Billings, MT

Housing and Ecominic Recovery Act Helps First Time Home Buyers

pruflo — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:14:22 +0000

The recent signing of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 has made purchasing a home a little easier for the first time home buyer. There are significant benefits aimed at helping buyers, such as a repayable first-time home buyer tax credit. Through this program, buyers who are purchasing for the first time, or haven’t owned property in the last threee years can now qualify for a tax credit equal to 10% of their home purchase price, up to $7500.

Here’s the basics:

Act is effective April 9, 2008 thru July 1, 2009
Eligible property: Any single family residence (including condos and co-ops) that will be used as primary residence.
Refundable:Yes- Reduces income tax liablility for the year of purchase. Claimed on tax return for that tax year.
Income Limit: Yes- Full amount of credit available for individuals with adjusted gross income of no more that $75,000 ($150,000 on joint return) Phases out above those caps ($95,000 and $170,000 respectively)
First Time Home Buyers Only- Yes- Purchaser (and purchaser’s spouse) may not have owned a principle residence in the 3 year previous to purchase.
Recapture: Yes- Portion (6.67 percent of credit) to be repaid each year for 15 years. If home sold before 15 years, then the remainder of credit is recaptured on sale.
Effective date: Purchaes on or after April 9, 2008
Termination: July 1, 2009

Contact a Prudential Floberg REALTOR for more information about how this program can work for you.

A more detailed explaination of the Act can be found on REALTOR.org.

Get Started and Stay Active

pruflo — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:05:41 +0000

Do the kids need something to get them off the couch? Check out the YMCA! The Billings YMCA is currently accepting registrations for it’s youth programs. They offer After School programs and a wide variety of organized sports (football, volley ball, basketball, etc). They also offer swimming lessons.

The Billings YMCA has been a vital part of the Billings community since 1905 and are located at
402 N. 32nd St,Billings, MT 59101. They can be reached at 406-248-1685 or visit their website at www.billingsymca.org.

Tips for Making Your Home Greener for a Faster Sale

pruflo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:48:46 +0000

In marketing homes, we are always looking for unique ways to set the home apart from the rest of the competing homes. Making your property “greener” may just be the feature that will distinguish your home in the buyers mind. The great news is that it doesn’t have to take alot of “green” to do it. Here are some small projects that you can complete in a weekend that will save you dollars while you are living in the home as well as put more dollars in your pocket when your property sells.

Change your lights- replace the incandescent light bulbs with more efficient, compact florescent light bulbs.
Install low-flow shower heads- saves on water heating and usage!
Close the damper on the fireplace.
Install an Energy Star qualified programmable thermostat.
Add insulation to the attic
Repair any water leaks in tubs, showers and sinks.
Insulate water heater tanks
Seal Basement rim joists- the area where the cement or block comes in contact with the wood frame is a common area of air leakage.

These affordable energy and water saving options will show potential buyers that efforts have been made to reduce the utilility bills on the property. Your Prudential Floberg REALTOR can help you make the most of your improvements to get you the most “green” for your home.

Choosing the Right Community for You

pruflo — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:29:36 +0000

If you are buying a home, one of the first things your real estate professional will do before taking you on home tours is interview you to determine the type of house you want such as a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom, split-level with a formal dining room and two-car garage. But just as important is the type of community you want to live in. Knowing what your requirements are will help narrow your home search and save time.
To expedite the house-hunting process, start by making a list of the dream home factors that are most important to you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, children in the community, and of course, price.
Price and location generally are the key factors you’ll use to identify the communities that best suit you. If you are moving within the same city, you may want to start your community search by getting in your car and exploring. There are also resources on the Internet that let you compare communities.
You’ll want to ask yourself critical questions, such as: Do you dream of something quaint and charming that can only be found in an older area? Or, do you prefer everything new? Are you willing to sacrifice size and space for architectural detailing? What about drive and commute time to the office and schools? Will you forgo the number of bedrooms and a big yard for proximity to a lake or other recreational areas?
Whether you have children or not, buying a home in a community with good schools is important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and if you decide to sell. There are plenty of resources available to get information about schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school reports and profiles. They provide statistical data such as graduation rates, college-bound percentages, and standardized test scores. You can also learn about special programs the schools offer. In addition to these reports, many schools have their own Web sites you can peruse. And of course you can always talk to people in the area or take a tour of the school.
Additional factors you’ll want to consider during your community search are crime, recreational activities, proximity to shopping and restaurants, and other specific family needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three communities that fit your price range and lifestyle, make comparisons of price and sales activity. Your real estate professional can help you determine which communities are most sales-worthy at present, and which are more likely to continue to be.
There are many factors involved in selecting the right community for you and your family. Discuss your options with your real estate professional. This will provide the information he or she needs to help you find property listings to tour. Remember, a targeted approach to house hunting is less time consuming, less expensive and more efficient.

Prudential Floberg REALTORS
E-mail for more information: pruflo@floberg.com

Not in Our Town: Billings, MT

billings.montanablogpage.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:09:06 +0000

This post sponsored by Prudential Floberg Realtors®

Featured Property from Prudential Floberg

billings.montanablogpage.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:58:28 +0000

This is a beautiful 2,440 square feet of charm on more than a quarter acre parcel. The property is listed by Mimi Parkes of Prudential Floberg Realtors®. For more information about this property call Mimi at 406-238-7150 or preview this property on the Internet.

Obama in Billings

billings.montanablogpage.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:34:40 +0000

Prudential Floberg Open Houses

billings.montanablogpage.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:29:34 +0000

Want to see open houses? Want to have a sneak preview of those properties before they are held open to the public? Prudential Floberg Realtors® maintains a schedule open houses on it’s website.

For more information about the Open House program, visit the website for Prudential Floberg Realtors® or, if you prefer call them at 800-227-5138.

Blog Probes Real Estate Models

CityBlogMT — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:05:01 +0000

www.REALonomics.net is a blog that is asking serious questions about where the real estate industry is going. More specifically, REALonomics poses challenges to the broker/owners to adopt models that will allow their organizations to become more transparent.

REALonomics.net advocates that the industry open up the property information portals to consumers and upgrade its approach to how it is interacting with the consumer by implementing more social networking such as www.CityBlogUSA.com, a community blogging network for every city in the USA.

Visit www.REALonomics.net.

Turn and Burn In Your Own Roping Arena!!!!

tambra1 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:54:33 +0000

15 Gebo, Fromberg, MT 59029

$865,000.00

If your looking for the perfect mini horse ranch this is it. Imagine setting in your family room and watching your horses graze with a back drop of trees and mountains. Relax in your jetted tub after a day of roping and riding. property has a year round spring that runs through. this is a hard to find beautiful home AND outstanding property!