Bev Boeck

Below is a market report grid for Ada County. Data pulled from Intermountain MLS. If you would like additional information on a specific city within the county, please write Bev@AccentIdaho.com and I'll gladly oblige. As yet, IMLS does not break out the foreclosure/short sale/REO data in their monthly/quarterly reports, but perhaps that is coming soon; our local listings just began utilizing these classifications for ease of searching. Boise and Meridian both are great examples of areas so large that they are broken into several pieces, such as "NE Boise" or "Boise Bench," etc., so if you're interested in info for a specific area, please just let me know!

As many of you have noticed, I've gone from "BevBo" back to BevBoeck here on the Rain. How? I searched all over Active Rain, and the best advice that I got, and promptly followed, was to write Brad Andersohn a quick email, and he switched it for me. Magic and mirrors? Nope, just good ole AR networking, and I also follow him on Twitter (if you don't Twitter yet, or "Tweet" as it's called, catch-up and sign-up!), and check-in for his advice on blogging-a-go-go.

If you have any desire to be a twitterer, check out this article. Keeping it simple is Twitter's moniker, and once you join, you'll no doubt be hooked. Twitter is figuring out their business model as they go, so don't worry about it if you don't "get it"--just join and get started, and you'll get it soon enough. Of utmost importance is linking your AR profile to Twitter, and your Twitter page to AR, and make sure we can clearly see these links in both directions. Another key to the successful Twitter scenario is to invite friends who aren't necessarily real estate professionals too--"Consumers" in the categories selection when you blog post, and a great way to do that is to Re-Blog when bloggers allow for that (if you don't know what that is, click on the blue "Re-Blog" link you just read!), like you see in the upper right hand corner of this post! Go ahead! Re-blog this!

Don't get caught not knowing:

1. --Sellers pay the real estate fees as a general rule, so as a buyer, don't be afraid to utilize an agent because of concerns about paying commissions. --Adds to the already lucrative phrase, "Buyer's market" doesn't it?

2. "I'll just use the agent that's on the sign..." --That's fine, but wouldn't you rather be represented by someone who is representing just you when you are buying something as large an investment as a house? Dollars to doughnuts you know someone, or are even related to someone who could be your agent, and not necessarily a total stranger who is also representing the seller.

3. "I don't have to worry about talking to a mortgage-loan person right now." Have you been sleeping the last few months? Heard of the "mortgage meltdown?" Preparation has to include collaboration with her/him on what your exact requirements are to get the loan when you find what you're looking for. It's critical to find someone sharp; if you don't know a mortgage person, make it someone your real estate broker considers an expert in mortgage finance. If you are selling a house in order to buy one, now is a great time to figure out whether or not there was a prepayment penalty on your old mortgage loan, and ask the same question about your future mortgage loan. Get prepared, and you won't miss out on some of the best deals in home-buying seen for generations.

4. "No need to worry about resale." NOT. The average buyer stays in their home for less than 4 years. --Just 4 years! True, you shouldn't "worry," but you should concern yourself with resale around every corner, during every showing--or better yet, choose an astute broker, and let her be concerned about the resale value of the house you're becoming enamored with, before and during your purchase.

Always get a home inspection; without exception. "As-Is" does not mean, "No Inspection Allowed." Insist on one, and the "Why?" is answered in better detail in this article. Matter of fact, you could print a few copies of it and pass it to your buyers.
If you need contact info for any excellent inspectors, your real estate pro should be able to produce that within minutes, but why not cut to the chase and click on a pro right here at the Rain? Stan Audette rocks inspections for SW Idaho, and he has made my life easier as an agent, many times.