Providing Economic, Community, and Workforce Development Services.
Real Estate
The Flathead Valley continues to be a magnet for families, businesses and entrepreneurs. One of the main reasons people come here is to enjoy the valley's rich recreational environment and unparalleled beauty. More than 80 percent of Flathead County's two million acres are protected by national parks, federal and state forests and private timber reserves.
It's all about quality of life. With Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness rubbing shoulders with Northwest Montana, Kalispell and the surrounding valley is an outdoor paradise.
Nowhere is the Flathead's burgeoning growth more evident than in the area's real estate figures. A wave of newcomers, investors and speculators coupled with reasonable property taxes are all contributing to the past decade of accelerated growth across the valley.
And Kalispell leads the pack. Residential sales in 2007 exceeded 679 units, more than the combined total in nearby Bigfork, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.
While new construction continues to surge in the Flathead Valley, Kalispell remains an affordable community to set roots down. In 2007, the median price for a home in Kalispell was $224,700, compared with $355,250 in Bigfork, $335,000 in Whitefish, and $200,000 in Columbia Falls where land prices have maintained a slower rate of increase. (Source: Northwest Montana Association of Realtors)
For the past five years Flathead County has continued to outpace the rest of Montana in new subdivision growth and single family home starts.
The state of Montana continues to buck national trends when it comes to construction, real estate and house prices, according to Paul Polzin, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, who reports that the state's construction industry remains at record levels, "with Flathead, along with Gallatin County, especially benefiting from vibrant construction activity and real estate employment."
For many reasons - unsurpassed beauty, affordable living, and a healthy lifestyle - Northwest Montana has become one of the most desirable areas in the country. And the Flathead is a premier national hotspot for families to relocate and businesses to build or expand.
REAL ESTATE SALES 2007
| Total Sales | ||
| Community | Units Sold | Volume (mill) |
| Bigfork | 141 | $73.5 |
| Columbia Falls | 185 | $44 |
| Kalispell | 679 | $179.2 |
| Lakeside/Somers | 69 | $42.8 |
| Polson/Lake Co | 275 | $99.4 |
| Whitefish | 306 | $172.4 |
| Eureka/Lincoln | 104 | $27.1 |
| Total Sales for Residential Properties | 1845 | $654.1 |
| Total Sales All Properties | 2964 | $926.0 |
Source: Northwest Montana Association of Realtors
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The central mission of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is the cultivation and development of entrepreneurs and communities through the spirit of enterprise. |