Hidden Springs has become one of the premier communities in the Boise area.  Because much of the development occurred within the last 5-7 years it has been hard-hit by the recent market difficulties.  With market volitility comes some pretty sweet deals. I don't know if we've hit the "bottom" yet, but activity sure is increasing.  Whether it is a sign of an improving market, the warmer spring weather, or both, there is certainly an increase in home sales and pending activity.  There are some short-sale contracts invovled in that number, which may screw the results slightly as they may not close.  It is unmistakable, however, that there is movement afoot. December 2008 closed sales:  1 January 2009 closed sales: 3 February 2009 closed sales:  1 March 2009 closed sales:  1 April 2009 clos... 05/20/2009

VIDEO REPORT: What kind of return can you expect on a real estate investment today? Delores Conway, real estate economist, says while people shouldn't expect to double their investment, they can expect to see gains. Stacey Delo reports on the current market. (Home Loan Boise) 05/20/2009

By JAMES R. HAGERTY (WSJ) The median price for a single-family house fell 14% to $169,000 in the first quarter from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported. The trade group said first-time home buyers accounted for half of all purchases in the quarter, and many of them zeroed in on foreclosed homes. That dragged down the median, the Realtors said. (more) (Home Loan Boise)   05/20/2009

By RUTH SIMON (WSJ) The Obama administration on Thursday laid out additions to its housing-rescue plan that are designed in part to make it easier for financially troubled homeowners to sell houses that are worth less than their mortgages. The newest initiative creates a standardized process and adds incentives for so-called short sales, in which a borrower -- with lender approval -- sells the home for less than the amount owed. (more) (Home Loan Boise) 05/20/2009

Congratulations to Boise's North End! The North End, in Boise, Idaho, has received praise from Men's Journal magazine, being called one of "the best neighborhoods" in the United States, in an upcoming issue. View Larger Map I have always referred to the North End as one of Boise's "destination locations". There are several factors that make the North End appealing: proximity to the lively downtown core (some would argue that portions of the North End are downtown) the charming neighborhoods (including Hyde Park) and historic boulevards easy access to foothill hiking trails and bike paths there are longtime, established restaurants and shops it has a history! Downtown Boise and the North End have a rich history. I highly recommend that visitors and longtime residents alike ride the The B... 05/19/2009

Expert Credit Repair in Idaho National Credit Fixers: 330 Roberts Street 4th Floor East Hartford CT 06108 phone: 860-282-6181. National Credit Fixers boasts of 13 years experience repairing low FICO scores. Whether your credit has been damaged by a foreclosure, bankruptcy, slow credit, collections, judgments, repossessions, etc. we can help. We are the experts in credit restoration and credit repair. We have helped numerous residents of Idaho and are experts in Idaho credit repair. Your credit report is incredibly important. Not only do potential lenders check it when you're trying to secure credit, but landlords, cell phone companies, utility companies, insurance companies, etc. have also been known to check your credit prior to doing business with you. Given the above, it's in your be... 05/17/2009

    Submitted by   Who is your Builder? Ted Mason Signature Homes When was your home Completed? November 2008     Construction Type? Purchased Home from Builder     Builder Recommendation We recently came to the Boise/Meridian area and were looking for a patio home. When we saw a Ted Mason Signature home we new that we wanted him to build us a house. The homes he'd built were nothing less than incredible, but we wanted to move and move NOW! He said he could build us a house quickly but we wanted it within a couple weeks so we got a house that he had recently built and it was perfect for us! We wouldn't recommend any one other than Ted Mason. His homes are amazing, not to mention done with incredible detail and quaility. He personaly took the time to make sure all of our needs were met ... 05/17/2009

Vote for your favorite Parade Home. Vote   2009 Boise Parade of Homes Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho Boise Idaho Parade of Homes April 25th through May 10th Monday - Thursday 5 - 8 p.m. Friday's 3-8p.m. Weekends Noon - 8 p.m. Home Builder Company Idaho Parade Home Address Representing Idaho Realtor Boise Hunter Homes Craig Hammett Lakemoor 784 E. Eaglewoods Lane Eagle, ID Rick Roe Coldwell Banker Borup Construction Keith Borup Champion Park   2588 E. Summer Dawn St Meridian, ID Fred Knehans Mike Holmes Century 21 1st Place Brighton Homes Lars Hansen Paramount  5432 N. Lange Avenue Sold visit model down the street Meridian, ID Alicia Lopez O2 Marketing Group Capitol Building Company John McBride The Tree Farm   3852 W. Snow Cherry Co... 05/14/2009

I've got great news for Boise area buyers and sellers. 1. Good weather is here and there's more around the corner! We all know that it's much more pleasant to look at homes when we're not slipping on ice, being rained on or climbing back into freezing cars after looking at each home. Inclement weather can make for unpleasant house shopping!   2. With the good weather, comes flowers, green grass and trees with leaves. This may sound like a small point, but it's huge. Homes are more appealing with deep green grass and cheery flowers than with yellow, dormant lawns and barren landscaping beds. It's much easier as a seller to put your best foot forward when your home is appealing from the street. 3. Prices are LOW, LOW, LOW. This is good for buyers AND sellers. Buyers benefit, of course, fr... 05/12/2009

RELOCATE TO BOISE IDAHO Are you considering relocating to Idaho?  Our Relocation Team can assist you in determining the right community, locating an incredible home and negotiating a great price.  Whether moving to Boise, Garden City, Eagle, Meridian, Star, Middleton, Nampa, Kuna, Caldwell or any other Idaho community our Relocation Team can assist you. WATCH THIS GREAT VIDEO ABOUT IDAHO! 05/08/2009

Are you brave enough to see if your legacy stands the test of time?  Will you have left your mark on the world.  Yes, my friends, Google will tell your legacy so start planning it today!     05/06/2009

This is pretty neat how it works out... DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST... It takes less than a minute... Work this out as you read... Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out...]1,  First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (try for more than once but less than 10) ...2.  Multiply this number by 2 ...3.  Add 5 ...4.  Multiply it by 50. I'll wait while you get the calculator ...5.  If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 *; If you haven't, add 1758 *...6.  Now subtract the four digit year that you were born ...You should have a three digit number ...The first digit of this was your original number (i.e. how many times you want to have chocolate each week) ...The next two numbers equal ... YOUR AGE! (Oh YE... 05/05/2009

Shanna Wroten-Tucker of Prime Equity Mortgage in Boise Idaho shares good refinance news for responsible homeowners as provided in the Obama plan. Customer and firefighter Shane Lowe talks about his refinance success. For more information.... 05/04/2009

By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY Prices of single-family homes in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas in February were down 18.6% from a year earlier, yet the fact that the rate of decline slowed signaled some hope for the housing market, a report said Tuesday. In 15 markets, annual declines were in excess of 10% and average home prices nationwide hit 2003 levels, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index. Yet the drop in the 20-city index was less than the 19% year-over-year decline in January. Also, it was the first time in 16 months that annual declines didn't set records. "We ... need a few more months of data before we can determine if home prices are finally turning around," says David Blitzer of S&P's index committee. The National Association of Realtors said last week that home pri... 05/04/2009

May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett lambasted bankers, insurers and regulators for being blind to the possibility home prices could fall, and said their shortcomings caused the worst recession in half a century. Buffett and Vice Chairman Charles Munger said Wall Street sold subprime mortgage "sewage," blamed the media and regulators for missing the danger and said the government stress tests of financial firms won't advance Berkshire's understanding of the stocks the company owns. Buffett hosted a record 35,000 people at the Omaha, Nebraska-based firm's annual meeting May 2 and spoke at a news conference yesterday. "I think that virtually everybody associated with the financial world contributed to it," Buffett said of the crisis. "Some of it stemmed fro... 05/04/2009

I don't know about you, but I always enjoy acheiving my goals.  One goal I set a few months ago was to reach 1,000 Profile Views on AR.  Well today is my day!   I would have gotten here much sooner had I not taken about a four month break from November through mid March of last year.  (embarrassed to have that show up on the screen shot). I am still trying to analyze why and how some of the posts get so many more hits than others, but at least I know that people are not only reading some of what I have to say, but also taking another more important step of learning more about me on my profile. Since real estate can be kind of a numbers game, I am hoping that some of these will begin to turn into referrals for people relocating to Boise, Idaho or hoping to take advantage of our great fou... 05/04/2009

Norhtwest Boise New Subdivisions MLS Area 800 (including Garden City and Hidden Springs) Locate New Communities, Search Real Estate (New and Existing Homes for Sale plus Building Lots) and Find Home Builders. Northwest Boise lies blanketed against the Boise Foothills to the north, the major thoroughfare State Street to the south, the city of Eagle to the west, and Downtown Boise to the east. It contains an eclectic mix of old and new neighborhoods, including Lakeharbor, which features the private Silver Lake, a reclaimed quarry. Northwest Boise has some pockets of older homes with a similar aesthetic to the North End, yet housing prices tend to be lower. Downtown is minutes away, as is Veteran's Memorial Park and easy access to the Boise Greenbelt. Across the river sits the Boise Bench... 05/03/2009

The "C" word used to be almost unspeakable.  People used to really be uneasy around others with cancer as if they had Leprocy or wondering if they could catch it on toilet seats like people used to think about AIDS. Thanks to people going public with this disease and great works from various organizations we are making some headway, but have a long way to go. Here are a few commendable sites that I have liked: Susan G. Koman www.koman.org Lance Armstrong Foundation www.LiveStrong.com Look Good Feel Better Program (provides free education and makeup) www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org Caring Bridge Foundation www.CaringBridge.com many others When I saw the advertising this year for the Susan G. Koman Boise Race for the Cure, I loved their bold approach.  It shows cancer patients from Boise with ... 04/29/2009

2009 Boise Parade of Homes Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho Boise Idaho Parade of Homes April 25th through May 10th Monday - Thursday 5 - 8 p.m. Friday's 3-8p.m. Weekends Noon - 8 p.m. Home Builder Company Idaho Parade Home Address Representing Idaho Realtor Boise Hunter Homes Craig Hammett Lakemoor 784 E. Eaglewoods Lane Eagle, ID Rick Roe Coldwell Banker Borup Construction Keith Borup Champion Park   2588 E. Summer Dawn St Meridian, ID Fred Knehans Mike Holmes Century 21 1st Place Brighton Homes Lars Hansen Paramount  5432 N. Lange Avenue Sold visit model down the street Meridian, ID Alicia Lopez O2 Marketing Group Capitol Building Company John McBride The Tree Farm   3852 W. Snow Cherry Court Meridian, ID Tyler Gilman Group One Crocker Building Company Chad Croc... 04/25/2009

You're a 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965 , LZ X-ray, Vietnam . Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in. You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day. Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see an un-armed Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no Medi-Vac markings are on it. Ed Freeman is coming for you. He... 04/24/2009