Buying a home in Montana

Montana's effective property-tax rate is about 0.592%of a home's value per year, lower than the U.S. average of 0.888%. On a $500,000 home that's roughly $2,960 a year.

Full Montana property-tax guide →

Montana is a title/escrow state (no attorney required), and Montana has no state real-estate transfer or deed tax. On a $400,000 home, estimated closing costs run about $7,045–$10,345 on top of your down payment.

Full Montana closing-costs guide →

Montana runs a housing finance agency with first-time-buyer help: down-payment assistance, below-market first mortgages, and mortgage tax credits.

See first-time buyer programs in Montana →

What you can afford depends on your income, debts, and down payment, not just the home price. Montana's property taxes above feed straight into the monthly payment lenders measure against your income.

Enter your numbers once and see your real affordability range, debt-to-income, and rent-vs-buy break-even for Montana:

Home Buying Steps walks you through the whole process, from checking if you're ready to getting pre-approved to closing day, one clear step at a time, tailored to Montana where the rules differ.

• 1. Are you ready? — budget, credit, rent vs. buy
• 2. Get your finances in order — pre-approval
• 5. Making an offer — earnest money & contingencies
• 10. Closing day — every cost, line by line