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• Montana homeowners face rising costs and housing insecurity amid soaring property taxes and insurance.
• Older Montanans, particularly those with health issues, are especially vulnerable.
• State housing reforms aim to boost supply, but one housing counselor worries about short-term aid.

Owning a home doesn't guarantee financial security in retirement — even when home values have skyrocketed, as they have in communities across the country over the past few years.

This is particularly apparent in the state of Montana, which has seen home values surge as out-of-staters move in and its home shortage deepens. But in Big Sky Country, as in much of the nation, costs associated with homeownership, including home insurance premiums, property taxes, and home repairs, have also risen quickly.

Older homeowners who live on fixed incomes are having a particularly hard time managing these rising costs. With mortgage interest rates sky-high and home inventory low, they have few options to downsize.

To read the rest of the article see the Business Insider

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