• Total  Available: 91
• Average Asking Price: $187,073
• Median asking price: $119,900
• Short Sale Listings Available: 46
• Real Listings Available: 45
• REO Listings Available: 3
• Months’ Supply (all listings): 2.4
• Months’ Supply (real listings): 1.2

Data extracted from Intermountain MLS on 1/29/12.

Data pertains to single-family homes on lot/acreage; data does not include cond0/townhome properties.

Months’ supply is calculated by dividing the past twelve months’ average number of closed sales per month into the available listings.

Real listings are defined as listings that can be purchased and closed in a reasonable time (excludes short sale listings).

Happy Thanksgiving

To

My Loyal Readers !!!

Thanks to those of you who have asked why I haven’t posted during the past two weeks.

My father, Warren Hoover, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly the morning of March 11th.

Dad would have been 90 years old on July 3rd and we had planned to celebrate his milestone birthday in my hometown of Plymouth, Indiana.

He was a gentle, unassuming, modest, hard-working man who devoted his life to his family and imparted strong, traditional Midwestern values of personal responsibility, honest, and integrity to my sister and I.

His last five years brought the challenges of Alzheimer’s and losing his life partner, Dollie, after 66 years of marriage.

March 11, 2010 marked the end of an era.

We will all miss you, Dad.

The long goodbye of Alzheimer’s  is finally over for you and you are again reunited with the love of your life.

It was written by my good friend and experienced Seattle real estate broker, Ardell DellaLoggia.

Definitely worth reading!

(be sure to read the 344 comments for additional insights!)

This business directory includes businesses that I have personally used and know to be reliable, or those who have been recommended by my clients.

Some have been featured in my “Phriends of Phil” program and offer discounts to my visitors.

Take a moment to look through this list of trusted, recommended businesses when you have a moment!

Here’s why:

• Boise real estate prices have dropped by 25-30% in many areas.
• Interest rates are under 5%.
• Financing is still available with as little as 3.5% down.
• First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Here’s a summary of how the tax credit works:

• Tax credit is 10% of the purchase price of your home ($8,000 maximum).
• Must be your principal residence.
• Buyer, or spouse, must NOT have owned another principal residence within the previous three years.
• Property must be the buyers’ principal residence for 36 months after purchase to avoid repaying the tax credit.
• Tax credit begins to phase out if modified adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000. No tax credit is available if your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $95,000 ($170,000 if you file jointly).
• You must purchase between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009.
• Any amount of the tax credit not used to reduce your income tax owed may be added to your tax refund check.

Give me a call or e-mail me if you’re ready to buy your first home !!

See your tax professional for full details ~ this is NOT tax advice!

I get several requests each week, offering to pay me to post a link on this blog to promote someone else’s business.

They seek me out because this blog ranks on the 1^st page of Google (out of more than 1 million returns) for several popular search phrases, and also has a Google PageRank 5.

I turn down all of those requests down without even considering the possible financial gain.

Why?

Because I don’t want to create the appearance that anyone can “buy” my endorsement for a product or service.

My “Phil’s Business Directory” (over here -> -> ->) includes only those businesses or service providers I have personally used and know to be reliable.

Is this any way to run a real estate business?

My thousands of delighted past clients enthusiastically say “yes!”

I have an idea ~ let’s just nationalize everything!

I mean, like, we’ve already nationalized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, right?

And AIG.

And, the guvmint is buying stakes in our banks and becoming preferred shareholders too?

So, why not nationalize everything?

Just think of the possibilities:

• U.S. Car Company
• U.S. Health Insurance Company (don’t laugh; it’s coming soon!)
• U.S Shoe Company
• U.S. Underwear Company
• U.S. Bank (oops ~ we already have one of those!)
• U.S. Real Estate Company
• U.S. Title Insurance Company
• U.S. Tire Company
• U.S. Coffee Company
• U.S. Restaurant Company
• U.S. Grocery Company
• U.S. Pharmaceutical Company
• U.S. Oil Company
• U.S. Hospital Company

oh well, you get the idea  .  .  .  .

hmmmmm, wonder where they’ll get their employees?

Pretty soon we’ll all be working for the federal government.

I have another idea ~ we could call ourselves the USSR (United States Socialist Republic).

(didn’t they try this in Russia?)