Helena Montana Market is bottoming out!

Jan. 20, 2010 - PRLog -- Helena Montana is the capital of the State and the County seat for Lewis and Clark County.  There are many government jobs in this town, creating a more stable economy.  That's not to say Helena wasn't hit by the recession also.  Particularly in the housing industry.  We have not seen as many foreclosures as other areas of the country, and even in this state, but we have had some, and several short sales also.

Last year, the average prices of homes sold in the Helena area (not including very rural areas), was approximately $204,000.  That's down from the year before, with the average being $216,500, and in 2007 it was approximately $225,500.  The average days on market was only up about 35 days from the 2 prior years and our average sold price to list price ratio is still nearly 97%.  You can see from these statistics that we haven't been damaged a great deal.

However, with that said, the upper end housing market in the area took more of a hit and there are many bargains out there.  Many people that took advantage of the ARMs are having those rate adjustments and can no longer afford their home.  And there has still been some job loss.  

There is good news though.  Since the first of the year we are already starting to see quite a bit of activity in the Helena real estate market.  Phone calls and property hits are up quite a bit.  This goes for homes, land, recreational property, and farm and ranch.

We believe the tax credit for first time home buyers being extended and then expanded for current home owners is helping the market.  But it's not necessarily what's driving it.  People still need new homes, people still need to upgrade or downsize, depending on their situation, and people still move in and out of the area.

So we continue to look for growth in the Helena market and the surrouding areas and expect this year to be better than last.

If you would like to view the statistics, you can find them on Charlotte and Brittany's website at http://www.MontanasMostWantedProperty.com.  Just go to Market Statistics.  You can find monthly and yearly statistics for the Helena Montana housing market.  If you have any further questions or would like to talk to Charlotte about buying or selling, give her a call at 406-461-0042.

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Montana real estate for sale, specializing in Helena homes for sale, Clancy homes for sale, Montana City, East Helena, Jefferson City, Townsend, Winston, Wolf Creek, and Lincoln. Selling homes, land, recreational property, businesses, and farm and ranch.