Bozeman bests Missoula again

[kemajic]

This topic demonstrates the myopia of eGriz on one level, and Missoula on another level. The economy of Bozeman has taken off because of (1) Yellowstone Club/Big Sky $$$, (2) air travel to Gallitan Co. airport and telecommuting opportunities, and (3) symbiosis with MSU. In that order. It’s really not Missoula v. Bozeman (and just think about how people in Billings feel). I’m not sure how it will all shake out, but I wish I owned real estate in Bozeman. A rising tide lifts all boats, so this economic reconfiguration will be good for (a lot of) Montana.

The people in Yellowstone County feel just fine. Their booming growth is based on fundamentals, not fad. Billings is emerging as the regional commerce center with broad-based business and agricultural balance. And it is not dominated by left-leaning universities. Housing is tight here as well; it's not only demand, but the horrific recent inflation which creates a huge building hurdle. Think $17 2X4's and $65 OSB sheets. Printing money to give away to buy votes in the name of covid relief or infrastructure has its consequences.

 

[PeauxRouge]

Bozeman is a mess right now.

 

[Ursa Major]

This topic demonstrates the myopia of eGriz on one level, and Missoula on another level. The economy of Bozeman has taken off because of (1) Yellowstone Club/Big Sky $$$, (2) air travel to Gallitan Co. airport and telecommuting opportunities, and (3) symbiosis with MSU. In that order. It’s really not Missoula v. Bozeman (and just think about how people in Billings feel). I’m not sure how it will all shake out, but I wish I owned real estate in Bozeman. A rising tide lifts all boats, so this economic reconfiguration will be good for (a lot of) Montana.

The people in Yellowstone County feel just fine. Their booming growth is based on fundamentals, not fad. Billings is emerging as the regional commerce center with broad-based business and agricultural balance. And it is not dominated by left-leaning universities. Housing is tight here as well; it's not only demand, but the horrific recent inflation which creates a huge building hurdle. Think $17 2X4's and $65 OSB sheets. Printing money to give away to buy votes in the name of covid relief or infrastructure has its consequences.

C’mon Kem, you’re better than that. Biden is not responsible for the rise in lumber prices. That’s Fox News propaganda.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/29/fact-check-lumber-price-surge-linked-market-factors-and-pandemic/7206326002/

The Trump Administration jacked up tariffs on Canadian lumber to 20% back in 2017. They lowered it to 9% in December of 2020.

The Biden Administration is looking at doubling it back to 18%. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.

Lux et Veritas

 

[AZGrizFan]

The people in Yellowstone County feel just fine. Their booming growth is based on fundamentals, not fad. Billings is emerging as the regional commerce center with broad-based business and agricultural balance. And it is not dominated by left-leaning universities. Housing is tight here as well; it's not only demand, but the horrific recent inflation which creates a huge building hurdle. Think $17 2X4's and $65 OSB sheets. Printing money to give away to buy votes in the name of covid relief or infrastructure has its consequences.

C’mon Kem, you’re better than that. Biden is not responsible for the rise in lumber prices. That’s Fox News propaganda.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/29/fact-check-lumber-price-surge-linked-market-factors-and-pandemic/7206326002/

The Trump Administration jacked up tariffs on Canadian lumber to 20% back in 2017. They lowered it to 9% in December of 2020.

The Biden Administration is looking at doubling it back to 18%. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.

Lux et Veritas

Lol. Yet it took almost four years for that tariff increase to work its way through the system to hit the shelves at Home Depot? :lol: :lol:

Yeah, that’s not the way the market works.

 

[kemajic]

The people in Yellowstone County feel just fine. Their booming growth is based on fundamentals, not fad. Billings is emerging as the regional commerce center with broad-based business and agricultural balance. And it is not dominated by left-leaning universities. Housing is tight here as well; it's not only demand, but the horrific recent inflation which creates a huge building hurdle. Think $17 2X4's and $65 OSB sheets. Printing money to give away to buy votes in the name of covid relief or infrastructure has its consequences.

C’mon Kem, you’re better than that. Biden is not responsible for the rise in lumber prices. That’s Fox News propaganda.

I never mentioned your bumbling president's name. Personally, I would hold the House more accountable. And the inflation that has begun promises to be far broader than lumber prices. Keep watching CNN to get the true scoop on things like covid source, peaceful protests, southern border crisis, Hunter, Cuomo, etc.

 

[Ursa Major]

C’mon Kem, you’re better than that. Biden is not responsible for the rise in lumber prices. That’s Fox News propaganda.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/29/fact-check-lumber-price-surge-linked-market-factors-and-pandemic/7206326002/

The Trump Administration jacked up tariffs on Canadian lumber to 20% back in 2017. They lowered it to 9% in December of 2020.

The Biden Administration is looking at doubling it back to 18%. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.

Lux et Veritas

Lol. Yet it took almost four years for that tariff increase to work its way through the system to hit the shelves at Home Depot? :lol: :lol:

Yeah, that’s not the way the market works.

The tariffs are not the point, other market factors are the point. Neither Trump nor Biden are to blame for high lumber costs.

You blamed Biden and the Democrats for the increase in lumber costs. That’s demonstrably false. Pull your head out of the right-wing bubble.

 

[Montanabob]

For the record, Snowflake only moved headquarters to Bozeman. They will remain a remote work company with few brick and mortar locations.

 

[BobbyHaucksCouch]

This is pretty misleading. The company literally said they only listed Bozeman as the HQ because the SEC requires them to list one and that’s where the CEO and CFO live. They still have 928 employees in the Bay Area and will use a de-centralized model.

That being said, I don’t see how any of this ends well for MT. As a Seattle based tech worker, I view the flight from urban as a micro-trend. Some FAANG has already said they will return to an “office centric” model (Amazon, Google). Or they will require you to be within a commutable distance of the office (Facebook). The other, bigger trend seems to be offering flex scheduling (think 3 WFH and 2 office days) and companies are already transitioning to a hotel/neighborhood office set-up. They are also opening up more east coast hubs and giving employees the option to be based near one of those (Chicago, Boston, Austin, NYC). Which is a continuation of a pre-pandemic trend to tap into talent in other markets.

Bottom line, is there are no fundamentals to support the current real estate prices in MT, especially Bozeman. How much local opportunity really exists? Can two adults reliably find six figure incomes with local companies? Considering MT is 46th in GDP (and probably lower per capita) I doubt it.

I also think that politics will stunt this. Young college educated adults aren’t going to be thrilled about people like Seth Berglee or Braxton Miller making the laws.