Why is Bozeman a Special Place?

Search Forbes Magazine for Bozeman, Montana and what pops up?  Forbes and other national publications report our community is in the top five or ten of nearly every positive recreational and cultural opportunity in America.  (*f.n.)

Of course, perfection eludes: No place can have more than two of three important qualities; great amenities, vibrant economy, and “affordable” housing.  Pick any two—but, you can’t have all three. 

We are blessed with romance lands of extraordinary quality.  The Greater Yellowstone area surely qualifies as “fun hog heaven” and we also have the complementary resources required to sustain viable and wholesome lives. 

These include high quality medical care for people  

and maintenance and repair of material and delivery systems.  These qualities are ignored by writers who rate communities but are essential to low stress and wholesome lives.

Why is that?  We’ve maintained a local culture that respects the necessity of responsive and skilled workers.  Here are some recent, unsurprising examples. 

Our ranch has a central irrigation pump station and several smaller pumps at other water diversions.  The main station feeds our 1866 Gallatin River water in the Kleinschmidt Canal  

to five center pivots.  These pumps are nearly half a mile south of the Cottonwood Road power lines owned and operated by NorthWestern Energy.  

On a Sunday afternoon, just before we planned to begin the season’s irrigation, I checked the system.  Good thing, the cross arm on the third power pole from Cottonwood Road was just hanging.  The lines were drooping down and twisted together.  Clearly the system couldn’t operate. 

Thinking the pole had been struck by lightning, I immediately called the NorthWestern Energy emergency number and reported the problem.  A nice lady in the Butte office asked if the power lines were sparking.  “Was anyone or anything was in danger.”  No, I reported, the power wasn’t on.  She then told me that she could send a crew out that Sunday afternoon to fix the problem.  “No hurry”, I responded, “Let’s not ruin a crew’s Sunday.”  “Would Monday morning be OK,” she asked. 

Sure enough, here’s what I saw early Monday morning, three trucks and four men were at work.  Within three hours a new pole was installed.  A few days later we could begin irrigating. 

Two weeks later, we tried to start a smaller irrigation pump near our ranch buildings.  Tried but failed. The pump would start, run a short time, but time after time blew the electrical breaker.  Frustrating indeed.

I called Travis Maxwell, owner of Diamond Drilling and Pump Repair, and explained the problem.  He had rebuilt the pump two years ago and knew the system.  Yes, he would come over after work and check out the problem, 

and he of course did.  He rode over on his Harley, listened to the failing system, and diagnosed the problem.  Bad breaker.  An inexpensive replacement breaker did the job. 

In both cases the system worked as promised and nobody was surprised.  Such positive outcomes here the norm.   These qualities are rarely noted but are key features of a wholesome community.  One more reason why Forbes Magazine lists Bozeman as one of the “Five Emerging Markets For Luxury Real Estate In North America”.

There is ever more evidence that no place can have more than two of three important qualities; great amenities, vibrant economy, and “affordable” housing.  Pick any two-- but you can’t have all three.  Hence, people fantasizing over “affordable housing” are doomed to frustration.  Some good things don’t converge. 

Even in our idyllic Gallatin Valley problems occasionally occur. Early arrivals enjoy special advantages.  One oft-overlooked reason, they have local knowledge and better luck finding competent and responsible people to kill problems arising in everyday life.  Fortunately, the Forbes article understates the degree that Bozeman is a special place.  Shhhh!

(*f. n.)  Five Emerging Markets For Luxury Real Estate In North America  

Anthony Hitt CommunityVoiceForbes Real Estate Councili

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Jul 6, 2018, 08:30am 

2. Bozeman, Montana: Bozeman has been long renowned among outdoor enthusiasts for its fishing, hiking, skiing and cycling. Perhaps one of the first hubs of “Silicon Prairie,” Bozeman has become home to quite a few tech startups. As more jobs pour into the area, people are not only coming to Bozeman but staying there thanks to the outdoor amenities and work-life balance it affords — and the real estate market is reflecting this. Bozeman is one of the fastest-growing non-metropolitan areas in the country. As the number of single-family homes in Montana has grown exponentially over the past 25 years, Gallatin county continues to lead that growth.