Jeff Martel

Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday was an amazing day in the history of the United States. It is, without question, a defining moment in our history and to watch history unfold yesterday with my wife and three daughters was an experience we will never forget. Our country is excited and full of energy and a feeling of anything is possible has been restored within our great nation.

As you stated in your address - you are taking office in turbulent times. These times require decisive action and bold intervention. the intent of this letter is to address these problems head on and make clear what I believe to be the direction that must be taken to solve this economic crisis with focused conviction.

DO NOT POUR ANY MORE TAXPAYER MONEY INTO THE BANKS OR WALL STREET FIRMS. This will not work. You must fix this problem from the bottom up. The symptom may be failing banks but the disease is homeowners who are upside down, losing hope, and have lost the American Dream. You must stop Foreclosures by either keeping people in their homes or transferring those homes to people who deserve them and will care for them. Property ownership is the foundation of this great nation - it is what keeps us free and independent.

I propose that through the use of the TARP funds, the Taxpayers purchase homes going to Foreclosure. These homes are then to be sold to Retuning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan at a 10-15% discount from current market value and backed by Government issued 30 year fixed mortgages at 3% (or Less) interest with no payments due for two years. I also propose that NO VETERAN CAN BE FORECLOSED UPPON and all Veterans are eligible for government backed low interest loans with minimum down payments (3%). In the case of any Taxpayer purchased homes - the tax payers and the soldiers become equity partners. If, upon sale of the home, there is realized equity, it is split 50/50 to begin to repay the TARP funds. By eliminating foreclosures from the marketplace, the housing market will stabilize which in turn will stem the tide of foreclosures. Yes, there are many people who are in homes they NEVER SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT. If we try to keep those people in homes they cannot afford we will just delay the pain. I would rather see our nation give back to our soldiers for their service and sacrifice as a way to help stabilize the nations economy.

As an additional stabilizer to the housing market I propose that a $15,000 tax credit be offered to ANYONE who purchases a home in the next 18 months. This cannot be a loan, keep it simple and straightforward. By creating a tight timeline, it will create the incentives needed by people to get out and purchase a home which will work through the oversupply quickly and efficiently.

Next, I propose massive tax cuts to businesses who add employees this year. As an added bonus there should be extra incentive for hiring veterans. There needs to be funds allocated to help businesses expand and grow. I propose incredibly low interest rate loans for SMALL BUSINESSES. 80% of jobs are created by firms with 100 employees or less - let's spur the risk takers and inventors to put their dreams into action. Let's not punish independent business owners by over taxing them - let's encourage American Dreamers to dream big and invent the next world changing product. Let's spur research and development to create a better world for everyone.

And finally, we need to bring our ALL our soldiers home. We need to be the guiding light to the world and we must encourage democracy and freedom, but we can't be the worlds police force. We need to put our country first. We must seal our borders and protect our homeland. We must learn how to guide other countries in the world toward freedom without using our military. If we must be present in other countries, then at the very least we must make a massive investment in technology to keep our soldiers safe and use automated equipment to go in the path of danger. Getting involved in guerilla warfare in the streets of middle eastern cities seems to me an unnecessary risk of our young men and women. I understand I may not know all the reasons we are where we are in the world - but I can see that our own country deserves more attention right now. Let other countries sort out their own problems right now - we need to take care of our own.

This is the greatest country in the world. We as a nation have made great strides and have changed the world in many ways. We as a nation are constantly striving to make this country and this world a better place. The people of the United States are independent, forward thinking, and immensely creative. No other country offers the type of opportunity and freedom we posses. Let's nurture our independent spirit, and together, as a nation, fix these problems now, head on, and with conviction. There is no other time I would rather be alive - we are living in amazing times that will fill the history books with a rich story that is the American experience.

God Bless this great country,

Jeff Martel, Boise, idaho

Exciting events are coming to Boise, Idaho! The Special Olympics will be hosted here starting February 7th LEARN MORE HERE. This will be an exciting time for the city of Boise, Idaho and the state of Idaho as a whole. Our premiere winter resorts will be showcased to the world!

The winter Games by the numbers (Source: Idaho Statesman Online):

20: Days until the games begin.

4,500: The number of athletes, coaches and delegates coming to Idaho.

59: The age of the oldest participating athlete.

63,000: Number of athlete meals that will be provided.

64: The number of events, in seven different sports.

3,500: Number of medals to be given out.

35,000: The latest count of handmade, donated scarves (the goal was 5,000).

100+: The number of countries participating in the games.

6: The number of official languages spoken at the games: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Russian.

4,000: The number of volunteers who will help in the games' three venues in the Treasure Valley, McCall and Sun Valley.

128,000: The number of volunteer hours expected.

Short sales have got to change here in Boise Idaho real estate market! The fact that an agent is allowed to price a home at any price and get away with it by saying "subject to lender approval" in the comments is maddening. The problem is the prices that are being posted to the market do not represent reality. Less that 15% of the short sales are actually closing, yet short sales make up over 15% of the active market. So, buyers are getting a false sense of what the market truly is. They are making exceptionally low offers based on the belief that they could obtain the short sale around the corner at that price per square foot. My advice - make the offer o the short sale and see how it goes!

I think that we need to create a regulation within the Intermountain MLS (the MLS that serves Boise, ID) that states that if a home is listed at a certain price - you better be able to consummate a sale at that price. They should have pre-authority from the lender to accept the price it is listed at. Without that regulation - agents are free to "fish" for buyers with ridiculously low prices! This hurts the entire market - and is also a waste of time for the agent listing the short sale. Just like taking over priced listings is a waste of time - advertising a home for a price that it cannot be sold for is a waste of time. When market statistics get skewed and public perception gets distorted - we all lose!

This is an amazing movie about the current and future state of technology. Our world is changing around us so fast these days. It's amazing how much technology has changed the way Real Estate is found and purchased - even in the past few years. What really gets me thinking is how different life for my 3 daughters will be. It's the little things - the changes in our daily lives. What was life like before Google? Anyone remember carrying around a 15 pound cell phone?

But, at the end of the day, with all the changes, there are still so many things that remain the same. In the end - people buy real estate from people. They enter into transactions with people they trust and they use the services of people they have formed a bond with. So, technology just becomes a part of our lives - but our lives are still all about the relationships we have.

Take a look at this movie:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8

We have decided that sharing information is the BEST way for everyone to do better in this economy. So, we have decided to host a series of information seminars for the general public as well as industry professionals. We will be discussing such topics as "Timing The Market", Building Custom Homes, Green Building Practices, and many other informative topics that are about the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. We will be inviting guest speakers and be leaving plenty of time for questions and answers.

We think the best way to get through a tough Real Estate Market is to share knowledge. Because in knowledge comes confidence.

If anyone would like to join us for one of our seminars, we would love to have you! Please visit: CLASS SCHEDULE

Also, if you are an expert on a particular subject and would like to work with us to put on a seminar, please drop us a note and let's make it happen!