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How to Sell a Flood-Damaged House in Montana

How to Sell a Flood-Damaged House in Montana

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Water doesn’t need a river to wreck a house. I’ve walked into basements in the Billings Heights where a split supply line did more damage than the Yellowstone did during the 2022 flooding. The house still stands. The furnace is scrap, the drywall smells like a wet dog, and the owner is holding a claim … Continued
What Can I Claim When I Sell My House

What You Can Write Off When You Sell Your House

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Two numbers leave the closing table, and only one of them matters to the IRS. Confuse the wire amount with your taxable gain, and you’ll either hand over money you never owed or lose sleep over a bill that isn’t coming. What can I write off when I sell my house? Sellers in Billings ask … Continued
Who is responsible for repairs after closing

Who Pays For Repairs After A Home Sale Closes

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You thought the paperwork was done. You handed over the keys, deposited the check, and started breathing again. Then your phone rings: the buyer found a leaking pipe under the kitchen sink and wants to know what you’re going to do about it. The question of who is responsible for repairs after closing comes up … Continued
MLS Listing Fees for Homes Montana

What It Costs to List on the MLS in Montana

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Selling a house in Montana is not as simple as sticking a sign in the yard and waiting. Most buyers are combing through the big real estate search sites and their agent’s search portal long before they ever drive a neighborhood. If your property isn’t on the multiple listing service, those buyers scroll right past … Continued
Breaking Down the Real Costs of Selling Without a Real Estate Agent

FSBO Costs in Montana

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Most sellers sitting at their kitchen tables in Billings or Missoula think going FSBO means pocketing the full commission they’d otherwise hand to an agent. But the reality is more complicated. There are real costs, real tradeoffs, and a handful of surprises that catch sellers off guard every single time. This article breaks them down … Continued
Understanding Why a House Is Condemned and What It Means for Sellers

How To Sell a Condemned House in Montana

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Picture a house sitting empty on the edge of Billings Heights, boards across two windows, a yellow notice taped to the front door, and weeds pushing through the porch boards. The owner hasn’t been inside in months. Maybe years. A condemned property tag can feel like a death sentence for a real estate situation, but … Continued
Understanding the Difference Between Appraised Value and Market Value

Can I Sell My House for Less Than Appraised Value

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Most sellers in Montana assume they’re locked into whatever number an appraiser puts on paper. They picture that figure as a floor they legally can’t go below. That assumption is wrong, and it costs families real money and real opportunities they didn’t know they had. Selling below appraised value is legal, common, and, in some … Continued
Selling My Elderly Parents Home In Billings

Selling Your Elderly Parents’ Home

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Your mom’s doctor called on a Tuesday. By Friday, the family was sitting around her kitchen table, looking at a house full of fifty years of memories, wondering how to pay for the care she suddenly needed. This moment, right there, is where most families freeze, and I’ve watched it happen more times than I’d … Continued
How Long Before A House Sells Montana

How Long Does It Take to Sell a House in Montana

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Five weeks. A deadline and a house to sell in Billings Heights last winter, that’s all the Mitchell family had when a job transfer landed them in that situation. They called us on a Tuesday, we walked the property that Thursday, and they had a cash offer in hand by Friday afternoon. Most sellers don’t … Continued
Selling a Home Facing a Pending Lawsuit in Montana

Selling a House With a Pending Lawsuit in Montana

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A homeowner in the Heights neighborhood of Billings called after her real estate agent told her a lis pendens had been filed against her property. She didn’t know what it meant. She just knew the listing had gone quiet, and she had bills to cover. Homeowners across Big Sky Country find themselves in exactly that … Continued
Selling a house with titles issues in MT

How To Sell A House With Title Issues In Montana

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Most people don’t know that title clouds kill more Montana home sales than anything else. The deal looks good, the buyer is motivated, and a title search uncovers an undiscovered lien, a missing heir on a decades-old deed, or a boundary dispute from when the property was first carved out of rangeland. Complete transaction freezes. … Continued