom of
this page. |
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OCTOBER 2009 |
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SEPTEMBER 2009 |
 There's
A Whole Lot of Dealing Going On!
Negotiating is a major Component for Finding Success for
Sellers and Buyers in Today's Market. Negotiations
aren't what they once were. Many agents only know one
negotiating style - take it or leave it. Today's market
requires much more sophisticated negotiation skills as
well as patience by the Buyer and Seller. Negotiation is
a critical agent skill that will allow you to achieve
the desired outcome - buying and selling real estate on
the best possible terms. Here are a few successful
scenarios we have been a part of in the past few months.
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 Why
Buy?
It's about your Life, not hunting for the bottom!
For every reason to buy there is a reason not to buy.
When you cut through all the reasons to be confident or
afraid, it's not the interest rates or market indicators
that are the keys, the key is living the life you've
imagined.
This is your Life!
The lake, the mountains, the sunrises, sunsets, skiing,
golfing, riding, fishing, boating, floating, hiking and
biking, these things are as good now as they were at the
"height of the market." Too much space, not enough
space? Too many neighbors, not enough neighbors? Too
much grass, not enough grass? Is it worth worrying about
market nuances when life is ready to be lived today?
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JUNE 2009 |
MAY 2009 |
What to buy?
With so many real estate listings on the market today,
Buyers are often overwhelmed by the choices and end up
finding exactly what they want but don't buy because
they are waiting for a better "Deal". This reminds me of
some wonderful Warren Buffet quotes about buying and
selling in the stock market...
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 What's
a Seller to do?
(1) Dwell on the Positive
Where Home Prices Crashed Early, Signs of a Rebound
Among the first in the nation to see its housing market
collapse, Sacramento, Calif. now seems to be in the
earliest stages of a recovery. Investors and first-time
buyers, the traditional harbingers of a housing rebound,
are out in force here, competing for bargain-priced
foreclosures. With sales up 45% from last year, the vast
backlog of inventory has diminished. Even prices, which
have plummeted to levels not seen since the beginning of
the decade, show signs of stabilizing. Indications of
progress are visible in other hard-hit areas, including
Las Vegas, parts of Florida and the Inland Empire in
southeastern California. Sales in Las Vegas in March,
for example, rose 35% from last year.
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APRIL 2009 |
MARCH 2009 |
 Who
should be Buying!
Spring has returned to Northwest Montana and with it the
out of state buyers who will largely decide the
direction of our real estate market this year with their
wallets. April through August is historically the
busiest months for real estate sales. So who will decide
to buy this summer?
That’s simple – folks who Love Montana and want to Live
in Montana are going to buy! Importantly, that does not
include folks that simply think they can make a quick
buck here. Investors and speculators are still looking
for properties that make sense as long term investments,
but they won’t be major players this summer.
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 Timely
Information
Montana Homestead Exemption:
By signing a legal document known as a Homestead
Declaration, Montanans can protect up to $250,000 in
value of a home against most creditors' claims. For more
information see MSU's MontGuide. Also included are
homestead declaration and declaration of homestead
abandonment forms.
Property Tax Update:
2009 is the year of Property Tax Reappraisal and Holly
Dale, the Lead Property Valuation Specialist for the
Flathead County Department of Revenue explains
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FEBRUARY 2009 |
JANUARY 2009 |
 Making Real Price Offers...
It's all about the Real price, not the Listing price.
The Real price in this market is somewhere in the gulf
between what a Buyer is willing to offer and what a
Seller would accept to move on with his or her life.
Owners are uncertain about the value of their
properties, and are reluctant to "lose" money by
dropping their Listing price - most are stubbornly
inclined to leave the Listing price alone in an attempt
to allow a buyer to establish the Real price starting
point for negotiations with the now standard "Low-Ball"
offer. So what constitutes a fair lowball offer today?
Well, that depends on the Seller's motivation.
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 Northwest
Montana Real Estate Market Snapshot
2008 Residential Sales in the Flathead were a little
over $400 Million Dollars - about the same amount as
sold in 2003. And while the record was set in 2006 at
double that amount, prior to 2003, Residential Sales
never exceeded $350 Million. I know everything you read
about the real estate market is negative these days; but
from a historical perspective, the real estate market
performed fairly well in 2008. In hindsight, the market
growth from 2004 - 2006 was simply not sustainable.
Natural business cycles will always be a factor in all
markets.
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NOVEMBER 2008 |
OCTOBER 2008 |
 Celebrating One Year
November 1st 2007- The embodiment of a vision
transformed into action, Deaton and Company was formed
to provide Innovative Marketing, Professional
Representation, and Highly Personalized Client
Experiences. The result speaks volumes. Launched on the
brink of the worst market downturn in decades, Deaton
and Company has achieved rare success during a time when
many are fleeing the industry. We are extremely thankful
to our many clients and friends who have had faith in us
this past year.
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 The
Trees Have Spoken! Summer is Over!
And along with it the summer "selling season." Let's
take a look at the current real estate market. Overall
NW Montana MLS: Sales volume is down by approximately
one third versus 2007. Let's look at a few market
segments.
WHAT'S SELLING
82% of sales activity has come from properties priced
less than $500,000...
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JUNE
2008 |
MAY 2008 |
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 It's
about You, Not the Market...
Everyone, Buyers and Sellers alike, has a different set
of circumstances that affect how they interact with the
real estate market. How many times have you heard a
Seller remark - "I don't really need to sell" -
or a second/vacation home Buyer say - "maybe we'll
just wait until next year" to buy? These folks are
not motivated by the latest media reports about the
state of the market - their buy/sell decisions are
primarily dictated by a personal set of circumstances.
For many, it comes down to what they want rather than
what the market is doing.
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 Sound Pricing + Solid Marketing
= Solid Success for sellers and Value for Buyers
The Lemming Effect
While in the midst of masses, running in the wrong
direction can feel right until it is suddenly too late.
Make no mistake, the real estate market is effectively
at a standstill, and the sooner a few savvy sellers make
the break from the crowd and come to this realization
the sooner momentum can return.
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APRIL 2008 |
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 Buyers can Buy, if they can
Sell...
"Close to 80 percent of today's prospective buyers have
their house on the market. Most of them can't get
serious about buying until someone first takes their
house off their hands. In other words, at least three
quarters of the market's potential demand is pent up
until others start buying again...It's because of this
demand that the federal government's enactment of higher
conforming and FHA loan limits in mid-February is so
important."
Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
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Northwest Montana Real Estate
love montana. live montana.TM
