COLUMBIA FALLS — It was a special evening in Columbia Falls as Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley held a home dedication ceremony for newly finished affordable townhouses on the corner of 6th avenue west and 8th Street West.
The new townhomes range from 2 to 4 bedrooms and anywhere from 1,100 to 1,300 square feet.
Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley Executive Director MaryBeth Morand said the homes are priced well-below market value with the 4-bedroom going for $400,000.
“I would challenge anyone to find a beautiful energy efficient brand new 4-bedroom townhouse for less than $600,000 in the Flathead right now,” said Morand.
Anthony Goff and his family live in Kalispell and have experienced skyrocketing rental prices in recent years.
He said it’s a dream to now own his own home in Columbia Falls.
“My kids and I are together all the time and to have a place that you can own is pretty mind-blowing, instead of a place that is someone else’s, you can really call it home, and yeah it will probably be my forever home,” said Goff.
Thanks to a partnership with the Montana board of Housing, Morand said the townhomes are on 2% 30-year mortgages.
“And the homeowner only gets a mortgage for 30% of the household’s gross monthly income, so even if the house costs $400,000 if their monthly gross only supports a $250,000 mortgage, they get a $250,000 mortgage,” added Morand.
Morand said six new townhomes are under construction in Columbia Falls with applications still open for select homes in Columbia Falls and Whitefish.
“Columbia Falls has a lot of workforce in it between the plant and it’s the gateway to glacier, a lot of people work inside the park and it’s great workforce community, and it’s a great place for us to build because the City of Columbia Falls has always been wonderful for us to work with.”
More information on how to apply for home ownership can be found here.
