OFF THE MARKET: North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Fay Ranches

N OR TH F OR K WI LLOW C R EEK R ANCH Choteau, Teton County, Montana $7,900,000 | 2,560± Acres

North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

INTRODUCTION Scenic and productive multi-generation working cattle ranch within a short drive to the quaint community of Choteau, Montana. The ranch features a creekside historic home that has been updated for comfort and convenience plus a complete set of working facilities including barns and corrals to support current livestock operations. The ranch is comprised of lush creek bottom lands, irrigated hay meadows and dryland pasture for cattle grazing. Excellent water rights provide ample irrigation water for hay meadows on the ranch. Situated to enjoy the backdrop of the dramatic Rocky Mountain Front which serves as the gateway to the Bob Marshall Wilderness for abundant recreation and enjoyment just minutes from the ranch.

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • • • • • • •

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2,560± deeded acres | 640± leased acres | 3,200± total acres Spectacular views of the Rocky Mountain front 8th generation family cattle ranch Lush creek bottom lands Riparian area attracts wildlife Wildlife including elk, deer, moose & more Historic house and cattle working improvements Minutes from the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area High quality big game hunting opportunities Less than one hour to Great Falls Scenic location with varied terrain Conservation opportunity

North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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LOCATION The ranch is a short drive along well-maintained county roads to the quaint agricultural and Western town of Choteau, Montana. Established in 1875 and originally known as Old Agency, in 1882 the name was formally changed to honor Pierre Choteau Jr., president of the American Fur Company whose father founded the Missouri River Fur Company.

The epitome of a western town, Choteau seems to have turned a cold shoulder to the fast-paced life that has enveloped much of the American West. Modern conveniences still abound with schools, taverns, grocers, a swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, a hospital, a museum, and a public airport. Teton Pass Ski Area is located a short drive from Choteau and offers two lifts servicing, 114 acres, and 26 trails. Showdown Ski Area is nestled in the Little Belt Mountains 60± miles southeast of Great Falls along Highway 89, where 34 trails offer 640-plus skiable acres. Great Falls, Montana’s third-largest city, is an hour from the ranch and provides a complete variety of services and cultural amenities.

Great Falls was first explored in 1805 during Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. The city is named for the distinctive falls of the Missouri River. It was at this point on their journey that Lewis and Clark abandoned their keelboat and built small canoes which they portaged around the falls, continuing their journey to the Pacific Ocean. Helena, Montana’s state capital, is located 2.5± hours south of the ranch.

Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in Last Chance Gulch by four men, known as “The Four Georgians”. By 1888, about 50 millionaires lived in Helena, more per capita than any city in the world. The State Capital Building (with its distinctive gold rotunda), the Civic Center, and the Saint Helena Cathedral are among the many unique historic buildings in Helena.

GETTING THERE Home to around 1,800 residents, Choteau, Montana is approximately 15 miles to the northeast offering small-town amenities including a post office, banking, shopping, dining, and more. For additional amenities including commercial air, major medical, and a wide variety of shopping and dining options, Great Falls, Montana is just under an hour from the ranch.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

AIRPORT SERVICES Great Falls info is located near two airports. Choteau Airport (http://airnav.com/airport/KCII) is within close reach of the ranch and is open to the public and capable of handling a variety of aircraft. The airport has two runways, the longest of which is 5,000 feet and the smaller measuring 3,700 feet. The Great Falls International Airport (http://www.airnav.com/airport/KGTF) is just over an hour from Choteau and is open year-round offering both commercial and private services. Commercial airlines include Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, Northwest, and United.

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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Glacier National Park

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

AREA HISTORY Just 2± hours north of the ranch is the east entrance to Glacier National Park. One of our most spectacular and rugged national parks, Glacier is known for its cascading waterfalls and 50 remaining glacial formations.

Combined with the adjoining Bob Marshall Wilderness to the south and Canada’s Waterton Park to the north, these areas total approximately 2 million square miles of wilderness. Archaeological evidence of human use of the area dates back more than 10,000 years. The region holds great spiritual importance to the tribes that once called it home; the Blackfeet on the east side of the divide and the Salish and Kootenai on the west.

Westerners quickly realized the need to protect the area’s scenic beauty, and in 1910, President Taft signed a bill making Glacier the nation’s tenth national park. The Rocky Mountain Front also captures one of the nation’s most phenomenal migratory sites.

Freeze Out Lake is located along Highway 89 just south of Choteau and is one of the largest staging areas for snow geese on a trip that can span from central California to Alaska. It is here that as many as 300,000 Snow Geese and 10,000 Tundra Swans find a respite after nearly 600 miles of nonstop flight.

The surrounding barley and grain fields provide the birds with the nourishment they need to continue to their final destination, some more than 1,000 miles away.

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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ACREAGE • 2,560± deeded acres • 640± leased acres • 3,200± total acres The ranch includes lush creek bottoms, irrigated meadows, rolling pastures, and large hills with interesting rock outcroppings all with the backdrop of the stunning Rocky Mountain Front and mountains beyond within view from the ranch.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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SCENIC VISTAS The Rocky Mountain Front is one of the most pristine and uncommon ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains.

It is here that the Great Plains make a dramatic transition and converge upon limestone walls rising in grandeur thousands of feet from the valley floor. The rare overlap of flora and fauna makes this one of America’s wildest and most majestic stretches of the Northern Rockies. The walls and peaks of the Front form what has been described as the “backbone of America” and make for a spectacular entrance into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness or “The Bob”, as it is affectionately referred to by locals and outdoor enthusiasts, is a unit made up of the Flathead National Forest, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Lolo National Forest, and Helena National Forest and spans over 1.5 million acres. Nothing is left to the imagination when exploring the Bob Marshall. Rugged peaks, glacier-formed lakes, waterfalls, pure mountain streams, expansive grassy meadows, river valleys, and a towering forest can all be found in the Complex. Being one of the most complete ecosystems in the world, the Bob Marshall Wilderness is home to one of the rarest arrays of wildlife. Mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, bobcats, cougars, lynx, wolves, black bears, and grizzly bears, as well as a multitude of smaller mammals, all take advantage of this remarkable habitat.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

From roaming dinosaurs to the Blackfeet Indians, the story of the area is as rich as any. Egg Mountain, 12± miles west of Choteau, is one of the most important landmarks in archeological history. It was here that the first dinosaur embryos were discovered by Museum of the Rockies paleontologists Jack Horner and Marion Brandvold. In years since the initial discovery, the largest collection of dinosaur eggs, embryos, and baby skeletons found in the western world have been unearthed at this location. It is this site on the Montana Dinosaur Trail that has provided more information on the Cretaceous period than any other dig in the world. One doesn’t have to look far to find signs of the Blackfeet Indians that once made their home beneath the towering limestone walls.

One of the oldest human migratory trails in North America travels north to south, just west of Choteau.

Known to the Blackfeet as the Old North Trail, this path once stretched from the Arctic North down through Mexico and was first used by Mongols who had migrated across the Bering Sea land bridge. Walter McClintock wrote in his book, The Old North Trail or Life Legends and Religion of the Blackfeet Indians, “The Old North Trail is now becoming overgrown with moss and grass, but it was worn so deeply, by so many generations of travelers, that the travois tracks and horse trail are still plainly visible.”

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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CLIMATE Climate for Choteau, Montana Courtesy of http://www.city-data.com/city/Choteau-Montana.html

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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IMPROVEMENTS The ranch headquarters include a 4 bedroom, 2 bath well-maintained historic home that has been added onto and modernized since it was first constructed over 100 years ago. The home is adjacent to the cool waters of North Willow Creek attracting a variety of wildlife to the area for easy viewing. With the spectacular backdrop of the ranch and the Rocky Mountain Front, this location has been expanded to include all the ranch facilities needed for year-round cattle operations. Ranch operations are supported by a horse barn, corrals with alleyway and loading chute, workshop area, and barn to provide shelter during calving season. The facilities are functional and currently in use by the owner-operators of the ranch. There is ample room for the construction of additional ranch structures if desired by a new owner.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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RECREATION H unting & W ildlife The ranch is located in a corridor that is valued for wildlife habitat with much of the surrounding acreage protected by the Nature Conservancy to provide an unchanged landscape for wildlife heading into the future. The concentration and diversity of wildlife, as well as the number of rare and endangered species in the region, are truly outstanding. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep inhabit the higher elevations in the neighboring wilderness. Elk and both mule and whitetail deer frequent the ranch and can be found in the region year-round. The white-tailed deer in particular enjoy the lush creek bottoms while the mule deer and antelope traverse the higher reaches and dryland pastures on the ranch. Moose are abundant in the wetlands and riparian areas, browsing on willow and aspen. Predator species balance this unique ecosystem, with grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, coyote, mountain lion, bobcat, lynx, wolverine, badger, and a variety of raptors playing a valuable role in the ecosystem. Many of these species require vast home ranges and their existence is evidence of the pristine character of the land.

The ranch offers outstanding big game hunting opportunities both on the ranch and in the nearby public lands. Trophy big game quality is exceptional with Boone and Crockett potential for a number of species. The abundance of rough fescue and other highly desirable native grasses draw animals, just as they did the buffalo centuries ago. Elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer are all found on the ranch throughout the fall. Trophy bighorn and their posturing and head-clashing rituals are on display nearby even if you are not fortunate enough to draw a coveted tag. Ruffed and blue grouse are found in the riparian areas, evergreens, and aspen coves. With the Rocky Mountain Front as a backdrop, it’s hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for a day of hunting than at the North Fork Willow Creek Ranch.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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RECREATION F ishing The coveted North Fork of the Teton River flows a few short miles from the ranch. Anglers can enjoy an opportunity to catch native cutthroat in these clear, pristine waters. The Teton offers an intimate small stream fishery. Douglas Fir trees line the sides of the river, and the riparian stream corridor is rich with a mixture of cottonwood, aspen, alder, and willow. There are springs and beaver ponds that expand the wetlands, offering tremendous wildlife habitat and additional fishing opportunity. The upper reaches of the Teton is small in size, ideal for your favorite 4-weight rod. A classic combination of riffles and pocket water, the stream holds native cutthroat 4 to 16 inches. Nearby floatable streams include the Sun River, which is less than 1 hour from the ranch, and the famed “Mighty Mo,” or Missouri River, which is about an hour and a half. There are also several nearby public reservoirs offering a variety of warm water and cold-water game fish, including the legendary trout fishing on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation only 40± minutes from the ranch.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES Just 2± hours north of the ranch is the east entrance to Glacier National Park. One of our most spectacular and rugged national parks, Glacier is known for its cascading waterfalls and 50 remaining glacial formations.

Combined with the adjoining Bob Marshall Wilderness to the south and Canada’s Waterton Park to the north, these areas total approximately 2 million square miles of wilderness. Archaeological evidence of human use of the area dates back more than 10,000 years. The region holds great spiritual importance to the tribes that once called it home; the Blackfeet on the east side of the divide and the Salish and Kootenai on the west. Westerners quickly realized the need to protect the area’s scenic beauty, and in 1910, President Taft signed a bill making Glacier the nation’s tenth national park. The Rocky Mountain Front also captures one of the nation’s most phenomenal migratory sites. Freeze Out Lake is located along Highway 89 just south of Choteau and is one of the largest staging areas for snow geese on a trip that can span from central California to Alaska. It is here that as many as 300,000 Snow Geese and 10,000 Tundra Swans find a respite after nearly 600 miles of nonstop flight. The surrounding barley and grain fields provide the birds with the nourishment they need to continue to their final destination, some more than 1,000 miles away. www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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INCOME OPPORTUNITY The ranch supports a family cattle operation. The current owners run over 600 mother cows on the ranch and on additional private land leases that they hold. A new owner may wish to run their own cattle or lease the irrigated hay meadows and seasonal grazing opportunities to a nearby rancher for a source of income.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

WATER RIGHTS The North Fork of Willow Creek flows through a portion of the ranch creating an attractive riparian area that provides habitat for a variety of wildlife that live in the region. A small portion of the Pine Butte Swamp, a wetland area that encompasses 18,000 ± total acres and is located along the Rocky Mountain Front, encroaches alongside the northern boundary of the ranch with land owned by the Nature Conservancy. A stock water tank system was added in some of the dryland pastures to provide livestock grazing on those lands access to stock water within easy reach.

The ranch features both stock water and irrigation water rights dating back to late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Water rights associated with the ranch are utilized both for watering livestock and for the flood irrigation of productive hay meadows. A complete list of water rights may be furnished upon request.

MINERAL RIGHTS All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing.

Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the Buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.

CONSERVATION | EASEMENT Each of us at Fay Ranches has a love of the land and a desire to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting the use of thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitat and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, the landscape on which we work has been significantly enhanced by the conservation ethic and land use practices of our clients. A small portion of the ranch is protected under a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy for a short period of time. This easement times out and when released will no longer encumber the ranch. A new owner may wish to negotiate a permanent easement on part or all of the ranch taking advantage of the benefits received when doing so.

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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PRICE $7,900,000

TERMS Cash, Conventional Financing, 1031 Tax Exchange

CONTACT Please contact Kimberly Lowry at (406) 490-4323 | klowry@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.

NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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SUMMARY The North Fork Willow Creek Ranch has been operated by the same family for eight generations, which speaks volumes of the deep-rooted stewardship that will be passed on to a new owner. The ranch is positioned with the majestic Rocky Mountain Front in the background and has been an integral component to the family’s profitable and productive commercial cattle operation.

The ranch offer excellent privacy, lots of room to explore yet is a short drive from the quaint town of Choteau, Montana. With potential conservation possibilities, production opportunity, and scenic value, this ranch is one for the truly discriminating buyer.

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North Fork Willow Creek Ranch | Choteau, Montana

RELATIONSHIPS IN REAL ESTATE As required by Montana law, a broker or salesperson shall disclose the existence and nature of relevant agency or other relationships to the parties to a real estate transaction. The various relationships and description of duties are as follows: 1. SELLER AGENT A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Seller to:

Act solely in the best interests of the seller; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the seller; Disclose all relevant

and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the seller agent and not known or discoverable by the seller unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the seller agent; Safeguard the seller’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the seller’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the seller for any funds or property of the seller that comes into the seller agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.

Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a seller and obtaining a seller’s written consent, to represent multiple sellers of property and to list properties for sale that may compete with the seller’s property, without breaching any obligation to the seller.

A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to:

Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the seller agent, except

that the seller agent is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent when the seller agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a buyer and a buyer agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.

2. BUYER AGENT (cont) A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Seller to:

Disclose any adverse material facts that are known to the buyer agent and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any

purchase offer; Disclose to the seller or the seller agent when the buyer agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a seller and a seller agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations.

3. DUAL AGENCY If a seller agent is also representing a buyer, or a buyer agent is also representing a seller with regard to a property, then a dual agency relationship may be established. In a dual agency relationship, the dual agent is equally obligated to both the seller and the buyer.

These obligations may prohibit the dual agent from advocating exclusively on behalf of the seller or buyer and may limit the depth and degree of representation that you receive. A broker or a salesperson may not act as a dual agent without the signed, written consent of both the seller and the buyer.

A “Dual Agent” is obligated to a Seller in the same manner as a seller agent and is obligated to a Buyer in the same manner as a buyer agent, except

a dual agent:

Has a duty to disclose to a buyer or seller any adverse material facts that are known to the dual agent regardless of any confidentiality

considerations; and May not disclose the following information without the written consent of the person to whom the

information

is

confidential; The fact that the buyer is willing to pay more than the offered purchase price; The fact that the seller is willing to accept less than the purchase price that the seller is asking for the property; Factors motivating either party to buy or sell; and Any information that a party indicates in writing to the dual agent is to be kept confidential.

4. STATUTORY BROKER A “Statutory Broker” is not the agent of the Buyer or Seller but nevertheless is obligated to them to:

Disclose to: i. a buyer or buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the statutory broker,

except that the statutory broker is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; and ii. a seller or a seller agent any adverse material facts that are known to the statutory broker and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any purchase offer; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in putting together a real estate transaction, and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations.

5. IN-HOUSE SELLER AGENT DESIGNATE

Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker

agreement with the buyer, an in-house seller agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a seller for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the seller with respect to the designated transaction.

6. IN-HOUSE BUYER AGENT DESIGNATE Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker agreement with the buyer, an in-house buyer agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a buyer for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the buyer with respect to the designated transaction.

BUYER AGENT A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to: Act solely in the best interests of the buyer; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the buyer; Disclose all relevant and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the buyer agent and not known or discoverable by the buyer, unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the buyer agent; Safeguard the buyer’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the buyer’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the buyer for any funds or property of the buyer that comes into the buyer agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations.

Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a buyer and obtaining a buyer’s written consent, to represent multiple buyers interested in buying the same property or similar properties to properties in which a buyer is interested and to show properties in which a buyer is interested to other prospective buyers, without breaching any obligation to the buyer.

www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com

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KIMBERLY LOWRY Broker Associate Licensed in: MT c. 406-490-4323 klowry@fayranches.com

FAY RANCHES INC. (800) 238.8616 info@fayranches.com www.fayranches.com