Buying a home in Billings from another state can feel risky, but it does not have to be. With the right plan, local partners, and secure tools, you can evaluate homes, negotiate with confidence, and close from wherever you are. This guide outlines the exact steps, key Montana rules, and practical tips that keep your remote purchase smooth and safe. Let’s dive in.
Billings market snapshot for remote buyers
Billings is a steady regional hub with recent median prices in the mid to upper $300Ks, based on multiple data snapshots. You will see pricing and days on market vary by neighborhood and property type. For context, review recent market snapshots from sources like ATTOM’s Billings overview to gauge trends before you shop. When you plan in-person visits, schedule flights into Billings Logan International Airport for quick access to neighborhoods across the city.
- Market context: see recent data snapshots via ATTOM’s Billings overview.
- Travel logistics: get oriented with Billings Logan International Airport.
Your remote homebuying game plan
Step 1: Get pre-approved
A full mortgage pre-approval strengthens your offer and shortens timelines. Ask your lender if they support remote or hybrid closings and electronic document delivery. Confirm appraisal requirements, how the appraiser will access the home, and the estimated turn times.
Step 2: Hire a local buyer’s agent
Choose a Montana-licensed agent active in the Billings MLS who handles remote transactions. Look for live video tours, detailed recorded walkthroughs, coordination with inspectors, and clear closing checklists. Ask for examples of recent remote purchases and how they prevent wire fraud.
Step 3: Search and evaluate from anywhere
Use live video tours and thorough photo sets to evaluate layout, light, and condition. Ask for slow pans, exterior shots, roof and foundation views, and neighborhood drive-through videos in areas like the Heights, West End, Lockwood, Laurel, and northwest enclaves. Request floor plans, seller disclosures, HOA documents if applicable, and any repair invoices.
Step 4: Make the offer
Build in contingencies for inspection and appraisal, plus a plan for the final walk-through if you cannot be present. Montana requires sellers to disclose known adverse material facts, so ensure you receive the disclosure before or at contract signing and understand your rescission window. Review the disclosure timing and rights in the Montana seller disclosure statute.
Step 5: Inspections and due diligence
Order a general home inspection and any needed specialty checks, such as sewer or septic, well, radon, roof, HVAC, or structural. Attend by video and ask the inspector to narrate issues on camera, then review the full written report and photos. Confirm any agreed repairs are completed with photos, receipts, and, when needed, a reinspection.
Step 6: Appraisal and financing
Coordinate closely with your lender on scheduling and access. Make sure the appraiser has safe entry and any required documents. Keep financing conditions and timeline top of mind so you can remove contingencies on schedule.
Step 7: Close securely from afar
Montana authorizes remote online notarization, which can make fully remote closings possible when your lender and title company agree. Review the Montana Secretary of State notary rules to understand what is required. Your closing agent will also prepare the Montana Realty Transfer Certificate, Form 488, which must be filed with the deed, so confirm that is handled. You can read more about the Realty Transfer Certificate, Form 488. Check recording logistics with the Yellowstone County Clerk & Recorder and note that the county has posted a recording fee change effective October 1, 2025.
Step 8: After closing
Ask how keys will be delivered or picked up locally and who will confirm the property is secure. Start utilities right away and set a plan for lawn care or winterization based on the season. Save your title policy, closing package, and recorded deed confirmation for your records.
Legal and local essentials in Billings
- Seller disclosure: Montana requires sellers to disclose known adverse material facts and provides a short rescission window. See the statute text.
- Realty Transfer Certificate: Form 488 must be filed with the deed. Title companies typically prepare and submit it. Review the Form 488 overview.
- Remote notarization: Montana allows RON. Confirm the platform and that your lender and title company accept it. Details are on the Montana Secretary of State notary page.
- Recording and fees: The Yellowstone County Clerk & Recorder manages recording and posts fee updates. Ask your title company about e-recording and current fees.
Remote showings and inspections checklist
- Ask for complete photo sets, floor plans, and a narrated video walkthrough of every room, garage, and exterior.
- Request roofline, foundation, grading, and drainage views, plus street frontage and nearby intersections.
- During the live tour, ask your agent to open cabinets, test windows and doors, and zoom in on mechanicals.
- Order a general inspection plus any needed specialty tests: sewer or septic, well quality and flow, radon, pest, roof, structural, and HVAC performance.
- Attend by video and get a summary call with the inspector before you finalize repair requests.
Closing options explained
- Fully remote: electronic signing plus RON for notarized documents, followed by county recording. Fast and convenient if all parties support it.
- Hybrid: most documents sign electronically, with a mobile notary or local signing for the few wet-ink forms. Good balance when RON is not fully accepted.
- Mail-away: documents are overnighted to you for ink signatures with a local notary, then returned for recording. Reliable when technology or timing is limited.
Wire transfer safety checklist
Remote buyers face higher wire fraud risk, so build in safeguards.
- Verify wiring instructions by calling the title company at a phone number you obtain independently, not from email. See industry alerts from CertifID on fraud trends and this overview of wire fraud risks and prevention.
- Use secure portals for document exchange and never approve last-minute changes by email.
- Confirm the account name and bank details match the title company’s official information before you send funds.
When to involve a local attorney
Consider engaging a Montana real estate attorney when you see title defects or unusual easements, complex water-rights questions tied to the Realty Transfer Certificate, boundary or encroachment disputes, or unique land-use or well and septic issues. Legal review can prevent costly delays and protect your interests.
If you want a trusted local partner to coordinate video tours, inspections, and a secure closing from start to finish, the Brosovich Real Estate Team is here to help.
FAQs
Can I complete a Billings home purchase entirely remotely?
- Often yes, since Montana allows remote online notarization and many title companies and lenders support remote or hybrid closings, but confirm your options early with your lender and title team.
What must I receive before signing a Montana purchase contract?
- You should receive the seller disclosure of known adverse material facts, a clear contract with contingencies, and, if financed, a lender pre-approval with timelines.
How do notarizations work if I am out of state or overseas?
- Montana permits RON for signers outside the state when tech and identity requirements are met, or you can use hybrid or mail-away options if your lender or title company does not support RON.
Who handles the Realty Transfer Certificate and recording in Yellowstone County?
- The title company or closing agent typically prepares Form 488 and records the deed with the county, then confirms recording after closing.
How do I safely wire my closing funds from out of state?
- Call to verify wiring instructions using a trusted, independently sourced number, avoid approving changes by email, and follow the title company’s secure procedures every step of the way.
