The long-awaited Eagle Island Marketplace retail center, at Chinden Blvd. and Linder Road, is finally under construction.

Anchored by a new 188,000 Fred Meyer superstore, the center will offer a total of 350,000 square feet of retail space.

The Fred Meyer store is scheduled to open in July 2012.

Drive by and check it out ~ the site prep work that’s underway is pretty impressive!

Eagle Road Entrance

One of Two Rivers’ Many Lakes

Two Rivers Walking Path

Eagle Road Entrance

A Brookwood Lake With Resident Ducks

View of Bogus Basin (in front of my driveway)

Here’s a breakdown of Eagle, Idaho new home sales for January through October of 2010.

Total New Construction

Includes all age categories of new construction

• # Closed Sales = 31
• Average Sales Price = $410,690
• Median Sales Price = $394,171

To Be Built

These are new homes that were pre-sold prior to starting construction

• # Closed Units = None !!!
• Average Sales Price = N/A
• Median Sales Price = N/A

Under Construction

These are new homes that were sold during construction

• # Closed Units = 13
• Average Sales Price = $412,826
• Median Sales Price = $394,235

New – Never Occupied

These are new homes that were sold after completion of construction (spec homes)

• # Closed Units = 18
• Average Sales Price = $409,182
• Median Sales Price = $384,900

Data obtained from Intermountain MLS on 11/14/10 and includes Eagle, Idaho single-family homes on lot/acreage; data does not include condo/townhome properties.

Eagle, Idaho ~ Fall Photography

Beautiful Eagle sits at the base of the foothills, has a quaint downtown area, and offers a quieter lifestyle that is peaceful and appealing

And, it’s just a short drive to downtown Boise.

At present, there are 21 homes (on lots/acreage) priced at $1 million or more on the market in Eagle at an average asking price of $1,588,816.

There have been no closings of $1 million+ homes in Eagle so far in 2010, but there is one in escrow with an asking price of $1,950,000.

5 homes priced above $1 million have closed escrow in the Eagle area in the past year, with an average selling price of $1,323,700.

Based upon an absorption rate of 5 homes per year, there’s a 4.2 year supply of $1 million+ homes for sale in Eagle now.

I call Eagle, Idaho “home” and I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of community in our little town.

Eagle has around 20,000 residents, most of whom live in subdivisions like Brookwood, where I live.

Eagle’s city government has wisely chosen to control the quality of growth by avoiding cookie-cutter subdivisions and those decisions are reflected in the quality of housing available in Eagle. Even McDonald’s was required to build a building that fit into the local architecture.

Lots tend to be larger in many Eagle subdivisions, and most neighborhoods offer community parks, walking paths, and often small lakes throughout beautifully-planned communities with ample common area.

The average selling price for a single-family home in Eagle is currently around $400,000, but you can easily spend  more if you opt for a larger custom home on acreage in the rural areas.

Eagle boasts a low crime rate, traffic is pretty light, and the schools are excellent.

Perhaps most unique is the small-town feel with a quaint old downtown that reflects the town’s farming heritage. Next time you’re here, check out Rembrandt’s, my favorite coffee place in the old renovated Baptist Church.

Most of the growth in Eagle has occurred within the past few years. with the population roughly doubling since 2000.

Eagle has been discovered, though, and developers have submitted plans for several new planned communities that could result in thousands of new homes.

Here’s more demographic data for Eagle, Idaho if you are interested!

Or, check out the Eagle Chamber of Commerce outstanding website.

The former Apple Computer exec, now turned developer, has assembled a group of forward-thinking local business people and formed EsTech.

EsTech intends to lure technology companies to the newly-designated Eagle-Star Technology Corridor located West of Eagle.

EsTech is the only Boise area group that is focusing on bringing both large and small technology companies to the area and hopes to attract companies who want to locate near other technology companies.

Mahaffey plans to “fish where the fish are” and will be talking with California companies about moving their businesses to Idaho.

The Boise area is rich with HP and Micron employees who have been furloughed in the past year or so and do not want to leave the quality of life they enjoy in the Treasure Valley.

For more information, visit www.EsTech.org and read a recent article in The Idaho Statesman.

I have had several people come up to me recently (knowing that I’m a real estate broker) and breathlessly ask “So  .  .  .  how are you doing?”

It’s like they just can’t wait to say “You poor thing, you!” because I’m in real estate.

When I (honestly) tell them I’m doing well, they look at me with disbelief.

I’m fortunate to have a loyal base of past clients who refer their friends to me, and I have many clients who have completed several transactions with me.

I have three closings between now and December 4^th and I’m actually looking forward to the upcoming holidays so I can catch my breath and plan for next year.

One of those closings is a listing that I sold this past weekend after only two weeks on the market.

I’m glad that we again have a market where buyers and sellers actually need someone with experience who can guide them through the complex process of buying or selling a home.

Believe it or not, there are actually serious, qualified buyers out there who want to be homeowners.

Those buyers are buying the homes in top condition that are properly-priced.

I don’t view our present market as “bad”; I view it as getting back to reality.

BTW – If you run into me, please don’t say “You poor thing, you!”, okay?