Where can I get information about a Montana property?

Where can I get information about a Montana property?

People who are interested in purchasing land or homes in Montana quickly realize there is no public information available regarding home sale prices. That’s because Montana is a non-disclosure state and sale prices are not provided to the public. They are only provided as part of a comparable market analysis for a real estate professional’s buyer or seller client. So the question might arise, “well, is there any data I can actually get about a specific property?” And the answer is yes, there are several public data sources available.

Montana Cadastral

The Cadastral system provides information regarding any property in Montana. Specifically, you can find out an owner’s name and mailing address, specific address of property, legal description, assessment code which is useful for finding other information in other systems, property type and tax district. You can also find out what type of land is included, and how much. If there is a house or there are other structures on the property, you will be able to see what kind of structure, the square footage, style, and more. You can also see how the local taxing authority has valued the property.

Searching is relatively easy, but you do need some data to get started. You can search by owner, geocode, assessment, certificate of survey, address or subdivision.

When you first logon, you’ll see an option on the left that says “search.” When you click on that, you’ll access a screen that looks like this one.

In order to search by name, you must select the correct county first, and then type in the person’s last name. You will see every single property owner with that specific name. If you hover over each name, you will get information about the specific mailing and property address so you can select the correct one.

In addition to locating the information above, you will also be able to see the property on a map, and can obtain street information, satellite views and also topographical information.

The other search options will bring you to the same information. Most of the time, you’ll either have a name or you’ll have an address. But all options basically work similarly.

Flathead County Interactive Mapping Application

Another option for those interested specifically in Flathead County data is Flathead County’s IMA tool. This also provides various search methods. You can search by property address (street address, no town required). You may also search by road, public land survey system or parcel.

This tool has more overlays available than Cadastral. For example, you can look at zoning information, legislative boundaries, hydrology, and more. You can also review well reports, septic permit information and any available surveys.

In addition to the satellite imagery, street view and topography options, there are also options for terrain and USCG views.

The data provided on each parcel is similar to that provided in Cadastral, in fact a link to the Cadastral report is available. However, there is no information on structures on this particular website.

Online Property Tax Information

You also have the ability to find Flathead County property tax information online. Just click on this link, search by owner name, address or assessor number. You will be able to see tax history and tax bills for the last ten years.

Summary

There are definitely (free) options for you to gather additional information about properties. However, to obtain sale price information, you’ll need to be working with a real estate professional. If you’re looking in the Kalispell area, you can call me for assistance on 406-270-3667. I look forward to hearing from you!