Housing costs affecting school district

Working families living on modest or moderate incomes now find that buying a home in Bigfork is probably beyond their financial reach.

A look at the Multiple Listings Service site on Realtor.com reveals that a one-bedroom house in Bigfork costs nearly $160,000 and a three-bedroom manufactured home on less than one acre near town is just under $198,000. Anything fancier or on a larger lot would cost a minimum of $200,000 — more than many working families could afford, especially if they’re living on one income.

Building lots start at $79,900. That doesn’t leave an average-income family with much buying power to build a decent house.

Michael Perez and his wife teach at Bigfork Elementary School. They bought an unfinished house in Lakeside two years ago after deciding that a house they liked in Bigfork’s Crestview neighborhood cost more than they could afford on two teachers’ salaries.

“It’s unfortunate, but I understand the whole real estate thing,” Perez said. “We wish we were a little more close to where we work.”

He and his family are pleased with their Lakeside home, but Perez added that living a 20-minute drive from their workplace is “a big inconvenience, actually.” They have to leave home about 6:30 a.m. to get to work by 7, and it’s hard getting their baby and two school-age children up early, he said. Sometimes he and his wife have to drive two cars if their schedules are too different for them to ride together. If one of them forgets something at home or school, driving back to get it isn’t cost-effective, especially with the rising price of gas.

“We would really like to be in Bigfork, but we’re not crying over it,” Perez said.

Shannon Smith, athletic director at Bigfork High School, said hiring at the school is a challenge with housing prices as high as they are. Some people don’t want to work in a community if they can’t live there too.

“We’re trying to hire a head football coach and we’ve had four or five candidates pull their names, and the number-one reason is housing costs,” Smith said. “They’re really surprised. There were some good candidates who pulled their names.”