Missoula Real Estate By Kevin & Monica Ray

A Relaxing Afternoon Fly Fishing and Floating the Clark Fork River in Western Montana

A couple of weeks ago Kevin and Kelsey spent the afternoon fly fishing and floating the Clark Fork River with a friend of ours, Roger. Here's some photos from the outing:

Spending time on the river is a favorite Montana past time and a great way to cool off in the summer. They only caught a few fish on this outing but they had such a great time that they didn't mind.

More information on the Clark Fork River, riverfront or fly fishing properties. You can also contact Kevin and Monica Ray of Access Realty - your Montana Riverfront Real Estate Specialists!

Photos by Kelsey Ray.

Not-So-Speechless Sunday: Beautiful Views of Missoula Lake in Mineral County Montana

Mineral County has 42 Pristine Mountain Lakes, including Missoula Lake which is located approximately 30 miles up Cedar Creek Road from Superior near the Montana / Idaho border.

87% of Mineral County is publicly-owned (U.S. Forest Service, State) so we have thousands of miles of amazing wilderness!

The water is so crisp and clean you can see almost the entire bottom of the lake, and all of the fish swimming in it!

View from the State Line Trail above Missoula Lake. This is looking into Idaho. You can see that there is some smoke in the air from nearby forest fires.

Montana Bull Riding at the Bull-a-Rama Event - Mineral County Fair & Rodeo, Superior, MT

A long-time Montana tradition is Bull Riding and it continues at rodeos across the West. Mineral County Montana has an annual Fair and Rodeo the First Weekend in August every year.

This year the Fair Board had a Bull-a-Rama - a rodeo dedicated entirely to Bull Riding.

"It's bulls and blood, it's dust and mud, it's the roar of the Sunday crowd."

"It's the white in his knuckles, The gold in the buckle He'll win the next go 'round"

"It's boots and chaps, It's cowboy hats, It's spurs and latigo, It's the ropes and the reins"

"And the joy and the pain, And they call the thing rodeo"

"Well it ain't no woman flesh and blood, It's that damned old rodeo"

To Learn More About Mineral County, Montana Become a Fan on Facebook.

For Video from the Bull-a-Rama, and to read how bull riding is scored Read:

Montana Bull Riding Video from the Mineral County Fair & Rodeo Bull-a-Rama - Superior MT

Photos by Kelsey Ray Copyright 2009, Lyrics "Rodeo" by Garth Brooks

Montana Bull Riding Video from the Mineral County Fair & Rodeo Bull-a-Rama - Superior MT

The Mineral County Fair and Rodeo is the First Weekend in August every year, and this year was no exception. The Mineral County Lion's Club sponsored a Bull-a-Rama event on Thursday night of the fair this year.

To Learn More About Mineral County, Montana Become a Fan on Facebook.

How Bull Riding Is Scored from the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR): "A qualified ride is 8 seconds. The clock starts when the bull's shoulder or flank breaks the plane of the gate. It ends when the rider's hand comes out of the rope, the rider touches the ground, or the rider's free arm touches the bull (a "slap"). A successful ride will earn a score of 0-100 points. Scores of 90 points or above are considered outstanding.

A rider only receives a score if he lasts the required 8 seconds. Judges look for control - the ability of the rider to successfully counter the moves of the bull.

The bull always receives a score, even if the rider is bucked off. His score is based on his degree of difficulty. Judges look for drop in the front end, kick in the back, spin, and direction changes (as contrasted with spin, this means changes to movement forward or backward, or left to right)."

For photos from this event, read:

Montana Bull Riding at the Bull-a-Rama Event - Mineral County Fair & Rodeo, Superior, MT

Feeling Frustrated with Your Real Estate Agent?

Here's 5 Things You Can Do Today!

Moving can be stressful and having your home for sale can shake up everyone's routine. In today's market, especially, it's not unusual to feel some frustration when you are trying to sell your home. Homes are often taking longer to sell than they used to, the time between showings can be further apart, and if you're needing to sell quickly, emotions can run high.

So what can you do to keep that frustration from getting out of control?

1.) Get to the Root of the Problem - are you frustrated with your real estate agent's performance or are you frustrated with the situation - i.e., the market conditions, financial circumstances, etc.

Are you frustrated with the communication (or lack of communication) from your agent or their promotion of your property? Identify what is causing the frustration then make a plan to address it.

2.) Schedule a Meeting with Your Agent to discuss the situation - whether it's financial circumstances or their marketing/communication, tell them how you feel and work together to find a solution. Open the lines of communication, you might be surprised.

If you are having a financial hardship, or need to speed up the sales process, talk to your agent about a price reduction or ask for assistance in approaching your lender about a potential short sale or loan modification. There may be resources or options that you didn't know exist.

Most agents genuinely want to help people if they are given the opportunity, and it's in there best interest, as well as yours, to have a positive outcome on the sale of your home.

3.) Provide Clear Expectations - If it's your agent's performance that you're concerned about, your home isn't getting enough exposure, or if you need more follow up, communicate your expectations with your agent and discuss ways to improve the situation. If necessary, schedule a weekly call or regular email communication with your agent.

4.) Do your part to Ensure a Sale - the key ingredients to a sale are always:

• Price - is your property priced correctly? The market changes almost daily, request a current market analysis to see what homes are selling for in your area and price your home accordingly. If you are even priced 5% over the market, you are missing 70% of prospective buyers. Accurate pricing is critical.
• Condition - is your home in top-notch condition? Does it have good "curb appeal"? Potential buyers have to get inside your home to fall in love with it. If they can't get past the exterior appearance, they'll never get to the point of making an offer. Often a small investment on curb appeal, decluttering, and basic home staging can increase interest in your home.
• Location - they say real estate is about Location, Location, Location for a reason - it is a key factor on the value of your property and how long it will take to sell. Unfortunately, it's also something you can't control. If your location is a negative, you may have to adjust the price.
• Promotion - is your agent providing adequate exposure of your listing? Is it on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)? Where else is your home advertised? Ask for a list from your agent and regular communication about what they are doing to promote your property. "Google" your home's address to see how often it appears online.
• Availabilty of the Property - How difficult is your property to show? Is it easy for other agents to show your property to prospective buyers or do they need to provide several days notice? Work with your agent to develop a strategy that will allow prospective buyers to see your home.

5.) Contact the Broker - If you have tried everything and still feel frustrated, contact your agent's Broker and let them know you are dissatisfied. They may be able to assign you to another agent or may allow you to cancel the listing agreement. Each brokerage has its own policies that they have to follow but no brokerage likes unhappy clients. They want a positive outcome as much as you do and will usually do what they can to improve the situation, even if that means referring you to another company.