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Looking To Buy A Home In Montana? We've Got Good News!

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Looking To Buy A Home In Montana? We've Got Good News!


Well, sort of.

If you have plans of buying and owning a home here in Montana, you’re more than aware that it’s going to cost you. Tens of thousands of Montanans are finding that even with a decent job and a little bit of savings, they can’t afford a home in certain areas of the state.

Over the last few years home prices have skyrocketed across the country, and it seems that Montana has led the charge. Plus, with high interest rates, the dream of being a homeowner feels a little more like a nightmare.

In towns like Bozeman, Kalispell, and Missoula the prices have increased significantly since 2021 with the overall “value” going up hundreds of thousands of dollars. Perfect example, I was checking out a townhouse recently in Bozeman and the asking price was well over 500 thousand dollars. The same property sold 3 years ago for a little over 300 thousand.

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I can’t speak for you, but I have an issue paying half a million dollars for a place to live with no backyard. However, new information points to the fact that Montana housing might not be that expensive after all.

Looking to buy a home in Montana?

The folks at Lending Tree released data that showed the most expensive towns in America to buy a home and Montana was nowhere to be found.

Credit: Lendingtree.com
Credit: Lendingtree.com

As you look at the map of towns that are the most expensive you will see our neighbors in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming all make the list, but not Montana.

It should probably be noted that a few of those towns are “tourist” towns but so are Big Sky, Bozeman, and Whitefish. Does that mean we are making a much bigger deal about the housing prices in Montana than we should be?

No. I have a few doubts about the math with all of this.

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It’s still crazy expensive to live here, but if you spend any time on websites like Realtor or Zillow, you will notice that home prices have started to drop around The Treasure State, and while they may still be out of the average Montanans price range, at least it’s a start.

LOOK: Cities With The Most Expensive Homes In Montana

Stacker compiled a list of cities with the most expensive homes in Montana using data from Zillow. Cities are ranked by the Zillow Home Values Index for all homes as of August 2024. The charts in this story were created automatically using Matplotlib.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

Montana’s Best Towns For Fall And Fun

Fall is a beautiful time of year here in Montana. With the changing of the seasons, The Treasure State offers fall lovers lots to do and see. From beautiful foliage to fun festivals, fall is certainly special here in Montana.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

LOOK: These Are the Best Places to Live in America

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live using Niche data, which ranks places based on factors such as the cost of living.  

Gallery Credit: Stacker

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Montana

'Montana Bar Fairies' expanding to Bozeman starting Cat-Griz weekend as Gallatin County DUIs increase

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'Montana Bar Fairies' expanding to Bozeman starting Cat-Griz weekend as Gallatin County DUIs increase


BOZEMAN — People in downtown Bozeman who choose not to drink and drive after a night out will soon see fairies giving them a gift to thank them for their good choices.

“Montana Bar Fairies is a nonprofit that my daughter and I started because my son was killed by a drunk driver in the Flathead, on March 23rd, after celebrating his 21st birthday,” says Beth McBride.

Bobby Dewbre was set to graduate from Flathead Valley Community College with a welding certificate before he was hit by a drunk driver while waiting for his sober ride.

To ensure no other family experiences the grief they do, Beth McBride and her daughter Carli Dewbre decided to start Montana Bar Fairies.

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Hevenn Vanh

Montana Bar Fairies shirt that says, “Your luck will run out. Don’t drink and drive.”

“My daughter drove by a bar early in the morning on her way to work and she saw some cars in the parking lot. And she called me up and she said, ‘Mom I wish there was a way that we could thank people for not drinking and driving, for leaving their cars,’” McBride recalls.

The nonprofit began in Kalispell almost a year ago, but an increase in DUI-related accidents in Gallatin County brought the Bar Fairies to Bozeman.

“There seems to be a desire for the community here to say, ‘You know what? We’re done.’ It’s over. We’re not accepting drunk driving anymore. It’s time to save lives,” says McBride.

According to the Gallatin County DUI Task Force, Gallatin County consistently ranks in the top five most dangerous counties in Montana for impaired driving—with Bozeman Police issuing a majority of all DUIs in the county.

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Bozeman’s Bar Fairies chapter director and MSU student, Patricia Hinchey, says there’s no better time to start their work in Bozeman than the weekend of Cat-Griz.

“Sunday morning, we’re going to be going really early and placing coffee cards on cars, around downtown, in the parking lots, along the streets. And so, if you’re lucky, you might get a coffee card thanking you for not drinking and driving after the Cat-Griz game,” Hinchey says.

Included with each coffee card is a card with a story of someone who lost their life to a drunk driver. Patricia says they’re looking for Bozeman families willing to share their story, as well as more volunteers.

“We want to take Montana from the worst state for DUI fatalities to zero. And we need the community’s help to do that,” says McBride.

Contact Hinchey for help with Bozeman’s chapter at Patricia@montanabarfairies.org

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Learn more about Montana Bar Fairies at their website.





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What’s At Stake For No. 1 NDSU at No. 4 USD & No. 9 Montana at No. 2 Montana State?

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What’s At Stake For No. 1 NDSU at No. 4 USD & No. 9 Montana at No. 2 Montana State?


The FCS playoff picture will take shape with Week 13 games a day before FCS Selection Sunday.

The Top 4 seeds could be pretty clear, depending on results. The Top 5 seeds could also get real messy, depending on results.

Two Top 10-ranked matchups will especially impact the order of the overall Top 8 seeds: No. 1 NDSU at No. 4 USD and No. 9 Montana at No. 2 Montana State.

What does this weekend’s result mean for these four teams and their playoff positioning? We’ll go through the scenarios below.

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For the purposes of this article, we’ll say things go chalk and No. 5 UC Davis wins at Sac State and No. 3 SDSU wins at No. 18 Missouri State, which is no guarantee, but they would be big upsets if Davis or SDSU were to lose.

If Montana State & NDSU Win

NDSU and Montana State should be the Top 2 playoff seeds with home-field advantage.

It will be a healthy discussion in the selection room and during the committee member voting process on who the No. 1 seed is.

  • NDSU: 11-1 overall, 11-0 vs. the FCS, 5 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 1 strength of schedule
  • MSU: 12-0 overall, 3 currently-ranked wins, 3 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS

NDSU has been ranked No. 1 for most of this year, and the committee could have the same mindset as voters, similar to 2022.

Two years ago, Sac State had a better on-paper resume than SDSU, but SDSU, who was ranked No. 1 for most of the season, got the top seed. Sac State was 11-0 with an FBS win, four ranked wins, and the No. 4 SOS. SDSU was 10-1 overall, 10-0 vs. the FCS, three ranked wins, and the No. 5 SOS.

Seeds 3-4 behind NDSU and MSU would probably be SDSU and UC Davis, assuming they win on Saturday.

  • SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
  • UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU

Mercer, Idaho, or UIW could fight for the No. 5 seed after this.

With a loss, Montana would finish 8-4 overall/vs. the FCS with two currently-ranked wins. The Grizzlies will likely get a 9-16 seed and host a first-round game.

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With a loss, USD will be nervously wondering if it’ll get a first-round bye. The Coyotes would finish 8-3 overall with only seven D1 wins and zero currently-ranked victories. How does that stack up to other teams with nine or 10 D1 wins who are fighting for a Top 8 seed? USD’s No. 8 SOS could help its argument, and if it were to lose to NDSU, a close loss would be important for the “eye test” instead of getting blown out.

If Montana State & USD Win

Montana State should jump to the No. 1 seed at 12-0, three currently-ranked wins, three Top 10 wins, and an FBS win.

With a loss, Montana would finish 8-4 overall/vs. the FCS with two currently-ranked wins. The Grizzlies will likely get a 9-16 seed and host a first-round game.

Seeds 2-5 then get very interesting in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed behind Montana State (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):

  • UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
  • NDSU: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 4 currently-ranked wins, 1 Top 10 win, No. 1 SOS, FCS loss to USD
  • USD: 9-2 overall, 8-1 vs. the FCS, 8 D1 wins, 1 currently-ranked win, 1 Top 10 win, No. 8 SOS, FCS loss to SDSU
  • SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU


If Montana & NDSU Win

Montana should get into the Top 8 seeds at 9-3 overall/vs. the FCS with three currently-ranked wins, one Top 10 win, and the No. 18 SOS. The Griz would likely be in the 6-8 seed range.

NDSU should secure the No. 1 seed with a win and a Montana State loss. The Bison would be 11-1 overall, 11-0 vs. the FCS, five currently-ranked wins, two Top 10 wins, and the No. 1 SOS.

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Seeds 2-4 then get very interesting in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed behind NDSU (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):

  • UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
  • MSU: 11-1 overall, 11 D1 wins, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS, FCS loss to Montana
  • SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU

Mercer, Idaho, or UIW could fight for the No. 5 seed after this.

With a loss, USD will be nervously wondering if it’ll get a first-round bye. The Coyotes would finish 8-3 overall with only seven D1 wins and zero currently-ranked victories. How does that stack up to other teams with nine or 10 D1 wins who are fighting for a Top 8 seed? USD’s No. 8 SOS could help its argument, and if it were to lose to NDSU, a close loss would be important for the “eye test” instead of getting blown out.

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If Montana & USD Win

Montana should get into the Top 8 seeds at 9-3 overall/vs. the FCS with three currently-ranked wins, one Top 10 win, and the No. 18 SOS. The Griz would likely be in the 6-8 seed range.

Seeds 1-5 would be an absolute battle in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed the Top 5 (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):

  • UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
  • MSU: 11-1 overall, 11 D1 wins, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS, FCS loss to Montana
  • SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
  • NDSU: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 4 currently-ranked wins, 1 Top 10 win, No. 1 SOS, FCS loss to USD
  • USD: 9-2 overall, 8-1 vs. the FCS, 8 D1 wins, 1 currently-ranked win, 1 Top 10 win, No. 8 SOS, FCS loss to SDSU

Uffda. Good luck!

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Pregnant Montana Brown shows off her blossoming baby bump in a stylish green bikini as she prepares to welcome her baby girl

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Pregnant Montana Brown shows off her blossoming baby bump in a stylish green bikini as she prepares to welcome her baby girl


Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump in a series of vacation snaps on Thursday. 

The former Love Island star, 29, who is expecting her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor, displayed her growing bump in a stylish green bikini which consisted of a triangle bikini top and a pair of tie-side bikini bottoms. 

Cradling her bump, the TV star further accessorised her pool-side look with a pair of cool shades. 

The mother-of-one captioned the gorgeous snaps with: ‘Not long Babygirl (heart emoji)’

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Fans and close friends of the star then flocked to the comment section to pay their compliments. 

One fan wrote: ‘A real life angel!!!’; ‘Gorgeous glowing mama’; ‘Feels like yesterday baby Jude was in there!!’

Pregnant Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump while wearing a bikini in a series of vacation snaps on Thursday

The former Love Island star, 29, is expecting her second child with fiancé Mark O'Connor

The former Love Island star, 29, is expecting her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor

Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers. 

She displayed her tummy in a chic knit dress and cradled her stomach as she smiled for the camera in the clip. 

Confirming that she is expecting again with her rugby player fiancé Mark, Montana wrote: ‘Two under two let’s go!’

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Montana and Mark welcomed their first child, a son named Jude, in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later.

The couple travelled to Santorini after they enjoyed a week-long holiday with their son Jude in Montenegro and shared updates from their sun-soaked trip. 

The reality personality was flooded with congratulatory messages from her famous friends and Instagram followers.

Gabby Allen, who appeared on her series of Love Island, wrote: ‘Omgggg.’

While fellow Love Island alum, Tasha Ghouri said: ‘Ahh!! Congratulations!’

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The mother-of-one captioned the gorgeous snaps with: 'Not long Babygirl (heart emoji)'

The mother-of-one captioned the gorgeous snaps with: ‘Not long Babygirl (heart emoji)’

Samira Mighty penned: ‘Ahhhh.’

Food influencer Emily English posted a series of clapping hands while Tiffany Watson and Natalya Wright both said ‘congratulations’.

Other stars who shared their support included Vicky Pattison, Danielle Lloyd, Grace Beverley, Kendall Rae Knight and Elle Brown.

Earlier this year, Montana celebrated the joys and sorrows of motherhood as she paid tribute to her baby son Jude in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Montana reflected on her pregnancy journey seven months after her little one was born – as she shared her emotional thoughts with her followers.

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She detailed the highs and lows of the ‘humbling’ experience, admitting she was always ‘one comment away from having a meltdown’ but it also made her ‘respect her body so much more’.

Sharing a throwback picture of when she was seven months pregnant, she showed off her baby bump in a red bikini.

Montana was seen posing on a lavish terrace while soaking up the sun, adding a stylish straw hat and chic shades.

Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers

Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers 

Montana and Mark welcomed their first child, a son named Jude, in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later

Montana and Mark welcomed their first child, a son named Jude, in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later 

In the second shot, she displayed her growing baby bump in the same beach set while smiling happily in a mirror selfie.

The TV star added a few heart-melting pictures of little Jude to her carousel, accompanied by a lengthy caption: ‘7 months in vs 7 months out.’

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‘I actually LOVED being pregnant, it was such a special experience and it really made me respect my body so much more I’m still in awe.’

‘This chapter has been hard, the lack of sleep etc is so tough, I legit cried when someone beeped me in the car recently and I always feel one beep or one comment away from having a meltdown but it’s such a humbling experience.’

She went on saying: ‘I am in awe of the mums that do it on their own, don’t have family around to support and who just don’t get a break because I am so fortunate to have support around me and I am STILL in the thick of it..’

The Love Islander finished gushing over her tiny one: ‘But despite how tired I have been, Jude gets me through, his smile first thing in the morning is just priceless.’



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