About Flathead County, MT

We have had some nice rains lately. 2nd cutting of hay is happening so waiting to get my alfalfa in.

Kalispell new City Manager is in town to start her job. Still don't get the need for both a mayor and manager, but that is the way it is.

Glacier International Airport is getting some runway work done. Starting August 3, the airport is closed 3 days a week to enable this project to get completed quickly and while the weather is good.

The new interchange on Highway 93 and Church Drive is just about ready to open. While normal in larger metropolitan areas, a cloverleaf interchange in Flathead Valley is a first. Should keep traffic moving safely - the extra lanes completed on Highway 93 are also a huge benefit to safety.

The current real estate market in the valley is picking up ever so slowly. Expect it to remain a buyer market for a few more months. I have done absorption rate reports this month for all my sellers. Very interesting. Take comparable listings that sold in the last 12 months, divide into 12, that gives you the amount of homes sold per month in that range. Then take all the actives that are comparable listings and divide that by the number sold per month in the last year. The result are the number of months your home or land will take to sell. It is vital to be at the top of the pack in both price and appearance to increase your odds of selling quickly.

A quote about the market I heard in Denver last week:

" Stop waiting for the storm to end and learn to dance in the rain"

The market is what it is, deal with it and move on.

The end of another month of wonderful summer weather and fun has come to a close.

Alpinetheaterproject.org just closed up the hysterical play, Spelling Bee. Great fun! Waiting for the big musical to open in a couple of weeks. Check out their web site for details.

2 of our favorite actors from Whitefish, have a weekly radio program on www.whitefishradio.com, North by Northwest. Gives an idea of what is going on in the valley and is homey and fun to listen to.

As I write this, I am in Denver for 4 days of intensive real estate classes to learn ideas from the top producer around the country to do my real estate business in Montana even better. Have pages of notes already and have chosen a few action items to implement right away. It has been interesting to hear how some of these awesome agents have evolved and changed in our changing market. Some have been so badly hit that I truly feel blessed to work in Kalispell Montana.

A quote I heard this week: "Quit waiting for the storm to end and learn to dance in the rain". Love it!

Rent To Own! 50% rent credit! 4 bedroom / 2 bath, 2900 square foot home in Kalispell, MT!!! Home has a huge shop and also a 2 car garage! The lot is .75 acres and is landscaped. The home is incredibly spacious and also has a hot tub room! There is gas heat along with well and septic. Rent is $1200/mo and first months rent and money down required to move in. please contact us with any questions at www.50statesrent2own.com. Until next time....

Pete Olsen

Rent To Own Homes, LLC

www.50statesrent2own.com

www.activerain.com/blogs/peteolsen01

Activities in the sun: Horse ride to Stanton Lake (16 miles east of W. Glacier) see photo below. Sailing on Sunday on Flathead Lake. Awesome steady wind. Fun day with friends and clients.

Coming this week: Spelling Bee - Alpine Theater Project

Art in the Park - Kalispell

The Event at Rebecca Farms - Kalispell, Olympic qualifying 3 day event. Walk the cross country course Friday and Saturday to watch the jumping over obstacles. Free to the public. Bring sunscreen and a chair.

Take a river raft ride down the Middle Fork in Glacier Park.

Look for that perfect home or piece of land in the Flathead Valley. It is still a buyer's market!!

Summer weather is returning today after 2 days of badly needed rain. Hopefully that dose of moisture will keep the forest fires at bay this year.

Hiking in Glacier National Park: We did the Apgar Lookout trail on Sunday. Felt like quite an accomplishment! 2.8 miles of 1900' elevation gain. Awesome views from the top made it worth while. Photo below. Planning a camping trip to Many Glacier where the peaks are amazing viewed when hiking.

Farmers Market in Whitefish last night was great. Good music, friends wandering around and fresh produce.

Sailing Saturday a.m. in Dayton on Flathead Lake. Perfect conditions for a sail to Wild Horse Island. So hard to work here in the summer with so many outdoors fun things to do!