Real Estate News

Island Park is a small town. Well, by small, I mean it only has a couple of hundred people for its population. The town itself is around 36.8 miles long, boasting the “longest Main Street in America,” while only being from 500 feet to 5000 feet wide. It covers a long strip, all along Highway 20 on the way up to West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park. It may be small, perhaps, but it’s not short on things to do. From sightseeing, hiking, shopping, and theater, Island Park presents the a lot of opportunities, from outdoors to indoors.

Let’s face it. When you visit a home during a scheduled viewing or open house, you’re usually seeing it at its best. The rooms are tidy. The sinks are clean. The closets are organized and uncluttered. Even the lighting is set to its brightest.

That’s just good old-fashioned marketing.

Fannie Mae has announced the roll out of their newest closing cost assistance program for first time homebuyers. The HomePath Ready Buyer™ Program provides first time homebuyers with a comprehensive educational course to help prepare them for the “responsibilities of homeownership.” Upon successful completion of the course, first time homebuyers will receive a certificate of completion which can be submitted with a request up to 3% of closing cost assistance on a HomePath property by their real estate agent.

Marchnbsp;2015 Treasure Valley Real Estate Report nbsp; March 2015 is the strongest March wersquo;ve had since 2007. Single-family home sales in March 2015 were 694 in Ada County. YTD total sales are up 14 compared to this time last year; 1,630 homes sold compared to $1,425. Days on Market for March were 65. Thatrsquo;s slightly down from February and we see it continue to hover around the same number the past few months. New homes sold in March totaled 134; Existing home sales were 560. March median home price was $222,000. Our YTD Median Price is $222,700.

Tips for Success When Moving with Pets Moving is a big change not only for the humans that are doing it but also the furry friends and critters that are part of the family.

Single-family sales in January 2015 were 425 in Ada County, an increase of 1.67% compared to January 2014. Dollar volume for January was up 9% to $107 million. If you feel a slight deja vu that’s because Days on Market are at 70, same as January 2014. In December we were at 66. New Homes Sold in January totaled 104; up 3% from last year. Existing Home Sales were 321; up from 1% from last year. Pending sales at the end of January 867; up from January 2014. January median home price was $223,900 up 8% from January 2014.

Benefits of Mortgage Preapproval One of the first things you should do when considering a real estate purchase is to get your financing in order. For most buyers this means meeting with potential lenders to start the process that will determine how much they would be willing to loan to you based on many factors. This process will give you a rough idea of what you can afford so you can remain within those parameters when shopping for a home. When starting the process of obtaining a loan for your real estate purchase it is important to understand the terminology being used.

Decluttering Your Home Many people begin to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the process of decluttering their homes. It’s common for people who know they need to tackle the task to ask the question, “where in the world do I begin?� The good news is that there are many simple ways to get started. Here are a few.

One of the best things you can do to ensure you get the home you want is to arrange for financing before you go shopping. This is often referred to as getting “pre-approved”.

Getting pre-approved simply means that your lender has calculated how much of a mortgage they’re willing to offer you, depending on your down payment and current financial situation.

Forbes and Local Market Monitor teamed up once again to ascertain their ‘Best Buy Cities’ list for 2015. Data for 105 of the largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), each with a minimum population of 550,000, was examined to come up with their top 20 cities to invest in 2015.

Your home probably has dozens of great features that are going to help it stand out and sell faster. Perhaps it has a cozy sunken living room? Or an equipped and smartly decorated kitchen that Rachel Ray would envy? Or a location in a desirable neighborhood?

All these things will help.

But there’s another selling feature you should consider adding: a pre-sale inspection.

Keep Your Home Secure During Vacation You wouldn't advertise that you were going on vacation if you knew that it could lead a burglar to seek out your home and yet many people who will travel this holiday season will do just that without a second thought; even worse most will do more to alert others than they ever realize. Once a vulnerable home has been identified it takes only 5 – 15 minutes for someone to break in and leave with cash and valuables. Here are some tips to keep your home safe while you are on vacation.

After working with many real estate buyers I have noticed that each buyer purchasing a home to live in as an owner occupant has a basic understanding of the home they are looking for. They enter the process of buying a home with a clear idea of the location, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage they desire. What is left undefined are many of the other amenities that are part of the inherent definition of “home� to each of these unique buyers.

Just 33% of primary residences sold this year were purchased by first-time buyers, down from 38% last year to the lowest level since 1987, the National Association of Realtors reported Monday.

The NAR says that the first-time-buyer share of home sales has typically hovered around 40% since 1981.

It’s a warm night with a slight western breeze floating through from Oregon, and it’s dark out but you wouldn’t know it from the moonlight draped across the Boise foothills. Just six miles away I can see the lights and buildings of downtown—a few square blocks with all the benefits and attractions of city nightlife—where people are out enjoying restaurants and clubs, just a short bike ride from Barber Pool, where I sit overlooking one of Idaho’s “Top 12 ecosystems,” surrounded by homes, yet listening still to the river rush, the coyotes calling to each other.

You may be an established family or you may just be starting out. Either way, you probably have property that is covered under an insurance policy. Being prepared to file a claim, in the unlikely event that you need to, will be made much easier by keeping up-to-date and complete records of these items. Remembering all of your belongings during a time of loss will just add to your stress so the first thing you need to do is list all of your property. You can list items by category such as furniture, clothing, personal items, jewelry, etc. or by location in your home.

Boise State University has certainly become a popular household name. And it comes as no wonder since the Boise Broncos and their trademark ‘Blue Turf’ have been plastered across many of our nation’s flat screen televisions.

Close your eyes and envision the perfect community. Perhaps, it’s rows of historical brick buildings and tree-lined sidewalks, a small-town feel with the convenience of modern amenities or maybe you picture a civic-minded community that offers libraries, art galleries and public gathering areas. What if such a city existed? And what if this this vision of suburban utopia lay right under Treasure Valley’s very feet! This romantic reverie might come close to the very real life version of Eagle, Idaho.

Meridian, Idaho is one of the fastest growing communities in the Treasure Valley. With its appealing suburban communities, plentitude of nearby parks and active sports facilities, it comes as no surprise that is has gained quite a draw in recent years. With the addition of the new, “Julius M.

Ann Morrison Park: A Legacy of Community Boise, Idaho is known as the ‘City of Trees’ and in staying in keeping with this arboreal moniker Ann Morrison Park is comprised as such. An urban refuge that boasts more than 153 acres, Ann Morrison Park is nestled along the banks of the Boise River and flanked with over 2000 trees. But the city park is more than just a swath of river-rich land; it is an area that thrives as a hub of sports activities, nature-inspired walks and community events.

Carved out of the wooded area around the Boise River, this convenient downtown park makes good use out of its 89.4 acres. Filled with the fragrant bouquets derived from the blooms of more than 2000 rosebushes and providing a little respite of shade from a hot summer day, Julia Davis Park is a little venture into one of Boise’s landmark sites. But even native and longtime Boiseans may be surprised at how this lovely park first became to be.

Chances are if you live in the Treasure Valley then you are undoubtedly familiar with the Boise River and the many greenbelts, walkways and public access that are available in order for local Boiseans to enjoy. But if it has been a while since you strolled along those pleasing riverbanks, then you might be in for an unexpected surprise. Located on the Boise River near the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway and Main Street is a waterpark like no other.

  Remember what it's like to discover? Remember what it's like to learn something new? Remember how exciting it is? Remember the first time that you really did get excited about learning about the weather or the way earthquakes work? Well, that is the mission of the Discovery Center of Idaho. They want to help people feel the exhilaration of discovery, by creating and facilitating controlled scientific experiments. It is for the public good, to help show people that science and math can be fun.

When you are buying a new home it is an exciting time-- and pretty stressful too. You get to reorganize, de-junk and learn to live in a new space. It can be hard, but  it also can be fulfilling. However, one of the things that you always need to take into account before buying a home is the neighborhood, and most especially, their Homeowner’s Association (HOA). In the world today, there are many people who have a negative view of Homeowner’s Associations, but a lot of the time, you never hear the good that comes from an HOA.

Many of us have fantasized about having a second home or vacation home. How glamorous and wonderful it would be. We could relax or play in a different location; get away from the hubbub of the everyday life. Although, you've probably heard that it costs a lot, which makes you reconsider buying a second home. There are many different factors that push back and forth when it comes to buying any piece of real estate, so we've compiled a sample list of pros and cons for purchasing a second or vacation home. Pros: