Bozeman & Missoula, Montana Named “Best Fishing Towns in America”

Field & Stream Magazine has named Bozeman & Missoula, Montana two of their “Best Fishing Towns in America“.

Others on the list:

1. Glenwood Spring, Colo. The Hub of Colorado Fishing
2. Mountain Home, Ark. The Big-Fish, Easy-Living Town
3. Traverse City, Mich. A Freshwater Wonderland
4. Bozeman, Mont. Montana’s Fly Capital
5. Minocqua, Wis. The Town Where Everybody Fishes
6. Apalachicola, Fla. The Way Florida Used to Be
7. Nantucket, Mass. The Original Fishing Town
8. Bend, Ore. The In-Place for the Outdoors Crowd
9. Guntersville, Ala. The Bass Fishing Mecca
10. Morehead City, N.C. A Perfect Blend of Fresh and Salt
11. Missoula, Mont. The Town that Popularized Flyfishing
12. Ely, Minn. The Gateway to the Boundary Waters
13. Page, Ariz. A High-Desert Angling Community
14. Driggs, Idaho The Flyfishing Hot Spot
15. Jasper, Texas The Texas Bass Hub 
16. Tahlequah, Okla. The Multi-Species Southern Municipality
17. Beaufort, S.C. A Saltwater Paradise
18. Eufaula, Ala. The Bass Lake Town
19. Redding, Calif. Cali’s Trout Capital
20. Montauk, N.Y. The Town Built on Striper Fishing

Congrats to Bozeman & Missoula for their Fly Fishing Greatness!

And as always: Thanks to Field & Stream Magazine!

Falling Market? Injured Economy?

You can never say enough good things about Bozeman.

I know consumers can’t help but listening to the never-ending media hype about the falling market and injured economy. But we’re here to tell you that is NOT the case here in Bozeman. We are one of the luckiest cities in the country, we continue to boom, bang and awe not only our annual visitors but our locals as well. Bozeman is one of the best places to live, retire, go to school, start a family and thrive. People come to Bozeman for ONE reason, because they WANT TO! That makes my job, and everyone elses job, so much nicer!

We love Bozeman, Montana and you should too! I’ve been collecting articles and publications on Bozeman and what a great city it has always been and will continue to be. Below are a few more articles that you REALLY should read.

• The Aging West – Forget Retiring to Florida, Arizona – More Boomers are Heading to the Rockies!
• All Alone in ‘the last best place’ – Even cowboys like soft pillows!

When you finally decide to come up and visit, don’t forget to give us a call and we can give you tons of information on the best places to stay, eat and have a blast! There is no end to the amount of fun and relaxation you can find in our great city. We have an amazing hiking system, unbelievable fly-fishing, great skiing & snowboarding, don’t forget snow-mobiling, Yellowstone National Park is only 88 miles from Bozeman, the hunting is fantastic and the people are warm and welcoming.

You’ll love it here!

Second Home Paradise

Published in the Bozeman Chronicle, August, 2007.

Most people who follow the real estate market are well aware that housing sales in 2006 slowed down nationally after a phenomenal pace for five years. And while it holds true that the second home market as a whole witnessed a decline, the bright spot that emerged was a record-breaking year for the purchase of vacation homes.

The National Association of Realtors recently published the results of the 2006 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey. Results show that the second home market slipped from 40% of residential sales in 2005 to 36% in 2006. To break that figure down further, investment home sales dropped by over 28%, yet vacation home sales rose 4.7% to a record 1.07 million. Additionally, vacation homes accounted for 14% of last year’s total residential purchases, which was up from 12% in 2005.

Real estate analysts were not particularly surprised by these numbers due to the fact that many of those involved in speculative real estate left the market in 2006. Therefore, investment sales dropped at a faster pace than the general residential market. Those buyers in the vacation home market are in a strong demographic group with lifestyle being the primary catalyst of their purchasing decisions.

So who are the vacation home buyers? The survey’s findings once again show that the typical vacation home owner is of the baby boomer generation. However, this year the median age decreased to 44 years old (from 52 years in 2005) with a median household income of $102,200. The properties purchased were a median of 215 miles from the homeowner’s primary residence, showing that accessibility is a key factor. David Lereah, NAR’s former chief economist, concludes that “The demographics favor vacation-home sales because large numbers of consumers are in the prime buying ages, and buyers want recreational property for personal use – investment is a secondary consideration.” This trend could certainly continue with 44.7 million baby boomers currently aged 40-49. These are the people who are now positioned to compel the market.

A quick look at where vacation homes are being purchased shows 25% in the Northeast, 13% in the Midwest , 38% in the South, and 25% in the West. Rural areas were the most popular at 29%, followed by 24% in resorts, 22% situated in the suburbs, and 10% were located in urban or city center areas. This correlates with vacation home owner’s desires to be near waterfronts (ocean, lake, and river), recreational or sporting activities such as skiing and golfing, resort areas, or mountain and other natural attractions. Additionally, there has been strong activity in towns with universities, especially those who are going the extra mile to cater to the active yet retired or semi-retired demographic.

The factor that sets apart vacation home buyers from the rest of the market is primarily the motivation for purchasing the home. An overwhelming 79% plan to use the residence for vacations or family retreats. Additional reasons, in order of response rate, included diversification of investments, use as a primary residence in the future, tax benefits, use by family member or friend, because they had extra money to spend, or to rent to others.

Although the investment home market showed significant declines, it still comprised 1.65 million sales in 2006. A brief synopsis of the typical buyer is a median age of 39 years old, earning an income of $90,250 and purchasing a home a median of 22 miles from their primary residence. Explanation for their purchase, in order of response rate, was seeking rental income, diversification of investments, tax benefits, use for vacations or family retreat, having extra money to spend, use by family member or friend, and use as a primary residence in the future. The majority of investment properties are located in the suburbs with most activity occurring in the Southern part of the United States .

It bears repeating that Bozeman , Big Sky, Livingston and Paradise Valley are ideally situated to take full advantage of this long-term trend. Our proximity to Yellowstone National Park , world-class fishing, multiple ski resorts, championship golf courses and Montana State University spell the perfect combination for a strong vacation home market for years to come.

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. All thanks to Robyn for this article!