Winter in Boise is yet another reason to celebrate living here.
When I awoke this morning, it became apparent that we had experienced another “Boise Blizzard”.
Yep ~ another crippling storm with all of an INCH of beautiful, glistening snow carpeting my subdivision in Eagle.
By mid-morning, it was gone and the sun was out.
Winter in Boise typically serves up a few of these “monster snowfalls” each year that serve to remind us that we are blessed with a spectacular four-season climate without any of the extremes so common in other parts of the country.
Life is a little boring here without earthquakes, tsunami’s, humidity, and mosquitoes with wheels and landing lights to eat us alive.
But, we all somehow manage to tough it out.
Boise Real Estate's Vacant Listings
I like to preview available listings before showing them to my buyer clients.
Previewing takes my valuable time, but it allows me to quickly eliminate properties that are poorly-maintained, backing to major streets, do not show well, occupied by uncooperative tenants, etc.
I would rather commit my resources to finding the gold nugget properties quickly by myself instead of wasting my clients’ time and confusing them by showing them overpriced dogs.
In the past, I always dreaded previewing owner-occupied homes because it was usually more involved than simply letting myself into a vacant property with my lockbox key.
And, there were always those sellers whose agents hadn’t explained what previewing was, which meant that I had to explain that I would be coming to look at their home by myself ~ a concept that puzzled those uneducated sellers.
Lately, I have noticed that nearly ALL of the homes I am previewing are vacant.
I noticed a recent survey, mentioned in a Charles Schwab article on housing, that stated the number of vacant homes for sale nationwide was at an all-time high.
With many home languishing on the market for months, I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising that we would have so many vacant homes.
That said, I continue to see an amazing level of intransigence from sellers who continue to offer their homes for sale at 2005 prices.
Our market is categorically NOT in the tank; there are motivated buyers who are actively looking for homes and making offers.
But, they are being very selective about what they are buying!
The homes that are selling are those that are in top showing condition, properly-priced for current market conditions.
Some things never change.
Boise, Idaho Community Profile
The locals describe Boise as the biggest small town you will ever experience, and it’s true.
Despite having a population of around 200,000, there is a feeling of community for those of us fortunate enough to call the Boise area “home”.
There are many distinct neighborhoods of Boise, including the older North End, The Bench, Southeast Boise, and various other areas. Each has its own unique flavor and neighbors seem to get to know each other despite the overall size of the city.
When I moved to the Boise area in 2000, one of the first things I noticed was how friendly people are.
Boise residents seem to expect you to look them in the eye and speak to them on the street. To the uninitiated, it is a startling experience to have a stranger smile and speak to you when you pass them on the street.
In stark contrast to other major metropolitan areas, Boise’s crime rate is surprisingly low. We have somehow managed to avoid the problems of other major cities. It is indeed refreshing to be able to walk the downtown streets late at night without being afraid for your safety.
The Boise River runs through downtown Boise and offers dozens of miles of riverside greenbelt complete with walking and biking trails. Ann Morrison Park, Julia Davis Park, and Kathryn Albertson Park interconnect alongside the Boise river to provide ample places for family picnics, sporting event, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
And, our beautiful four-season climate provides enough variety to make things interesting without having to deal with tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, earthquakes, and other challenges common to many areas of the country. Our summer weather is warm, but not unbearable, thanks to our arid, high desert environment. Winters are usually mild with a few dustings of snow that disappear by midday. Spring and Fall in Boise can only be described as delicious!
A multitude of recreational opportunities exist within an hour’s drive of downtown Boise. For skiers, there’s Bogus Basin Ski Area, located about 45 minutes above downtown Boise. The terrain is everything from bunny slopes to black diamonds, offering ample challenges for even the best skiers. If you enjoy flyfishing or camping, the nearby Payette River, Stanley, and Sun Valley all offer abundant recreational sites.
Perhaps best of all is our relatively affordable housing. Entry-level homes start around $150,000 in many segments of our real estate market, and you get a lot of house for less than $300,000 in many upscale subdivisions with ample common areas and nearby shopping. For a little more, you can expect to get a very high-quality custom home in a gorgeous planned community.
For more information, you can view my online relocation package at www.BoiseReal.com, or visit the Boise Chamber of Commerce website.
Or, you can view Boise demographic information here.
Boise Named Most Secure Place
The Boise area has been named the most secure place to live in the U.S. by Farmers Insurance Group.
The rankings were compiled by www.BestPlaces.net, who considered 114 different metropolitan areas with 500,000+ population.
Boise also made the Farmers’ 2005 list of most secure places to live.
Factors considered in the ranking included crime statistics, weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental conditions, terrorism threats, and job statistics.
I have long discounted the threat of terrorism in the Boise area because many people think Boise is in Iowa (honest!)
Boise's Cheesecake Factory Opening !
Boise’s new Cheesecake Factory will open on December 11th in the new 35,000 sq. ft. addition to Towne Square Mall.
The Boise location, the 118th store for the California-based chain, was chosen based on Boise’s growth and the number of requests received from Boise residents.
The new Boise location will employ 250 people and offer more than 200 menu items, including 50 varieties of cheesecakes and desserts.
The new restaurant is adjacent to the new Borders Books & Music store, located in the same new addition to the mall.
I am guessing that Cheesecake Factory’s grand opening will be similar to P. F. Chang’s opening a few months ago, with standing-room only crowds waiting to get a table.
Sure is fun to watch Boise grow up!