| There seems to be a trend to leave the cities - to get | | | | only platinum/palladium mine in the United States. |
| in touch with one's own self. People seem to start | | | | Minnesota on the other hand was always farm |
| listening to the little voices inside of themselves, their | | | | country with big grain mills run by hydro-power. |
| gut feeling or nudges. Word got out, that there are | | | | Minnesota is also one of the largest producers of |
| friendly people wherever you go, especially out west | | | | lumber and wood products. The lumber industry in |
| and in the country, where they can grow a garden, | | | | Montana has been pretty much shut down by people |
| raise livestock, hunt and fish and where people can be | | | | who are concerned about the environment, even |
| more independent of the things the rest of the world is | | | | though the elks enjoyed the clearings. Now the forests |
| doing. If someone has a job they can do from home, | | | | just do their own thing with wildfires to create clearing |
| there are Internet connections available via satellite | | | | for the grazing animals. It just all amounts to the same |
| from even the very remotest spots, and most small | | | | thing, except if Mother Nature does it, nobody profits. |
| towns make it a point to have Internet connections | | | | Minnesota on the other hand manages its forests for |
| available. People, who work from home and are | | | | productivity, regarding lumber and wildlife. Because of |
| connected to the rest of the world via the Internet, are | | | | all the lakes and sloughs, Minnesota has an amazing |
| referred to as "Lone Eagles" - a new "industry" which | | | | variety of birds, including many game birds of course, |
| small towns like to attract. The Lone Eagles are | | | | but also many birds that are just fun to listen to.When |
| un-obtrusive, non-polluting and contribute to the local | | | | you relocate to Montana you need to watch out for |
| community through their level of education.I have many | | | | ground water availability and for mining activity. |
| clients, who came to buy acreage and then decided to | | | | Sometimes you will encounter contaminated ground |
| live in a friendly small town with all the services they | | | | from a previous chromium mine or similar activities. |
| know from the big cities, but where it is easy to walk | | | | Even gold dust required some poisonous material to |
| downtown and yet they are only a stone throw from | | | | bind it. When you purchase land, in most cases you do |
| the countryside, at a lake or creek for fishing or in the | | | | not automatically receive the mineral rights. The mineral |
| forest to hike and hunt. Small towns and countryside | | | | rights are usually scattered about among different |
| are also a great place to raise children. Here the | | | | previous owners and the State. Mineral rights |
| children are free to walk to school and to enjoy the | | | | supersede surface rights and even though the mineral |
| town. If they do get into trouble, you can be sure the | | | | rights owner has to reimburse you for digging up your |
| parents will receive a phone call from a neighbor or | | | | land, it might not be what you had in mind when you |
| storeowner within minutes.Many Lone Eagles will have | | | | moved to Montana. Some large ranches on the other |
| to fly to their place of business once a month or so, | | | | hand welcome mineral right owners, since they will build |
| which is easy to do. There are commercial airports | | | | roads to a remote part of the ranch and drill water |
| just about anywhere within an hour's drive. So if you | | | | wells, which will benefit their livestock. Many ranchers |
| have an office job, which you could do as well via | | | | would have been forced to give up their herds during |
| video conferencing and Internet, you might want to | | | | the drought if it would not have been for the water |
| take a look at my websites. "Montana, here I come!" | | | | wells drilled by the mineral rights owners.In Minnesota, |
| and "Minnesota, here I come!" both will give you | | | | there are not that many minerals to worry about and |
| information about rural areas and the states in general. | | | | all the mineral rights are being held by the state. Also in |
| These websites will inform you about the economy, | | | | Montana rock formations are a concern. If your ground |
| geology and history. On both sites you can do | | | | is on a piece of granite, to have a septic system will |
| searches for available real estate in different areas. | | | | be impossible. Also there are many old subdivisions |
| This might also come in handy if you are just looking | | | | that were created before the state released |
| for a second home in order to have fun in the snow, | | | | subdivision laws, and those often do not have legal |
| to participate in summer activities, or just to rest and let | | | | access. The mountains create small micro climates |
| the fur grow back in for the next battle in the | | | | and you can have a very windy spot just a mile or |
| corporate world.The winters in the north have become | | | | two from a very quiet spot. So just to find a piece of |
| much milder over the last 20 years and are actually | | | | property on the Internet and buying it, won't work. You |
| fun. The cold air is very invigorating, it makes your skin | | | | will need a real estate agent who works for you and |
| prickle and you have more energy. Snow is very much | | | | checks for all of these pitfalls. The western part of |
| enjoyed by the people who live there year round, but | | | | Montana often gets gloomy in winter, while the central |
| they also offer great indoor activities. Mall of America | | | | and eastern parts enjoy more sunshine, but also more |
| in Minneapolis is one example and you have that on a | | | | wind and dryness. Eastern Montana is wide open; |
| smaller scale in smaller cities, with large indoor | | | | those are the plains that will continue through all of |
| swimming pools, performing arts and festivities. The | | | | North Dakota. That is where the sky looks so big, |
| snow fun in Minnesota includes riding snow mobiles on | | | | because there are no mountains or trees to block the |
| the side of the roads. It just takes one day of training | | | | view. The real estate prices are very reasonable in |
| and even 14 year olds are allowed to ride them. In | | | | those areas; the expensive real estate is right around |
| Montana you have 16 downhill ski slopes and about 50 | | | | the mountains and creeks.Minnesota and Montana |
| cross country areas with groomed trails. In Minnesota | | | | now have strict regulations when it comes to building |
| they have dog sled races and ice fishing. It is also a lot | | | | near rivers, streams or lakes. You want to be sure to |
| of fun to take your snowmobile or truck on the ice on | | | | get the latest from the local health department. |
| the frozen lakes. The lakes freeze solid much later | | | | Actually Montana does not have any building codes. |
| now and melt weeks earlier then they used to, but you | | | | You can build whatever wherever, but you need to |
| still have about two month of fun with the ice on the | | | | adhere to health and safety regulations, which includes |
| lakes.Montana has millions of acres of National Forest | | | | the proper installation of a septic system and the ability |
| and Minnesota has millions of acres of State Forest. | | | | for a fire truck to get water and to turn around. |
| So there are big areas that have fresh air to breathe | | | | Subdivisions on the other hand have architectural |
| and are a paradise for hunters. In Montana the | | | | requirements. If all homes in a subdivision are of similar |
| mountains catch the rain and send the water down in | | | | value, it will hold up the value of all the homes. On the |
| creeks and underground aquifers, which is used to | | | | other hand a crummy trailer will keep the home prices |
| water the farm ground. Montana is basically high | | | | below replacement cost for quite a distance all around. |
| desert for the most part and the rolling hills are suited | | | | Do not buy a cheap lot and build the home of your |
| to accommodate cattle for grazing. Often you will | | | | dreams, if the neighborhood does not look similar to the |
| need 40 acres for one mother cow and calf. There | | | | home you want to build, find a different lot. Also you |
| are barb wire fences everywhere to contain the | | | | are better off buying a stick built home, it will hold the |
| livestock. Near the creeks and rivers ranches have | | | | value much better in the long run if the location is |
| water rights, to irrigate some of their acreage. That is | | | | right.Subdivisions in Montana are often a far cry from |
| where they grow their hay for the winter. Water rights | | | | what you might think about when you think of |
| are very important in Montana and they say: Whisky is | | | | subdivisions. Often you have miles of river gravel road, |
| for drinking and water is for fighting. Of course in | | | | which are very bumpy. You get 20 acres as a lot and |
| winter, all the ranchers are friends again. But if you just | | | | often electricity and phone are miles away. Also |
| want to buy a small parcel of land, you need to do | | | | watch out for rattlesnakes, bears and mountain lion, if |
| some research to be sure that there is ground water | | | | you are near the mountains. Wear boots when you |
| available for a well, otherwise you will have to haul | | | | walk through the grass. When you see a bear, be sure |
| water from a nearby town. Also if you buy real estate, | | | | not to get between a mother and her cubs. Moose |
| trees and grass are extra and so is an ample supply | | | | attack, hug a tree, because they want to trample on |
| of water. If you want to buy a large tract of land, you | | | | things and they can't trample you if you hug a tree. But |
| need to look out for weeds, which need to be treated. | | | | those encounters are very rare. In Red Lodge, |
| If you think about depending on water rights, you need | | | | Montana, the moose wanders along the sidewalks and |
| to check and make sure the water will be available | | | | into yards. Bears frolic along the alleys in fall to fatten |
| through all of the growing season and does not get | | | | up on leftovers for the winter. They are mostly fun to |
| turned off in the middle of summer.In Minnesota it rains | | | | watch as they bumble along and you get used to |
| frequently, the ground is fertile and suitable for row | | | | scooping moos poop out of your yard. You are just |
| crops and gardens without water rights. The cattle you | | | | part of the wild things here.In Montana you can |
| find there are mostly dairy cows, which are kept inside | | | | encounter county gravel roads that go on for 20 miles |
| in winter. Most of the lakes and State Forests are in | | | | before you arrive where you wanted to go. In |
| the north. Much of the land is softly rolling with tree | | | | Minnesota most county roads are paved, so that |
| lined fields and charming old farm houses and barns. | | | | comes in handy if you would like to drive an economy |
| Everywhere are lakes; from small ponds to the one's | | | | car. In Montana to own a 4-wheel drive SUV or truck |
| big enough for water skiing. There is a waterfront | | | | is just about mandatory if you want to live out in the |
| home for every budget, depending on the size and | | | | country or climb the mountain passes or foothills in |
| location of the lake. Private boat docks are being pulled | | | | winter.Dorothea Lowe is the Broker/Owner of Sky |
| ashore in winter. During the time when the lakes are | | | | Lodge Properties, Inc. licensed in Minnesota, North |
| open, you can often see a rack with canoes near a | | | | Dakota, Montana and Wyoming with two websites |
| boat landing. Those spaces are for rent. As opposed | | | | containing a wealth of information about these states: |
| to Montana, Minnesota has hardly any fences. Corn | | | | AND also publishes a monthly newsletter, which is |
| stalks don't wander off.... But if you have a horse, you | | | | sent out once a month to 8,000 subscribers via email, |
| can make friends with your neighbors and practically | | | | informing about real estate listings, geology, history, |
| ride forever.Montana was mostly settled by the | | | | informs about agriculture and specific areas. Dorothea |
| English, Irish and Germans, while Minnesota attracted | | | | Lowe grew up in Germany, and bought and sold real |
| Scandinavians and Germans. Montana is called the | | | | estate in Los Angeles, Oregon Coast, Arizona, |
| Treasure State, because it has Gold, Coal, Oil, Methane | | | | Montana and Minnesota (Detroit Lakes). |
| Gas, Uranium and many other minerals, including the | | | | |