Since this is our first post we want to say that we are very excited to be able to bring you news and information on real estate and our wonderful city of Billings. We are looking forward to hearing from you with questions, comments and subjects you would like us to write about here.

Speaking of Billings, we have been ranked number one in the nation for housing price appreciation for 2009 with an estimated appreciation of 2.1%. Compared to the 6% we saw in 2008 that doesn’t seem like much. But when compared with the rest of the nation it is impressive.

The top 15 cities are:

1. Billings MT 2.1%
2. Fargo ND 1.8%
3. Lander WY 1.7%
4. & 5. Trenton NJ & Morgantown WV 1.6%
6. Logan UT 1.4%
7. Bozeman MT 1.3%
8. & 9. Albany GA & Fairmont WV 1.2%
10. Minot ND 1.0%
11. Great Falls MT -0.9%
12. & 13. & 14. Livingston MT, Missoula MT & Bismarck ND -0.8%
15. Grand Forks ND -1.1%.

While home sales have slowed during the past months they seem to be heating up with the weather. Montana has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and this is seen as part of the reason for Billings’ ranking in this survey.

Billings and Montana in general also escaped much of the credit problems that are plaguing the rest of the nation’s housing market. We have relatively few foreclosures probably due to the fact that there was not much sub prime and creative financing used in the past here.

Billings ranking as number one came from the Housing Predictor. Information was gathered on several factors including economics, political influences, business development, construction and other socioeconomic issues in order to predict this growth in housing values.