Black Bull Golf Community – Luxury Club Homes

A remarkable convergence of spectacular high-country terrain and refined country living has made southwestern Montana’s Gallatin Valley one of the most desirable rural retreats in the American West.Black Bull is a 378-home premier golf community established on 485 acres of the historic Leachman Ranch in Bozeman, Montana. It has the services and amenities you’d expect from a premier resort, but in a relaxed, rustic-yet-upscale atmosphere true to its roots. Black Bull is an ideal home for the outdoor enthusiasts with abundant opportunities for fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, skiing and snowmobiling in the adjacent Gallatin Range and Spanish Peaks. And, Yellowstone National Park and the Big Sky Ski Resort are just an hour away. Nearby Bozeman offers a vibrant restaurant scene and a good selection of shops and services. Black Bull Golf Community 4711 Love Lane Bozeman, Montana 59715 Club Home 96 Highnoon Bozeman, MT $1,195,000 4,059 Sq Ft 4 Bedrooms 4 Full Baths 1 Half Bath
	Acreage: 485 acres (196 hectares)
	Lots: 273 custom, single-family lots vary in size from one-third of an acre to one acre. Costs range from $195,000 to $650,000.
	Club Homes: 105 distinctive Club Homes are inspired by Locati Architects and designed for turn-key convenience. Club Homes range from 2,200 to 4,000 square feet. Prices range from $795,000 to $1,300,000.
	Golf: The 18-hole championship course was designed by former PGA star Tom Weiskopf. The quality of the course rivals that of the nation’s top golf clubs, but with the relaxed attitude that permeates everything here. Because the course is private and membership is limited, there will be virtually no need to reserve a tee time. The club features a 16-acre practice facility, which is the largest in the Rocky Mountains.
	Clubhouse: At the Clubhouse, members will have access to a fine dining restaurant, a full-service pro shop, a fitness center with spa and massage services, men’s and women’s lounge areas and meeting rooms.
	Swim and Tennis Center: The Swim and Tennis Center features a bar, indoor and outdoor casual dining areas, locker rooms and direct access to our hard-court tennis courts and swimming pool.
	Concierge: Concierge services allow community members the opportunity to enjoy their surroundings by providing amenities such as monthly updates of activities in the area, cleaning services, floral deliveries, special event tickets, restaurant reservations, day trip planning and scheduling, and more.

 

Click here to find out about additional amenities and to connect to the Black Bull Website.

Pricing and Presentation are Paramount

Setting the Stage for a Successful Sale or Pricing and Presentation are Paramount

Published in the Bozeman Chronicle, April, 2008. Traditionally, the onset of spring is the beginning of the busiest home buying and selling season. So if you have been waiting for the weather to turn, now is the time to think about readying your property to be put on the market. With a larger inventory of homes currently on the market than in the past few years, it is more important than ever to ensure that your home stands out from the crowd within its appropriate price range. First, pricing your home correctly from the onset is essential to successful selling. As soon as you decide to put your home on the market, it becomes a commodity for sale and must be viewed and marketed as such. Determining a competitive, reasonable offering price is the key to a timely sale. Knowing the background of comparable sales in the neighborhood is obviously important, but it must be coupled with the supply and demand for the location, size of the home, etc. The home’s condition is another consideration when comparing to other homes that are currently on the market. If the competition is all in move-in condition, and your home is in need of updates, the price must be willing to reflect this. Also keep in mind the timeframe in which you honestly need to sell the home. If urgency is imperative, then you may need to price it on the low end of the proper price range in order to move more quickly. Finally, take note that when homes are overpriced at the initial time of listing and have undergone several price reductions, they often end up selling for even less than their worth. Next, take some time prior to placing the “For Sale” sign in the front yard to complete home improvement projects, improve the exterior appeal, and stage the interior of your home. All are essential to get the attention of today’s buyer and will certainly pay off in terms of final sales price and time on the market. If you have been in the middle of one or several do-it-yourself projects, it is definitely time to finish them up prior to potential buyers viewing your home. Curb appeal is a much used term, but the importance is paramount. If the prospective buyer is not compelled to actually get out of their vehicle and walk up to the front door, it doesn’t matter how much potential the home has. Once a buyer has decided to view the home, the first impression must make a huge impact. Hiring a staging professional is certainly an option if your budget allows. A home stager can make the most of your personal belongings or bring in furnishings that will best showcase your home’s possibilities and bring out the maximum value possible in the home. Generally speaking, the cost of this service is almost always less than the initial price reduction of an unsold, listed property. Montana Home Staging and Staging Spaces, companies servicing the Bozeman and surrounding area, both offer a wide variety of services with the goal of turning a “house hunter into a home buyer.” Staging has been on the rise in recent years with statistics to back up its effectiveness. The payoff can truly be great. One local staging company is credited with transforming a home that was sitting on the market for 12 months into selling in 4 weeks. National statistics show that staged homes generally sell in ½ the time of unstaged homes. Additionally, according to a 2007 survey published by homestagingresource.com, the cost of professional home staging can garner a 343% return on investment in terms of increase in sales prices. Furthermore, 91% of real estate agents nationwide now recommend this service. These numbers are both up from the same survey in 2003 when the return on investment was estimated at 169% with a 76% agent recommendation rate. In fact, the only category that received a higher return on investment is “Clean and De-clutter” due to the fact that the cost involved is so minimal. Small changes can really make a big difference when positioning your home as the best deal in your price range. If buyers leave your property with a memorable impression of it, you will have a much better chance of selling your home at the best possible price in the shortest amount of time, which is very important in this competitive market. Keep in mind that being proactive is the best first step to a successful real estate sale. Robyn Erlenbush is owner of ERA Landmark Real Estate (with offices in Bozeman, Big Sky, Livingston and Clyde Park) and Intermountain Property Management. She can be reached at robyn@eralandmark.com.  Visit us at http://www.eralandmark.com/ & http://www.stuartandsally.com/

Understand the Economic Stimulus Package

On February 13, 2008 , the economic stimulus package was signed into law by President Bush. This package includes many provisions which are important to the housing market, most notably increasing the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSE) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The National Association of Realtors ® (NAR) has shown great support for this package and predicts a jumpstart in the housing market which will help countless families and the U.S. economy as a whole. According to research conducted by the NAR, increasing the FHA loan limits could assist 138,000 Americans enter the housing market and will also give almost 200,000 homeowners the opportunity to refinance and ideally keep their current homes. Additionally, an economic impact study estimated that increasing the GSE’s loan limits could lead to as many as 500,000 refinanced loans and reduce foreclosures by 210,000. It is also anticipated that over 300,000 additional home sales could occur; there would be a reduction in housing inventory; and the prices for homes would increase and strengthen. The belief is that by increasing the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there will be improved liquidity in to the nation’s much stressed mortgage market. To use some numbers to put this in perspective, the FHA limit will increase to as much as $729,750 in high cost areas (to 125% of local median home prices) for loans approved on or before December 31, 2008 . The GSE limit will increase up to $729,750 for loans originated after July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008 . Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are currently topped out at $417,000. Please keep in mind these figures are estimates and not yet official figures. For those not familiar with FHA or GSE loans and their importance to the housing market, FHA loans- which are a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – are insured loans, so lenders can generally offer better deals. They are often popular to first time homebuyers with a down payment as low as 3% of the purchase price, and most of the closing costs and fees can be included in the loan. Fannie Mae exists to expand affordable housing and operates in America ’s secondary mortgage market to ensure that mortgage bankers and other lenders have enough funds to lend to home buyers at low rates. Freddie Mac purchases, securitizes and invests in home mortgages, and ultimately provides homeowners and renters with lower housing costs and better access to home financing. Of course, the economic stimulus package is really somewhat of a short-term answer to a bigger issue. Additionally, the loan limit increases will only be in effect for the current year. The FHA and GSE Reform Bills are currently in the works, but not yet passed into law. However, this package should meet its goal of giving the housing market a boost as well as jump-starting overall consumer spending. NAR’s President, Dick Gaylord, recently reiterated the fact that with more affordable financing options, lower housing prices, and historically low interest rates, buying a home now is more affordable than it has been in many years. Furthermore, homeownership is still the best way that most Americans can build their wealth, and is one of the best long-term investments a person can make. Robyn Erlenbush is owner of ERA Landmark Real Estate (with offices in Bozeman, Big Sky, Livingston and Clyde Park) and Intermountain Property Management. She can be reached at robyn@eralandmark.com. Visit us at http://www.eralandmark.com/ & http://www.StuartandSally.com/