The Wall Street Journal

One of our listings in Seeley Lake was featured in the May 8, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal in "The Home Front" section. The article was titled "Into the Woods, Homes That Can Make Hikers Happy". The home that was featured was a 2800 sq. ft. custom built home on a pond for $439,000. The home has since sold, but we have many others available! The article also included information on our ideal location for hiking, scenery, lakes, bird watching and where to get your caffeine fix. Please call us if you are interested in receiving information on homes like this one or information on our area! Click on the picture of the article to read it!

Update To The 2009 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

There has been an update to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for first time home buyers.

The initial tax credit of $7500 has been increased to $8000.

The tax credit does NOT have to be repaid.

First time homebuyers who have not owned a home in the last 3 years are eligible.

Must purchase between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009, the tax credit will expire.

The tax credit is equal to 10% of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $80,000.

If a buyer already purchased in 2009 and used the $7500 tax credit they can file an amended 2008 tax return with a 1040X form. Consult your tax advisor.

New construction homes also qualify, however, the date of first occupancy must be on or after January 2009 and before December 1, 2009.

For more information go to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com

The Montana Legacy Project

1. What is the Montana Legacy Project? It is an effort between the Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy to purchase about 315,500 acres of forest land currently owned by Plum Creek Timber Company in northwest Montana.


2. What are the goals of the project? The goals are to preserve public access for hunting, snowmobiling, fishing and hiking; keep up sustainable harvesting operations in the forests and keep timber in our mills; and to preserve vital wildlife habitat and water resources.


3. What is the nature of the agreement? The purchase will be completed in three phases for a combined total price of $510 million. Lands included in this purchase are within the Swan Valley, the upper Clearwater Valley near Seeley Lake, the Lolo Valley, the Mill Creek area near Missoula, Fish Creek, Petty Creek, Rock Creek, between Libby and the Yaak Valley and in the Garnet Mountains between Potomac and Interstate 90.


4. Why are these lands so special? Because they contain some of the best water, wildlife and working forests in our country. They are part of what is known as the Crown of the Continent, one of the largest, most intact ecosystems remaining in the continental United States.


5. Where is the funding coming from? Thanks to Senator Max Baucus' leadership, Congress has created a new public financing mechanism called the Qualified Forest Conservation Bonds. The pilot project for this new program is the Montana Legacy Project and is eligible to receive up to $250 million in federal dollars to help acquire lands that would be transferred into the ownership of the USFS. It is also dependent on private and state contributions.


6. Who will ultimately own the land? It will be a mixture of state, federal and private ownership.


7. What will happen to public access? The goal of the project is to provide the maximum amount of public access on both public and private lands that Montanans have enjoyed under Plum Creek ownership. Lands going into private ownership will have Conservation Easement placed on them that allow public access.

Information courtesy of http://www.themontanalegacyproject.org/

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

Now is the time to buy a home if you are a first time home buyer...Why??? Here's why...

1. Congress has created a $7500 tax credit for first time home buyers (which includes those who have not owned a home in the last 3 years). The credit is eligible for homes purchased before July 1, 2009.


2. The tax credit (essentially an interest free loan) is 10% of the home's sales price with a maximum value of $7500.


3. The income restrictions are for a single person the income can be no more than $75,000 and for individuals who file jointly, no more than $150,000.


4. The home must be your principal residence.


5. Only property bought within the United States is eligible.


6. The purchaser who claims the credit will be required to pay it back over 15 years. The tax credit is a so called "refundable" credit and must be claimed on the individual's income tax return. The credit amount is repaid in increments of 6.67% of the credit amount over 15 years. There is no interest charge applied to outstanding balances.


7. If you sell the home before the 15 year period of repayment is complete any profits will go towards paying back the loan. If you sell at a loss, the repayment is forgiven by the IRS.


8. Ultimately, it's a good deal that any first time homebuyer in a position to buy a home should consider.

Fall Is Here!

Fall is in the air and with it comes the 2008 hunting season. Hunting is a popular pastime enjoyed by many throughout the state of Montana. Whether you are a big game hunter, upland bird hunter, or avid fisherman, at Clearwater Montana Properties, we specialize in finding that choice piece of ground to enjoy these activities on. From 40 acres and hunting cabin high in the mountains to level acreage with a duck pond, property owners and residents of Montana enjoy a variety of wildlife opportunities and with it, the rights to hunt some of these animals. Not a hunter? We have many other recreational properties to choose from in different locations throughout Montana. Check out our website or give us a call.

Geotourism Mapguide

National Geographic has teamed up with a number of organizations in Montana, Alberta and British Columbia to create a Geotourism Mapguide to the Crown of The Continent region. This comprehensive maps looks at the Rocky Mountain region as a whole and provides a bird's eye view of one of the most beautiful places in North America. From Lincoln to Ovando to Missoula and up through the Seeley Swan & Flathead Valleys into Canada, this map highlights special places that a visitor shouldn't miss! For more information logon to http://www.crownofthecontinent.net/

Montana Wildlife

Montana elk! A sure sign that spring is here! These 3 elk traverse through the open waters of the Gordon Ranch, located in the beautiful Swan Valley. Be sure to schedule a summer trip to drive scenic Highway 83 and you will see some of our wildlife first hand.