Nov 5, 2009 – RIS MEDIA Real Estate News reports that after two weeks of delay, the Senate cleared the way to pass a seventh month extension and expansion of the tax credit for home buyers. The homebuyer tax credit due to expire at the end of November would be extended until April 30 , 2010. First-time homebuyers who are in the process of making a purchase would not need to worry about qualifying for the $8000 credit if they close after the November 30 deadline. Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-11-04/senate-clears-homebuyer-tax-credit-extension-may-pass-as-early-as-this-week/#more-41597#ixzz0VzlBazPD
Home Remodeling Costs Decrease
If you have been thinking about undertaking a home improvement project or improving an investment property, but just haven’t taken the leap…this may be the right time to do so…. As reported in the Wall Street Journal on 10/28/09, “remodeling costs are down an average of 5 percent to 10 percent nationwide with some areas down 20 percent, according to the remodeling industry.”
“In the 12 months that ended in March 2009, the most recent data available, $118.2 billion was spent on home-improvement projects, down from $146 billion in the 12 months ending in March 2007 – the national peak of remodeling activity – according to a report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.”
“One of the reasons for the price decline is competition. Most home buyers spend the most on remodeling within the first two years after purchasing a home. Not only are there fewer home sales, but also strapped home builders are seeking remodeling work, confirms David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders.”
Local Builders in the Livingston Montana area can be found by contacting the following organizations:
The National Association of Home Builders http://www.nahb.org/local_association_search_results
The Livingston Chamber of Commerce: https://livingston-chamber.com/construction/
Sotheby’s International Realty Partners with Wall Street Journal
As an Associate Broker with The Collection Sotheby’s International Realty serving the Livingston Montana real estate market, I am proud to announce a new partnership between the Sotheby’s International Realty network and The Wall Street Journal to co-host “The Business of Extraordinary Living” on the web site, www.wsj.com. This web destination is designed to provide insights into the real estate market utilizing the brand’s worldwide network.
My customers and clients will benefit from Sotheby’s International Realty’s innovative marketing techniques, exposure to a well targeted audience and the reputation of the Sotheby’s brand.
The Business of Extraordinary Living is divided into several sections. “The Address” will provide information about the properties represented by the Sotheby’s International Realty network. “Insights” will feature data, statistics and other relevant market information. “Living” will focus on lifestyle trends including home styles, living, architecture and art. The “Brand” will give an overview of the Sotheby’s International Realty network, its history and relationship with the Sotheby’s Auction House.
“This unique Web site was designed to meet the specialized needs of our customers and The Wall Street Journal’s readers,” said Michael R. Good, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “Those readers are looking to grow their portfolios in today’s ever-changing market and look to The Wall Street Journal for its insights. The Business of Extraordinary Living will bring our brand’s unique perspective into the world of real estate, which always will be one of the best investments to grow long-term wealth.”
Tax Credit Information for Efficient Wood Stoves
Winter has arrived early in Montana, but just because it’s snowing and cold outside doesn’t mean you have to be shivering inside. In an effort to encourage people to diminish household energy use in an environmentally friendly way, the Federal Government has implemented personal energy tax credits through 2010. The great news is that the tax credit not only applies to bigger ventures like solar electric systems and geothermal heating, the 30% credit also includes energy efficient wood stoves. Inquire to your hearth and stove specialist as to the models which qualify.
Federal Tax Credit Information:
Read more on Energystar.gov
Local Hearth and Stove Specialists:
Shadow Hearth & Home
409 W Main St
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-1109
Burning Stoves & Stuff Inc.
104 West Madison Ave
Belgrade, Montana 59714
406-388-0100
Rifle season kicks off October 25th
It’s time to start sighting in your rifle, booking your pack trip, and gearing up for the omnipotent opening weekend of rifle season. Archery season is in full swing and the cold temps lately might get things moving around a bit in the hills. The past few fall seasons have proved to be unusually warm, making for difficult hunts, so let’s hope mother nature cooperates this year and brings some cooler temperatures. There is ample vegetation and ground cover providing a lot of food for animals in the wild. Find the food…… Find the elk!
If you haven’t started thinking about hunting season yet, here’s a few tips so that you can hit the ground running.
-Make sure to get your license(s) for your appropriate hunts. Sorry, most of the special hunting permits have been issued, but there are still some openings for Antelope in the 700 district. Licences are available in downtown Bozeman at the Powderhorn, and in downtown Livingston at Yellowstone Gateway Sports.
-Check the regulations in the regions and districts you’ll be hunting in. Visit http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/regulations/ to download the Hunting Regulations pamphlet or pick one up at your local shop.
–Sight in your rifle. Making sure to have an accurate shot will be the difference between success or failure. Go practice. Shoot as much as you can. Get your groups as tight as possible, so you know exactly where you are taking the shot. A box or two of ammunition, a piece of plywood with a couple sheets of paper and a marker should do the trick. Take a few shots, go check the bulls-eye making sure to mark the shots you’ve taken and repeat until you are happy with the results. Bring some earplugs!
-Get your gear dialed. Being comfortable in the mountains is the key to a successful trip in the backcountry. Make sure you have enough clothing but try to keep it to a minimum so as to not overload yourself on a long day hiking at elevation. Some hunters carry very little on a day hunt from camp, while others have enough to make a quick bivy if need be. A medium sized pack is a good idea if you will be hunting any distance from camp so as to save you a trip back to camp if you bag one! Find out what works for you and stick with it. Having a well organized system is critical in ensuring an enjoyable time in the mountains.
Sotheby’s Internet Exposure
We feel our presence on the web is vital to reach luxury home buyers both in the United States and around the world. 89% of all home buyers search the web before contacting an agent, thus the plan to market properties must include proper internet exposure. Websites that we have presence on are as follows: sothebysrealty.com, realtor.com , realestatejournal.com , uniqueglobalestates.com, montanalandmagazine.com, logandtimberstyle.com (Mountain Living), HomesAndLand.com, and point2.com . Properties priced at $750,000 or greater will also be included on the following websites: boston.com/news/globe (Boston Globe), heraldtribune.com (Sarasota Herald Tribune) and pressdemo.com (The Santa Rosa Press). Properties advertised in Homes and Land Magazine that are priced at $750, 000+ will be uploaded to duPontREGISTRY.com. In addition, sothebysrealty.com and the homes on the website receive significant exposure throughout many quality website channels in the online and digital space. Our online property distribution allows us to include qualifying homes on the most visited real estate websites. Criteria: must be uploaded and active on sothebysrealty.com, much include 10 photos, must be $300,000 USD or greater, price must be displayed, rental and commercial properties not included. Our partners include: Wall Street Journal Real Estate- RealEstateJournal.com, Trulia.com, Yahoo! Real Estate, Google, NYTimes.com/RealEstate, GreatHomesandDestinations.com, IHT.com (International Herald Tribune), Cyberhomes.com, and AOL Real Estate. Search engines: Google (the #1 global internet search provider with 706 million monthly visitors), Yahoo.com (draws nearly 500 million visitors each month and MSN (receives just under 1 billion searches per month). All listing will be uploaded to Point2.com which provides the following exposure: Facebook through Point2’s neighborhood application, GoogleBase, LiveDeal, YahooClassifieds, CyberHomes- AOL Real Estate, Trulia, Zillow, Oodle, Homescape, CiyCribs, Vast, TheHousingPages, VideoHomes.com, ClickableCityDirectory, Hotpads, and CLRSearch.com. All properties advertised in Homes and Land Magazine will be uploaded to the following sites: Yahoo.com, CLRSearch.com, Oodle.com, Trulia.com, HomeGain.com, HomeScout.com, HouseLocator.com, HouseLocators.com, JustRealEstateListings.com, Local.com, Vast.com, Condo.com, Zillow.com, and BeatYouThere.com.
From: Sotheby’s International Realty Web Marketing
