May 2012 RSS Feed

Boise is certainly showing economic, housing and educational achievement indicators that it is moving upward in terms of improved quality of life for its residents. 

Opportunities for buyers of houses in Boise, Idaho,  as well as for home sellers in Boise have increased. According to a recent survey conducted by the national organization Home Gain, pride in home ownership is on the upswing in 3 out of four homes in Boise and in the Midwest region. The previous nearly frozen housing market is opening up and lower interest rates now benefit Boise’s continued economic and housing comeback story.

Quality of Life

As a prospective homeowner the quality of life in a neighborhood or in the city that you are relocating to is central to how you make a…

We are all lucky enough to live in the information age, where everything is easier, from getting directions, finding a restaurant, and you guessed it-buying real estate in Idaho. Taking a leap back in time to the early '90's, you may remember how differently everything was done. Buying real estate involved cruising the streets all hours of the day looking for those colorful “for sale” signs, and taking time to visit dozens of houses in the quest to find the perfect Idaho house for you. It was taxing, to say the least. The passage of time has brought with it huge advances in the real estate game! We're not saying buying a home has become as easy as buying a pair of shoes, but it has certainly come leaps and bounds.

Instead of pulling out the newspaper,…

It is fun to look at sprawling estates and tall, architecturally elegant homes. We can sit and view slideshows of mansions and celebrities' homes and drool over the luxury these people have. Microsoft's largest celebrity owns a mansion valued at over $147,000,000, and is over 66,000 square feet. It has 24 bathrooms. Who needs 24 bathrooms? The White House itself has 35. That can be understood, but a private residence? Seems a bit much. Most people dream of owning a large house, but it does not seem likely people dream about owning 24 bathrooms...think of the maintenance work...and the cost!

In the beautiful state of Idaho, there is a fair share of luxurious homes owned by celebrities and successful businessmen. You will find a fair share of them in…

Boise is the place to look when you are in the market to purchase your next home. Whether you are interested in building your custom dream home or looking for the perfect investment property or real estate "deal," Boise has what you have been searching for.

Leisure

Do you just need time to relax and unwind after a long week? Boise residents have a myriad of choices. Some Boise residents are excited to take in a movie at the famous Egyptian Theatre, a play at Boise State University's Morrison Center, or take a short 45 minute drive into the mountains to Garden Valley to experience Starlight Mountain's outdoor theater.

Recreation

Perhaps you prefer to forget your hectic workday with sports-related activities or other physical events. Roaring…

In the home buying process, there's two main decisions to make. You can choose to have your next house built, or there's a number of resale homes available in the Idaho market. A major draw to new home construction is the energy efficiency that naturally comes with today's new homes. Many Boise home companies involved in building custom homes are 100% Energy Star Certified. The added up savings with energy efficient homes is a huge advantage over resale homes. It not only shaves off dollars from your utility bill, but also adds value, which you'll be thankful for when it comes time to sell. Money savings aside, many of us these days are concerned with going green, and that's also a significant reason for going energy efficient.

While many new…

Your Idaho real estate appraisal is an important and mandatory part of the home buying process, which helps to establish a property's market value. The market value is the likely sales price it would bring if offered in the open real estate market. Your lender will require an appraisal during the home loan transaction. Both the seller and buyer must depend upon the expert opinion of a complete stranger, who will be certified and Idaho state-licensed to determine the value of the property.

Remember, a home appraisal is not the same thing as a home inspection. While you'll want both as you have your heart set on a certain Idaho home for sale, they are two distinct transactions independent of each other. The inspection of the house is to spot any…

It's stressful to buy a home in your own state, but when you try to do it out of state, it gets even more complicated. Though thankfully with the advent of the internet, it doesn't have to be so stressful, especially with the expansive resources and tools The Hughes Group has to offer you in your new home search and purchase. If you're looking to move to the Boise metro area because of a new job, or whatever else it may be, you've landed in good hands. Here's how to get it done, and get it done well.

The best strategy for buying a home in Idaho begins with hiring a buyer's agent. Hughes Group Agents are all uniquely qualified to assist you in your new home search in and around the Treasure Valley. Hughes Group Agents will represent and protect your…

Thinking about moving to Boise, Idaho? Here's everything you need to know.

Boise demographics: Boise, Idaho has over 205,000 people, and is the most populous city in the state. The Boise city-metro area has over 600,000 people, and is the most populated area between Salt Lake City and Portland, Oregon. It is the 104th largest U.S city by population.

Boise neighborhoods: Boise is divided into many different personalities, from downtown to the North End to the West end where you'll find the state's premier shopping area with Boise Towne Square Mall. Which Boise neighborhood is the best is largely subjective and depends upon your personal needs. You may be concerned about some "unknown" neighborhoods Boise might be harboring that you want to stay away…

Boise, Idaho is no stranger to artists and performers, and arguably the greatest of these shows occur at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts. The Morrison Center, located in Downtown Boise, has seen performances from the Boise Philharmonic, Ballet Idaho, Harry Bellefonte, Bill Cosby, David Copperfield and Josh Groben. While the Morrison Center has seen countless other performances, from broadway shows to BSU productions, it is last night's performer, one of America's favorite comedians, Jerry Seinfeld, that I'd like to go into some detail.

It was the first show I'd ever gone to while living in Boise, though not the first show I'd seen overall. My past experiences with live performances with household names like Jerry Seinfeld came with it…

There's few places that can compete with Meridian, Idaho. It simply has everything the typical person could possibly want or need with its small town charm, friendly communities, and bigger city amenities. Meridian is the ideal place to live, start your career, or relax. If you're considering making the move to Meridian, it won't take long to discover this Idaho gem or its many favorable attributes.

Meridian has literally experienced a population explosion. Since the year 2000, Meridian's population has increased by 81.5%, surpassing the cities of Idaho Falls and Pocatello. Meridian now sits neatly as the third largest city in the state of Idaho, just behind her sister cities of Nampa and Boise. Since the census of 2010, there were just over 75,000…