Aug 12
Click Here to See Our Featured Homes
You can view all of our featured homes by clicking on the notebook above, which takes you to our ”Home Search” page.
Would you like to have your home featured here? Call us at 208.850.7572, email us at info@idaho-homes.net or click on the tab up top that says, “Sell Your Home.”
We’d love to create a custom marketing strategy for your home.
The Idaho Statesman printed a good article yesterday on loan modifications and foreclosures.
Before considering a short sale, most homeowners should try to modify their loan first. We’ve reprinted the information provided in the Statesman article here for you: Click here to download information on how to modify your loan.
What’s up? We know we’ve personally been busier this year and now the numbers prove it. Despite falling home prices, total sales volume in the treasure valley has increased 28%.
The Details: We believe the best way to look at a market is to compare it to last year versus last month, because our market is affected by the seasons. Because of the pressure of bank-owned properties and pending foreclosures, home prices are continuing to fall in both Ada County and Canyon County. However, homes are closing faster than last year and the number of homes sold is much greater. This year, 45% more homes were sold in Ada and 64% more were sold in Canyon County compared to April 2009.
So, despite falling home prices, our valley is seeing more dollars going back into our economy in total housing sales volume.
What’s it mean to you? Because the sales proceeds of so many of the homes sold went to banks and not homeowners, we’re certainly not out of the woods yet. However, even if fewer people are benefiting directly from selling their home, the sale of even one home creates jobs and puts money back into our economy.
Here are a few charts for you visual folks.
Source: Intermountain MLS
As prices fall, the number of homes sold continues to rise.
It’s always tough to coordinate moving into a new house, especially if you need to sell your old home first. That’s why Team Gray has partnered with Merchants Moving & Storage to help make the process smoother.
When we list your property, we’ll show you how to de-clutter your home so it sells faster. Then we’ll arrange to have Merchants Moving & Storage drop off up to three storage vaults at your residence for you to fill. They’ll pick them up and store them in their secure warehouse for 3 full months.
The cost to you? Nothing! Team Gray pays for it! What’s not to love about that?
It’s yet another way we thank our loyal clients. Call Dave for details at (208)850-7572.
What’s up? March housing prices in the Treasure Valley continue to fall, pressured by the flood of bank-owned homes and homes being short-sold. However, look at the leverage–a 13% drop in prices for Canyon County resulted in a 53% increase in the number of homes sold. Ada county saw a similar market move, with a 7% drop in median price resulting in a 34% increase in the number of homes sold compared to the same time period last year.
What’s it mean to you? No doubt about it–we’re seeing a lot of buyers liking these prices. Not only are first-time homebuyers AND existing owners trying to take advantage of the tax credit by putting a house under contract by April 30th, but clearly the investors are back and buying multiple homes.
Here are the details: 
Source: Intermountain MLS
What’s up? February clipped along quite nicely in our local markets and the spring promises to be better than last year. The most notable change was in Canyon County, where the number of homes sold increased 64% more than February 2009.
What’s it mean to you? The investors are starting to arrive. We’re beginning to field more calls from out of state investors who are seeing prices more to their liking. Fourplexes for $115,000? You betcha.
Here are the details:
Source: Intermountain MLS
How’s that for a marketing campaign?
We’ve lived in a number of areas around the country that face their fair share of natural disasters. It’s no fun. So it occurred to us that one of the best reasons to live in the Boise, Idaho, area is to get away from extremes. Let’s review, shall we?
No earthquakes–check. No hurricanes–check. No tornadoes–check. No blizzards–check. No mudslides–check. No tsunamis–check. No humid weather–check.
Summer gets pretty hot and dry for about two weeks in July, which causes wildfires in the nearby mountains, and the subsequent smoke, which can be nasty. But unless you actually live in those mountains, you’re not going to have to worry about evacuating. All in all a good deal compared to other areas of the country.
Let’s be clear–not all of Idaho has the mild weather Boise has, because Boise lies west of the Rocky Mountains. Where there are mountains, there’s a chance of earthquakes, wildfires, blizzards and mudslides. Boise doesn’t face those. The Treasure Valley isn’t called the ‘banana belt’ of the Pacific Northwest for nothing.
Come check Boise out for yourself. Talk to the locals. You’ll see what we mean.
Mike and Maria Smith had a plan.
They’d enjoyed life in Dallas, Texas, for 30 years, but it was time to move on to the next stage of life in a new place. The question was, where was that place?
They tackled the issue with the same fervor in which they had been running their own successful businesses. We think their journey demonstrates the perfect “Moving 101″ course for anyone considering a move between states.
Since Maria is a professional writer, it’s a fun read, too. Download a copy of the article here.
What’s up? The January Canyon and Ada County real estate market showed definite improvements over January 2009. Homes are moving faster and the number of homes sold during the month has increased.
What’s it mean to you? If you’re buying, and plan on owning property in the area for a number of years, this is a terrific time to buy. We can’t believe the deals we are seeing now. They’re better than we saw when we first entered this market in 1998.
There is a downside, however. If you truly do not need to sell and are uncomfortable with competing with the low prices available to buyers of bank-owned homes, we don’t recommend selling right now. (A REALTOR recommending not selling? Horrors!) It’s just a matter of pure economics.
Of course, if you are being transferred elsewhere or have a lifestyle change, such as a growing family or a need to move closer to work, or dang it–you just want to move–that’s a whole different story. Life is not always dollars and cents.
Here are the details on our current local market:
Source: Intermountain MLS
So you’ve found a great home in the perfect location. It’s owned by the bank, so it’s a screaming deal.
But, yikes. Look at the shape it’s in. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a loan that could help you purchase it and fix it up?
There is. It’s FHA’s 203(k) program. With this program, you can finance both the purchase and the rehab costs.
Only a handful of lenders are approved to underwrite this program, so contact us and we can give you a few names.
You can read more about it here:
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