Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 7.23.14

10 | JULY 23, 2014 NEWS
Montana Housing Market Down Slightly
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Facts
FIGURES
Numbers in the news
15.4%
Percentage of uninsured Montanans in 2013, according to the state, a 15 percent decrease from the previous year.
$100,000
The amount of money won by Vonda Foster of Kalispell from a scratch ticket bought at Town Pump on U.S. Highway 2.
4.5%
Montana’s unemployment rate in June, 0.1 percent- age points lower than the previous month.
5.7%
Flathead County’s unem- ployment rate in June, 0.1 percentage points higher than the previous month.
Single-family home sales down in Northwest Montana, townhouses up
By BEACON STAFF
House sales are slightly down this year but appear to be picking up during the heart of selling season, according to the latest sales data from the Montana Asso- ciation of REALTORS (MAR).
At the halfway point of the selling sea- son, sales in the eight largest markets in Montana are down roughly 6 percent com- pared to last year.
Activity picked up after dropping nearly 12 percent in the first three months of the year, and nationwide data reflect strong gains during the early summer months. Pending home sales surged na- tionwide in May, according to the Nation- al Association of Realtors, and although no local data is available, all four regions
of the U.S. have seen increases.
In the state’s eight major markets —
Billings, the Bitterroot, Butte, the Gallatin Valley, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula and Northwest Montana — a total of 4,190 sin- gle-family homes were sold in the first six months of 2014, compared to 4,456 during the same period of time in 2013, according to MAR.
In Northwest Montana, there were 813 single-family homes sold through June 30, which was 107 fewer than the same pe- riod last year.
The average local sales price was $258,984, roughly $10,000 lower than last year. The median sales price was $212,000 compared to $199,000 in the first half of 2013.
There were 105 townhouse sales through June, nine more than last year, and 388 lots have sold, nearly 30 more than last year. The average local lot was sold for $161,891 compared to $102,783 a year ago. The median sales price for a lot was $76,000 versus $59,250 in 2013.
Three housing markets reported an increase in single-family home sales — Butte, Great Falls and Gallatin. Missoula has seen the sharpest percentage decline at 15.6 percent, or 91 fewer homes sold.
Gallatin had the highest average sales price for a single-family home, at $363,531. The median sales price was $275,000. Missoula was next, with the av- erage sales price at $261,759 and the me- dian sales price at $230,900, followed by Northwest Montana. Butte had the low- est housing prices, with the average single family home selling for $123,863 and the median price at $103,000.
“The warming in the weather has also warmed our state’s housing markets across the state,” said Dennis Cook, 2014 MAR president. “While the state is still a bit behind last year’s pace, overall our markets are still very stable. Interest rates remain near historical lows and it is a great time to contact a REALTOR to begin the buying process.”
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Amended Complaint Sheds More Light on Alleged Health Clinic Burglary
Zachary Klundt pleaded not guilty to charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
The alleged Kalispell health clinic burglar was again in court this week for an arraignment hearing on a series of amend- ed charges that shed more light on a series of burglaries earlier this year.
Zachary Klundt, 24, of Columbia
Falls, again pleaded not guilty in Flathead County District Court on July 17 to felony charges of burglary, attempted burglary, criminal mischief and two counts of theft stemming from a series of break-ins in the Kalispell area, including one at All Fami- lies Healthcare, earlier this year. The Ka- lispell health clinic provided a wide range of family practice and reproductive ser- vices and was the only abortion clinic in the area.
A new theft charge included in the amended information alleges that be- tween March 1 and 4, Klundt stole fire- arms and a tablet belonging to Nicholas Andrews. The alleged crime happened at
about the same time Klundt broke into All Families Healthcare and Glacier Log Mill and Lazarus Log Homes in early March.
On March 27, Klundt pleaded not guilty to charges of felony burglary, crimi- nal mischief, theft, and attempted bur- glary stemming from the clinic break-in.
Earlier this month, Klundt pleaded not guilty to felony theft in a separate case against him; however, Deputy County At- torney Stacy Boman said the charge would be consolidated with the main case in the coming days.
Klundt’s trial has been set for January. 1 [email protected]
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