Boise Idaho Real Estate Blog - Lisa Kohl

What's Going Up in Downtown Boise

The Downtown Boise skyline is undergoing a continuous change. To the dismay of photographers looking to get the best shot of downtown. Multiple cranes now dot the scene, bringing about exciting new projects. During the recession, like everything else plans and proposals all but ceased to exist. Since then, development has bounced back with a vengeance. In recent years the downtown area has become a hotbed for project proposals and new construction. From new convention spaces to multiple hotels, condos and apartments- there’s a little bit of everything going on. Here are the latest projects and updates on existing ones, going up in and around downtown.

Downtown Boise Newly Announced Developments

Two New Downtown Hotels by the Connector, Gardner…

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Boise Christmas Countdown Events

The seasons have officially changed here and now is the time of year that we see a change in decorations around town too! Boise is such a great place to be during the Holiday season and what better way to celebrate that by taking part in some of the Holiday fun around town. There isn’t a better way to kick off the festivities than by grabbing your coat and stopping by many of the Boise events happening soon to help get you in the Holiday spirit.

Boise Holiday Parade 2015 – Downtown Boise

Saturday, November 21st at 9:45am

For almost 70 years, The Holiday Parade is a Boise tradition and a source of pride for our community. Bring the family to this year’s parade to celebrate The Joy Of Giving with Grand Marshal Robert Krueger. The theme of this…

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10 Ways to Add Value to Your Home for Under $500

While it’s not necessary, or even feasible, to take on a full-blown remodel, there is still plenty you can do to add value to your home without breaking the bank. Many homeowners think they have to spend a lot of money to see a substantial difference and they really don’t. A couple hundred dollars on a few of the right things could increase the value of your house by thousands of dollars. Most of these at home projects can be completed over a weekend, go a long way toward adding value and all are under $500.

Value Begins at the Front Door

One of single best home improvements to increase the value of your home is a new front door. Despite being one of the best returns on investment, it’s also one of the most overlooked.

I see it all of the…

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Real Estate Market Update October 2015

A change in seasons has not brought a change in the Boise Housing Market. In the first quarter of this year we saw fewer homes for sale than we had seen in the past ten years. Not much has changed. For October and the third quarter of this year we are still seeing available homes for sale at a decade low.

Existing homes for sale are the best way to gauge current home prices and real estate market trends. New construction home prices are much more volatile and tend to exaggerate the numbers, particularly on a month to month basis.

Home Sales

In the Boise, Idaho we saw a total of 362 homes sell. Compared to September of this year, this is a decrease from the 371 homes that were sold. From this exact same time last year, in October of 2014 we…

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Rental Market Trends 2015 Q3

ADA County Rental Market Summary Q3 2015. Vacancy rates dropped 0.4% to finish the 3rd quarter of 2015 at 3.4%. This is a 0.9% increase from Q2 2014 when vacancies stood at 2.5%. The largest decrease in vacancy rates from last quarter were in Multifamily investment properties. Multifamily vacancies dropped from 4.5% to 3.3%. Single family vacancies increased 0.5% to 3.5%. This is the third quarter in a row we have seen single-family vacancies increase. Although vacancies are only 0.2% higher than the third quarter of 2014.

Overall rents increased 3.0% during the quarter. Rental rates increased slightly for single family rental homes, with an average of $22 to $1,276 from $1,254. There was a large increase of $82, in rental rates for multi-family homes,…

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Selling Your Home in the Fall? Good Idea

Today we wanted to work on debunking one of the most common myths in real estate – selling your home in the fall. Summer has come and gone. Maybe you have considered the idea of putting your home on the market but just didn’t get to it this summer. Most sellers will just shrug it off and wait again for spring and while a bulk of sellers will do just that – this is time to rethink your home selling strategy.

Sell My Home Now or Wait Until the Spring?

The real estate market doesn’t just come to a screeching halt once summers over and the buying does not stop. With all the technology at our fingertips, this allows buyers to literally shop for a home any time of day, and day of the year. When you think that Autumn weather would have a huge impact –…

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Real Estate Market Update in Boise September 2015

Fall is officially in the air and while the leaves are starting to fall – real estate prices here in Boise, Idaho are holding steady. For the Boise real estate market in September 2015 we had a total of 371 home sales in the immediate Boise area. This is a decline of about 39 homes versus August but an increase from the 17 homes sold the exact time of last year.

The Boise median home price clocked in at $202,000. Lately, we have been flirting between high $190’s-200’s so this doesn’t come as a surprise however this is an increase from the median sold price we saw in August of $199,500. Rewind back to Sept of 2014, our median sales price was $185,450. One key thing to point out is that usually, as we approach closer to the end of the year, we start…

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Real Estate Market Update August 2015

The mornings here in the area are beginning to get a little cooler and so are the sales prices of homes sold in the Boise real estate market in August. We saw a total of 410 homes sold in August, 2015. Compare this number to the 355 homes that were sold this same time last year we are looking at a small increase of 15.5%. Seasonal- this number seems on par with summer coming to a close and school starting here mid-month.

The median sales price of homes here in Boise was $199,500. In August of last year, our median sales price was $190,000 so overall we are looking at a 5% increase which is what we have been seeing so far this year. Median price per square foot is currently running at $125.00. Now if you compare August’s median sold price versus…

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FHA Loans in Idaho the Complete Guide

So What Is an FHA Loan?

FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration. In simple terms, this is a loan program that’s popular with first-time homebuyers that is backed and insured by the federal government. Now it’s important to know that this isn’t who will make you the loan, your lender will do that, but this is an entity that oversees and helps folks get into new homes. Also worth noting – not all lenders are FHA qualified and not all FHA qualified lenders are the same when it comes to interest rate, fees, etc. Like anything else, always shop around to get the best deal.

What Are the Advantages of FHA Loans?

When it comes to an FHA loan- What’s in it for me? A much lower down payment! I don’t know about you but growing up I always thought…

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Idaho First Time Home Buyer Programs

Reality Check: You’re Already Paying a Mortgage. Monthly rents have shot up throughout the area and now more than ever, folks realize that the amount of rent they’re paying every month could easily be paying an actual mortgage – for a home you own. There are many Idaho First Time Home Buyer Programs that can help you do just that.

National Programs & Grants

FHA

A significant portion of first time home buyers will utilize an FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan. An Idaho FHA loan is a loan that is backed by the government and buyers are required to put down at least 3.5% of the loan amount in order to purchase a home. Let’s face it, 3.5% can add up. What most people don’t know is that there are Idaho first time home buyer programs out…

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