With some great weather in the valley the next couple of days why not get a little jump start on freshening up outside? Even if you take the time to read through this post and get some ideas of what will add value to Your Curb and then take action next weekend, You are further than yesterday! 

Our agents have some great ideas and would love to come by Your home to give advice. 

Our blog has some fantastic, inexpensive ideas to really liven up your front yard...I know which two I am doing at my house. What will you choose? 

• Add a wreathe of greenery or a fresh hanging basket at your entrance

• An outdoor chandelier can create a beautiful entrance if you are a bit handy!

• Upgrade or add new hardware to your door, like a brass knocker or replacing your door handles with something new and fresh

• Replace your existing doormat with a brand new one...even add an indoor/outdoor carpet underneath to add another dimension 

• Replacing your house numbers with something new and more modern can really go a long way as well

• New solar path lights that haven't been washed out by the sun always pay a beautiful compliment, especially at dusk

If you are getting ready to list your home, these are wonderful ideas to help you sell quickly. Or, if you just want to come home to the place you love with some fresh updates, pick a few things and get to updating!

Credit:https://www.marthastewart.com/1139796/ultra-creative-curb-appeal-ideas-wow-worthy-first-impression 

Fun facts about leap year

2020 is a leap year, a 366-day-long year. Every four years, we add an extra day, February 29, to our calendars. These extra days – called leap days – help synchronize our human-created calendars with Earth’s orbit around the sun and the actual passing of the seasons. Why do we need them? Blame Earth’s orbit around the sun, which takes approximately 365.25 days. It’s that .25 that creates the need for a leap year every four years.

During non-leap years, aka common years – like 2019 – the calendar doesn’t take into account the extra quarter of a day actually required by Earth to complete a single orbit around the sun. In essence, the calendar year, which is a human artifact, is faster than the actual solar year, or year as defined by our planet’s motion through space.

Over time and without correction, the calendar year would drift away from the solar year and the drift would add up quickly. For example, without correction the calendar year would be off by about one day after four years. It’d be off by about 25 days after 100 years. You can see that, if even more time were to pass without the leap year as a calendar correction, eventually February would be a summer month in the Northern Hemisphere.

www.earthsky.org

Are you ready to buy a new home? Have you asked and answered the important questions to get you going? We have a great questionnaire to begin with. Call, e-mail or text one of our agents for our fill-able form and we will partner with you to help you accomplish your home-buying goals. To find an agent CLICK HERE

• Find a Lender

• Get pre-approved and have the letter from your lender ready for when you find that perfect home

• Find a Real Estate agent

• Search for a home (the fun part!)

• Visit Open Houses and tour homes with your agent

• Submit an offer - We do that for you!

• Get a home inspection - We do that for you, too!

• Get an appraisal - Again, no need to stress and coordinate, that is our job!

• Renegotiate - Do you see a theme? We are here to do all of this so you can focus on the move

• Close the sale - And then we will be there with you at the closing table, right up until you get your new keys

Powerful Reasons to Own your Home instead of Rent

- You are paying for housing whether you own or rent. 

Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of property taxes and home repairs. Every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs (property taxes, repairs, insurance, etc.) are baked into the rent payment already – along with a profit margin!!

- Owning is usually a form of "forced saving"

Studies have shown that homeowners have a net worth that is 44X greater than that of a renter. As a matter of fact, it was recently estimated that a family buying an average priced home this past year could build more than $42,000 in family wealth over the next five years.

- Owning is a hedge against inflation

House values and rents tend to go up at or higher than the rate of inflation. When you own, your home’s value will protect you from that inflation.

- Housing is typically the one leveraged investment available. 

Home-ownership allows households to amplify any appreciation on the value of their homes by a leverage factor. A 20% down payment results in a leverage factor of five, meaning every percentage point rise in the value of your home is a 5% return on your equity. If you put down 10%, your leverage factor is 10.

Example: Let’s assume you purchased a $300,000 home and put down $60,000 (20%). If the house appreciates by $30,000, that is only a 10% increase in value but a 50% increase in equity

Credit: Keeping Current Matters

What to do, what to do? I know we are getting quite a bit of cabin fever and we bet you are too! Let's get out and try something new!

First things first, a must-see home on 2.45 park-like acres in Nampa. OPEN HOUSE Saturday from 12-3pm CLICK HERE for the address and to preview this home. 

Maybe a drive in the sunshine? Bogus Basin is hosting Special Olympics Idaho Winter Games today from 5p-8p and at Terrace Lakes in Garden Valley tomorrow from 9a-12p. Or go visit the beautiful town of Hagerman and support their volunteer firefighters at their Annual Chili Cook-Off.  

Click Here for some great local events and happenings in our beautiful Treasure Valley

Whatever you choose, we know the scenery will be amazing. Enjoy it out there!

New Reduced Price and Open House this Saturday 2/22 12-3pm!

Must see this gorgeous fully renovated home on 2.45 acres of park like setting! Property can be used as a venue and rents monthly on Air bnb. Beautifully remodeled kitchen with upgraded appliances and built in refrigerator and ice maker, opens to living room with stone fireplace and sunken wet bar! Home has amazing sunroom with hot tub. Basement is set up as rec/bonus room with full bathroom. Grounds have mature landscaping, pond, RV Hook-ups and so much more!

CLICK HERE for Full details

Step #1 - Get your PRE-APPROVAL letter.

This is so important for many reasons. A lender will tell you exactly what price range you can search in and help you determine where you are comfortable with monthly payments. In this market, having your letter is a Must! When submitting an offer on your dream home you don't want to get miss out and have your offer rejected simply because you don't have your lender's pre-approval letter yet. Our team at Pack It Up Boise has amazing lender partner's we can refer you to. Find your agent now and let us help guide you through the process. 

CLICK HERE to see our amazing team of Realtors ®

2207 E Greenhurst Rd, Nampa, ID 83686

Tour this incredible home Sunday 12/16 11-2pm! 

Must see this gorgeous fully renovated home on 2.45 acres of park like setting! Property can be used as a venue and rents monthly on Air bnb. Beautifully remodeled kitchen with upgraded appliances and built in refrigerator and ice maker, opens to living room with stone fireplace and sunken wet bar! Home has amazing sunroom with hot tub. Basement is set up as rec/bonus room with full bathroom. Grounds have mature landscaping, pond, RV Hook-ups and so much more!

CLICK HERE for Full details 

You've stolen a pizza my heart.

We're mint to be.

I love you from my head to-ma-toes.

We make a great pear.

I yam in love with you.

I want to spend more thyme with you.

Words can't espresso how much I love you.

Don't go bacon my heart.

You're my everything bagel.

You're the one pho me.

We're butter together.

I donut what I would do without you.

Hey Valentine, you're a gouda one!

I love you berry much.

You make my heart skip a beet.

I love you a latte.

Here's my number, so kale me, maybe?

Olive you so much.

Credit Goodhousekeeping.com

ADA COUNTY

• As the share of new home sales continues to increase, so does the overall median sales price. In January 2020, 40.2% of all home sales were new construction, up 8.2% compared to January 2019. New homes are typically priced higher due to increasing cost of land, labor, and materials.

• Persistent demand from home buyers compared to the record low number of existing/resale homes for sale — just 361 existing homes available, down 28.1% from January 2019 — also drove prices up.

• While condos, townhomes, and mobile/manufactured homes are a small part of our area’s overall housing supply, these property types may offer buyers additional options at lower price points.

Home prices in Ada County hit a new record high median of $363,000 in January 2020 due to an increasing share of new home sales, and, a lack of supply of existing homes compared to demand.

As we’ve noted before, the Ada County housing market has been shifting to a new norm with new construction sales gaining more and more of the total market share. In January 2020, new construction sales made up 40.2% of all sales — an 8.2% increase from a year ago. New homes are typically priced higher primarily due to increasing cost of land, labor, and materials. In January 2020, the median sales price for new construction was at $419,440 — up 12.2% from the same month last year.

Persistent demand (as indicated by pending sales) compared to the record low of number of existing/resale homes for sale in January 2020 also drove up prices for the existing/resale segment, and in turn, the overall median sales price.. There were only 361 existing homes available to purchase at the end of the month — down 28.1% from January 2019 while pending sales were up 5.4% year-over-year. In January 2020, the median sales price for the existing/resale segment was at $340,000 — up 18.7% from the same month last year.

Rising prices and fewer options can be discouraging for those looking to buy, but it’s important to note that the median sales prices noted here are based on sales activity for single-family homes with or without acreage. As a reminder, the median sales price is simply the point at which half of the homes that sold during the month sold for more, and half of the homes sold for less.

Furthermore, BRR’s market reports have traditionally focused on single-family activity only, but there are additional property types available. For example, in January 2020, there were 39 town homes that sold in Ada County for a median sales price of $264,500. This left 45 town homes available for purchase at the end of the month. (NOTE: Learn more about sales activity and median prices of these property types in our new Condos, Town homes, and Mobile/Manufactured Homes Market Report.)

Your REALTOR® has access to the latest and most comprehensive database of local homes for sale, including town homes and condos which are sometimes available at lower price points. In addition, current low mortgage rates are helping to increase buyers purchase power. If you are considering a move, make sure you are working with a mortgage lender and a REALTOR® to understand all the options available to you for financing and inventory.

To read the full article and report from the Boise Regional Realtors please visit FULL MARKET REPORT