Nicole King, broker, and owner of 41 Realty Group has been recording a Touring Billings series on her YouTube channel to showcase some of the best parts of Billings, Montana. So far she’s covered Pioneer Park, Rimrock Road, and Forest Park Subdivision. 

Watch the full videos of each place below or read the transcripts to learn more about each place.

Videos 1-3 of Touring Billings, Montana Video Series

What are your favorite neighborhoods in Billings? View our first three videos in the Touring Billings, Montana series, and then let us know which neighborhoods we should cover next!

Touring Billings #1 – Pioneer Park

Nicole: Hey there! I’m Nicole King, broker/owner of 41 Realty Group in Billings, Montana. A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to a new video series, where we explored various areas of Billings. 

Today, we’re in the area surrounding Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park is a 32-acre city park just north of Senior High School. It’s between 3rd and Virginia. Located within the park is a wading pool, playground, tennis courts, restrooms, horseshoe pits, mutli-use trails, barbecue areas, a folf course, and plenty of green space with mature trees which is perfect for winter sledding.

The Zimmerman Center also sits just inside the park just off of Virginia and Ave E. It is a great place to host events. With this park being centrally located and it providing so many activities and beautiful scenery, it’s no wonder that the neighborhoods surround it are some of the most requested by buyers.

The areas around the park have been formally and informally named The Avenues, North Elevations, The Tree Streets, and The Poets. Those names are mostly not a mystery in origin. The Poets are named after famous poets like Longfellow and Whittier. The Tree Streets have strong names like Elm and Maple. The Avenues include Avenues B – F. And lastly there’s the North Elevation, which is a several block radius slightly to the east of Pioneer Park that is on the national register of historic places. 

It’s easy to see why so many folks love these neighborhoods. The welcoming craftsman, bungalow, and tudor-style homes along well-manicured tree-lined streets harken back to what can seem like a much similar time in history.

There are creaky wood floors, stately fireplaces, cross-hatched windows, and built-in doors and cabinets that bring the famed “character” to these homes. Buying one of these homes means embracing the quirks and inconveniences of a by-gone era, plus oftentimes needing to do expensive updates, like replacing knob-and-tube wiring, getting rid of lead-based paint asbestos, and replacing windows and adding insulation to improve efficiency.

One truly must have the love and patients for the issues of an old home. Each of these areas has their own cost variations and frequency in which homes become available. In the past 5 years, between 4-7 houses have sold each year in The Poets, but in the year 2018, none sold. The average price-point of homes sold so far in 2020 is $343,000. However, many of the larger and more expensive homes haven’t been on the market in decades, but would easily approach several hundred thousand and even over a million dollars. 

In the past five years, about fifteen houses have sold each year in the tree streets. The average price of homes sold so far in 2020 was just under $285,000. The Avenues and the North Elevation overlap one another. Usually only about 10 to 15 home sell in this area each year, but 2020 has seen a spike in over 25 sold so far, with an average price of about $256,000.

No matter where you choose to live in Billings, you can’t go wrong. If you’re looking for turn-of-the-century charm amidst a canopy of trees, are comfortable keeping up with the demands of an older home, and are pre-approved for a loan in at least the mid-200s, the areas around Pioneer park might just be perfect for you.

Thank you for touring a bit of Billings with me today. If you have questions about these or any other parts of the Greater Billings area, feel free to call, text, or email me anytime. Until next time, make it a great day, y’all.

Touring Billings #2 – Rimrock Road

Nicole: Hey there! I’m Nicole King, broker/owner of 41 Realty Group in Billings, Montana. As you drive down Rimrock Road, heading west, you’ll see dozens of streets branching off near the Rims. These short, mostly dead-end streets feature an incredible array of architecture. No two homes are the same, and they range in age from the early 1900s to as recent as this year. 

There are a handful of vacant lots to be built on as well, but they’ll set you back about a little over $100,000 to purchase. As we continue our tour of Billings, let’s take a closer look at these less-traveled streets above Rimrock and find out what they offer. 

Many buyers ask to be in this area due to the towering trees, large yards, and easy access to most other areas of town. Rimrock Road itself connects to major roads like Airport, Virginia, 13th, Zimmerman, and Shiloh. From those, it’s just a few minutes to the Heights, downtown, King Avenue, Shiloh Crossing, and the interstate.

Aside from convenience, these sloped streets offer solitude that is often paired with incredible views of Yellowstone Valley and the nearby mountain ranges. The area is a comfortable mix of small and large homes, homes that could use some updating and homes that have already been fully renovated. 

There are pocket parks sprinkled throughout, some with play equipment while some are left natural. One of the best sledding hills in Billings, Rimpoint Park, can be found just above Rimrock, a few blocks west of Shiloh. Make sure you check it out this Winter!

Usually between 80 and 90 houses sell each year in this area. 2020 has already seen more than 75 sales, and the price point of those has been about $345,000. The better-known subdivisions of Gregory Hills, Wilshire Height, and Castlewood have large signs at their entrances. Watch for them the next time you’re driving down Rimrock and then maybe turn in and drive the quaint streets and fall in love with yet another great area of Billings.

Thank you for touring a bit more of the Billings area with me today. If you have questions about these or any other parts of the Greater Billings area, feel free to call, text, or email me anytime. Until next time, make it a great day.

Touring Billings #3 – Forest Park Subdivision

Nicole: Hey there! I’m Nicole King, broker/owner of 41 Realty Group in Billings, Montana. Do you drive by these walls all the time and wonder, “what is behind them?” You’d be right if you assumed they are stately homes, perfectly manicured lawns, and to-die-for master suites. You would also be right if you thought there would be friendly neighbors, meandering walking paths, and a labyrinth of streets that I quickly got lost on. Welcome to Forest Park! Let’s explore.

With the exception of this beautiful patio-home community located at the South entrance of the subdivision, most of the homes are single-family residences. The curbed streets of the subdivision keep the traffic moving slowly, as most people want to take their time admiring these beautiful homes.

Forest Park got its start in the late 60s. Many of the homes were built between then and the late 70s. A few were sprinkled in between the 80s and 90s, but there was a large push for construction between the early 2000s to about 2016. Most of the homes are very large with several bedrooms and bathrooms.

If you’re wanting to move into Forest Park, you’ll need to watch the market carefully, since only about 15 properties sell here each year. The average price point for the ten that sold in 2020 was about $421,000. Now, keep in mind that most of the homes that sell in this area are exceptionally well-maintained, but they can also be time-capsules for the era in which they were built. The average price point is high, and you might also need a healthy remodel budget for post-closing updates.

Thank you for touring another part of Billings with me today. If you have questions about Forest Park or any other part of the greater Billings area, feel free to call, text, or email me anytime. Until next time, make it a great day!