The Boise Foothill master planned community already features more than 90 miles of trails and homes in the mid 100's.
By Dusty Parnell
Idaho Statesman
Avimor has set the bar very high for a planned community.
With quiet foothills living, dozens of miles of trails and a quick 10-minute drive to the conveniences and entertainment of Eagle, this community will undoubtedly become the go-to place. For many equestrian groups, bicycle riders and birdwatchers, it already is the go-to place.
For homebuyers, it’s definitely the go-to place.
You may have heard about Avimor a couple years ago, when SunCor Idaho began the project with landowner Sandy McLeod, a three-generation rancher. SunCor is now out, but McLeod and a group of local investors are still bringing this dream community to reality.
And it means a real bargain for home- buyers.
“As a result of the new partnership change, our home prices have come down substantially,” General Manager Dan Richter said. “In 2008, home prices started in the $270,000 range. Today a home including the lot, starts in the $130,000s.”
“The vision is still exactly the same,” Richter said. “Our prices coming way down is NOT the result of a bankruptcy or financial failure. It was a change of partnership that allowed us to make homes that are more affordable and accessible to everyone.”
A home that would have cost you more than a quarter million dollars three years ago, can now be purchased for less than $150,000.
Here comes one of the best parts: “When we quote home prices at Avimor, that INCLUDES the lot,” Richter said. “You can buy a home WITH a lot starting in the $130,000s.”
Foothills Living
Now that you know why a person should buy at Avimor, you’ll discover there’s even more reason why a person should live at Avimor.
Forget those developments that brag about winding pathways through a landscaped subdivision.
Avimor has 90 miles of trails already. By the time this 40-year project is completed, there will be hundreds of miles of trails — horse trails, bicycle trails and hiking trails.
Open to the public, the trails have already attracted riding groups and other recreationists. There are several bike races every year, and the location along a migratory path has attracted birdwatchers who have discovered
the area to be one of the most prolific places for bird sightings. Go to the Avimor 
website to see a list of 120 birds you might see on a birdwatching hike. View “On weekends, we sometimes have as many as 20 to 30 horse trailers out here, as well as all kinds of cars with bike racks,” Richter said. “People can’t say enough good things about our trails. There are so many to choose from and not too many people on them.”
One Avimor resident likes to grab the backpack and his sons and just hit the trail to go hiking and camping right from his home.
On top of the thousands of acres to explore, another 400 acres have been set aside as a permanent conservation area. Avimor has its own conservation director, and volunteers even help him with an annual game count. A wintering herd of elk in the nearby hills is one of the largest in this part of the state. Every home is fully landscaped, too, and protected from wildfires. Avimor is an official Firewise Community that features buffer zones, appropriate landscaping and fire-resistant materials.
The homes themselves are energy efficient.
“They use 20 to 30 percent less energy and water than most typical homes in the valley built to standard building codes,” Richter said.
Although still in the first phase of the first of many villages, Avimor is going to be here for a long, long time. “The plan includes a whole series of villages and hamlets — each with its own identity — connected by a very good trail system,” Richter said. “Avimor isn’t your typical subdivision.”
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This planned community is going to be a huge draw for years to come.
Located just two miles north of Shadow Valley Golf Course on Highway 55, this 40-year project will eventually cover 24,000 acres and feature hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Nearly 70 percent of this development will be open space, and homes built here use 20-30 percent less energy and water than most typical homes in the valley built to standard building codes.
This is a true conservation community. Nearly 400 acres have been donated for permanent conservation, and the back acres are host to wintering elk — the larg- est herd in this part of the state. Can you name another neighborhood with its own Conservation Director? Only at Avimor.
A quick 10-minute drive from Eagle, this unique community is in the first phase of the first village. Eventually, there will be numerous villages at Avimor, each with its own identity and personality.
There is a community pool, seven parks including playgrounds, two stocked ponds and an amphitheatre. And quiet country liv- ing.
There are 220 lots available now. More than 30 homes have been built, including several new models finished this past August. Current homes range in size from 1,450 to 2,600 square feet. Avimor has more home design plans that range from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet.
General Manager Dan Richter has been building homes for 20 years and Avimor offers more than 20 plans to fit any lifestyle with opportunities to custom fit the plan for the individual buyer. Also, some lots are available for custom homes, if you want to bring your own builder.
Avimor home prices start in the $130,000s, and that INCLUDES THE LOT! View Homes for sale in Avimor
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It doesn’t take long to see why General Manager Dan Richter says Avimor boasts “Affordable Foothills Lifestyle.” 
As Art of Living Director and Conservation Director, Baun 
