This morning I thought of an idea that may be worth thinking about. What if we create a program for Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan where Soldiers receive access to Foreclosed homes. What I'm thinking we do as a country is this - Homes that are going into Foreclosure can be purchased with the TARP funds. Then returning soldiers get to purchase these homes at WELL below market value using a mortgage funded by the US government - in essence the Tax payers become equity partners in these homes. These soldiers would also receive the additional benefit of not having to make ANY payments for two years. They did an incredible job for our country - WE OWE THEM. Now, think about this - not only did our soldiers serve us well, they can now help to stabilize our country. By purchasing these homes... 01/13/2009

Happy New Year to All of you!  I have been about two weeks late in life, business and my home life.  It has been a very busy season and all around year for us!  I finally was ab;e tp tale down all of our  Christmas decorations this past weekend.  Of course, that started an organizational project in our four car garage.  I got one fourth done and will keep chipping away at it during the next few months.  I decided I had to organize my office to be able to work on our many upcoming classes, presentations and of course our business.  Yesterday and today were the first days I have been alone in a long time.  My husband and son are out doing a painting project for one of our dearest and oldest clients.  I actually had time to think and reflect on the past year. For us 2008 was truly a year o... 01/13/2009

Market New Wow, the last few weeks have been amazing and much welcomed! I hope you have seen your activity speed up as well. We have taken more loan apps then I can last remember and our team's pipeline is swelling. On Friday, I locked a client's 30 year fixed loan at a rate of 4.5%! With rates as low as they are and house prices easily affordable, clients are clamoring to take advantage of the market. The Forecast for this Week: The Fed's purchasing program will continue to be something to watch in the weeks and months ahead, and there are also several reports that may impact whether Bonds and rates continue to explore new territory during this coming week. On Wednesday, we will see the Retail Sales Report for December, and since many retailers have already said this holiday season was... 01/12/2009

For the past 60 days my business partner and I have been building a new website dedicated to the New Construction Division of our company in Boise, ID. Building a new website is tough because 1) it is extremely technical and 2) you can do anything so being focused is key. It's easy to get off track, get stuck, find something you want to do but can't and 3) it takes a lot of writing to fill it up with content. If only we could plug our brains in and download our experience it would have been so much easier! So, we have worked really hard on this - take a look and please let me know what you think! http://www.newconstructionboise.com 01/10/2009

Yes there may be a housing down turn, but don't forget about the big picture. The overriding and encompassing story of our time has to do with a growing population that far outstrips our natural resources and energy reserves. Although the current economy may not be, the world population is growing. Growth is still happening in our cities, our towns, and in our communities. The big question for many people is how issues like population growth/economic slowdown, the environment, and dwindling resources effect decisions made today about buying and selling real estate. How do these trends affect my decision making in the current real estate market? These important questions bring about some very interesting answers, some of which may actually help reduce the impact on our planet and create ... 01/07/2009

You may be wondering are you legally obligated to shovel your sidewalk in Boise? The answer is yes. In fact not doing it can actually lead to a fine of $1000.00. With the snowfall in the valley the mayor's office has been receiving complaints and is issuing letters of warning. The Boise city ordinance requires you to clear the snow by 9:00am and as needed there after. Boise asks that you do your part and help out your neighbor if they are disabled or out of town. Well that clears it up, I'm off to find my snow shovel. 01/06/2009

Submitted by-Tom LeeSonata Hills   Who is your Idaho Home Builder?   Syringa Construction Steve Hanson   When was your home completed?   July 2008   Construction Type?    Purchased Home from Builder   Idaho Home Builder Recommendation?   I have built10 new homes in the past 35 years. All but this one in Boise, have been in another state. I came to Boise not wanting to build a home and go through the entire process--can be very stressful. I found this home and several others in the area but I kept coming back to this one. The home had everything I was looking for plus. Having built so many homes I felt like I was able to examine this home and see the quality. Steve was always willing to answer questions or put me in contact with someone who could. He spent a great deal of time with me a... 01/04/2009

As the holiday season comes to a close it's time to take down the Christmas trees in Boise.  If you're wondering what to do with it, why not recycle it.  It's free and the only hard part is figuring out how to get it back out of your house which is always harder that it was bringing it in. Simply remove the decorations cut the tree into sections not longer that 4ft and place it curbside for pick up with your trash and recycling. Curbside Christmas tree recycling is available within the city of Boise through January 9th. 01/03/2009

It is said that the United States needs to produce approximately 1 Million housing units annually just to keep up with demand. Demand comes from Marriage, Divorce, migration, immigration, etc. This year the United States has built the same number of units as in 1959. In 1959 the US had 179 million people. We now have about 310 Million. Boise adds approximately 8,478 new residents every year. It is projected that our population will be around 762,981 by the year 2020 (in 2006 we were at 559,095). What does all this mean? Well, the basic rule of supply and demand is this - all shortages are followed by gluts... and all gluts are followed by shortages. We are about to experience a massive housing shortage across the entire country. I see us having a "rush" to buy in the following 120 days... 12/31/2008

This morning I read an article in the Idaho Business Review that discussed home price value declines. It states that  Idaho is "in the middle" in terms of home price declines. There were 24 states that declined as much or less than in Idaho and there were 25 states that fared worse or had higher price declines. The Boise-Nampa area was reported as having fallen 6% from a year ago. Now compare that to other investment vehicles and you can see why housing is still a good investment: S&P - was down 39.3% from a year ago as of yesterdays close NASDAQ was down 41.5% from a year ago as of yesterdays close DOW was down 35% from a year ago as of yesterdays close So, lets take a look at your investments and see what was a better bet. Lets say you bought a $200,000 home on January 1st, 2008 and ... 12/31/2008

Here is a list of builders with inventory. Bet they are ready to sell you a home today! Idaho Real Estate it's not just for investors anymore- affordability is where builders are headed. > Homes for Sale by Builder    Member BuildingCredibility.com Americana Homes Amyx Signature Homes  Asin Homes Aspen Homes Beachwood Builders Blackstead Building Company Boise Hunter Homes  Brighton Homes Burt Smith custom Homes CBH Homes  Capitol Building Company  Chuck Miller Construction Chris Conner Construction Colony Homes Continental Custom Builders Cornerstone Custom Homes  Cotner Builder Company  Diamond Homes of Idaho Dimension Building Co. Don Young Construction Doug Lasher Construction Eaglewood Homes  Emmett Price & Sons  Eric Evans Consruction  Flynner Homes Gabrielli Builds High Desert C... 12/26/2008

A spot of good news is always welcome. While this may have been lost in the headlines of doom and gloom it was a little glimmer of light that caught my eye. It seems Building Materials Holding Corporation (BMHC) will be moving its headquarters to Boise from San Francisco. Read the full article here. This is welcome news to Idahoans and speaks to the many advantages we have to offer corporations coming to the state. 12/15/2008

This report was a tough one to read. Now the economy is being blamed for home owners continued woes and no doubt for good reason, employers are slashing jobs at a record pace and families are struggling. You can read the full article here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_on_bi_ge/home_foreclosures;_ylt=AuF11ON03Py.1TF1DQvnKQLv5rEF If you find yourself in a situation where you can no longer afford to make a house payment it is important to seek help before it's too late. If selling your home becomes your only option and a shortsale is neccecary the more time you give yourself the better chance you have a successfuly negotiating a sale. 12/05/2008

Wood Fired Neopolitan Style Pizza! Today, I had the distinct pleasure of sharing lunch with a couple of friends at Flatbread Community Oven in Bown Crossing (Southeast Boise). It was superb! The ambiance is terrific, and the food is even better. FCO was named Boise's Best Pizza in July 2008 and if you haven't visited this restaurant yet, you're really missing out. The three of us shared a Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese Salad, Chopped Chicken, Apple and Walnut Salad and a Maple-Fennel Sausage Pizza with Carmelized Onions. Check out the menu- this is not your ordinary pizzeria! 12/01/2008

"Deck the horse with boughs of hollyFa la la la lah..." The annual Boise Christmas Parade takes place Saturday November 29th in downtown Boise.  The parade begins at 9:45AM, starting from the Morrison Center and proceeding north down Capitol Boulevard, west on Battery Street, then south on 9th to the finish on University Drive.  This is a wonderful holiday parade featuring all of the things the big television parades lack, including antique cars, lots of local horse and rodeo groups, local businesses, and school marching bands.  The weather promises to be clear and bright, and cold, so dress the kids warmly, bring a thermos, and turn out for a great old fashioned style holiday parade.  This is one of those quality of life events that get Boise on so many "top places" lists. 11/28/2008

Everything you ever wanted to know about distressed properties but were afraid to ask. Below statistics were complied using MLS data. I did not scrub the data or check every single listing, so accuracy is implied but not guaranteed. Ada County Currently there are 5209 total Active listings (4156 Single Family) Currently there are 1087 Active new construction listings (790 single family) Currently 659 Active Short Sale Listings (Average price of $260,424 – Average DOM = 103) 56 are new construction 20 are less than 1 year old 290 are 1-5 year Currently 104 Pending Short Sales (38 of the pending short sales were added this month) 7 are new construction 4 are less than 1 year old 48 are 1-5 year Since Jan 1, 2008 there have been 5384 Sales (4753 single family) 1338 Sale... 11/25/2008

  I am pleased to be able to share some decent news about the Boise Real Estate Market with a really cheesy grin.  I don’t claim to be a prophet with regard to markets and I also don’t want to cry wolf, but for the last 3 weeks I have been watching the Market Action Index.  The Market Action Index is a metric that answers the question “Hows The Market?” by measuring the rate of sale by the amount of inventory.  An index over 30 implies Sellers Market Conditions, while an index below 30 suggest conditions that favors buyers. Early this summer I was watching the Market Action Index (MAI) spiral into what seemed to be an abyss! But about a month ago, I started noticing that it was flattening out and bouncing around the 17 mark.  After looking at my most recent reports over the last few wee... 11/17/2008

I had a unique opportunity last week to do something fun, inspirational and creative! I wanted to express love in action with some brand new shoes! Seven weeks ago, I met an amazing young Woman Entrepreneur that opened "Perfect Pair Shoe Boutique" in Boise, ID. At first glance, I thought to myself that these designer shoes were beautiful, but way out of my price range. I am a real Budget Shopper and never pay full price for anything!I received an email last week from my new business associate letting me know that she was going to liquidate some of her last season's shoes at 70% off the regular store prices. These one-of-a-kind shoes are from New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco.I thought it would be a good idea to support my new friend and check out her shoes. I was pleasant... 11/16/2008

Recently two Certified Dewey Color Instructors, Irene Woodworth from The Color And Redesign Institute, Boise, Idaho and Nancy Cook from One Day Décor, Davie, FL are pleased to announce the following newly Certified Dewey Color Consultants.  They were recently trained prior to the National IRIS Conference in San Diego, CA. These "Creative Risk Taking Team Players" are ready to serve you with your Color Dilemmas, Redesign or Staging projects.  We are extremly proud to introduce them to you:    Alycia Freeman from FIX, San Francisco, CA Angie Morse from Home Street Design, Tigard, OR Bonnie Skow, Walnut Creek, CA Carol Seagrave, Residential Transitions, Chula Vista, CA Christina Hudon, Thomas Lynn Interiors, Coppell, TX Jodi Aldredge, San Ramon, CA Katey Speck, Savvy Staged Homes, Queensbu... 11/16/2008

What a difference a year makes! Or not? We all know that the real estate market in most areas of the country has been trending down. Here in Boise, Idaho, we have a couple of areas that have held their value pretty well-  and those areas are the North End, and SE Boise. This morning, I searched the Intermountain MLS and found the following in the North End: 398 active listings- these listings do include townhouses and condos, as well as single family residences The least expensive listing is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 534 sq ft home on 27th Street for $75,000. The most expensive listing is a 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath, 5955 sq ft home on prestigious Harrison Blvd for $1,500,000 The average listing price in the North End, using these 398 listings, is $386,564 154 of these listings are condos, while 1... 11/15/2008