VIEWS. - Winter 2020

VIEWS. Big Sky’s Real Estate Guide

Resilience of the market Big Sky

Wheel Estate

Take your home on the open road

THE SKYLINE ARCHITECT

As Bozeman grows, the Armory Hotel connects past and present On the cover: A prominent Lone Peak view from a ski cabin at Moonlight Basin.

Winter 2020

VISTAS 08 Introduction: lessons in the landscape 10 Wheel Estate

Take your home on the open road

16 Real Estate Stats Big Sky is on the map

20 The Skyline Architect

As Bozeman grows, the Armory Hotel connects past and present

28 A Bank’s Investment in the Landscape First Security Bank

34 Finding Home in Big Sky

As people escape cities in search of fresh air, open space and freedom, many have discovered Big Sky. With low inventory and high demand, the market is as hot as ever.

42 Alder & Tweed: escape to home

Create an interior that synergizes with the grandeur of the land.

50 The Art of Quality Magleby Construction

55 Big Sky’s Town Center

Growth with heart: building Big Sky’s downtown

Reclaimed barn wood and timbers accented with natural stone create this beautifully detailed rustic cabin. Designed by Pearson Design Group Bozeman, MT. Built by Magleby Construction.

Photo Credit Joshua Caldwell.

PRE-SELLING NOW

160 ACRES WITH TROUT PONDS

Moose Ridge Condos

32 Market Place

MEADOW VILLAGE 1,263 +/- SQ. FT. $599,000

BIG SKY TOWN CENTER 5 BED + 5.5 BATH | 3,329 SQ. FT. $1,900,000

HORSE BARN AND PRIVATE TROUT POND

EXECUTIVE OFFICE COMPLEX

NEW CONSTRUCTION

321 Cummings Lane

IN THE HEART OF BIG SKY’S TOWN CENTER

151 B Pheasant Tail

GALLATIN CANYON 3 BED + 3 BATH | 2,742 +/- SQ. FT. 41.92 +/- ACRES $4,500,000

TOWN CENTER 3 BED + 3 BATH | 2,076 +/- SQ. FT. $950,000

BEST VIEWS IN BIG SKY

SKI-IN/SKI-OUT PROPERTY

SPANISH PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB 5 BED + 5.5 - 6 BATH | 4,275 +/- SQ. FT. STARTING AT $4,150,000

SPANISH PEAKS MOUNTAIN CLUB 3 - 6 BED + 3.5 - 5.5 BATH | 2,318 - 4,620 +/- SQ. FT. INQUIRE FOR PRICING

PRIVACY IN THE HEART OF TOWN

Lot 68, Sliverado Trail TOWN CENTER 3.44 +/- ACRES $419,900

MontanaLifeRE.com Joe Duval

406 570 7837

joe@MontanaLifeRE.com

VIEWS. Owned and published by Outlaw Partners in Big Sky, Montana.

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd VIEWS. PRODUCTION TEAM HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Sam Brooks MANAGING EDITOR Mira Brody ART DIRECTOR Marisa Opheim OUTLAW PARTNERS TEAM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Megan Paulson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR, DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Brandon Walker

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VP MEDIA Joseph T. O’Connor

ASSISTANT EDITOR Gabrielle Gasser

VP SALES AND MARKETING E.J. Daws

MARKETING ASSISTANT Tucker Harris

VP EVENTS Ennion Williams

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ME Brown

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Blythe Beaubien

CONTROLLER Treston Wold

MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Ersin Ozer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS Mira Brody, Emily Lessard, Patrick Straub, Brooke White, Emily Stifler Wolfe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS Alan Blakely, Mira Brody, Joshua Caldwell, Rochelle Jahdi, outdoorsy.com, gorving.com VIEWS. magazine is southwest Montana’s leading print and digital real estate publication; core distribution includes Big Sky, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, contracted placement in select resorts, and subscribers in all 50 states.

To advertise in VIEWS. summer 2021, contact Sam Brooks at sam@theoutlawpartners.com.

OUTLAW PARTNERS & VIEWS. P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@outlaw.partners © 2020 VIEWS. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited Follow us on Instagram: @views.montana CHECK OUT THESE OTHER OUTLAW PUBLICATIONS:

LakeLodge – The 16 residences at the new LakeLodge will be an exceptional way to enjoy life at Moonlight Basin. Ranging from studios to large penthouses, these homes are just steps away from the lake, and feature contemporary design, spectacular mountain views, superb ski access and all the amenities at the new lodge, including the pool, restaurant, f itness center and ski lockers.

STUDIOS – 5 BEDROOM PENTHOUSES + 1 – 5.5 BATH | 502 – 2,979 SF +/For details on pricing or to set-up a tour, please contact The Big Sky Real Estate Co. at info@bigsky.com or by calling (406) 995-6333.

Lessons in the landscape When you stand on the Gallatin Crest, you can see every prominent peak in the Madison and Gallatin ranges—Lone, Cedar, Sphinx, Hilgard, Hyalite—all blended in a single granite sea. Cirques, a glacial erosion feature common in the Gallatins, form dramatic, gaping amphitheater-like formations, while lodgepole pine, hundreds of years old, stand as silent spectators to the show.

It’s quiet up here at 9,000 feet; no drone of freeway traffic and even other recreationists are sparse. Reaching Windy Pass, on which is perched one of many rentable rustic Forest Service cabins in the region, it’s just a three mile hike down to the parking lot, then a bumpy ride back to Highway 191 where I’ll grab a post-run brew and bite to eat in the canyon. The freedom to escape is alive and well in Big Sky, Montana, and it’s very much possible to make it home in time for dinner.

I moved here five years ago to do exactly this: stand atop a mountain range and level with things that are older and wiser than I, to learn their lessons and see what mere humans are capable of in their presence. I wanted to do so without the days-long commute, the accommodation costs, the time off, and related logistics that accompany life in a bustling metropolis.

I also wanted to take in the landscape I devoted my life to. To see it from my living room window while reading a book, from the park where I walk my dog, or framed in my windshield on the way to work, the same commute where I pass strings of RVs with miscellany license plates snaking their way to the next adventure.

As more people move here to find their own escape— whether from their daily battle in rush-hour traffic, a change in scenery or a global pandemic—more people will be learning what draws them to southwest Montana.

Even if, for a span of time, the busyness of life prevents me from escaping into the granite sea as often as I’d like, there’s still that view, the silent lessons it whispers and its indifference to how much snow is waiting to be shoveled from my driveway, or the amount of traffic in the canyon.

The landscape, its peaks and valley and cirques, acts as a constant reminder for why I moved here in the first place.

Within the pages of VIEWS., our second edition, you may find these same wondrous discoveries. Enjoy the read.

Enjoy the VIEWS. - Mira Brody, Managing Editor

The Lodges at Elkhorn Creek 7 Sitting Bull Road, Big Sky Mountain

2102 - $1,289,000 - 2,061 +/- sqft - 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 2201- $1,249,000 - 2,203 +/- sqft - 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 2202 - $1,098,000 - 2,060 +/- sqft - 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 2301 - $1,995,000 - 3,095 +/- sqft - 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms 2302 - $2,025,000 - 3,139 +/- sqft - 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms 2303 - $1,995,000 - 2,918 +/- sqft - 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms

Michael Pitcairn, L&K Real Estate michael@lkrealestate.com (406) 995-2404

Wheel Estate:

INVESTING IN A MOBILE HOME

BY BROOKE CONSTANCE WHITE

I

magine being able to move your home from place to place.

To wake up one day in Moab and fall asleep that same night in the Grand Tetons, all from the comfort of your familiar bed and pillows. That’s the dream—no need to buy a second house (or maybe this is your second home), you can just start the engine and drive it to a new locale for a change of scenery. That’s the beauty and freedom that is the trending #vanlife and #rving lifestyle. Look up those hashtags on Instagram and try to not start daydreaming ... we’ll wait!

Mobile living was prominent on social media prior to COVID-19 as the nomadic lifestyle gained traction, but when you add a pandemic that forces people to socially distance and wear masks, the idea of being far away from other humans while still being able to travel and explore became much more enticing.

Similar to other travel-related industries, late March and April were dismal for the RV world—most factories had closed, said Monika Geraci, a spokesperson for the RV Industry Association. In May, factories began cautiously reopening but the future was still uncertain.

Uncertainty was not an emotion felt for long, however.

“June was the industry’s best month in almost two years and then July had the highest number of shipments, which is the number of RVs and campers that are shipped from manufacturers to dealers … in four decades and was a 54 percent increase over July 2019,” Geraci said.

Several months past these recording-breaking months, the RV industry stats look more like a checkmark than a V shape, Geraci said, noting that this increase can be attributed to two waves.

The first wave happened in May as states began reopening and people were looking for opportunities to travel after being quarantined at home for two months. During this first wave, people wanted to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors while still being able to stay socially distant and control their environment. Cooking their own meals, having their own private bathroom and bedroom that they can access without having to interact with others in a hotel lobby or at an Airbnb was a desirable travel situation for most. Add to it a pretty sizable dip in gas prices and low financing interest rates and suddenly RV and campervan travel sounded like the perfect escape from COVID-19.

“RVing has allowed people to still safely and confidently travel whether it’s to a local campground or on a cross-country trip,” Geraci said, adding that freedom and control are the two main reasons people have steered away from air travel and hotel and resort stays, and [are] gravitating towards RVs and campers.

The second wave is being driven by individuals seeking to use RVs as mobile offices and school rooms. The pandemic has caused a huge shift in the modern workplace and many expect that telecommuting will continue long after COVID-19 is under control, Geraci said.

Employees who used to work in an office can now set up their RV up as a professional office. They can participate in a Zoom meeting from just about anywhere in the country. >>

VIEWS.

Winter 2020 | 11

“In August, we started seeing road schooling becoming a thing.

At no time in history have you had a situation where you have so many people working remotely and children distance learning so they can work and learn from their family room or the kitchen table of their RV,” she said. “Additionally, the second wave is made up of families who want their children to learn about this country firsthand … this provides an excellent opportunity for families to hit the road in an RV and discover our country’s historical sites in person.”

Although the industry will not be able to completely erase the eight weeks that manufacturers and dealers were closed, if the trajectory that followed continues, it’s likely this year could still be comparative and even likely surpass previous years. Based on shipments, the RV Industry Association is projecting that 2020 will surpass 2019 by 4.5 percent. This means they’re projecting to ship 424,400 units this year compared to 406,070 last year. The association is also forecasting that 2021 will be their best year on record with 507,200 units shipped. This would be a 19.5 percent increase over projections for 2020. Previously, 2017 was their best year on record with 504,600 units shipped.

“This really speaks to the increase in demand that we’re seeing and the fact that we’re projecting it will be more of a long-term trend,” Geraci said. She said that the RV industry is one of the few that is experiencing a real recovery after the COVID-19 shutdown in March and April.

According to an RV Industry Association survey conducted in May 2020, 46 million Americans said they had plans to take an RV vacation sometime within the next 12 months. A similar survey in 2019 showed that 25 million Americans planned to take an RV vacation.

383,900 UNITS

452,500 UNITS

40,500 UNITS

54,700 UNITS

2020

2021

2020

2021

TOWABLE RV SHIPMENTS

MOTORHOME SHIPMENTS

“That’s a lot more people who are considering RV travel this year,” Geraci said. “Between the increase in demand and the fact that the inventory on dealer lots is so low, our manufacturers will

12 | Winter 2020

VIEWS.

be building rapidly through the next year to meet the increase in demand and to fill those dealer lots back up.”

RVS PROVIDING PANDEMIC RELIEF

Although the industry was on pause for two months, RVs and campers were not simply sitting in driveways and lots. Many were actually being used for emergency response and crisis management, which has long been a customary use in the RV and camper owner community, Geraci said.

RVs were loaned out so that frontline medical workers could quarantine away from their families in the driveway of their home. Other RVs and campers were used as mobile testing sites, isolation units, command centers and overflow beds in case hospitals were overwhelmed.

design and more space for amenities such as a bathroom, full kitchen and a separate bedroom. Although they are much smaller, Class C RVs often have similar amenities to the Class A RV. They can generally fit four to six people comfortably, sometimes even up to eight.

While most RV types are still down year over year due to factories being closed for two months in the spring, the campervan is the only type of RV that has outsold others year over year. And while it only makes up a small portion of the industry, it’s up nearly 50 percent in shipments this year, Geraci said. This growth is indicative of the fact that the fastest-growing age range for first-time RV and camper buyers is under 45.

At the beginning and height of the pandemic in March and April, RVShare, a peer-to-peer online rental company, turned their cancellations into relief bookings offering discounted or free stays for frontline medical personnel and temporary housing for essential workers who needed to keep working but also wanted to protect their families from COVID-19 exposure.

This use of RVs and campers during the pandemic really speaks to the community that is RVers, Geraci said.

“It truly is a community and it means looking out for one another,” she said.

“I’ve heard from people who just started RVing that there is always someone in the community who will help you out if you need it.”

A CLASS FOR EVERY LIFESTYLE

If you’re wondering about the different classes of RVs and campers, here’s a little cheat sheet: • Class A RVs are the big-rig RV motorhomes that are usually somewhere between 20-45 feet in length. These usually sleep between eight and ten people and some feature bunk-house style sleeping that is particularly fun for parents with a lot of kids or for grandparents to take their grandkids on an adventure. These are also great for snowbirds or people who plan to live in them for six months or more at a time as they can be quite luxurious and spacious.

• Class B RVs are the campervan style—think Sprinter van.

They’re often very agile vehicles but aren’t as spacious.

Perfect for young professionals or a couple without kids who enjoy getting outside and or camping off the grid in less populated areas.

• The Class C RVs are pretty much right in between Class A and B when it comes to size. They’re built into a regular truck or van chassis but often have a larger cab, overhead VIEWS.

When it comes to the towable classes, there are pop-up or foldable trailers, travel trailers, toy haulers, fifth-wheel trailers— think Airstreams or teardrop style trailers. These are some of the most popular travel trailers you’ll see on the road no matter where you’re traveling. Depending on the size, many have large beds, kitchens with fridges and stoves, and small bathrooms. You can even find trailers that have furnaces and air conditioning, hot water heaters, outdoor shower hookups, rear entry and many other amenities. Like a house, some research will help in the search for the RV, campervan or trailer that best fits your needs, wants and desired amenities.

NAME YOUR PRICE

Between RVs and travel trailers, there’s also the price difference to consiter. On average, you can purchase a travel trailer that you pull behind a truck for somewhere between $11,000 and $40,000, whereas an RV can range anywhere from $10,000 to $300,000. Some of the higher-end luxurious motorhomes can cost anywhere between $500,000 to $2 million. Sprinter vans, another mode of adventure increasing in popularity, are usually somewhere between $30,000 and $150,000 depending on how they are outfitted.

Keep in mind that you don’t need a special license to drive most motorhomes. If you’re driving any vehicle under 26,000 Winter 2020 | 13

pounds—as most RV classes are—you can legally drive with a regular driver’s license in all 50 states. That doesn’t mean everyone will feel comfortable driving a 26,000-pound, 40-foot motorhome. A Class B RV is the easiest to drive due to its driving flexibility and compact size. They also have good steering grip and the driving experience is similar to driving an SUV or minivan. Sometimes they even drive similar to a regular vehicle.

At Outdoorsy, an online platform that connects RV and camper owners with people interested in renting a vehicle for a vacation, one of their highest-earning RV owners made $1.3 million from renting out multiple vehicles between March 15 and Sept. 15 in 2020. April Cumming, a PR specialist for Outdoorsy, said most of their owners can expect to make about $3,200 a month from renting out their RVs or campers, which is a creative option to earn supplemental income for many who may have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

“PEOPLE ARE REALLY PRIORITIZING THEIR FINANCES AND THEIR HEALTH THESE DAYS AND ARE FINDING THAT IT’S MUCH CHEAPER TO LIVE IN AN RV BECAUSE YOU REALLY DO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY WHEN YOU THINK OF ALL EXPENSES THAT YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO CONSIDER,” CUMMING SAID. MAKE YOUR RV WORK FOR YOU

With job loss and economic stalemate brought on by the pandemic, the current economy is requiring many to look for supplemental income sources. To help with this, RVShare is encouraging RV owners to rent vehicles out when they’re not using them as a second income.

“Renting out an RV or campervan is definitely an up and coming marketing,” said Maddi Bourgerie, director of communications and PR for RVShare. “With 42 percent of our customers saying they’d consider working remotely from an RV, taking advantage of their kids flexible school schedules, and using this strange time to their advantage to get out and see new places, we think more and more people will be renting out their vehicles for this kind of usage.”

Once you own an RV, renting it out on websites like Outdoorsy and RVShare can earn you $60,000 or more in annual income.

RVShare saw a 1,600 percent increase in bookings in May 2020 compared to last year and are bringing in three times more business than they did in 2019.

“We reached a big milestone this year actually,” Bourgerie said.

“We were founded in 2013 and in the last six years, we’ve had one million days of RV and camper rental travel books. We reached two million days in 2020 so that the second million took less than a year.”

“We’re really trying to target the RV or camper owners who are out there who don’t realize they can list their vehicles and start making extra income if they want to rent out the vehicle when they aren’t using it.”

Will Casella, the owner of Explore Rentals, a Bozeman-based company that rents out campervans and truck campers, has seen a huge increase in demand locally. He doesn’t think the trend will continue indefinitely, however, not only because RV and camper use is seasonal, but also because he believes people will eventually be ready for the comfort and luxury of a hotel once more.

“I think people will have done it and then be over that type of travel once they feel more comfortable flying and staying in other people’s homes and at hotels again,” Casella said. “The second we don’t have to wear face masks every day, there’s going to be a ton of Sprinter vans for sale.”

GLAMP ON WHEELS

While you can certainly enjoy a camping experience with increased comforts in an RV or camper, the gadgets and technology that you can add to it are virtually endless—think glamping! Many motorhomes have luxury mattresses, high-end recliners, sleeper sofas, LED lighting, hot water holding tanks, a washer and dryer, air conditioning, heat, TVs mounted to the outside, slide-outs that can nearly double the amount of living space and full showers.

14 | Winter 2020

VIEWS.

Bourgerie said she expects to see more amenities in the coming months, such as wifi and more working space to sit and plug in a computer as more and more people work and learn from the road.

Another trend that Casella noticed was that people were making reservations on much later notice than usual. Unlike with air travel where you buy flights and book hotels in advance, there’s a lot more flexibility if you are driving your living space to get to your vacation or destination.

“The biggest increase is in the calls from people who are wanting to sleep in a van,” Casella said. He said Explore Rentals were receiving so many requests for vans with minimal amenities that could be slept in, they added a rental that is just a bed in a van with no other amenities. This bed-in-a-van rental has been rented out almost as much as their truck campers, which are infinitely more comfortable to camp in.

“Rentals are usually tapering down when it gets to September but [this year] it just seems to be building momentum,” Casella said. “People delayed everything until they couldn’t bear it anymore and now they just have to get out of town.”

Although Outdoorsy struggled in March and April, Cumming said the company leadership saw the possibility that things could swing back in their favor as people were itching to get outside.

“We saw this hope on the horizon and our leadership team had the foresight to know that if we stuck through it, we could potentially own the travel space in a way that we had not before,” Cumming said. “We were designed for social distant travel. There’s no getting stuck in a tight elevator or narrow hotel hallway with anyone else.”

Outdoorsy saw a 400 percent increase in rentals over Labor Day weekend from last year and 90 percent of their bookings in September were made by first-time visitors to their website.

They saw a 350 percent increase in year-over-year growth in September, and from their lowest booking day in March to their highest booking day over late July, they saw a 4,500 percent growth in bookings.

While it’s a scary and tumultuous time for many, Cumming said camping is a great way to be able to disconnect and recharge.

“You can work and still have connectivity and free wifi at a KOA campground while you’re outdoors and exploring,” she said.

“We’re not seeing the similar dip that we typically see in the fall and we think it’s going to stay pretty steady.”

INFLUENCERS HIT THE ROAD

Even the celebrities are catching on. Just about every day in the summer it seems that one celebrity or another was posting something on social media about purchasing a camper or taking a vacation in an RV. On “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” Jimmy Kimmel talked about how he purchased an RV for his family and took them on a vacation to Idaho. Justin Beiber and Hailey Baldwin, and Christina Aguilera also posted about their RV travels.

VIEWS.

Geraci said that once people experience RV life, they usually fall in love with the active outdoor lifestyle and the freedom that comes along with it. If social distancing is something that sticks around for a while as the country works to get COVID-19 under control, an increase in RV and camper travel will likely continue, she said.

“Who knows how long it will take to get back to what was considered normal before and people are traveling in the ways that they traveled in the past,” she said. “Right now, no one knows when that will be.”

According to a special report on camping and the effects of COVID-19 from Kampgrounds of America, nearly half of all leisure travelers who camp say they will be replacing one of their canceled or postponed trips with a camping trip.

This survey also reported that 39 percent of campers are interested in becoming a full-time RV-er or living the “van life.” More than half of campers say they are now somewhat or likely to consider purchasing an RV with the cleanliness of accommodations at hotels or resorts and the use of communal facilities as primary factors.

Although inventory at RV dealerships is pretty slim at the moment, Geraci said they haven’t heard about any spikes in pricing. Dealerships are reporting that they’ve got orders for RVs and campers into manufacturers that are sold before they even hit the lot, but prices are staying level. It’s never been a better time to buy, she said.

“It’s a good problem to have because we’re trying to meet the increased demand,” she said, adding that shipments are likely to stay high through the rest of the year to fill in the inventory and make up for the two lost months. “Our manufacturers are working very closely with component suppliers to make sure we’re meeting this need and increased demand.”

As the increased demand continues, it’s becoming more clear that it isn’t just a fad caused by being pent up for two months— people are falling in love with the freedom they get through RV travel. For most, it’s the easiest, cheapest and safest way to see the world, and it’s a trend that seems as though it’s here to stay.

Cumming said that although there is no way to truly predict what will happen with the pandemic, Outdoorsy is hopeful that 2021 will be “the year of travel.”

“People didn’t use the vacation budget that they allotted for 2020 travel so we think they will be booking incredible road trip vacations in 2021 and 2022,” Cumming said. “As the potential for risk gets lower and our desire for getting out decreases, those are going to collide. I think road trips are going to continue having this renaissance movement because it’s just not in human nature to want to be contained or cooped up—we need the outdoors and open spaces.”

Winter 2020 | 15

A LOOK BACK: SW MONTANA REAL ESTATE STATS Q3 2020

In Q3 2020, Bozeman residential sales were up

In Q3 2020, Big Sky residential sales were up

+37.8%

+113.2%

Over Q3 2019

Over Q3 2019

MONTHS SUPPLY OF RESIDENTIAL INVENTORY FOR SALE

8.5 5.5

3.6 1.6 BOZEMAN 2019

2020

-55.6%

BIG SKY 2019

2020

-35.3%

BOZEMAN

BIG SKY

Median % of Last List Price

Median % of Last List Price

Q3 2020

Q3 2020

100%

Stats brought to you by:

98.1%

LKRealEstate.com

RESIDENTIAL & LAND SALES PERFORMANCE Q3 2020 AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL SALES PRICE $1,719,230

$1.8M $1.6M

Bozeman Big Sky

$1,400,742

$1.4M $1.2M

$941,136

$1.0M $0.8M $0.6M

July 2020-Sept. 2020

$592,496

$519,200

$477,512

Bozeman $592,496 | +14.1%

$0.4M $0.2M $0

+8.7% 2018

+48.8%

+14.1%

2019

+22.7%

Big Sky $1,719,230 | +22.7%

2020

AVERAGE LAND SALES PRICE $800K

Bozeman

$582,735

$600K

Big Sky

$480,981 $400K

$319,025

$397,685

July 2020-Sept. 2020

$306,943

$237,752

$200K

Bozeman $306,943 | +29.1%

$0

Big Sky $582,735 | +21.2%

-25.5% 2018

+20.9%

+29.1%

2019

+21.2% 2020

DOLLAR VOLUME OF CLOSED SALES - RESIDENTIAL $393.4M

$400M

Big Sky

$300M

$250.3M

$211.5M

$194M

$200M

$100M

Bozeman

$0

+18.3% 2018

Bozeman $393,417,042 | +57.2%

$74.2M

$64.9M

+14.3% 2019

July 2020-Sept. 2020

+57.2%

+161.7%

Big Sky $194,272,968 | +161.7%

2020

All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such. These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Statistical information obtained through MLS, information considered reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2019 LK REAL ESTATE lkrealestate.com * Private Club membership by invitation or upon approval **Per MLS as of date of publishing

Ice Dams? Water Leaks? Smoke Damage?

We’ve Got You Covered and We’ll Exceed Your Expectations robert.kerdasha@assuredpartners.com assuredpartners.com 406.640.0375

BIG SKY IS CALLING. YOU MIGHT WANT TO ANSWER THAT.

B IGSKY R EA LESTA TE.CO M

BIGSKYBUILD.COM | 406.995.3670 | BIG SKY, MT USA

THE SKYLINE ARCHITECT AS BOZEMAN GROWS, THE ARMORY HOTEL CONNECTS PAST AND PRESENT

BY MIRA BRODY

20 | Winter 2020

VIEWS.

Two large metal light fixtures stand sentry on either side of the main entrance of the Armory Hotel in downtown Bozeman, Montana. At nine stories tall in the epicenter of the fastest growing county of its size in the country, the fixtures stand as one of the many decorative links to the building’s—and downtown’s—past. They’re the same light fixtures that were a part of the original building and carefully sketched in architect Fred Fielding Willson’s precise graphite lines in his blueprints for the Armory building drafted in 1940.

From the top of the hotel, now the tallest building in town, you’ll easily catch sight of more of Willson’s work, including one of the most iconic, taking up most of your western view: the Baxter Hotel, its 11 glowing red letters and the infamous Bridger Beacon nestled just below.

Other Willson designs include the Gallatin County Courthouse, the Emerson, DokkenNelson Funeral Home, Longfellow School, countless houses of varying elegance and style in the Historic District, and the first two floors of the Armory itself. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to stand anywhere within a two-mile radius of downtown and not spot a building designed by Willson.

When it first opened, the Armory at 24 W. Mendenhall Street housed the Charlie Company and the headquarters of the 163rd Infantry Regiment—a VIEWS.

National Guard unit from across the state of Montana. The 163rd is recognized for their role in New Guinea, the Philippines and the occupation of Japan during and after World War II. The Armory in 1941 was a modest, two-story concrete structure with distinct v-shaped chevrons and a soundproof band practice room, indoor rifle range and thick floors capable of accommodating military trucks and tanks. It was dedicated during a difficult time in the country’s history—Pearl Harbor had just been attacked, formally hurling the U.S. into the second world war.

In the 80 years since, the building has seen its share of occupants and uses. It stands as a living homage to the community’s history, one of Bozeman’s more prominent historical figures, the city’s role in war and its belief in protecting its past. The building’s adaptations over the decades reveal a timeline of Bozeman itself, from a gold-born township to the fast-growing Western destination it is today.

Most of all though, the Armory stands for the very reason so many people have moved here over the decades—the search for a sense of place.

WILLSON, A ‘HOMETOWN BOY’

In order to understand the Armory, it helps to know Fred F. Willson himself. Born in 1877 in Bozeman, the architect had a heritage worthy of any proud Montanan. He attended the town’s public schools as well as the Bozeman Academy and Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts before earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Columbia University in New York in 1902.

Willson traveled Europe to further his architectural education, visiting several countries including France, Germany, Italy and Britain, and studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. His diary entries during this time reveal his impressions of European architecture and lifestyle during the early 20th century, which he described as “eclectic” according to Bozeman Daily Chronicle article from 2014.

He left Europe for New York in 1906 to work for the architecture firm Visscher & Burley, but later that same year returned to Montana to take charge of the offices of architects Link & Haire in Butte where he worked until 1910.

It was then that Willson returned to his hometown for good, and still rests in the Sunset Hills Cemetery. He brought with him the inspiration collected from his travels that now mark the neighborhoods of Bozeman. These influences are revealed in his designs, which include multiple architectural styles: Georgian, Mission Revival, Art Deco and Craftsman.

While Willson believed in functionality, he was also a strong believer in the power that art and beauty in architecture can bring a community.

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“There is a fundamental reason for every feature embodied in a structure,” Willson said in a 1954 address at Montana State University, two years before his death. “It must have refinement, simplicity, beauty and good taste. Thus, an architect’s business is to make the things of daily life beautiful.”

In 1927, Willson designed the three-story structure for Eagle’s Store on the site of the original shop built in West Yellowstone, Montana, in 1908. Willson donated his expertise in order to promote the rustic architectural style of the National Park Service as tourism into the park steadily grew.

The design was similar to that of Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, which features exposed logs as a key design element. When designing Eagle’s, Willson set fir logs measuring 18-36 feet long into a base of rhyolite and concrete. It remains the oldest operating business in West Yellowstone.

The Baxter Hotel, another of Willson’s crown jewels, was completed in March 1929 and has seen its share of renovations over the years, namely giving the historic Bacchus Pub a facelift along with the residences above. Erected when the building was completed in 1929, the infamous glowing red rooftop signage was intended to be seen from the top of mountain passes up to 70 miles away and serve as a beacon for travelers.

“I think of Fred Willson as an architect and as a hometown boy,” said Derek Strahn, who served as the Bozeman City History Preservation Officer from 1992-2001. “He grew up here and had a love for Bozeman and he was, over decades, able to give back to the community in ways that was sensitive to what already existed.”

Willson’s work, although adapted through the years, has gathered the community, educated youth, housed residents, informed rambunctious skiers and welcomed visitors for generations. The community in turn has found value in rallying around him and what he left behind.

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‘A STRUCTURE OF FUNCTIONAL DESIGN’

If you visit the Bozeman Historic Preservation webpage on the city’s website and meander down to the historic architecture inventory map, you’ll notice it’s speckled with a key of rainbow dots, each indicating a site of importance. The Historic Preservation Board is responsible for mapping out Bozeman’s architectural history and bridging the gap between its past and future.

From the start, the Armory seemed destined to face its share of obstacles. In 1941, just before the building was slated to open, the Bozeman Courier reported on a series of litigations involving the city’s annual monetary allotment for it to remain under the ownership of the state Armory Board. On Friday, April 3, 1942, the Courier wrote that the final cornerstone was laid “touched with grim and serious times.” Pearl Harbor had been attacked, the country was at war and the building stood as a sign of hope and patriotism to the community of Bozeman. “… not often in peace time and less often in war does a Montana community secure a complete new armory building,” the Courier stated. Another article, published just before the building was dedicated, spoke to the will of Bozemanites: “At least this spacious, $137,661 reinforced, monolithic, concrete structure of modern and functional design represents this community’s resolve that never again shall our nation be caught off-guard and ill-prepared to meet enemies of democracy.”

Spared from action during the Korean and Vietnam wars after the World War II, the 163rd drilled on West Mendenhall until the 1990s, keeping busy stateside with forest fires, natural disasters and the occasional prison riot.

The National Guard completed their new facility in Gallatin Field in 2003. In 2004, a developer had dreams of turning it into a $40 million performing art center—a project that fell through—then it briefly housed some artists, a band and a retail store. The developers who owned it at that time closed the building in 2006 and applied to have it demolished.

It was around this time, early in the new millennium, that Bozeman began experiencing its first pangs of growth and development. The city’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board was working on a few different projects: acquire the Story Mansion on which the construction of half a dozen homes was being proposed; prevent the destruction of the old railroad depot where the new library now stands; and the Armory.

On Feb. 25, 2008, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that the city’s commission voted 4-1 to demolish the building in order to replace it with a four-story commercial and residential space. It’s a ruling that growing communities are all too familiar with—out with the old, in with the new.

“It does not have any economic viability remaining,” Commissioner Jeff Krauss told the Chronicle. “It might have VIEWS.

a fine, heavy-duty concrete shell, but the demand for what we need downtown is not for a building with a firing range and not a building that can hold a Sherman tank.”

The Armory was written off during these deliberations because of the industrialized appearance that many commissioners felt didn’t fit with the rest of downtown. Many insinuated that it was an eyesore worthy of its ill fate.

“At the time a lot of people thought it was kind of an ugly building,” Strahn said. “I thought it was kind of a cool building and historically connected to a part of Bozeman’s history that we don’t have a lot of. There’s not a ton from that World War II era and I was really interested in seeing it preserved for that reason.”

Mark Hufstetler, an architectural historian and Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory board member was quoted in an article from the Montana Standard dated Feb. 4, 2008, saying that more was at stake than the loss of an ugly building. “If that new construction ends up overshadowing the old stuff, then our historic character is irrevocably gone,” Hufstetler said.

It’s hard to imagine a wrecking ball permeate a wartime military building made predominantly of concrete, but needless to say, the ball never swung. The Armory is still standing as a testament to the wide array of citizens who stood up in her defense.

Following numerous community appeals and in lieu of foreclosure and an eventual sale, First Interstate Bank reclaimed the Armory from the developers in 2011 through a deed. Although there were multiple interested buyers, in 2012 it sold to Cory Lawrence, who owns Bozeman-based travel agency Off the Beaten Path and had dreams of building a hotel and music hall.

“FOR US, IT HAS TO CARRY THE TORCH OF FRED WILLSON’S LEGACY,” LAWRENCE, WHO STILL LEADS THE HOTEL’S OWNERSHIP GROUP, TOLD THE CHRONICLE IN MARCH OF 2012. “IT HAS TO ILLUSTRATE THE HISTORY THAT WE’VE MADE AND THE HISTORY THAT WE’RE MAKING.” After a decade of paperwork, permits, meetings, construction, construction stoppages, redesigns and renames, construction on the hotel began in May of 2018, and the Armory started to breathe again.

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Strahn says that preserving the core of a community is a key element to responsible growth. He believes that historic structures are not only a tool to educate and inspire, but also serve as economic value and that, despite the changing times, it is a town’s historic relics that provide a sense of connection.

“I think that first and foremost one of the things that really attracts people to Bozeman is its sense of place,” Strahn said. “People are here because they’ve been inspired by the environment and I think that that’s a value that’s always been here whether it was the initial pioneers because they saw the valley as a fertile place to stake a claim and establish homesteads, or more recently people coming here as trust-funders who are interested in a certain quality of life and are willing to sacrifice a few things for that.”

The art deco architecture Willson embraced for the Armory was a product of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, a movement meant to provide relief after the Great Depression.

The construction of the building was financed by Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, and in a twist of irony its style was meant to appear futuristic so viewers could gaze eagerly toward brighter prospects.

FILLING IN WILLSON’S SKETCHES

Today, walking through the hotel’s second floor on the mezzanine above the stage offers slices of its past, literally. The building’s designers opted to reveal pieces of the concrete walls as a tribute to the building beneath. The concrete used in the World War II era is speckled with pieces of stone, wood and rebar, making for a sort of industrialized mosaic.

The contractors and hotel, an operation of the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group based in San Francisco, pay homage to the building’s legacy and the history of the area, as well as Willson’s artistic mind and the vision he had for the city of Bozeman.

“I’ve heard stories here from prom being hosted here, to a taco shop getting their start here, to jazzercise,” said Aaron Whitten, the Armory Hotel’s general manager. “This space has lived quite a few lives since that original 1941 Armory … Everyone that I’ve talked to in town has a story or connection or an experience with this particular building in one capacity or another.”

The dance floor below, the one on which the Sherman tanks would once waltz, looks onto a stage that will host performances for up to 600 people.

The restaurant, appropriately named Fielding’s after Willson’s middle name, is a step back in time to traditional American cooking and dining.

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THE UNDERGROUND WHISKEY BAR, TUNE UP, IS IN THE OLD SOUNDPROOF INFANTRY BAND ROOM, WHERE THE SOUND OF DRUMS, FLUTES AND TRUMPETS WOULD FILL THE SPACE IN THE ‘40S.

Juxtaposing the Armory’s masculinity and bold art deco style are pieces of its female ancestry as well. After all, it was Etha Story, the daughter-in-law of another Bozeman pioneer Nelson Story, who raised the funds that were donated to procure the land where the Armory was built.

Armory staff worked alongside Susan Denson-Guy, executive director of the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture, to curate unique and custom fine art pieces for the interior. Among those artists are Vicki Fish, Will Hunter and DG House, who painted a one-of-a-kind “Armory Bear” for the hotel’s Green Room.

“It’s really, really special that we were able to connect with such passionate artists in the area,” Whitten told VIEWS. “The art and space were inspired by each other.”

On the ninth-floor rooftop, the rooftop pool and lounge chairs make the historical aspect of the building a bit foggy, but in the basement you get a stronger taste for what the original Armory was nearly 80 years ago. The underground whiskey bar, Tune Up, is in the old soundproof infantry band room, where the sound of drums, flutes and trumpets would fill the space in the ‘40s.

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“I do think new development could take a lesson from the Armory project and pay respects to the historical fabric of our city,” Strahn said of the hotel’s development process. “Not that we need to freeze downtown Bozeman in time, but we need to reference it architecturally. It’s really awesome they’re built to last, made with materials that are made with craftsmanship not in modern construction.”

Towering over the other high-rises that seem to grow overnight in the downtown area, the building’s wartime modesty is barely recognizable today, but features still exist that reference its past.

Those two large, original metal light fixtures that hang on either side of the entrance weren’t part of the early building, but did actually appear in Willson’s early blueprints. According to historical inventory documents at the Gallatin History Museum, those components are thought to have been left off in part because of the time the building was erected. During World War II, building materials and capable workers were both hard to come by.

Finally, after a few iterations, the glowing sentries have found their place.

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wilderness, endless ski terrain and closeness with nature are a few of the many reasons why people love to call Big Sky home.

From the Gallatin River to the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and all the wild spaces in between, Big Sky is filled with outdoor recreation opportunities and unparalleled scenery. It’s a place for outdoor enthusiasts and anyone with an appreciation for fresh air. As stewards of the Last Best Place, residents of Big Sky put a high value on protecting the natural resources and landscape that come with it.

The area businesses are no different in their eagerness to preserve Big Sky’s beauty and wellbeing for future generations to inherit.

The value of Big Sky’s natural resources is important for tourism and vitality of the community.

With the values of Big Sky and Gallatin Valley residents at the forefront, First Security Bank is introducing a company-wide program with a community-minded incentive that encourages account holders to switch to paperless banking. Opting into paperless banking reduces the amount of paper used and is an easy way to reduce paper usage for anyone who does not require

a monthly statement. Since account statements can be accessed easily through online banking, many people are moving away from opening their statements as they come in the mail.

“This is a way we can do some good and cut back on the paper waste,” said Tyler Wheeler, director of marketing at First Security Bank.

Although paperless banking has been an available option for account holders for a long time, and all customers are required to either receive a printed or digital version of their statement, First Security Bank is eager to boost the switch to digital banking and encourage the mindful use of paper. With a high consideration given to local values, the bank has decided to plant a tree for every conversion to paperless banking. Giving back to the natural environment is important to First Security Bank, recognizing that if it matters to their community it matters to them. Not only will account holders be able to minimize their paper usage, they will now be planting a tree for the benefit of the environment.

To assure the planting is completed effectively, First Security Bank has partnered with the National Forest Foundation to

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oversee the tree planting operations and selection of areas in need of revegetation.

The National Forest Foundation is headquartered in Missoula, Montana, and is committed to encouraging Americans to be actively engaged in advocating for the wellbeing of our national forests and their public enjoyment. With the help of individuals, corporations and small businesses such as First Security Bank, the Forest Foundation is working diligently towards restoring valuable habitat for wildlife, offsetting the harmful effects of climate change and improving water quality and soil aggregate stability through their reforestation efforts.

As First Security Bank account holders make the switch to digital banking, native trees will be planted in National Forests in dire need of reforestation. The National Forest Foundation has already planted trees on the east and west coasts, as well as in many national forest areas in-between. The National Forest Foundation has even completed restoration projects close to Big Sky. One nearby project included planting 51,651 resilient whitebark pine in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in 2019. This was a vital wildlife habitat restoration project that followed the Monument Fire, which burned over 6,000 acres of forest in 2018. Another successful planting project near Big Sky took place in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest where almost 100,000 seedlings were planted to help restore the serious destruction left behind by the Winslow Fire in 2012.

TO HELP ASSURE successful reforestation projects,

the National Forest Foundation works closely with the U.S. Forest Service to plant native trees in locations that have been damaged by natural disturbances such as wildfires, insect kill and harmful tree diseases. The planting locations, which are carefully selected by Forest Service professionals, are identified as areas that would not only benefit from new trees, but also where those trees are deemed to experience successful growth.

The National Forest Foundation is working towards a goal of planting 50 million trees in order to reforest national Forests all over the country. To date, the foundation has planted more than 17 million trees in national forest areas and First Security Bank is proud to join in on this campaign as their account holders make the switch to paperless banking. Currently, 32 percent of First Security Bank account holders bank digitally and they hope to see an 8 percent increase with the introduction of this new program.

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“IT’S A WORTHY CAUSE ESPECIALLY WITH THE FIRES WE HAD IN BOZEMAN,” WHEELER SAID, AFTER WITNESSING THE DESTRUCTION OF BIG SKY’S NEIGHBORING BRIDGER MOUNTAINS IN THE BRIDGER FOOTHILLS FIRE IN SEPTEMBER. Being positioned on the edge of the Gallatin Custer National Forest and Lee Metcalf Wilderness, contributing to the wellbeing of public lands is a deep matter of importance to First Security Bank.

The switch to paperless banking does more good for the environment than ever with First Security Bank’s new program and it’s easy to participate. Account holders can effortlessly elect to receive digital statements through the user-friendly online banking portal. After making the switch to digital banking, account holders can access posted statements online through the online banking portal. Viewing and printing statements is easy to do whenever necessary and an email notification will be sent with the arrival of each new statement. All of the same important account information is available without the excess paper in your mailbox.

As an active member of the community, First Security Bank is eager to participate in local events and activities while keeping the benefit of Big Sky and Gallatin Valley residents in mind. In addition to helping to plant new trees, First Security Bank is regularly seen taking part in community events and supporting local organizations, which, according to Wheeler, is what sets a small local bank apart from big federal banks. As he puts it, “A bank is only going to be as strong as the community that it serves.”

On the frontline during many community events, First Security Bank is eager to be an involved business positively contributing to the wellbeing of Big Sky. Throughout the year, the bank offers sponsorship and donations to many of Big Sky’s events including the Friday Afternoon Club, Big Sky PBR, the Art Council’s Music in the Mountains series and the Big Sky Farmers Market.

The staff can even be seen actively participating in events like the Annual Christmas Stroll by passing out goodies and spreading holiday cheer!

In Big Sky, the deep powder in the winter brings a long and prosperous ski season attracting visitors from all over the world.

When the snowpack melts from the peaks in the springtime, Big Sky transforms into a destination for whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River, warm weather fly fishing, hiking and world class mountain biking. The protection of the area’s natural resources is vital to maintaining the fabric of Big Sky and the outdoor lifestyle here.

First Security Bank is committed to helping Big Sky prosper economically, socially and environmentally. By planting a tree for every switch to paperless banking, First Security Bank is giving back to the natural landscapes that Big Sky and Gallatin Valley residents value so passionately.

Winter 2020 | 29

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The wilderness encompasses about 259,000± acres and is generally surrounded by public land of some type.

The smallest unit surrounds the Madison River just to the north of Ennis or Meadow Lake. This 6,000± acre component is known as the Bear Trap and is administrated by the BLM. The Madison River, a world renown fishing treasure generally known as a floaters paradise - drift boats and rafts float leisurely northward in the heart of the Madison Valley in what is often referenced as a “Fifty Mile Riffle”. As the river leaves Ennis or Meadow Lake to the north of Ennis, the character of the river changes. Instead of flowing through a broad valley the river enters a canyon creating a whitewater frenzy with some of the best white water rafting in Montana.

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The last portion of the Metcalf is the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. Generally lying between Big Sky, Montana and Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch, this 76,000± acre beauty has high alpine lakes such as the Chilled Lakes, Thompson and Mirror Lake which lies just on the border of the wilderness but within the Gallatin National Forest. The Spanish Peak portion has over 110 miles of trails and can be accessed from a variety of trailheads. Two of those trailheads are in Big Sky, the Northfork and Beehive Basin trails. To the north along highway 191, the Deer Creek Trail provides access and further north from the Flying D, the Spanish Peak Cabin trail both lead into the Metcalf. From the west side in the Madison Valley, the Mill Creek and Old Indian Trail provide public access.

In Big Sky, the Northfork Trail begins just west of Lone Mountain Guest Ranch, the trail winds its way through private land before reaching the Spanish Peaks Wilderness.

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VOLUME 6

Finding Home in Big Sky

BY EMILY STIFLER WOLFE

As people escape cities in search of fresh air, open space and freedom, many have discovered Big Sky. With low real estate inventory and high demand for real estate, the market is as hot as ever.

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ampbell Schnebly and James Murphy walk beside a buck rail fence, sunlight just starting to warm the fall morning air. They pause to take it all in—the sage-covered hillside, the blue October sky and the aspens burning gold in the distance.

Schnebly places her head on Murphy’s shoulder.

“I’ve always been a tourist here,” Murphy says quietly as they hike up a steep two-track road a few minutes later.

Growing up in Naples, Florida, Murphy, 32, visited his family’s vacation home in Big Sky two or three times a year, and his father Jim, owner of Continental Construction, built homes in both Naples and Big Sky. But a career in wellness startups took Murphy to New York, where the city’s professional opportunities and vibrant culture kept him for six years. After the couple got engaged in December, they started looking at real estate in the hip Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo. “It feels comical now that was on the radar,” says Murphy.

In March, they were on a ski trip in Big Sky when the pandemic began to escalate. The plan was to stay for a week, but instead, they stayed through the summer, then into the fall, only returning to the city in September to move out of their apartments. At first it felt like they were playing hooky on New York and their jobs, but as working remotely became the professional norm, they leaned in.

“The pandemic was a really unexpected opportunity to try out life here in a real way, and we fell in love with it,” said Schnebly, 28, a writer and literary agent in publishing. “It’s the contact with nature, the ability to be more active, and how social life here revolves around being outdoors and adventuring.”

When a dreamy 65-acre property on Beaver Creek popped up on Zillow, they went to see it on a whim and put in an offer 24 hours later. They plan to renovate the existing 1970s cabin to “live into it” for a few years before building a home.

“It felt meant to be,” Schnebly said.

While they’ll miss the city’s vibrant energy, Schnebly said they’re excited to become part of the Big Sky community, where they’ve already made friends and become part of a business venture. Since July, they’ve been working with another couple to operate Toast—the restaurant owned

by Lone Mountain Land Company, recently rebranded as Acre—which Schnebly hopes will serve as a gathering spot like the cafes and hangouts they loved in New York.

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On any given day, the parking lot for the Wilson Hotel had cars with license plates from 20 different states.

Mountain bikers came to ride the area’s 60-plus miles of trails, people filtered through the weekly summer farmers market and local businesses were hopping.

“We’ve been really fortunate that Big Sky seems like it’s a safe place to come,” said Callie Stolz, a Big Sky resident since 1996, and owner of Santosha Wellness Center.

While the yoga classes were relatively quiet this summer and fall, demand for Santosha’s bodywork services stayed high into the fall, a season that’s usually quiet. “It was so busy going into the shoulder season that it makes me wonder what the winter has in store for us.”

The K-12 public school system saw a 10 percent increase in enrollment over last year, with 35 additional students.

Big Sky School District Superintendent Dustin Shipman said it is likely a result of families moving to the area this summer, or others who had second homes already and decided to stay. The local private school, Big Sky Discovery Academy, is at capacity, with 64 students, 12 more than last year. Most of its pre-K through high school programs have a waitlist.

Kathryn Moos and Jeff Mroz, founders of OWYN, a plant-based nutrition company based in New York, are Schnebly and Murphy’s business partners at Acre. They too, came out for a ski trip in March and never left and were under contract to purchase a home by late October.

In terms of real estate, as of September the median sales price for a single family home was $1,711,150—1 percent higher year to date as compared to the same period in 2019—while the condo and townhome market was up 12 percent to $600,000, according to the Gallatin Association of Realtors. During September, inventory was down 54 percent for single family homes and 57 percent for townhomes and condos, as compared to last September.

Both couples are part of what the Washington Post has dubbed the “Impromptu Great American Migration of 2020,” which has drawn city dwellers to rural places nationwide. With the pandemic, civil unrest and widespread wildfires pushing people out of major cities, many were seeking peace of mind and safety in small, quieter communities with open space. Add to that recordlow interest rates, and ski resort towns in the Rockies saw a boom in home sales this past summer. In Big Sky— where the market has already grown steadily over the last decade alongside the addition of new infrastructure, amenities and resources—demand was up, inventory was down, and real estate was moving faster than ever.

“There has been a noticeable incremental increase in activity and urgency,” said Eric Ossorio, managing broker with Engel and Völkers Big Sky office. Agents in Big Sky since 1992, Ossorio and his wife Stacy are the listing agents on the property Schnebly and Murphy were under contract for along Beaver Creek, and said if the couple had decided not to buy their place, it would have been back under contract within a day because they had backup offers.

hile public safety regulations caused Big Sky to cancel its signature summer events like the Music in the Mountains summer concert series and Big Sky PBR, it wasn’t exactly a slow summer or fall around town.

“Things have gotten a little bit more frenzied, because now all a sudden you’re finding people who are competing for properties,” Ossorio said. “If you’re living in San Diego, Portland, Atlanta or other urban population centers, where there are fires and riots, you don’t want to spend 24 months building a house. You need a safety valve.”

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While the number of transactions was similar to years past, Ossorio said the balance was shifting toward more demand for improved property, as compared to land, and many buyers paid cash.

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Kirkpatrick is a partner in a large architecture firm and Everett manages the southeast region for a national engineering company.

The couple typically spends around 12 weeks a year in Big Sky, skiing and hiking with their 20-year-old son, shooting competitive clays at the range near Three Forks, and working remotely. This past summer, they decided it was time to trade Atlanta for Montana for even more days of the year.

“Atlanta feels very unsafe right now in a lot of ways,” Kirkpatrick said. “From a financial perspective, from a social perspective, and in some cases, physically unsafe, like when we were kept up all night with guns and riots and the National Guard, and people shooting and lockdowns for days on end.” She described the helicopters that buzzed over their home with search lights during the riots and said on top of that, the severe quarantine restrictions for the last six months left them feeling trapped.

Stephanie Kirkpatrick, Stan Everett and their son Xander hiking on Lone Mountain during a visit this past summer. Since getting married at 11,300-feet above the town of Telluride, Colorado, in 1998, Kirkpatrick and Everett skied all over North America.

After their first visit to Big Sky from their home in Atlanta a dozen years ago, they kept returning and eventually bought a place across from the main entrance to the ski resort. Now they’re looking to expand their footprint in Montana.

Sales were also strong at the Yellowstone Club, a private ski and golf community where most properties are not listed on the Multiple Listing Service.

“We had an all-time summer, in terms of sales activity,” said Bill Collins, the club’s director of sales in midOctober. “Demand is at an all-time high, while inventory is at an all-time low.”

Neighboring Bozeman was already the fastest-growing U.S. micropolitan area for several years in a row, and its population will likely pass 50,000 once the 2020 census results are released. As of September, the median year to date sales price on single family homes within city limits was up 10 percent over last year to $512,000, with less than a month’s supply of inventory available. The markets in Western Montana and in the Billings area were showing similar trends, most notably Flathead County, which includes Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell, where the median sales price for single family homes was up 11 percent to $396,094 year to date, as compared to last. ontana has a lot of appeal for Stephanie Kirkpatrick and Stan Everett, who’ve had a second home in Big Sky since 2014.

Longtime residents of Atlanta, Georgia,

As of October, they were considering buying land elsewhere in Montana, but still within a three-hour radius of Big Sky. They’d spend summers there and keep their ski house at the mountain, while still returning to Atlanta for work, when necessary.

“We drive from the airport up to Big Sky, and it feels like home now to me—much more than Atlanta does,” said Everett, who’s lived in Atlanta since 1970. He’s approaching retirement and wants a place where he could raise chickens and goats, grow vegetables or shoot wild game, if needed.

“The freedom we feel in Montana, the lack of restrictions—of people not telling you where you have to go and what you have to do—it’s a very different feeling [than] being in a big city,” Everett said.

A number of their neighbors in Atlanta are also moving out, Kirkpatrick said. “There is an exodus … to as far away as they can get that makes sense—whether it’s to north Georgia or in our case, Montana. Other people are going to Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho.”

And with such a hot land market in Montana, property often moves so quickly that people make offers sight unseen—including the Kirkpatricks and Everetts.

“To be able to even look at a place, you [sometimes] have to put an offer on it or it’s gone by the time you get there,” Everett said.

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Darren, Bree, Aria and Cecelia Reinig skiing at Big Sky Resort over New Years 2018/2019. The Reinigs have been trying to buy back into Big Sky since they had to sell their townhouse during the last financial crisis.

hen Darren Reinig first skied at Big Sky Resort in 2005, he knew it was a place he wanted to spend more time. After growing up in Auburn, California, an hour and a half from Lake Tahoe, he moved to San Diego for college and then to New York for business school. Now 46, Reinig lives with his family in southern California.

While Big Sky has more public infrastructure, private homes and amenities than the first time he visited 15 years ago, he sees other things that haven’t changed.

“What’s still the same is what makes this place so attractive—it’s rustic, it’s beautiful, it’s wide open,” Reinig said. “You have Yellowstone [nearby], so you’re never going to see development there. … This is not a place people go to be seen. It’s a place people go to get away. … This is not the Aspen crowd, and that’s what I find attractive.”

A managing partner at the investment advisory firm LourdMurray, Reinig has been trying to buy back into Big Sky since he had to sell the townhome he owned for a few years during the financial crisis. After spending the summer in a rental house here with their two daughters, Reinig and his wife Bree put an offer on land in the VIEWS.

Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in late September. They’d already missed a few other places when they hesitated, and another potential buyer from California was also touring the property simultaneously, so this time they moved quickly. But after the seller changed his mind and decided to keep the property and develop it himself, they were back in the market again, looking for anything from a condo to a finished home to raw land.

“There’s so little inventory, and we’re going to have to pay a premium to get in, so we’re just going to be patient. …

This is about where I want to [have] a second home and possibly live in a few years.”

And while Big Sky may be more expensive than in years past, Reinig sees it as a good value compared to other places he’s considered like Jackson, Wyoming, Summit County, Colorado, and Park City, Utah.

“When I saw Big Sky, I couldn’t believe that a place this nice existed and was basically untouched. I like that it’s wide open, it’s not built out and the skiing is awesome. … If you enjoy mountain sports, where are you going to beat this?”

Winter 2020 | 39

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AL DER & TWE E D: ESCAPE TO HOM E

BY PATRICK STRAUB Living in Big Sky may appear as the life of hyperbole. Our ski runs feel longer, our powder seems deeper. Our rivers teem with more trout and our forests go on for miles. Our wild just feels wilder. When the last run of the day is made, the final dry fly is cast, or the day’s peak is bagged, coming home is the affirmation of knowing a day was not wasted. Creating a home’s interior—one to synergize with the grandeur of the land we call home—demands a similar passion for mountain adventure.

Hemingway wrote “where a man feels at home, outside of where he’s born, is where he’s meant to go.” We can imagine him sitting in his chair looking towards Lone Mountain as the morning sunlight tops the peak and crawls down into the bowl. Home, for those living in our mountain hamlet, is the jumping-off point for outdoor adventure. If a home is where the adventures begin, its interior design must be worthy of embracing where we are truly meant to go…and that is home.

As big as the vistas in greater Yellowstone, is the passion behind Alder & Tweed’s luxe, yet approachable home design process. Stepping into the Alder & Tweed office in Big Sky creates a sense of arrival, as if you’re already a local. Greeted with a smile and a genuine “How’s your day going today?” from Elise Clark, the office’s Director of Business Relations. For Clark and Alder & Tweed clients, from start to finish, the personal touch is reassuring as fresh snow on the mountain.

Having started her day with an early hike or run with her dogs, Clark’s been in touch with clients early. “It is my passion to help our clients understand and meet their goals,” she says. “The design team we have here is so connected with the Big Sky community, our inspirations are also those of our clients.”

Alder & Tweed is no stranger to luxury home design inspired from an outdoor lifestyle. For over fifteen years they have set the bar in creating a one-of-a-kind home design experience. With offices in Big Sky, Park City and New York, the team in Big Sky understands the marriage of modern sophistication blended with mountain enlightenment to create a home that will bring an owner’s vision to life.

This is a family business owned by Reed, Heather and Lynsey Humphrey and all three are involved daily. Like the Humphrey brother and sister’s team, the Big Sky Alder & Tweed team cherishes the values of the Big Sky community—working hard and playing hard throughout the natural landscape. By living and working in the local community, the Big Sky office team is able to give new and existing homeowners a one-of-a-kind design with impeccable service.

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W H AT I N S PI R ES YO U I N S PI R ES US FAVORITE SKI RUN AT EITHER BIG SKY OR YC “Lone Mountain has amazing XC trails!”

- KC Smelser, Designer FAVORITE MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAIL “Big Sky free bike trail is definitely Mountain to Meadow. It’s got the climb, a flow track and those tight turns. I always end Mountain to Meadow with a cold beer at Beehive Brewery.”

-Madison Woith, Office Administrator FAVORITE WAY TO KILL AN HOUR IN BIG SKY “Big Sky Ice Rink is a great spot in the winter. When summer comes around, Big Sky Town Center Plaza has great live music.”

-Bradley Jespersen, Logistics Coordinator

“Our preparation starts well before we meet with a new or return client,” Clark says. “We know the value of everyone’s time. And we create spaces that allow our clients to enjoy that precious gift of time here in Big Sky.” Vacation home living is about enjoying time away from the distractions of every day. What one owner may find exciting about a vacation home another may not. The mountains, rivers and peaks that define Big Sky and the surrounding environs are what brought—and keep—many of us here. Alder & Tweed’s designers combine the balance between luxury and an escape to the natural environment without sacrificing the wantonness to be at home, yet still in the wild.

In our current state of living in a global pandemic, time at home is more abundant than ever. Our homes are now many things— offices, classrooms, gyms, nurseries, places to go for date-nights or dinners with friends, playgrounds and much more. With over a decade of experience, Alder & Tweed has worked with its clients to create all of these attributes of a well-designed home and bring a client’s vision to life.

Similar to design trends of the past, life in current times is creating its own set of trends and fashions. As people desire for a simple lifestyle, the need for a home to be a complete package has never been more important. The needs of what a home can, and should do, have changed dramatically.

“With our home designs we can calm down the chaos of the current times and create a home that is a sanctuary,” said Heather Humphrey, one of the co-founders of Alder & Tweed.

“With the marvelous textures and colors of the landscape in Big Sky and the backdrop of the mountains, our design team is inspired by the same things that inspire our clients—those majestic mountains and outdoors we look at every day.”

Homeowners are now designing interior spaces that aspire to bring the outdoors in. A busy executive can cross-country ski Lone Mountain Ranch in the early morning and can still make VIEWS.

“Having a drink on the heated patio of Lone Mountain Ranch.

They also have live music during happy hours!”

-Daniel Bontrop, Senior Designer FAVORITE MEAL “The cherry blossom room at Blue Buddha is one of my favorite spots. The restaurant is fun and the open patio is so relaxing on warm summer nights. The live music on Friday evenings is awesome.”

- Elise Clark, Director of New Business “Olive B’s has a great lunch. The chicken breast caprese is consistently delicious!”- Ashley Powers, Senior Designer “Ordering from Alberto’s! When we can, we love to have company lunches and Alberto’s is our favorite! I love their verde chicken and cheese enchiladas and we always order an extra order of chips and guac, just in case!”- Lindsey Treasure, Design Director FAVORITE LEG-BURNING, HEART-THUMPING HIKE “I like Lone Peak via Bone Crusher because from the summit, you can appreciate the most scenic overlook and see the mountain goats, especially on blue sky days!” -Ali May, Interior Design Manager FAVORITE “TAKE THE OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS” HIKE “I love Ousel Falls and always take my family there when they come to visit. It’s short and easy and my toddler loves playing in the waterfall at the end.”- Lindsey Treasure, Design Director FAVORITE GOLF HOLE “In general, I really just love playing the golf course when I can.

Everyone is so friendly, there is a real sense of community and the 360-degree views are breathtaking.”

- Melissa Kunes, Senior Designer

a brunch-time conference call while gazing towards the ski hill picking out the afternoon’s runs. A yogi can create an in-home studio that allows sun salutations facing the rising sun over the Gallatin Range. An on-the-go family can have a workout room and gym space in their house that doesn’t affect other areas of the home when peace and tranquility are desired. Sauna rooms and relaxation studios can serve up a respite from a busy day while the in-laws or kids play in separate space. >> Winter 2020 | 43

“ H OM E S NEED TO BE A COZY, YET A VERY F U NCTI O NAL PL AC E FOR FA MI LI E S,” SAYS LYNSEY H UM P HREY. “SINC E FA MI LI E S A RE SPENDING MORE T I ME TOGETH ER, CE RTAI N ROOMS AND L A RG E R SPAC ES A RE B E ING REDESIGNED OR R E THOU G HT, ENHA NC ING DA I LY LI FE.” Alder & Tweed’s success and loyal following is because they embrace the client experience. Whether new or existing clients enjoy their annual Sky Box at Big Sky’s PBR or putt for par during the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation’s Tom Weiskopf Cup—a charity golf tournament which Alder & Tweed is a key sponsor and social partner—the team at Alder & Tweed invests time to create relationships with their clients.

“We want to know who they are as people,” says Reed Humphrey. “We want to know what inspires them, what their families enjoy, how they’ll use the home. We like to get to know them and learn as much as we can about each individual client, whether residential or commercial.”

Alder & Tweed recently finished the design of a bar and lounge at the Yellowstone Club. Members of the club had expressed interest in desiring a vintage-feeling ski bar, the likes of a roadhouse dive bar meets college town hangout—the kind of place where shot glasses on old Rossignols are welcome.

Partnered with Alder & Tweed’s unique blend of creativity, listening to the customer’s desires, and fine-tuned project management, the Yellowstone Club’s Boot Room now blends classic retro with modern comfort to create an interior design unique to Big Sky. From the initial meeting to finished project, the committed staff is there throughout the process. “Many of our clients are very busy,” says Clark. “We strive to be their partner in interior design without creating further demands on their time. Whether we are sending color samples via courier or driving to visit clients ourselves, our team here in Big Sky does our homework and goes the extra mile.”

44 | Winter 2020

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I have been a TOP PRODUCING Real Estate Broker in Montana for over 20 Years.

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MONTAGE HOTELS & RESORTS PROUDLY UNVEILS MONTAGE BIG SKY, SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN LATE 2021.

Consisting of 150 guest rooms and suites and a limited collection of 39 Montage Residences for sale. Montage Big Sky is centrally located within the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club community, adjacent to the 18th green, and offering ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky Resort’s 5,800 ski-able acres. Resort amenities include a restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, market, pub and recreation room with bowling alley, indoor lap pool, family swimming pool, fitness center, signature Spa Montage, ski lockers and skier services, and 12,870 SF of some of the finest meeting and event space in the greater Rocky Mountain region.

The 39 Residences range from 2-bedrooms to 6-bedrooms, and from 2,300 to 8,000 interior square feet.

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MON TA G E RE S I D E NCE S B I G S KY. COM

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value if any, of this property. This is not an advertisement or solicitation to purchase or sell property in states where prohibited by law. The resort project described herein (the “Resort”) and the residential units located within the Resort (the “Residential Units”) are not owned, developed, or sold by Montage Hotels & Resorts LLC or its affiliates or their respective licensors (collectively, “Montage”) and Montage does not make any representations, warranties or guaranties whatsoever with respect to the Residential Units, the Resort or any part thereof. CH SP Acquisition LLC uses the MONTAGE brand name and certain MONTAGE trademarks (collectively, the “Operator Trademarks”) in connection with the sales and marketing of the Residential Units in the Resort under a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and non-sublicensable license from Montage Hotels & Resorts LLC. The foregoing license may be terminated or may expire without renewal, in which case neither the Residential Units nor any part of the Resort will be identified as MONTAGE branded project or have any rights to use the Operator Trademarks. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.

MONDAY - SATURDAY 11AM - 6PM 32 MARKET PLACE, SUITE #2 406.995.7833 SHELLYBERMONT.COM

ARE YOU SKIER T YPE I, II OR III? BACKCOUNTRY SKIING

Ranches at Yellow Mountain | Big Sky, MT 526 +/- ACRES | Offered at $5,800,000 Once in a lifetime opportunity. Currently the largest land offering in all of Big Sky, Montana totaling 526 acres, this massive acreage is comprised of six contiguous parcels bordering tens of thousands of USFS land, but located only minutes to Big Sky’s Town Center. This south facing land offers amazing mountain and meadow views, seasonal streams, and a multitude of outdoor activities including back country skiing, hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing. Having direct access to Lone Mountain Ranch’s extensive trail network, you can easily access trails for riding your horses, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Build the ultimate Montana mountain retreat on your very own personal mountain, a truly generational property. Each of the six parcels have building rights, and can be sold off separately if desired. Don’t let this extremely rare opportunity pass you by on your search for the pinnacle of Montana real estate. MLS # 335578.

Big Sky - Spanish Peaks Mountain Club Moonlight Basin - Bozeman - Greater Montana

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8 Little Thunder | Big Sky, MT 4 bed, 4.5 bath | 4321.40 +/- sq ft.

1.02 +/- ACRES | Offered at $2,975,000 This gorgeous mountain home offers picture frame views of iconic Lone Peak and is situated on a large, wooded lot. The home’s main level features high, vaulted ceilings, large wood beams, a slate, gas fireplace, an open concept kitchen, dining and living area, an office nook, and expansive windows. The chef’s kitchen has a large island, wine fridge and high-end, stainless steel appliances. The master suite includes a large walk in closet with laundry, en-suite bath and a gas fireplace. Downstairs, you’ll enjoy an entertaining space, wet bar, built in storage, walk out patio and three additional bedrooms and two baths. The enclosed breezeway to the garage is highlighted with a massive stone, wood burning fireplace, slate flooring, rustic barnwood, and sporting good storage lockers. An above garage apartment is perfect for hosting guests, includes a private bath and great views of the Gallatin Range. 2 car attached garage. Ski access via Little Thunder lift. Close proximity to Beehive Basin trailhead for hiking, snowshoeing, Nordic and back country skiing, and more. Sold partially furnished. Access to Big Sky Resort via the Little Thunder Lift.

Call Us Today to Make It Happen.

LKRealEstate.com | 406.995.2404 All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such.These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2016 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com

The Art of Quality

MAGLEBY CONSTRUCTION

BY PATRICK STRAUB

Quality (n, adj.) as defined by Merriam Webster is something or someone that exhibits a degree of excellence, a superiority in kind and a distinguishing attribute. The definition is further modified by declaring quality is the standard of something as measured against other things of similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.

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FOR OV ER FORT Y-FIV E Y E ARS,

surpassing quality and pairing that desire with a passion for pursuing excellence, Magleby Construction continues to elevate the building experience in mountain resort communities. With a time-tested and solid reputation in the small communities of Park City and Sun Valley, Magleby’s strength of building relationships with trade partners, owners and local community groups makes them a perfect match for the close-knit community of Big Sky. Rooted on the slopes and in the valleys of Park City and then further refined by decades of experience in Utah’s booming building industry, Paul Magleby set out to make a difference in the construction industry.

His persistent dedication to a higher standard of building has led the way in redefining the home building process. Today, Magleby also enjoys the reputation as one of Sun Valley and Park City’s most respected and desired builders.

With a newly opened office and base of operations in Big Sky, the local Big Sky community of homebuyers and skilled craftsman can expect the same level of commitment to quality construction and personal relationships that residents of Park City and Sun Valley have experienced for years. Offering a full suite of home construction and property services, Magleby Construction reputation precedes.

“We have enjoyed being new members of this dynamic community,” says Pierrette Tierney, Magleby’s vice president of business development.

“We started as a family-run company and continue today as a second generation family-run company.

With over 45 years of history building homes in mountain resort towns, we couldn’t be more excited for the opportunities in Big Sky.” “We bring to Big Sky history and innovation in the homebuilding process,” adds Tierney, “through our pursuit of excellence, we research and implement the latest building science and systems, we focus on creating lasting partnerships with our trade partners that results in better quality product, and we do this all while keeping the homebuyer experience in the forefront of our daily operations.”Tierney is no stranger to the luxury home building industry. She has served as president of the Park City Homebuilders Association in 2019 and 2020, and has overseen development and implementation of luxury home communities throughout the West. She is a regular guest speaker at industry events and on podcasts.

“Big Sky’s building industry has some similarities to Park City and Sun Valley,” she says. “The community as a whole is wonderful and we look forward to being a part of it. We desire to be a partner with the many other industry-based businesses because we’ve experienced how successful that can be—for the homebuyer and the local businesses—in the other close-knit communities we’re already in.”

Like the original desire of founder Paul Magleby, the personal side of the construction process is never lost VIEWS.

when building or working with Magleby. Homebuyers looking to build a luxury estate home or invest in a planned, higher-end condominium unit will find a partner in Magleby. The relationship between homebuyer and contractor is intimate at Magleby.

For any homebuyer looking at an estate home, whether this is their first time building a luxury home or they’ve been down this path before, Magleby’s experienced staff adhere to a proven process that they call their ClearBuild™ Home Delivery Process.

“With honest, proactive communication and transparent budgeting throughout all facets of the home building process,” Tierney says, “we are able to get involved early in the design and decisionmaking process with our clients and the entire team of architects, designers and trade partners to produce more predictable outcomes.” Magleby’s ClearBuild™ Home Delivery integrates technology, standardized systems and team members to ensure the best possible home design and building experience. This process provides greater synergy between all the members of the home building team: Magleby’s staff, architects, interior designers, engineers and trade contractors.

ClearBuild™ is a collaborative method that harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to reduce waste and optimize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication and construction leading to a higher quality, more cost effective and smoother building experience.

The process of building a luxury home in a mountain community can face many hurdles, phases and components; success and final follow-through requires a proven process and professional building leadership.

What may begin as a dream concept created while riding the chairlift to ski the next line of fresh powder, can certainly become a reality. Unraveling the riddle that is created when moving from concept to design to construction is at the core of any successful builder. The ideas dreamed up by one homeowner may differ from another, but by choosing a homebuilder like Magleby— one with a breadth of experience in all facets of the process—rarely is a dream concept unattainable.

“Our services, the ClearBuild™ Home Delivery and our partnerships with our trade partners truly set us apart from other builders,” says Layne Thompson, president of Magleby’s Big Sky and Sun Valley operations.

“With our experience in Park City and Sun Valley,” adds Thompson, “we know first-hand the challenges created by mountain environments are opportunities for us to shine.”

Thompson, who began working with Magleby as a project manager for a multi-unit luxury townhome project in Sun Valley, is excited to bring Magleby’s brand of excellence and industry collaboration to Big Sky. He says the ClearBuild™ experience personifies Winter 2020 | 51

Magleby’s commitment to the personal side of an industry that is so often caught up in mass production and margins.

“We are passionate builders who partner with quality craftsman to create even higher quality homes,” says Thompson.

A HOMEBU Y ER W ITH M AGLEBY can expect to be involved in the process as much, or as little, as they want. From dream to reality, each Magleby home is assigned an experienced construction site manager. From weekly on-site meetings to conference calls, the team behind Magleby is committed to keeping the project on task and on budget. These weekly updates cover many facets of the process in which a homebuyer might have interest. Details like scheduling management, design decisions and how things are falling inline with the budget are all communicated to the homebuyer. Open communication and personal involvement are embraced.

trusted advisor throughout the entire process. The Magleby staff worked tirelessly to reduce any surprises, always meeting and often surpassing expectations. In the end, the homebuyer gets a finished product that is more valuable than the money they spent—a luxury estate home that can be enjoyed for generations to come in a landscape as grand as the home.

With the area’s towering peaks and clear rivers, homes in Big Sky possess the need to be as unique as the owners occupying them. Big Sky is a mountain resort community similar to Park City and Sun Valley; homebuyers in these towns often desire luxury estate homes with very unique qualities. Whether it is creating a multi-functional mudroom that can serve as a ski-locker room in the winter and a mountain biking foundry in summer or creating a wall of windows so a homeowner can take in all the views Big Sky has to offer, the team at Magleby is able to deliver on various aesthetic designs with extreme attention to detail.

By partnering with local skilled trade partners, as well as supplementing with outside market talent, Magleby feels confident they can mesh their existing reputation for excellent quality estate homes with the growing demand in the Big Sky area.

According to recent reports, Big Sky’s population has grown over 20 percent since 2015. Despite this, still nearly three-quarters of the homes in Big Sky are second homes, with many of the homes being built as luxury and estate homes. As the area grows, the building of new homes—whether estate homes or single-family homes—will continue to grow as well.

“We’re excited to partner with the many great trade craftsman already in Big Sky,” says Thompson. “In Park City and Sun Valley we have created lasting partnerships with the best and most skilled trade partners.”

“Many of our future trade partners here in Big Sky are already operating at a high level of quality. We are eager to reach out to those individuals and build those relationships so we can partner with the architects, the craftsman, the vendors and the designers, and help them grow along with us and the Big Sky community,” adds Thompson.

In these partnerships, Thompson and Tierney both agree, is where Magleby rises to the top. Building an estate home worthy of the distinction so many Magleby homeowners have come to expect, is a multi-faceted process. Like over simplifying skiing down Lone Mountain’s Liberty Bowl—just point your skis downhill and turn when you need to, right? —building a luxury estate home could tumble out of control as well. Choose the lot with the best view and best ski-in and ski-out access and the rest just all falls into place, right? Well, it is not entirely that simple, but with Magleby’s processional services that process will certainly have less rocky terrain.

THE BEGINNING OF THE HOMEBUILDING PROCESS can be broken down into three distinct phases: the

The on-site site manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of each project. These skilled and patient professionals are trained to ensure quality construction is maintained and risks are mitigated.

Going beyond excellent customer service, the trusted core staff of Magleby treat building each home as if it were their own. When asked about their experience, homeowners felt Magleby was a

pre-construction phase, the design-development phase and the construction document phase. The pre-construction phase is mostly conceptual as it is a homebuyer’s wish list or laundry list of all the components of the home laid out and ready to be discussed. The design-development phase is when things get a little more serious as engineers and trade partners are brought into the conversation. Lastly, after trade partners and Magleby’s onsite managers collaborate with the homebuyer, the project moves to document creation, which means breaking ground is soon to follow.

“The beginning of the construction process is so crucial,” says Thompson. “We pride ourselves in partnering with the right experts

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for each part of the home, bringing them into the home design process as early as possible. By doing this at the start we can confront any curveballs early. This also saves the homebuyer money and enhances the quality of the home.”

Trade partners, as Magleby describes them, are often referred to as “subcontractors” by other builders. Magleby’s staff balks at the term.

With nearly a half-century of experience in the luxury home building industry, the management team at Magleby freely admits the intense value of partnering with quality skilled craftsman. Every desirable finished luxury home showcases the talents of the team-concept that is core to Magleby’s success. Whether it is a multi-story, several-sided stone fireplace that is the centerpiece of a great room or a geo-tech engineered and radiant heated spa and sauna room, the mutually beneficial relationships created between Magleby and trade craftsman are cherished.

NEW TO BIG SK Y ’S BOOMING BUILDING INDUSTRY will be Magleby’s streamlined process of bringing in

trade partners in the early stages. This concept of collaboration and streamlining the process for homebuyers will be favorable to local Big Sky area trade partners. Founding this philosophy in Park City proved cost-effective for homebuyers and trade partners, and when Magleby brought their ideals to Sun Valley, it was a very welcome respite to trade partners in there. The result was many local tradesmen quickly found the ease and profitably of partnering with Magleby was a business boon.

“We found their approach to collaborating and establishing budgets and being accountable to those budgets made us feel that we were much more engaged with the project,” says Bryan Evans of Evans Plumbing, Inc. in Sun Valley. “This approach is different than we’ve seen, but I think it results in the best quality for the best price and everybody is winning. Our overall experience of working with Magleby has been fantastic.”

VIEWS.

Magleby is excited to partner with the growing community of trade partners in the region. Continuing their focus on strong personal partnerships, Magleby’s reputation for providing trade partners with a proven framework benefits all—the homeowner by reducing costs, the trade partner by eliminating burdensome waste and inefficiencies, and the local community by creating jobs.

“We hold our trade partners to a higher standard,” says Paul Magleby.

“They know what that standard is and they perform to that level. They produce a better product. The quality of their workmanship is better.”

Passion for quality and meaningful partnerships are the drivers that saw Magleby’s reputation in Park City and Sun Valley boom along with the economic growth in the two communities. Their commitment to innovation and service continues to propel the company. Whether it comes in Magleby’s own high-tech materials mills, constantly using science to create better and more innovative homes, or choosing and retaining quality people as part of their team, the legacy of Magleby Construction is enjoyed each day by every homeowner of a Magleby home.

The Big Sky community, and its unique residential communities like the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin, may differ in location and scope than areas in Park City and Sun Valley, but Magleby Construction’s blue print for success is primed to ensure homeowners, trade partners and the Big Sky community experience the same passion to surpass quality.

“Ultimately what we all deliver to the client is a better product,” says Magleby. “And, frankly, it doesn’t cost the client any more money. It’s just done with what you might say is a little more tender loving care by those individuals that created it.”

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A real estate company is like a home the great ones have a strong foundation.

Our agents have the resources and experience to make sure you are confident in your decision to buy or sell.

BIG SKY | 55 LONE PEAK DRIVE, SUITE 3 | BIG SKY TOWN CENTER BOZEMAN | 2001 STADIUM DRIVE, SUITE A | 37 S. WILLSON AVENUE

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For the past five months, Friday afternoons in Big Sky's Town Center Plaza come to life by 5 p.m. Local families, groups of friends, visitors, and community members of all ages set up blankets and lawn chairs, mingle and dance to live music heard from the outdoor deck of the Blue Buddha Sushi & Lounge, or relax with food and drinks at the tables in the plaza under colorful umbrellas and festive lights. Guests at the Wilson Hotel and residents of the adjacent buildings appear on their balconies to join in on the festivities. T hose enjoying happy hour cocktails at Copper and shopping in nearby stores stop to listen and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.

T his was the goal in building and creating Big Sky's Town Center.

T he motivation for creating a more lively downtown space came soon after Lone Mountain Land Company acquired Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin in 2011.

"When developing more of Big Sky as a town and destination, we wanted to enhance the up and coming downtown area, while making sure it embraced a strong community feeling." said Bayard Dominick, Lone Mountain Land Company's vice president of planning and development.

As the Master Developers of Town Center, the Simkins Family have long been dedicated to the creation of a community hub for Big Sky. T hey were responsible for the Master Plan, the development of Fire Pit Park, and the Community Park (home to Music in the Mountains and the hockey rink). Lone Mountain Land Company's involvement has allowed for the acceleration of the development of Town Center Avenue; it's finally getting the critical mass of restaurants, bars, shopping venues and residences living here year-round to be a community magnet, which is becoming more and more vibrant on a year round basis.

Big Sky community member and resident, John Romney built the Lone Peak Cinema and 32 Town Center Avenue as a starting place. Lone Mountain Land Company followed by completing 47 Town Center Avenue, with the larger goal of establishing a downtown community. Town Center has burst to life with events and community spaces that radiate welcoming vibes to locals and visitors alike. Visitors are especially drawn to the accommodations at the Wilson Hotel because of its convenience to everything.

"T he hotel is in walking distance to all the surrounding restaurants, local trails, outdoor activities, community events, shopping, and nightlife,' said Mandy Hotovy, General Manager at the Wilson Hotel.

T he Wilson Hotel has become an important piece of Big Sky's downtown, adding to its vitality.

VIEWS.

"We think that getting a hotel built in Town Center was a really important piece of the downtown fabric;' Dominick said.

Acre aims to partner with community members and organizations in order to bring more Big Sky art and live music to downtown, acting as an advocate for community gatherings. It will also remain a place where When we think about fall and spring shoulder seasons locals can set up for a day of remote work with a coffee in Big Sky, many longtime locals and business owners and a delicious, healthy meal. reference years of very few visitors. However, the year-round occupancy at the Wilson Hotel is revealing One more gap Lone Mountain Land Company is looking to fill is the indoor events scene. At the far otherwise, assuring a steady flow of visitors to Town Center, which helps to fuel the local economy, making corner of Town Center, currently behind chain link fences and construction dust, 76 Town Center Ave. begins to for a vibrant downtown that is active year-round. take form. T he building will be the new location for T ips "Now, during the shoulder seasons, [The Wilson] Up, a bar where visitors and locals alike can enjoy live actually can provide a lot of activity for any businesses music several nights a week-Lone Mountain Land that choose to stay open,' Hotovy said.

Company is excited to bring that to town this winter.

Events now add a lot to Big Sky's downtown life as "It's also going to have a permanent stage, so it will well. From the Big Sky Farmer's Market to the weekly function as a music venue and as a fun, happening Music in the Mountains concert series, to the annual bar that will be a place for all walks of life to hang out;' Haunted Peaks Festival at Halloween, the much­ Dominick said. "It will be an affordable and lively place to loved Christmas Stroll, and now the recent addition of eat, drink, and listen to live music.' the Friday Afternoon Club, Town Center is a hub for It's not a secret-Big Sky is growing. As the area entertainment and community activities. transitions from a seasonal resort town to a year-round With new full-time residents moving to Big Sky community, a new downtown continues to emerge, weekly, there are also new businesses and experiences accommodating both visitors and residents on a daily being added to the downtown culture. Campbell basis.

Schnebly, Big Sky resident and co-owner of Acre Lone Mountain Land Company plans to continue (formally Toast), is excited to plan and promote several new weekly, seasonal, and annual events in their space. their commitment in helping create a sustainable and lively community, where residents can visit with their Acre's First T hursday Art Club event welcomes local neighbors, spend time with their families, and patron artists to set up booths and display their work, an event local businesses. But most importantly-feel a sense of organized by team member and local photographer, Kirby pride for their home town.

Grubaugh. In addition, Acre plans to be a year-round hub for community events and gatherings.

"This building is a central place in town,' Schnebly said. "It's gorgeous inside, it's so bright and welcoming, and it's made for gathering.'

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BIG SKY HAPPENINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE NEW BIGSKY.COM

Winter 2020 | 55

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P ersonalized s ervice e very s teP

of the

W ay !

Cortney Andersen specializes in residential real estate. She also has experience with investors and entrepreneurs looking to generate the highest rate of return in a highly competitive market.

Cortney is a mother of two and with her husband enjoys the natural wonders of Montana. “No matter how long you live in Montana, there are always new places to explore and new mountain Paradises to discover. We enjoy it all from backcountry horse travel, snowmobiling in deep powder or casting a big dry fly on one of the many blue ribbon trout streams that surround us. Sounds like the standard cliche, but there’s simply no other place that offers passionate outdoor recreationists so many options and so much beauty.”

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the experience we had with Cortney nor could we recommend any one more highly. We look forward to working with Cortney in all our future real estate endeavors.”

- McKitrick Family

THE DIFFERENCE

At Cortney Andersen Real Estate, we provide acute focus on our client’s vision by minimizing the number of buyers & sellers we partner with at any given time. This enables meticulous, personalized and professional representation.

Our core belief is to provide a level of service that delivers on our client’s expectations and aligns with their vision. We value and appreciate the magnitude of a first time home purchase as well as the projected return on an investment property.

Cortney Andersen 406.599.1990

BROKER/OWNER | cortneyandersen81@gmail.com | cortneyandersen.com SW XX • VOLUME 24 ISSUE 7 • HOMES & LAND OF BIG SKY COUNTRY

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14 WASHAKI ROAD CASCADE SUBDIVISION 4 BD | 4.5 BA | +/- 4,592 SF | $3,100,000

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THE UPPER PINES MEADOW VILLAGE 4 BD | 4 BA | +/- 2,923 SF | $1,198,000

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S TA C Y O S S O R I O | B R O K E R | P R I V AT E O F F I C E A D V I S O R 406-539-8553 | Stacy.Ossorio@evrealestate.com | StacyOssorio.evrealestate.com ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

Mia Lennon

T 406.641.0051 E MIA@BIGSKY.COM

Alpenglow Condominiums ALPENGLOW NEIGHBORHOOD 3 - 4 BED | 3 - 4 BATH | 2,420 - 2,539 +/- SF | CALL FOR PRICING