About Flathead County, MT

A happy and sad day. Hit the sunny slopes for the final day of skiing on Whitefish Mountain. Awesome! The 2 feet in the last 1.5 weeks made closing day great, better than 2 weeks ago. By this afternoon I am sure it was mushy. Put the season pass to rest and looking forward to horseback riding, sailing, gardening. Just need the snow to finish melting!

Kohl's and Pet Smart are canceling plans for their stores here. Retail is tough everywhere right now so makes sense. Kalispell is still looking forward to the super WalMart however.

Showings, showings - hey, there are buyers out there!! Much more activity on my listings than a year ago, very encouraging. My web leads have picked up and have some great new listings. See on www.kalispellcary.com.

I am reading a great book: "Off The Beaten Path Montana". It is a guide to unique places in our state. I learned just from the introduction that in our 145,556 square miles you could fit Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, Rhode Island, New York, and Pennsylvania and have room to spare. When I meet people from out of state I always tell them that Seattle is closer to Kalispell than Billings Montana. I go on to say that I don't know how many Florida's (or whatever state they are from) would fit into our large state. We are planning some off the beaten path camping trips this summer so having fun reading up on some hidden gems that we can discover.

Flathead Valley commercial construction should start showing big gains. Kohl's is building next to Lowe's, a super WalMart is going in at Hutton Ranch Plaza, Super One is remodeling a former store in Kalispell so we will have a new grocery choice right in town. Residential construction is expected to be slow this year.

Ski season is just about over but there has been new snow on Big Mountain this week. Might try and head up there on Saturday for a couple more runs. It was pretty heavy and spring like last Friday so thought the season was over, but never fear, it got colder and we saw more snow. Last weekend it was in the 50's and then Tuesday had a winter storm advisory. Life at 3000 feet elevation is like that in the spring time.

The horses are shedding and romping in the sunshine. Hauling my youngster off for more training. I just might get my courage up to ride him this year. He is very sweet, but very reactive still and VERY tall. I have noticed neighbors out riding and ponying younger horses even though there is still snow on the ground. Some years we are riding a lot outside in March but not this year.

Attended the weekly lecture series on China at the Flathead Community College last night. The speaker was born in Hong Kong and is a professor at West Point. Very interesting.

Remember www.kalispellcary.com - new listings added weekly!

Is it the beginning of the end?? I receive a newsletter called Market Timer by Bob Brinker. It arrived last Tuesday and showed a lot of data from the last 1/2 century of recessions. Bob's research stated that the stock market had to reach a low - which it did in November of 2008, then a new low had to be reached which it had just the day before I received the newsletter. Next comes a rise in the market that is sustained. Once the market starts to stabilize, the end of the recession is 3-5 months off. So far the market continues on a slow chug up with no further declines. We will see what is around the bend in the next few weeks. Very encouraging though.

Had a good open house on Sunday. Townhouse listed for $135k, had both scale down buyers and first time buyers through. In this market it seems open houses are worth doing. Something I haven't done except in vacant homes for years. People need to see the options in this market and open houses are a good way to do so.

The City of Kalispell went ahead with impact fees placed on developers and builders. They are not the full amount originally proposed but none the less, still fees. Of course these are passed onto buyers, very short sited in this economy. Sometimes government can't see that they are handicapping the small business that keeps them alive with tax dollars. We will see if anyone challenges this, especially plats that have received preliminary approval before the fees were imposed.

Okay, so my update is a couple days later than normal this week, BUT I just had to go skiing at the Whitefish Mountain resort. The sun was out, the snow is still great, who can pass that up?

I learned about a great dining experience at Flathead Valley Community College. The culinary program at the college has a Chef's Table each Friday night. The culinary students cook and serve a 4 course meal as part of their internship to up to 40 diners. At $38 per person, it is a bargain. Chef Howard who teaches the students has a very interesting history with the Waldorf Astoria, Presidents, and Super Bowl events. The menus are posted on the college web site so you can choose which night you want to go. The menus are increasing in difficulty and complexity and there are some wonderful sounding meals coming up.

Also at the college, in the same building, is a horse symposium put on by LaSalle Vet Clinic all day today. I plan on heading over there this morning to learn about lameness issues in horses.

The college is a great asset to our community with free lectures on everything from China to Archeology on weeknights that are free to the public. The new buildings on campus allow for many more programs and classes. What a cool thing! We might not have a university in the valley, but this campus comes darn close.

Plum Creek Timber is bringing back 140 workers previously laid off. Good news for the valley.

Listings: I am getting some great new listings starting next week, check out www.kalispellcary.com for new additions!

Rent To Own! 100 % rent credit! Custom 2 bedroom / 2 bath condo with Big Mountain Views in glorious Whitefish, MT. The condo is on the ground floor for easy access and has custom appliances and upgrades throughout the house including tile and black GE Appliacnces! There are million dollar views right out your windows of the picturesque Rocky Mountains and Big Mountain Ski Resort which you are only minutes away!!!! Walking trails and waterfalls intertwine themselves in this community along with a state of the art clubhouse that includes swimming pool, hot tub, fitness center, movie theatre, wireless internet, gourmet kitchen, golf simulator and much much more. Heat is gas forced air and there is a beautiful gas fireplace in the living room. Rent is $1300/mo and first months rent and low down required to move in. Please contact us with any questions at http://www.50statesrent2own.com. Until next time....

Pete Olsen

Rent To Own Homes, LLC

www.50statesrent2own.com

www.activerain.com/blogs/peteolsen01