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Newsletter from Montana
November 2006
We have a new agent on board for Minnesota/North Dakota, and he opened a branch office in Hawley, which is a wide spot in the road between Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota.
Mike Olson is going to specialize in commercial properties, since he is a math teacher by trade and also taught behavior challenged youth. He is a hard worker, he held jobs on commercial fishing boats in Alaska, and we all know that that requires relentless attention and presence of mind. Mike is young, full of enthusiasm and energy, ready to get the job done. So, if you want to get in on the growing market in Fargo or Minnesota, give him a call 218/234 8151, MikeOlson@vcn.com
The market in Red Lodge is not slowing down either, buyers spent a median $ 6,100,000 more this year on residences here and a median of $ 1,770,000 more on vacant land than during the same time last year (first 11 months). Even though buyers spent more, it actually bought them less properties. Prices again appreciated 30% to 40% in a year's time.
The upstairs in the log
home near Whitefish in Northwestern Montana nears its remodeling completion with new wiring, plumbing, structural flaws fixed, new heating system, rebuilt stone fireplace, tongue and groove and dry wall inside, the floors will be all oak. The finished part then has four bedrooms, three baths and the price now is $ 789,000. Next year the walkout basement will be finished and the price will go up again, so you might as well snag it now. I do not have new pictures of the interior yet, but I will get some before Christmas.
When you fly here, the government has a
fresh list
of what you may bring on board.
The government also offers you to look at your credit report
once a year for free. After you answer a bunch of questions to which only you would know the answer, they will send you a code in the mail. This code can then be entered into a government website and you get to see your own credit report.
They will not reveal your credit score, but you can buy that information from that website while you are looking at your credit report.
A credit score is a three-digit number (typically ranging from 300 to 850) that represents your level of risk to a creditor. In general the higher the number, the more favorable your loan options may be.
A credit score is determined by a number of factors, including the length of credit history, payment history and the amount of debt currently owed, just to name a few. Most people don't take steps to improve their credit scores until they already have marks on their record, but there is a lot you can do proactively.
1) Pay off credit cards and other bills in a timely fashion. Late payments may be indicated on your credit file. In order to prevent this from happening, make sure you send out your bill payments early enough so that they will arrive at their destination on time.
2)Always pay more than the minimum on your credit cards. If you only pay the minimum each month, it will take you a long time to pay off all your debts. Carrying a high balance for a long time is a sign to creditors that you have stretched your budget thin.
3) Never let your balance exceed 50 percent of your limit. Keeping a low balance is a sign that you are able to responsibly handle your debts.
4) Monitor your credit report on a monthly basis. Regularly checking your credit report for changes you did not make is one of the best ways to combat identity theft. Equifax Credit Watch makes monitoring your report easy by automatically alerting you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit Report -- like when someone tries to get credit in your name -- so you can act before serious damage has been done.
For more information about Equifax monitoring services, log on to http://www.equifax.com/.
5) Keep older cards open - this will add to your credit history.
6) Pay off your credit card balances as soon as possible. By regularly clearing out balances, you demonstrate to potential creditors that you are able to handle credit responsibly.
7) Shred everything! Particularly those credit card offers that come in the mail that you choose not to accept.
You may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report. Unsolicited "prescreened" offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number you can call if you choose to remove your name and address from the lists these offers are based on. You may opt-out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1 888 5OPTOUT (1 888 567 8688).
Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights. For more information, visit http://www.ftc.gov/credit.
If you are in hot water already with your credit report or in a tangle with your credit card, you might want to visit Dave Ramsey's website, he might be able to help you:
http://www.daveramsey.com/
If adventures in financing are not enough for you, you might want to try a GPS - adventure game, called "geocaching."
Aaron McCain and his 9-year-old son rifled through a battered box containing rubber balls, napkin holders and plastic army men high on a pass near Mount Baker.
Using a handheld Global Positioning System device, the two had hiked miles to Excelsior Pass to find the hidden loot as part of a global scavenger hunt run by Seattle-based Geocaching.com. Players post coordinates on the Web site telling where they have hidden objects and challenge others to find the "caches" using GPS devices.
The adventure game, called "geocaching," started six years ago in the Pacific Northwest and now counts more than 328,000 caches in 222 countries, the Web site says. The activity pushes people outdoors, although some parkland managers say they worry about its impact on sites ranging from sensitive forestlands to historic cemeteries.
Geocaching.com is the brainchild of Jeremy Irish, 33, a computer-software programmer who went on GPS scavenger hunts as a hobby, but then he quit his job and started his Web site in 2000.
His company, Groundspeak, employs 12 and has 500,000 registered users. He charges $30 a year for membership access to detailed, interactive maps that help gamers navigate rough terrain and rivers.
The closely held company is profitable, though Irish said he is not getting rich.
"I'm still living a meager lifestyle," he said. "We put the money back into the company."
GPS devices only recently have gone mainstream. The satellite navigation system was developed by the U.S. Defense Department, with the first launch in 1978. The U.S. Air Force disrupted signals for civilian users until 2000.
U.S. sales of the GPS units were $42.3 million last year, compared with $16.7 million in 2002, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based Outdoor Industry Association's Web site.
"If it's done right, it's actually a pretty good tool to introduce people to hiking and learning navigational skills," said the U.S. Forest Service's Gary Walker, lead climbing ranger on Mount St. Helens. "But I've also seen caches put on private property and people tromping all around looking for them."
Irish doubles his computer-storage capacity every January as people receive that new handheld Christmas present.
"The idea of being a tech geek outside seemed like a good idea to me," he said. "I don't think I'm alone there."
(Quoted in part from the The Seattle Times)
Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be!
Happy Holidays until my next newsletter at the end of December!
:-)
Best Regards,
Dorothea Lowe, Broker
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