A kitchen with a view.
Many people buy homes because of the view. That factor alone can often rule out size, location, and condition. It makes sense. Even a tree fort becomes habitable if you can wake up off the hard floor each morning and look out at something that gets your heart racing. And while lots of people in Montana would probably prefer to live in a tree fort, but don’t worry about that just yet.
The cool thing about houses here is they all seem to have windows that also serve as feature pieces of wall art. Pull up the blinds and allow the natural lighting, purple mountains, rolling fields, and blood-orange sunsets to decorate your home. Let the falling snowflakes hypnotize you while pine wood crackles from the fireplace. Set up a telescope, and stand in awe of the natural lightening displays that pass through a few times each summer.
What I’m saying is that there are many places to live in Montana. Many houses for many budgets, and all of them with views that seem like they should be exclusive. But a wonderful home is possible even for those with limited resources, because Montana just seems to be one of those places that stays cheap.
The median rent price is $825, while the national average is $1,575, and the median home price here is $190,000, just above the national average of $188,000. If you are coming from an urban area, you will definitely find a better value than you’re used to, and if you are coming from somewhere rural, you’ll be happy to know prices won’t really be going up.
Many towns here seem to avoid the major dips of the larger economy, due to the steady growth and year-round tourism that Montana enjoys. That means houses are available most any time, and if you play your cards right, you can snag a deal when the market is experiencing a rare dip.
