Sara Brosier- Selling Rural Property- Boise Idaho

I love to sell dirt! There is something about helping clients that are looking for a little land to play with that I can relate to.

I grew up on my Dad’s hobby farm. He was a farmer’s son and it was in his blood to raise his food and spend his free time tilling the soil and feeding his family. The hard, back breaking work was never discussed, it was just part of our lives.

But it does get in your blood. I love the smell of fresh turned dirt. And I’m always sneaking my husband’s truck to fill up with good rich well composted cow manure.

So it’s easy for me to connect when people call looking for a house with a little land too.

But what is rural living in this neck of the woods?

My definition of rural is defined as a community (that could include a city) of less than 20,000 where the majority of the local income is agricultural. So Kuna and Star are the only towns in Ada county that I would considered rural and they will probably outgrow that definition in 10 years.

Suzie Benkstein from Emmett Idaho, defines rural as an area with no bright lights, not a lot of traffic, quiet, where you can ride bikes and you can see the stars. I like her definition.

There are still plenty of larger acreage lots within Ada county that are not located in a defined rural community. You may have more road traffic, can’t see the stars all the time or have to put up with more noise, but they definitely meet the requirements for most people that want to raise animals, gardens, or numerous other reasons people need more land.

Rural living is completely different from urban living. You deal with different issues, it’s easy to get involved in the community, entertainment is very different, and it’s easier to give. Community Giving

Of course that’s only if you like that social interaction. You can be isolated and private in the country if that is what you need.

I think people get discouraged when they move to a rural community for the cheap land or housing, build or buy their dream home and then decide they don’t like driving all the time into the city to do the things they were use to doing with their free time or to conduct business.

My office is in Boise but I like being here in Kuna. I like dealing with people that like rural communities and know what that means. And if they are relocating, I make sure I understand what kind of community fits their needs before I start showing them homes.

This is my envision of someone that would enjoy living in a rural community. They enjoy quietness, don’t care for crowds, are OK with a slower pace, only go to the mall if necessary, they lift their heads to take in the smells of the country and they can’t wait for the weather to straighten around to venture out to do yard chores. Then rural living is probably something you would enjoy.

So you’re searching for a home with a little bit of land for your horses, kids or for your peace of mind. And you really want to keep the kids in the Kuna Schools.

So you look in the Kuna area right?

You could be missing lots of great properties if you limit your search to a Kuna address. The Kuna School District is very large and covers property with a Nampa, Meridian and even Boise addresses.

As a matter of fact some of the nicest subdivisions with 1–4 acre lots are not in Kuna.

Map of School Boundary

Larger acre lots tend to be West of Kuna into the Nampa area. Some great equestrian subdivisions, like Aram Estates, Belmont Heights, and Lexington Meadows are in the Kuna School District but are in Canyon county with a Nampa address.

Some areas north of Columbia Rd as far as Lake Hazel and in some areas even further north, have a Meridian address but the kids attend Kuna. Danskin, Chisum Valley, Saddle Ridge and numerous small subdivisions with 1 acre or larger properties are scattered north of Kuna.

Around the Boise Ranch Golf course you will find various properties within the city of Boise but the kids attend Kuna Schools.

So if you really want to be sure you are seeing all your options, start with an agent that is familiar with this area.

When you search for your piece of Idaho, be sure you use criteria that is most important. If it is the school district, leave the city names out of the search. If you don’t want to live in a subdivision, there are ways to eliminate those in your search too. That way you will be seeing all the options that are important to you.

A new interchange is needed at Ten Mile Road to access the Interstate, relieve traffic congestion, improve emergency response times to the area, and provide an additional north-south arterial through western Ada County

The City of Meridian has some very exciting plans for the Ten Mile Interchange that not only involves traffic but the entire scope of the community development.

The comprehensive plan for the area surrounding the future Ten Mile Interchange has been awarded a 2007 Grow Smart Idaho award for Policy and Planning by Idaho Smart Growth. This annual competition recognizes projects that use smart growth principles to encourage vibrant communities .

Map of comprehensive plan for Ten Mile area

The City’s hope is that this plan will allow for all the intricate parts of a community, including recreation,green spaces, commercial, and residential to work together and shape the outcome of this area. Hopefully resulting in an end product that will benefit its property owners and residents, and the community as a whole.

Of course this will involve change to an area that has been able to avoid change for quite sometime. The quiet country side will now be a outlet for the increase in traffic and I’m sure the citizens are not looking to be part of that solution. With this smart growth plan there is hope that this area will increase in value and not just increase in problems.

So many times these road improvements goals are just to solve a traffic problem. I think the City of Meridian did a good job of looking at the potential for development and capturing that issue before it became a unplanned hodge podge. Requiring developers to fit into their plan instead of the city having to work around the developers plans. Smart!

Tags: Ten+Mile+Interchange, Traffic, Ada+county

There will always be a certain amount of homes for sale that are vacant, including resale and new construction.

Right now there are 285 homes for sale in Kuna, 48% of those are empty! Wow 78 new homes and 59 used residential for a total of 137 vacant homes. That is not something we are use to seeing in Kuna.

Luckily for Kuna, these homes are spread out over all of Kuna and not concentrated in one area. According to the Kuna Police Dept they are not having problems with these vacant homes. The best thing neighbors can do is watch for trouble. If you see kids congregating around a vacant house especially after curfew, just give them a call and they will check it out.

So why is this important to know?

• We need to help by keeping an eye on empty homes for our neighbors and community
• If you are selling, you need to price your home to sell.

1. There are lots of vacant homes which have owners that really motivated to sell!
2. Don’t make it difficult for buyers to see your home. Putting any restrictions on showings will kill your chance to sell.
3. Don’t have your house on the market unless you are ready to beat the competition.

• If you are buying, there are lots of homes to choose from with
1. easy accessibility
2. quick closing dates and
3. great prices.

This is the one of the few luxury subdivisions in the Kuna area and has been a very popular place to buy a new home. This subdivision is ten acre with 83 homes situated in the open country north of Kuna. The lots are larger( up to 1/2acre) and has more amenities than the norm in Kuna. Besides being close to schools, you have easy access to the interstate, a community pool and clubhouse,plus a ten acre city park across the street.

The greatest attribute is the type of homes going into this subdivision. No cookie cutters here, yet all the homes seems to harmonize with the rest. The average price is $300,000–$500,000. And the homeowners are quickly getting their yards and landscaping in with great personalization and creativity.

Even in the slowing market, the homes are still selling here. You can capitalize on the market slow down and get some great incentives with your new home. There are presently 9 homes for sale on the MLS with an average price per sq ft at $127.

Three homes sold this year with an average price being $412,000.

I just love walking this neighborhood because of the variety of landscaping and home designs. It has truly become a place of distinction in the Kuna Market.

Earlier Review