Enjoy Mother Nature's wilderness playground near the Idaho border of Montana where towns like Darby, Hamilton and Missoula are showing rising homebuyer interest.

Darby

"Located at the south end of the Bitterroot valley on Highway 93, Darby is the Southern gateway to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area," say Realtors Henry Silverio and Wendy Burgener. "Enjoy skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, hiking and the most breathtaking scenery in the west."

"Darby's real estate market is unique in that people who move to Darby either bring their job or bring their money," say the Realtors. "There is no in-between. Almost any property priced above $200,000 will be purchased by a nonresident. Land is priced anywhere between $8,000 and $12,000 per acre, all with million dollar views.

Advise the Realtors, "Properties on the lower end of the spectrum move slowly due to the lack of qualified buyers. That makes Darby the perfect place to invest in rental properties. Upper-end properties are scarce and are in demand if they are priced right. There are many properties, however, that are overpriced for today's market and have been on the market for a long time. Some of these property owners may be getting impatient and may very well accept a substantially lower offer. The recently expanded ski area at Lost Trail Powder Mountain offers some excellent opportunities for land speculation. Once that area is developed into a destination point, all property in the southern part of the valley will have the potential for substantial appreciation."

Hamilton

"The real estate market in Hamilton, Montana is rising as "Montana Dream" locations become scarcer," say Silveria and Burgener. "Most locals are priced out of the market once prices rise above $200,000 so out-of-state buyers are in demand, especially for properties over $300,000. Properties priced below $200,000 move relatively quickly due to the local demand for affordable housing."

Missoula

Missoula is a great little city in one of the most beautiful areas in the world," say Silveria and Burgener. "Surrounded by mountains and located only three hours from Glacier National Park, this area has it all when it comes to natural beauty and outdoor activities. Hiking, skiing, horse back riding, snow mobiling, kayaking, white water rafting, fly fishing, hunting, and camping are just a few that come to mind. A great place to raise a family and a great place to retire."

They advise, "To say the Missoula real estate market has been busy would be an understatement. Homes are selling fast and many sell before they make it to market. Prices are rising steadily. Given the population growth rate of this city, housing prices will probably continue to rise. There are, however, some pretty good deals available from time to time but you have to move fast. The areas surrounding Missoula offer short commutes and much lower prices and taxes."

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Published: February 27, 2003

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