Real Estate Information

Time to revisit the performance of the market by price range to get a grasp of how this year is doing as compared to the past. Some interesting facts to ponder. The real one is the fact that sales are 44% lower in total sales than 2006 the peak year

THE NUMBERS FOR THE MARKET THROUGH THE END OF JULY ARE AN INTERESTING MIXTURE. SALES PRICE IS UP, ALTHOUGH LOOKS SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE MERELY A TAX CREDIT BOOST. MY BELIEF THE REAL; IS THE TALE OF THE TAPE IN THREE MEASUREMENTS: 1^ST IS INVENTORY UP 13% FROM LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, 2^ND THE COMPARISON WITH PENDING SALES FROM LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME DOWN 21% AND THE THIRD MEASUREMENT IS ABSORPTION TIME UP TO 246 DAYS, NOT THE MEASUREMENT OF STRENGTH HOUSING IS LOOKING FOR. A VERY BRIGHT SPOT IN THE REPORT FOR JULY IS NEW SINGLE FAMILY STARTS UP FROM LAST JULY, I HOPE FOR MY BUILDER FRIENDS THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE ALTHOUGH WITH NUMBERS ABOVE IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL. WHEN YOU MIX INTO THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF 50 YEAR HISTORICALLY LOW RATES SUB 4.5% FOR 30 YEAR MONEY THIS DOES PORTRAY A PITIFUL JULY PERFORMANCE.

New Listing

917 25th Street West

Comfortable & affordable West Billings home, with 4 bedrooms, 1 bath, 2 car garage, fenced yard.   $161,000  Call Howard Sumner today to see this home 245-6890

	Your REALTOR: Howard Sumner Howard Sumner August 2010 Your Real Estate Source, Your Results Solution Copyright © 2010 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. How To Make Buyers Want Your Home   Whether you're a buyer or a seller you want to succeed in the realty marketplace. That's natural and reasonable, but what are the steps you need to triumph?       Negotiations are a complex matter and all transactions are unique. Both sides -- buyer and seller -- want to feel that the outcome favors them, or at least represents a fair balance of interests. In the usual case there is a bit of bluff, some give-and-take, and neither party gets everything they want.       So how do you develop a strong bargaining position, one which will help you get the most from a transaction? Mortgage Rates View current rates  U.S. averages as of July 29, 2010: 30 yr. fixed:   4.54% 15 yr. fixed:   4.00% 1 yr. adj:        3.64% Experience shows there are five basic keys which will determine who wins at the negotiating table.       1. What Does The Market Say?       At various times we're in a "buyer's" market, a "seller's" market, or a market CONTINUED >>> Wondering What Your Home Is Worth? Let me show you. How to Recognize A Sellers Market      As a homeowner, and a prospective seller, you may be wondering if now is a good time to put your home on the market. But how can you tell if the market is in your favor at this time? Will you lose money or make money? Is it a "sellers market"?       These are all very important questions. And the answer is in the market statistics.       As a seller, one of the first things you must evaluate is the desirability of your location. Market conditions are extremely localized statistics. While the national economy and housing market tie every area of the country together to a certain degree, markets and their conditions range widely from state to state, community to community, and even neighborhood to neighborhood within a community.       You must ask yourself, and your real estate agent, "Is my neighborhood up and coming or has it already come and CONTINUED >>> Most Neighbors Still Connect The Old Fashioned Way      Online social networking doesn't do it for neighbors wanting to keep in touch with neighbors.       Internet tools are gaining ground, but face-to-face encounters and phone calls rule as the most common methods of interaction in the hood.       Pew Internet & American Life Project's recent "Neighbors Online" study found that many neighbors haven't made the transition to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and other online social networking tools.       "For many Americans ignorance might have been bliss during the boom times but today people want to be actively engaged at both the local and national levels to stay informed about what¹s happening and how it affects them. Being left in the dark could prove to be downright dangerous, particularly when it comes to something that may be happening right in your own backyard," said Nancy Osborne, chief operating officer of Erate.com, a Santa Clara, CA-based financial information publisher and interest rate tracker.       In a recent poll, Pew telephoned 2,258 adults, age 18 and older and asked about online connections to communities and neighbors and found that in the CONTINUED >>> Available Homes For Sale Information on ALL available area properties Too Much To Store and Too Little Space      Do you have too much to store and too little space? If you're like many homeowners, finding enough storage space can be a challenge. Thankfully, remodeling professionals can help you create new ways to tuck away your family's treasures in a resourceful and sophisticated way, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).       Finding storage solutions doesn't always mean undertaking a major remodel. Sometimes it's about using the square footage you already have. Remodelers can help you plan and reallocate storage to accommodate your family's changing lifestyle. Getting creative with storage can improve daily living and boost the resale value of your home. CONTINUED >>> Local Market Conditions Daily News and Advice Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday. More Articles July Round Up: Making Your Home Appealing On A Budget Final Walk-Through Tips Real Estate Outlook: Federal Reserve Weighs In Howard Sumner E-mail: howard@realestatemontana.com Web: http://www.realestatemontana.com Phone: 406-245-6890 Direct: 406-698-3051 Toll Free: 800-317-5769 Fax: 406-254-2972 Howard Sumner Real Estate 406-245-6890 404 North 31st Street #130 Billings, MT 59101 Equal Housing Opportunity

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                  <font color="#35456B">6340 Horsethief Lane</font>
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              <font size="3">Here's A Winner!</font>
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                  <span style="color:#ffffff">PROPERTY DETAILS</span>
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                      <b>$166,900</b>
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                    <b>Bedrooms: </b>3.00<br /><b>Baths: </b>2<br /><b>Sq ft: </b>1864<br /><b>Lot Size: </b>1.5 acres acre(s)<br /><b>Style: </b>Ranch<br /><b>Garage: </b>2 Car<br /><b>Heat Source: </b>Gas<br /><b>Taxes: </b>$1237.00<br /></font>
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                  <p>Enjoy your own little corner of the world! Spacious ranch styled home includes 1.5 acres near Shepherd, Montana. Plenty of room for the family; they will love the space! Large open living room area with carpeted flooring, vaulted ceiling, gas fireplace, separate dining room with carpeted flooring, vaulted ceiling. An incredible custom oak kitchen with plenty of counter and cupboard space, skylite allows plenty of daytime lighting. Laundry room off the kitchen with "mud room" entry at the rear of the home. 3 bedrooms including a master bedroom with private bath, including a separate tub & shower and a skylight. 2 baths including the private master bedroom bath. Bedroom areas are carpeted. Delightful enclosed patio off the back of the home for summer enjoyment. Detached 2 car garage with storage loft above, and additional storage unit. Domestic well for home use and for watering the acreage. With the spacious room sizes and the 1.5 acres, there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy yourself. Minutes from Billings and school too.</p>
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                <td width="370" valign="top">Howard Sumner<br />Howard Sumner Real Estate<br />404 North 31st Street Suite 130<br />Billings MT 59101<br /><br />406-245-6890<br />1-406-254-2972<br />howard@RealEstateMontana.com<br /><a href="http://www.realestatemontana.com/?ac1=LST01">http://www.realestatemontana.com/</a><br /><img src="http://www.realestatemontana.com/siteimages/logo.jpg" /></td>
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Open House 1-3

Sunday, July 11, 2010

1008 Poly Drive #C2

Wonderful living in this secluded and elegant condominium, a hideaway in the heart of Billings.  Large open living areas, covered patio, custom kitchen with eating space, formal living & dining,  main level laundry, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car attached garage, game/family room on the lower level too.  $216,000

Your Host:  Howard Sumner 245-6890

here are the market numbers for the first half of 2010. plenty of positives in terms of number of sales and on the pricing front. yet Iwould temper my optimism due to the large influence of the tax credits on the market. The one stand out showing the tax credit influence is the pending sale number and it shows a year over year decline of 24% a red flag if i ever saw one to future activity.

According to an article published on Yahoo Finance this morning mortgage interest rates are among the lowest ever recorded.

Following the attached link for complete information.  It is a great time to buy a home in Billings, Montana!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Mortgage-rates-sink-to-lowest-apf-2118457054.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

You can see the effect of the tax credit in the four major metrics of the housing market. 1st is thew closed sales up 16% from last year. 2nd is pending sales a month after the credit expires down 12% 3rd. is active properties up 14% from last year and 4th the most dramatic is the single family building permits issued in Billings Down 86%. when you factor in that this time of year permits are normally headed up you really get the feel for the impact the tax credit has had on the housing market.

Open 1-3

Sunday, May 16, 2010

1315 West I Road, Worden, MT

$489,000

Beautiful, sprawling & spacious, custom built home on 5 acres a few minutes West of Worden, Montana.  With approx. 4,100 sq. ft. of living area, all on one level; including 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, formal living & dining, family room, custom kitchen, sunroom, 3 car garage, plus 36X50 shop!