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Gated communities: gaining popularity across Montana.

Article Excerpt
In 1990, only 276 houses in Montana were worth $300,000 or more. But by 2000, that figure had climbed to 4,735, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And that was the year the Census Bureau added a new category of homes in Montana--those costing $1 million or more, which exceeded the total number of $300,000-plus houses in 1990 by 48.

Along with the million-dollar homes, retirement/ recreation/wilderness clubs within gated communities are popping up all over the state. Nationwide, roughly 6 percent of homes are in developments behind walls and fences, and about 4 million of those households are in communities with access controlled by keyed gates or security guards. Predominately out-of-state investment has brought this trend to Montana, offering members privacy, recreation, and luxury across Montana.

Lavish Living in the Big Sky Country

Perhaps those that have enjoyed, or dreaded, the most media coverage are the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky and the Stock Farm outside Hamilton in the Bitterroot Valley. They boast completely different amenities for their residents, yet they both serve as noteworthy precursors to those communities that are still to come.

With members such as former Vice President Dan Quayle and golf pro Annika Sorenstam, the Yellowstone Club has its own private, 2,400-acre ski mountain and a golf course designed by professional golfer Tom Weiskpf. Buyers pay an initiation fee of $250,000 and annual membership dues of $16,000. That's on top of the $3 million dollars of...

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