A Dad's Tips For Buying a House in Montana or Anywhere

I talked to my oldest daughter over the weekend and she's getting the bug to buy a house. She talked to me about what she wanted, how much she was paying in rent, and how much she thinks she could afford. Well, once a dad always a dad, so I started to share some of the things that you should look at besides JUST the house.

Check Out the Neighborhood Its In

I told her the neighborhood has to be checked out. You should drive by the home at 2PM and see if there are people on the street walking dogs or out with strollers. Take a drive in the area at 10PM and see if it's quiet at night, if lights are off, etc. I also told her that you can tell a lot about the neighbors by the car they drive. Nice cars and pickups ok but minivans and Suburbans mean families. Low riding hondas with pot plant stickers in the window--maybe not so good.

Do the Neighbors Take Pride in Their Homes?

Look at the condition of the yards and roofs of the homes nearby--that usually indicates the pride people have in their investment. Are their garbage cans always out front? What's their landscaping like? Is the fence around their yard maintained?

The outside of the house is far cheaper to fix up than the inside of the house

So don't let that scare you if the house is in a great neighborhood.

And last but not least, no matter what you choose, I am so very proud of you.

You Can Rent a Cabin on the Ranch From 'Yellowstone' - See Pictures

The stunning Montana ranch that serves as the setting for the hit TV show Yellowstone offers cabins for rent, and the price includes tours of the set and ranch. Scroll below to see photos of the extraordinary property.

See Inside Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's Malibu Beach House:

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's former beachside house in Malibu offered a gorgeous vacation paradise for the country music power couple to relax.

Brooks and Yearwood bought their 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 4,200-square-foot house in Malibu for slightly less than $5 million in June of 2008. The house itself is fairly modest, but very well-appointed, featuring an open floor plan.

The living room boasts a corner fireplace and multiple sets of French doors that open to the backyard. The kitchen includes marble countertops, while skylights offer plenty of natural California sunlight. The den features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on either side of a fireplace of white brick.

The backyard is spectacular, featuring a loggia, an outdoor fireplace, a half-court basketball court and elaborate landscaping. The house provides direct access to the world-famous Malibu beach via a set of steps.

The couple sold the house in Malibu in late 2016 for $7 million.

Filed Under: real estate