April 6th, 2021

2020 has brought a lot of changes to the way people live and work. Companies started allowing many more people to work from home and many families are leaving large cities for smaller town living. Did 2020 leave you thinking about downsizing or changing your lifestyle? Here are some top reasons people downsize and some Bozeman options for downsizing.

Travel

Working remote has given many families the opportunity to pick up and move to where they’ve been dreaming of going – for many that’s been Montana! Some families have taken up RV life and decided to travel the US while they work and home school. Some have sold their home and belongings to take up traveling but another option is to keep your home and rent it out while you’re gone. There are long term rental options as well as short term with sites like VRBO or AirBNB. You’ll want to check with your city zoning and neighborhood covenants to make sure you’re allowed to use your home as a rental.

Maintenance Free Living

Owning a large home comes with a lot of maintenance which can also add up financially. You have a yard to care for and the exterior and interior of a home to keep up with. Sometimes families or aging home owners want something a little more “maintenance free”. Condos are a great option for a low maintenance lifestyle because the exterior and lawn maintenance usually falls on the condo HOA. You pay monthly HOA fees that will pay for that work to be done.

Retirement

This is usually the most common reason people downsize. As people get older a large home with a lot of maintenance just doesn’t make much sense anymore. Many retirees will spend summers in Bozeman and head south for the winter. Having a condo you can rent out is a great option for this lifestyle!  Whether you want to travel or just want low maintenance living, a condo or townhouse is one of the best options for you.

It’s a Great Time to Sell

There has never been a better time to sell your home in Bozeman. With such a high demand and little inventory, prices just keep rising. It might be a good time for you to “cash in” and then use your home sale cash to buy a smaller property, condo or townhome.  If you need to sell your house to buy something else, you can write a home sale contingency. Working with an experienced agent is imperative whether you’re buying or selling – especially as you navigate contingencies.

Other Life Changes

Sometimes with life change it just makes more sense to downsize. A new job where you’re traveling a lot, divorce or a job loss can make you rethink owning a large home.

If downsizing sounds like a good fit for you, let’s get your home on the market! Here’s some info about working with us. You can also start home searching on our website. Contact us to get set up on our listing portal!

 

What our clients are saying:

Jody is FANTASTIC!! We were first time home buyers and she was with us ever step of the way! She never made us feel silly for being new to the process. She definitely knows the area, always kept us up to date on new listings and was just a delight to work with. I would have absolutely zero hesitation recommending her to anyone. Thanks for all the hard-work Jody! We love our house!

K.G.

Jody Savage is knowledgeable, trustworthy and tireless. I purchased a property this spring (2017) near Bozeman; Jody represented me as well as the seller in the transaction. Jody led me through the entire process because this was the first property I had ever purchased. HOA complications and other details made the purchase more difficult. Jody undertook a boat-load of legwork to make the transaction go smoothly. I hope to work with Jody again.

J.D.

Jody is amazing. She knows the market and was able to advise us on all our many concerns. We so appreciated how responsive she was; within minutes of submitting an online request for realtor contact on a house, she had called us. All our communications with her were like that; we never had to wait long to hear back from her. She was patient and always willing to sit down and meet with us. When we found the house we wanted, she worked tirelessly to secure it for us, and she was extremely patient with us. She was easy to communicate with, understand, and a pleasure to work with – I highly recommend Jody!

J.T.

My wife and I used Jody Savage for the sale of our home in Gallatin Gateway, MT. Jody was exceptional in all phases of our sale. We had multiple offers over asking price and sold our home in two days! Jody uses up to date modern marketing, was extremely professional and knowledgeable regarding our market and addressing our needs. She was great to work with and very responsive to any questions we had. Jody is the best in the business and we highly recommend her services!

G.B.

Jody was awesome to work with. We were new to the area and she was helpful and knowledgeable about not only the housing market, but schools, and lenders. She worked with my work schedule for showings. Jody also stayed late to write an offer to meet our schedule. I would recommend Jody to anyone needing a realtor.

M.L.