Laurel, MT

The Dillon "Beav's" football team is coming to our neck of the woods tonight to face the Laurel Locomotives tonight in Laurel Montana.

On one side of the field will be my brother in law Terry Thomas, head coach for the Dillon Beaver Football team, for years, on the other side will be a friends son Chase Kaufman, a really good player.

Last year when these teams met, they were in Dillon, and the Laurel Locomotives pulled a fast one on the hometown team! Disappointing for the Beavers, but Chase had a great game!

This year, with the Beavers coming to Laurel, it's gonna be an even bigger challenge for Dillon, especially since the Locomotives look to have a strong team again this year.

Will the Beavers upset the hometown team this year? That would be fun! But it will also be good to see my friends Stella and Vance's son Chase have a good game as well.

In Montana, it's like a small town, with really long streets. Friends and family on each side of the street.

Good luck to both teams tonight!

LAUREL FORD - Great Service with a Smile!

On Monday, August 3, I had to take my car in for regular maintenance. I drove to the city of Laurel, 42 miles North of Red Lodge, to take my car to Laurel Ford.

Lucky for me this was for a regular oil change which would not put a big dent on my personal budget.

The staff at Laurel Ford promptly greeted me with a smile when I dropped off the car. I got to spend a few minutes in their very clean waiting area. I decided to check my surroundings and see what they had for those waiting.

They had a special enclosed area with TV and toys for the kids.

I smelled coffee and my attention was drawn towards the kitchen area. I treated myself not only to fresh coffee but also to cookies in a transparent jar! Sweet!

I enjoyed my well decorated western looking waiting area. On a wall one could not help but notice the numerous customer service awards.

While I was waiting in the waiting area, two employees passed by and said hello to me with a big smile on their face. Talk about friendly staff! It is amazing how a simple gesture such as smiling can make you look good towards your customers.

I took advantage of my time in the waiting area to follow up with a couple of clients. I had just finished my second phone conversation when a customer service representative came by and called my name. My car was ready. I expected not to wait long but they still managed to surprise me with their fast service. Besides the oil check, they made sure that I was not affected by a recent recall on some of the Ford Explorers. Talk about doing a little extra to impress the customer!

I was very pleased with my most recent experience at Laurel Ford. They actually impressed me with their customer service every time I took my car in for maintenance since I purchased my SUV from them. They not only sell cars but they make sure to deliver great service beyond the sale when you need to bring the car in for maintenance. It is no surprise that they have so many award plates hanging on their walls.

Laurel Ford is located at 500 S.E. 4th Street in Laurel.

(406) 238-4000

http://laurelford.dealerconnection.com/

Gerry Khatchikian, ASA, TRC (4 languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Armenian)
Realtor Associate

ASA: Associate of the Society of Actuaries TRC: Transnational Referral Certification

Gerry_Khatchikian@yahoo.com

All photos and/or written content produced by Gerry Khatchikian. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Gerry Khatchikian, Realtor Associate.

Pending home sales climbed in March with many first-time buyers taking advantage of sharply discounted prices and low interest rates, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The pending home sales index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, increased 3.2% month-over-month to 84.6 and sits 1.1% higher than March 2008.

"This increase could be the leading edge of first-time buyers responding to very favorable affordability conditions and an $8,000 tax credit," enacted by the Obama administration for first-time home buyers purchasing a home on or after Jan. 1, 2009, and before Dec. 1, 2009, says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. "We need several months of sustained growth to demonstrate a recovery in housing, which is necessary for the overall economy to turn around."

The Pending Home Sales Index in the South rose 8.5% to 93.2 in March and is 7.7% above a year ago. In the West, the index increased 3.9% to 93.1, while the index in the Northeast fell 5.7% to 59.5. Pending home sales in the Midwest also slipped a slight 1.0%, posting an index reading of 82.3.

NAR's Housing Affordability Index remained near record highs in March. The affordability index was 166.7 in March - down from an upwardly revised record of 174.4 in February due to higher home prices in March. The index remains 30.8 percentage points higher than a year ago.

"Compared to a year ago, the typical family can pay much less in mortgage costs for the same home, or buy a better home without necessarily increasing their monthly payment," says NAR president Charles McMillan. "For buyers who've been on the sidelines and have good jobs, the market has never looked more favorable."

NAR says a median-income family, earning $61,100, could afford a home costing $291,600 in March with a 20% downpayment, assuming 25% of gross income is devoted to mortgage principal and interest. Affordability conditions for first-time buyers with the same income and small down payments are roughly 80% of that amount. The affordable price was notably higher than the median existing single-family home price in March, which was $174,900.

Nonetheless, the payoffs of increased home buying activity aren't showing yet.

A separate report released Monday by the Commerce Department shows construction spending on residential projects fell 4.2% in March. But overall construction spending rose in March, boosted by spending in nonresidential buildings and public works. Economists were expecting a 1.5% decline, according to a Market Watch report, but overall spending actually increased 0.3%, as January and February spending was also revised higher.