Another great reason to live in Idaho. Boise State Broncos 2010 BSC Champions.. Today our beloved Broncos start their march towards the top-BSU 20 VT 17. As a native Idahoan I have had the opportunity to grow up with what used to be a state college with blue turf and tail gaiters. Over the years that team has become bigger than that blue turf and the tail gaiters have become BRONCO NATION! Enjoy the video highlights.
Foreclosures Down And Short Sales Up
July 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Here is an insightful video from CNBC and what to expect from the housing market in the months ahead. If you have questions or would like assistance with your home please don’t hesitate to call or email, Josh.
Joshua Groesbeck
208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com
Boise Idaho Quick Facts
February 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
* The greater Boise Valley is comprised of the following fast-growing communities: Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle, Star, Emmett, Garden City, and Caldwell.
* Total Population within a 45-minute draw area: 632,000
* Average Age: 33.1 years
* Average Commute Time: 18 minutes
* Forbes, Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine rate Boise as one of the best places in the US to live and work.
* Money magazine rates the Boise Valley as one of the best places to live in the U.S.
* National Geographic Adventure says the Boise Valley is one of the Top 31 Best Live & Play Towns.
* The Boise Valley has a workforce of more than 280,000. Nearly 110,000 of the workforce are degreed workers.
* Workforce within a 45-minute draw area: 330,000
* The overall cost of doing business is nearly a third lower than in California or Washington.
* The cost of living is 96 percent of the national average, and the average cost of a home in the boise Valley is approximately $170,000 compared to a national average of $226,000.
* The Boise Valley is located 430 miles from the seaport terminal of Portland, Oregon; 384 miles south of Spokane, Washington; and 360 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
* The airport serves more than 3 million people a year and is less than five miles from downtown Boise.
* Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad (INPR) provides freight service over four branch lines in southwestern Idaho and northeastern Oregon.
* There have been more patents generated in the Boise Valley than any other region in the country
* Boise and Nampa, Idaho, are ranked as the most secure locations to live in the United States among large metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or greater. (Source: Third Annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies)
* According to the National Census Bureau, Idaho is among the top five fastest growing states in the nation.
First Time Home Buyers Time To Buy?
February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Several upcoming changes will soon increase the cost of buying a home.
Fed will stop buying mortgage back securities on March 31st, 2010
The Fed has purchased $1.25 TRILLION (yes, Martha, that’s a “T”) of MBS in a successful effort to keep mortgage interest rates low and thereby “stimulate” the economy.
No one knows for sure, but removing this “liquidity” from the mortgage market is forecast to result in mortgage interest rates rising to as high as 6% by the end of 2010.
For example $200,000 mortgage, going from a 5% to a 6% interest rate increases your monthly payment by $125, which totals a stunning $45,000 over the term of a 30-year mortgage.
But, if you only keep your home for the typical 7 years, that 1% increase in your interest rate will only cost you $10,500.
First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit ends April 30th , 2010
This incredible (free money to first-time homebuyers!) program has helped thousands of Boise first-time homebuyers, with roughly 65% of all Ada County home sales occurring in the under-$200,000 price range.
Upfront Mortgage Insurance Will increase FHA on April 5, 2010
It will rise from the current 1.75% to 2.25% of the loan amount, which will increase the buyer’s closing costs by $1,000 on a $200,000 loan.
FHA Monthly Mortgage Insurance Will Rise April 5, 2010
This will also increase the borrower’s monthly payment.
Looking For The Bottom
Waiting for “the bottom” could end up costing you dearly because your increased financing costs could easily exceed what you (might) save by waiting for a lower price.
If you’re buying a home for the long term as your personal residence, this may be as good as it gets.
Source:RE News
Home Buyer Tax Credit
January 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
1. In some cases, you can use it as a down payment or for closing costs. For the most part, home buyers can’t use the tax credit as an automatic down payment, although “tax credit funds can be used for the basic down-payment requirement (3.5 percent) on an FHA-insured loan only when it’s handled through a state housing finance agency (HFA),” says Lemar Wooley, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
If the home loan is handled through an FHA lender (and not an HFA), the tax credit can be “used to add to the down payment above the 3.5 percent required amount. It can also be used for closing costs,” says Wooley.
Many state HFAs are running or sponsoring programs that will use a tax credit for a down payment. These programs often place a second lien on the home as collateral to secure the eventual repayment of the tax credit funds. Some HFAs lend directly to home buyers while others work through networks of state-approved lenders. For a list of what state HFAs are doing, go to www.ncsha.org.
2. You don’t get a check at closing. Many homebuyers assume that the $8,000 is given to them at closing. Not true, says Winter Park, Fla.-based accountant David Keeler.
“Taxpayers need to wait until they’ve actually filed their income tax return to receive the tax credit,” says Keeler. “The homebuyer credit reduces one’s tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis, and if the credit is more than the tax you owe, the difference is paid to you as a tax refund.”
The IRS says first-time home buyers who purchased a home in 2009 can claim the tax credit on either a 2008 return, due April 15, 2009, or a 2009 return, due April 15, 2010. The credit may not be claimed before the closing date. But, if the closing occurs after April 15, 2009, a taxpayer can still claim it on a 2008 tax return by requesting a filing extension or by filing an amended return.
3. You don’t always get the full credit. “This is one of the biggest misconceptions out there,” says Maynor Perez, a real estate sales associate with Positive Realty in Doral, Fla. “If you pay $50,000 for a home, you will not get the full $8,000 tax credit.”
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In fact, the top credit for homes bought in 2009 is $8,000 ($4,000 for a married individual filing separately) or 10 percent of the residence’s purchase price — whichever is less. So, for a $50,000 home, the home buyer would receive a $5,000 tax credit. And, if you buy a house for $800,000 or more, you’re not eligible for the tax credit.