Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out because this is your county.
This is your democracy. Make it. Protect. It. Pass it on.
Thurgood Marshall
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Hello dear friends and clients,
National Parks started 2022 off with a bang and we're proud of being #1 on the most units and volume sold. We're looking forward to a busy spring and summer. Let's compare February 2021 to February 2022. New Listings are down -12.8% from 2021 which affected Closed Sales dropping to -19%. Days on Market went from 65 days in 2021 to 104 in 2022 while Median Sales Price gained 28.4% from February of last year. Affordability dropped -22.7% pricing some out of the market. Inventory is down -22% from 2021. Bottom line--the buyers are still out there. We need more listings!
As I write you this chilly March afternoon, I realize that today is International Women's Day. It is of interest to note that statistically women are more likely the decision makers when purchasing real estate. According GfK market research, 74.9 percent of women identify themselves as the primary shoppers for their households and account for 91% of new home purchases. In addition, research suggests that women might be more naturally gifted at hammering out favorable terms (click here to read).
The pandemic sent millions of women out of the workplace and back into the home to oversee their children's education and care. Ramifications will run long and deep from that; however I came across an article that lifted my spirits. "40+ Women-Founded Food Businesses". Even though women were out of the traditional workplace, we were still creating new products, new ideas and buying real estate!
If you are considering listing your property, let me know. My experience, consistent record and excellent negotiating skills will successfully lead you toward a sale at the right price. The Lang Team is here to make your real estate dreams come true whatever they are, wherever you are.
Another perk for you, as a luxury home seller, is our exclusive membership in Forbes Global Properties. What does this mean? When you list your luxury, high end property, your home will be opened up to the international market. Click here to view Bigfork properties on the Forbes website providing access to the entire Forbes network. Here's another advantage. Maybe you have always wanted to have a home in Florida, France, Hawaii or the place of your dreams. I can use my Forbes Global Properties referral network to connect you with an expert and knowledgeable Realtor in many national and international markets. Let's talk!
From our home to yours, we wish that all your dreams to come true this Spring.
Denise
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Northwest Montana By The Numbers
according the NW Montana Multiple Listing Service for January 2022
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Whitefish
New Listings 36
Sold 33
Median $ 900,000
Bigfork
New Listings 8
Sold 8
Median $654,500
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Flathead County
New Listings 120
Sold 104
Median $580,000
Lake County
New Listings 23
Sold 21
Median $429,900
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Here’s an understatement: Buying a home today is not the same as it used to be. In fact, it’s a whole new ballgame. Click here to learn the new rules of home buying:
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What’s my home worth?
Did you know you can quickly learn the value of your home in today's market by simply clicking a button? It's useful information with no strings attached. See what your home is worth - you may be surprised!
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Senator Jon Tester helped negotiate $14.5 million for the Glacier Park International Airport coming from the Infrastructure bill. |
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Our own Whitefish made HGTV's "50 Most Charming Small Towns in America." Of course, all of our Flathead Valley towns are charming! |
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Where Did All the Homes Go? Here are the cities with the most places for sale—and the ones with the fewest |
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The Fed sets short-term rates, which the market uses to determine longer-term, often impacting mortgage rates. Here's what you need to know. |
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Covid 19 put homebuyers in motion, some even purchasing homes sight unseen. What do you do if you regret your home purchase? |
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Covid 19 touched our lives and our homes. What will shape our home design? If you are making changes, here's what lies ahead in design. |
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10 cosmetic upgrades to sell your home in record time. After these, you may not want to leave. What's the term? Love it or List it!
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Tax Time is upon us. This article breaks down property taxes by state, and gives us another great reason to love where we live! |
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Kalispell, MT
MLS #22202588 $599,850
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CONTINGENT
Bigfork, MT
MLS #22115457
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Testimonial
I have worked with Denise on private and commercial transactions, for over six years. She is hardworking, honest, informed, experienced, and trustworthy. And, she has a great sense of humor. Greg E.
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Ceri (our lop-eared Corgi) says...
"I think everyone should have a Corgi. Wouldn’t that be fun if I had sooo many playmates? I used to be a herding dog, but over the decades, my legs got shorter (that’s weird, but adorable, too). My breed has many good qualities. We are always eager to please and pretty easy to train. We are paws-down intelligent and very adaptable to lifestyles. After you watch this video (click here), you just may have to get a Corgi!"
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Denise's Cooking Corner - Craig Claiborne’s Famous Quiche Lorraine
What says spring better than eggs?
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Ingredients
Pastry for a one-crust nine-inch pie (I use Marie Callendar)
4 strips bacon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese, cubed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup whole milk
teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Tabasco sauce to taste (I use quite a bit of Tabasco)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a nine-inch pie plate with the pastry. You must build a rim with the pastry and flute it. This is essential for the amount of custard indicated in this recipe. If you are using store-bought pie crust, make sure to set them at room temperature first before lining it on the pie plate so it will be easier to work with and will not break.
Cover the bottom of the pastry with a round of parchment paper and add enough dried beans or peas to partly fill the shell. Bake 10 minutes. I used a regular parchment paper, and it still worked fine; just make sure it fully covers the pastry. Then right after you bake it, remove the parchment paper and the beans, and brush the bottom and the sides with egg whites to prevent soggy bottom, and place it back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so. That way the crust will get crispy and will act as a nice barrier to prevent soggy bottom and also gives it a nice color. Then remove from the oven and set aside.
Next, reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees.
In the meantime, while the pie crust is baking: cook the bacon until crisp and remove it from the skillet. Set on top of paper towels to remove the grease. Pour off all but one to two tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until the onion is transparent. (I cooked mine until they were caramelized, it tasted much better, and I used about 2 Tbsp of bacon grease.
Now, sprinkle the bacon, onion, and cheeses over the inside of the partly baked pastry. I sprinkled half of the cooked bacon, onion, and cheeses on the bottom of the baked crust, then I poured in half of the egg mixture carefully. Then, I again sprinkled the remaining cooked bacon, onion, and cheeses followed by the egg mixture, then I gently shook the pan, so things don’t move around too much, which gave it beautiful layers.
After that, combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste. Strain the mixture over the onion-cheese mixture. Slide the pie onto a baking sheet.
Finally, bake the pie until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Let stand five or 10 minutes before serving. The original recipe says to bake the pie for 25 minutes, but that did not fully cook it, so I cooked it longer for 43 minutes, and the quiche came out perfectly.
Serve and enjoy!
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Ar-LEE War-RIORS!
This book takes place close to home. A high school basketball team in Arlee, Montana.
Journalist Abe Streep follows the Arlee Warriors through the historic basketball season of 2018 when this high school team shouldered the hopes of an entire Nation, the Flathead Indian Nation and took the State Championship. In the coach’s words, “Do not forget, you’re doing this for every kid in the world that’s ever looked up to a basketball player coming off the rez.” No pressure.
Abe follows the team through the season but his real interest is in the lives of the players, their families and the network of coaches, teachers and friends who invest so much of themselves in their kids. What emerges is an immersive portrait of a small tribal town where shared history runs deep, opportunity feels elusive and basketball is a visceral expression of collective pride, hope and the grit that Streep says sits “somewhere between escape and religion.”
He writes vividly about the game, but he strays far beyond the gym. He goes hunting for elk antlers with star player, Phil, “the boy in constant motion was absolutely still.” He writes about the Montana landscape that anchors the Arlee community. “High in the mountains, under dark timber, trout slurped the surface of empty lakes. The boys had names for places that didn’t appear on maps.” He writes about suicide that plagues many reservations and conversely the “juvenile constellations of hope,” as Streep tenderly calls them who he found impossible to resist. A must read if you love Montana!
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Have a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day
Then, let's talk about your real estate goals.
Spring is the time make your new life happen!
I love to share, so if an item or two in this newsletter interests you, pass it on! Just scroll down to the bottom of this email and click "forward." Then type in the email of the person you are sending to.
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