Hollis Henry

For the five counties in southeastern Idaho, here's what the numbers tell us:

Jan 1 to Jun 30 2008 (single family & condos)
Number SOLD = 1,052
Average sold price = $182,885
Median sold price = $159,400
Average Days on Market = 112
Number of New Listings = 2,283

Jan 2 to Jun 30 2009 (single family & condos)
Number SOLD = 771 (a 27% decrease)
Average sold price = $167,659 (9% decrease)
Median sold price = $149,000 (6.5% decrease)
Average Days on Market = 135 (17% increase)
Number of New Listings = 2,286 (remained the same)

If you're interested in statistics for your particular county (Bonneville, Bingham, Jefferson, Madison, or Fremont), please contact me. I am happy to share! Please contact me at (208) 351-2776 or hollishhenry@gmail.com.

For the 17th year, Idaho Falls, Idaho is the place to be on July 4th for one of the most amazing fireworks displays in the nation. Hosted by Melalueca, the "Freedom Celebraton" culminates in the largest fireworks display west of the Mississippi.

This article ranks the Idaho Falls fireworks display #17, right after Disney World's "Celebrate America." And this reviewer gives Idaho Falls the distinction of being #2 in the nation, only behind Philadelphia.

More than 100,000 visitors flock to Idaho Falls from all over the state and across the nation to view this spectacular display. And while parking can be a problem, the show -- which typically lasts about 1/2 hour and is coreographed to popular and patriotic music -- is worth the trouble.

So come to Idaho Falls, a great city and a great place to celebrate our nation's independence! You won't be disappointed, and you may decide to stay awhile ... or perhaps even a lifetime.

Trust is such an important component in business transactions and incredibly important when it comes to completing a successful real estate transaction.

I trust my clients to honor their commitments to me as I honor my commitments and responsibilities to them. I trust the LENDER to do their job and have all the Is dotted and Ts crossed when we go to the closing table. I trust the TITLE COMPANY to do a thorough title search and provide a professional and pleasant closing experience for my client. I trust the other AGENT to have their ducks in a row and work toward a successful closing in a professional manner. I trust my BROKER to have my back when I need his help (and he always has - THANKS Jim Windmiller!).

So I decided to take Mike Jones's advice and, during this slow time (while the phone is definitely NOT ringing!), write a post about a business referral partner I trust. This coming weekend our local association is holding our Affiliate of the Year awards dinner. I was privileged to nominated a lender whom I trust implicitly. His name is TOBIN DIXON with VISION MORTGAGE in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Why does Tobin deserves this award? Tobin always offers a helping hand and seems genuinely interested in not just making money, but making people connections and building bridges that inspire trust and confidence. He is impeccably honest and a time-sensitive communicator. He tells his clients (both real estate professionals and borrowers) the TRUTH (wow, what a concept!)! He cares more about PEOPLE than MONEY, which (sadly) the current economic crises has shown is a rare commodity in this industry that has been plagued by greed and a "ME FIRST" mentality.

Tobin is a TEAM PLAYER. He has sponsored several events for the Greater Idaho Falls Association of Realtors (new member orientations and a continuing ed event).

Finally, Tobin Dixon is REAL and AUTHENTIC. No game face. No hype. When you work with Tobin you get the real deal. He inspires me to be a better person and Realtor. Each week, Tobin sends out a weekly Mortgage Rate Update that not only provides interest rates, but provides industry news and thoughtful analysis and information on the current economic climate both locally and nationally.

So, here's a shout out to Tobin. I I hope you are the recipient of the "Affliliate of the Year" award this weekend. You deserve it!

As the current economic credit and financial crises upfolds, people tend to want to know one thing: Can I still get a loan to buy a house? This is the bottom line question I'm hearing from my clients.

The answer is "Yes", but with caveats. You must be ready, willing and able to pony up the proof that you're a good risk for paying back the loan. Banks are running scared. There is money out there, and there are some banks that are still lending (though few and far between). Your must show a fairly high credit score (something near or above 700), and you must show proof of income (and it MUST be legitimate). Lenders are pickier and choosier than ever (and with good reason) and want more stringest and verifiable proof from potential borrowers.

If you DO qualify for a loan and you see an interest rate that you like, I would recommend locking it in as quickly as possible . With all of the economic issues at hand right now, banks are tightening up on rates and it will be impossible to predict where rates are going to go over the course of the next months. There is a lot going on right now. We have an election that is little less than a month away and there is also the fate of the Fed's bailout or rescure plan (whatever they're calling it these days) that will have a lot of impact on mortgage rates over the next month. Rates are still relatively low - and there is no guarantee that they will stay low or go lower. Better to be safe than sorry.