The 2009 Idaho International Film Festival starts tomorrow!  The festival runs from September 24 through the 27th. 

Tickets are on sale now at the Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise.

The Idaho International Film Festival host a collection of thrilling and varied films from independent film makers in the US and abroad.  There will be a host of special events and activities during the festival. 

For more information about the 2009 Idaho International Film Festival and its sponsors you can visit their website by clicking here: Idaho Film Festival 2009.

My landlord has defaulted on their mortgage, do I still have to pay rent?

This is a frequent question with the number of defaults we're experiencing. The title company shows up to serve notice that the property is being foreclosed on and invariably the tenant calls to ask.

The answer to that question is yes, so long as you would like to keep living there. Your lease agreement is between you and your landlord, not you and the bank.

Once you miss a rent payment your landlord can start the eviction process. In Idaho, if you're living in a property that gets foreclosed on you have 100 days to vacate the property.

However, if the property has been refinanced after your lease was put into place the lender must honor the term of the lease.

While it's I find it mildly annoying to go get my cars emission test done I can appreciate measures taken to clean up the air pollution in Boise. 

As Boise's growing pains have caught up with them the air quality seems as if it's going to remain an issue.  Anyone who's taken a trip to Bogus Basin and looked down on a clear day to see the nasty inversion has got to think twice about the air we're breathing in the Treasure Valley.

It seems by this time next year the EPA will issue new standards for air quality standards.  Fancy math won't save the Treasure Valley this time.  Merely lopping off decimal points won't bring air quality standards in line.  Recommendations have been made to lower the current standard of 75 parts per billion to somewhere in the range of 60-75 ppb.  

Good news for news for Boiseans wanting to breath clean air and too bad for those opposed to emission testing. 

Now where's that little post card, I know my car is due.

Sonata homes for sale in Boise, Idaho

Sonata, a Southwest Boise, Idaho subdivision is one of my favorites. Consequently, many also share the same opinion. The subdivision features homes from some of the Boise areas premier builders.

Sonata's just got a feel to it that makes it unique. It's not to big, not to little, but just right. Both the lots and homes are larger than average in comparison to surrounding subdivisions. Sonata offers homeowners all the modern amenities and freeway access is just minutes away, giving residents access to everything Boise has to offer.

It's no wonder why so many want to call it home!

Find homes for sale in Sonata, Boise, Idaho (click here!)

Amenities include:

• Walking Paths
• Parks
• Large lots
• Expansive common areas
  

Short sales are can be difficult and time consuming and that's when they go well. While some banks have gotten better some are worse than ever. In my area short sales have become such a prevalent part of our market you really have two choices, work them, or go find something to do besides real estate.

That being said, you can quickly ramp up to capacity working short sales. Once you've reached that point, you really need to start qualifying your short sale clients so you're not stuck with a bunch of listings with little chance of them going anywhere.

This is especially tough for me because I want to help everyone. Here are some guidelines that have helped me:

1. Probably most important is having a seller who really wants help. You can't help someone who won't help themselves. An unresponsive seller can drag out the process and almost guarantee you won't be able to get everything the bank needs for them to make a decision.

2. If there are two or more lien holders from different lenders, you're going to have your work cut out for you. 2nd lien holders can kill your deal faster than you can say "what happened?" It's not to say it can't be done but playing middle man between lien holders is extremely time consuming.

3. PMI companies can also be deal killers. More and more PMI companies are getting in the way. The servicer will often go to the PMI company for approval and you're at their mercy.

4. The condition of the home. If you've got a home in disrepair and a seller not willing to clean it up, you might not want to bother. There's just too much competition in short sales. The large amount of short sale inventory allows buyers to simply move on to the next one.

5. Time is not on your side. If a seller has waited too long it's doubtful you're going to have enough time to market the home and generate an offer. You may be able to talk some lenders into postponing the foreclosure/auction date but most won't budge until you submit an offer.