Thinking about relocating to the Boise Idaho area.

[gzecc]

Can anyone direct me to good information regarding buying a home in the greater boise area?

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

I've only visited and did not enjoy Boise, but the country north is incredible. The Sawtooths. Stanley Valley. Incredible.

 

[Flatbedford]

Why? ...and leave NJ?

 

[bubbasdad]

Sounds like a very cold place. I don't know, as I get older, the cold is not my friend...

 

[StihlHead]

Comparing Boise to NJ, all I can find is Atlantic City for comparison, Boise is about 3 degrees warmer in winter and 3 degress cooler in the fall. Compared to Binghamton, NY, Boise is way warmer by 6-10 degrees in fall and winter. Boise should be warmer than inland north NJ.

Some online resources for available listings and housing prices in Boise are Zillow, Trulia and Homefinder.

 

[begreen]

Could be worse. You'll find the air is cleaner, humidity lower and skies are bluer. Why the move gzecc? HP? Micron?

Wikipedia has some good reference links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise,_Idaho

 

[gzecc]

Could be worse. You'll find the air is cleaner, humidity lower and skies are bluer. Why the move gzecc? HP? Micron?

Wikipedia has some good reference links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise,_Idaho

Primarily a change of scenery. Been in NY/NJ for 50 yrs. Can't stand the humid summers anymore. Boise is a high desert, has much drier summers and similar seasons as the northeast. Besides, to the north is too cold, still humid, south is too hot, more humid. Not going to tornado alley, besides its also too humid.

 

[fossil]

Primarily a change of scenery.

If that's your sole criteria, then you have a whole mini-universe to explore out here west of the Rockies. You can pretty much pick your preferred climate without worry about humidity. You have a number of states from which to choose, each of which carries its own $$$ and etc. baggage to be considered. How did you fix on Boise? Rick (native Californian, over the years a resident of Idaho, New Mexico, and Oregon).

 

[BrotherBart]

One thing I have learned. Ma Nature provides problems of some sort no matter where you live.

 

[wazzu]

I work in Boise, and live nearby. It has it's positives and negatives. Mostly positive for me in my life right now (young with kids, etc). I will list a few facts for you about the area:
Good place to retire, pay is painfully low for most working people.
Homes are fairly cheap for being in the NW.
Schools are hit or miss.
Humidity is LOW=Hot DRY summers=Forrest fires, really bad every couple years.
I think we get about 14"-18" of rain per year.
If you are well off financially Boise and Eagle might suit you better. If you are more into the rural type of life some of the other smaller towns might be better for you.
I would spend a couple of weeks out here looking around before you put everything in boxes and move out.
There are places in the NW that would offer similar climate but different location. I could suggest some places to visit if you like. (I have lived in E. WA, MT and ID)

Fire away with questions.....

 

[gzecc]

I work in Boise, and live nearby. It has it's positives and negatives. Mostly positive for me in my life right now (young with kids, etc). I will list a few facts for you about the area:
Good place to retire, pay is painfully low for most working people.
Homes are fairly cheap for being in the NW.
Schools are hit or miss.
Humidity is LOW=Hot DRY summers=Forrest fires, really bad every couple years.
I think we get about 14"-18" of rain per year.
If you are well off financially Boise and Eagle might suit you better. If you are more into the rural type of life some of the other smaller towns might be better for you.
I would spend a couple of weeks out here looking around before you put everything in boxes and move out.
There are places in the NW that would offer similar climate but different location. I could suggest some places to visit if you like. (I have lived in E. WA, MT and ID)

Fire away with questions.....

Great, I would like suburban, maybe an acre-2 50's ranch, would like a nice view, probably a 1/2 hour to an hour from boise or the highest socio-economic areas. I have a contracting business that I will have to do until I die. I need the market of higher end households.
Send me some names of towns.
We will probably vacation there this or next year to become more familiar.
Don't forget about burning wood, probably a wood stove. Are there burn bans?

 

[webbie]

I think T Monter lives in Idaho....but you may find him in the "preppies" underground lair right up the road from the freemans compound.
(sorry, couldn't help it)....
Actually, he would probably know a lot and is a good guy. Message him.....

 

[webbie]

Primarily a change of scenery. Been in NY/NJ for 50 yrs. Can't stand the humid summers anymore. Boise is a high desert, has much drier summers and similar seasons as the northeast. Besides, to the north is too cold, still humid, south is too hot, more humid. Not going to tornado alley, besides its also too humid.

New Mexico awaits.......

 

[begreen]

Check out Walla Walla, WA while you are at it. Much better wine there and quite an affluent community with good growth. Bend, OR comes to mind too.

 

[fossil]

Yeah, I have a nephew (SGT on Washington State Patrol) who lives in Walla Walla and loves it there.

 

[StihlHead]

Walla Walla is pretty small though. I would look at the larger towns in the Columbia Basin/plateau, like Bend (more $$$ there), Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Boise. I live just the other side of the Cascades from the plateau. Wetter on this side, warner in winter, cooler in summer, much higher populations on this side of the Cascades. I can tell you having been there, nothing out here is anything like New Jersey (my dad's family were from Brooklyn and Newark).

 

[wazzu]

Great, I would like suburban, maybe an acre-2 50's ranch, would like a nice view, probably a 1/2 hour to an hour from boise or the highest socio-economic areas. I have a contracting business that I will have to do until I die. I need the market of higher end households.
Send me some names of towns.
We will probably vacation there this or next year to become more familiar.
Don't forget about burning wood, probably a wood stove. Are there burn bans?

As far as housing goes you are going to be looking at possibly Meridian or Nampa. The higher income areas are going to be in Boise, Eagle and Star probably.
If I could live anyplace and had to stay in the Treasure Valley I would look at Emmett, Sweet (small), Ola (small), Idaho City (small), Garden Valley (small).
So, here is the bad news. You won't be able to find work here at the pay and scale you are accustomed to. There are tons of contractors here and probably only 1000 high end homes in the whole valley. Also if you are in the contracting business I hope you can speak Spanish and be ready to deal with all the stuff that comes with that. There is just not that much money here in my opinion. Most of the people I know that are financially secure in this area are older or retired. It takes a WHILE to build up any wealth in a low pay area.

Yes we have wood burning in the valley, but not like you would think. Scrounging is cut-throat outside the mountain areas, most people get pine or fir from the mountains. We also don't have any oak trees. They might have burn bans here in the valley but I don't pay any attention. I don't think there is anyone to enforce them.

You may be surprised at how small the towns here are and the distance between them. Be ready for small town life. You may also want to consider Lewiston, ID; Clarkston, WA; or Yakima, WA. I think Washington has no income tax.

 

[StihlHead]

Washington does not have income tax, Oregon does not have sales tax. Washington has stove burn bans state-wide, by region. Oregon has stove burn bans, but only in the large cities and in some towns. I do not know about Idaho. Most of the western states have outdoor burn bans during fire season.

 

[DevilsBrew]

My date's mom lives in Southern Idaho. She loves it. Picked up and left for the same reason - harsh winters here. My best friend's inlaws moved there and the rest of the family followed. There must be something to it.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Spent some time in East WA/North ID. Never lived there, but it's pretty amazing for the outdoors. You can be nowhere, but drive 1/2 hour to a college town (Pullman/Moscow?) or city with plenty to do. I've heard that a few counties have a nice meth problem. I suppose if that's your business, then it's a bonus however.

I remember years ago being in Troy, ID standing on a friend's back deck watching the sun set over the mountains, watching deer in the fields, listening to coyotes, and him pointing out Ruby Ridge. I told him- "Guy that picked me up on my 0.7 acre property in MA told me that I lived in the middle of nowhere".

Everything is relative I guess

 

[jharkin]

Before he retired, my Uncle was transferred to Boise for a few years for work (he worked logistics for Maersk shipping lines). I don't recall him having much to say about the place other than it was a bit dull compared to some of the other places he lived over the years working for that company (Seattle, San Francisco, North Carolina)

 

[DevilsBrew]

Primarily a change of scenery. Been in NY/NJ for 50 yrs. Can't stand the humid summers anymore. Boise is a high desert, has much drier summers and similar seasons as the northeast. Besides, to the north is too cold, still humid, south is too hot, more humid. Not going to tornado alley, besides its also too humid.

I love it here but the weather does start to break you down. On days like today, I also dream of someplace with low humidity, lots of water & rural, four seasons, and no burn bans.

 

[StihlHead]

Places w/o burn bans are becoming rare, and I do not know of any places w/o meth problems. Even Alaska and Hawaii have meth problems.

One thing we have here in the PNW: Lots of water. I dream of living in a dryer place myself. The eastern humidity always gets to me when I go there. Four seasons I can live w/o. San Diego was great in the winter... but the heat and A/C weather lasted from March through October. Northern California is my idea of ideal. Too bad its impossibly expensive there. I made 6 figures working there and could barely buy a 1200 sq ft termite ridden tract home in a crappy rental hood. Taxes, mortgage, insurance, utilities, commute time and gas, and cost of living... can eat you alive there. But the weather is nice.

 

[Hogwildz]

Primarily a change of scenery. Been in NY/NJ for 50 yrs. Can't stand the humid summers anymore. Boise is a high desert, has much drier summers and similar seasons as the northeast. Besides, to the north is too cold, still humid, south is too hot, more humid. Not going to tornado alley, besides its also too humid.

It sure is drier. Invest in moisturizing lotion. Your skin will dry very quickly out there.