An unusual, or maybe familiar real estate trend is taking off.

I saw this covered in a story for Wired Magazine and of course, the first thing I wondered was, how long will it be until we see something like this in Montana, or is it already happening here?

What's Going On: Wired says that companies are allowing investors to invest in property, almost like the stock market, but the investor only owns a portion or fraction of the property. In some cases, the owners can stay in the property that they've invested in, but only for a short time.

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The Criticism: The post from Wired Magazine on Instagram had a fair number of comments critical of the trend, many of which pointed out that it was "reinventing the timeshare." But others called it "stupid" or said our society is "dystopian." One comment laid out the larger issue:

Great. Just another way for housing stock to go to speculator investors while people who need permanent housing lose access. Not to mention a way of buoying the market to help justify multimillion-dollar dwellings and higher rents. -@andredoubleu via Instagram

Is It Happening in Montana? Multiple websites offer this investment opportunity. Wired cited "Arrived, Lofty, Landa, and mogul" as companies that already offer these investment opportunities. I looked at each site and this is what I found.

  • Arrived had properties in Arizona and Utah among other states, but not Montana.
  • Lofty mostly had properties available in bigger cities.
  • Landa mostly focuses on the southern United States and New York.
  • Mogul required an account to view properties.

I didn't create an account on Mogul but it's likely there aren't any properties available in Montana right now. But could this be something we'll see soon? Let us know your thoughts on our app.

LOOK: The priciest home for sale in every U.S. state

From vast expanses to explore in the West to "cozy" beach retreats in the East, get ready to be dazzled by the opulence of the most luxurious real estate across all 50 states. We've ranked them from the least expensive (a bargain at $3,095,000!) to the most expensive. Simply tap or click on the photo to see more of each home, or if you're feeling extravagant, book a viewing.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

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