Boise Real Estate Podcast with Brent Dildine

If you’ve never seen Brittania Heights before, you’re in for a real treat today.   Today I’m on-site at a beautiful custom home subdivision called Brittania Heights to give you a sneak peek of what it has to offer. This subdivision is officially located in Nampa, but it sits right on the Ada County/Canyon County border. Though it has a bit of a country feel to it, it’s no more than a six-minute drive to the freeway, and you can be in downtown Boise in about 15 minutes. Prices range from $450,000 to $700,000, and these beautiful homes have all the features you can think of. Lots are hard to come by here, but I have four available with custom builder Central Valley Homes. If you’re interested in building your future home here or you have any questions about Brittania Heights, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to speak with you.

I recently stopped by the site of Ison Village—a new duplex subdivision being built here in Caldwell, and I can already tell this is going to be a great place to live. The subdivision is conveniently located near many different shops, restaurants, and, of course, Caldwell High School. So if you’re looking for a home that’s in the heart of Caldwell, Ison Village could be the perfect spot for you. Better still, these properties are perfect for anyone seeking to cash in on their equity using a 1031 Exchange. If you have any other questions about this subdivision or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.    

I’m out here in the Meridian subdivision to preview a home with a buyer today. In this market, homes are selling so fast that we’ve got to get out here even if it’s raining. I’ve got someone from California who is coming out to take a look and she may even want to make an offer sight unseen. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the near future, I can help you win in this hot market.

You can see what it looks like in the summer here. I’m out here today looking at building lots in a pocket subdivision just north of Eagle. One of my favorite things to do is helping homebuyers find lots to build their custom dream home. I have a few clients who are looking for acreage lots and I’m scouting out the area. As you can see in the video above, there’s plenty of open space in this area.  “I’m happy to do the research for you.” Whether you’re looking for an acreage, a waterfront lot, or something on a golf course, I can help you find the perfect spot. I’m happy to do the research for you. If you have any questions for me about building, buying, or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Even though we aren’t yet very far into the new year, we can already see market trends beginning to take shape. For one thing, interest rates are continuing to rise. That said, current rates are still historically low. This means homes are still very affordable. However, prices are on the rise. So long as demand continues to outpace supply, this trend will likely continue. Our market holds great opportunities for buyers and sellers alike at the moment. Whatever your real estate goals are, our team would be happy to help. If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious how we can help you buy or sell your home, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

I’m excited to be joined today by my brother, Jim, to talk a little bit about buying a home in the wake of financial issues. Jim runs his own mortgage company and shared some of his insight with us. Life happens, and many of us go through challenging financial times and can have credit issues that pop up here and there. If you’ve had some hard times, such as a bankruptcy or a foreclosure, there are solutions for you out there to get into a new home. “You can get pre-approved for another mortgage within two to three years.” In most circumstances, you can get pre-approved for another mortgage just two to three years after going through a financial hardship with a previous home. You’ll get competitive rates, too. In some cases, there are programs that can help you buy a home even sooner than two years after a bankruptcy or short sale. Thanks to Jim for joining me today. If you have any questions for him about your unique situation and how Jim can help you get pre-approved for a mortgage today, don’t hesitate to give him a call at (208) 703-9696 or send him an email at JDildine@BOEMortgage.com. If you have any other real estate-related questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

If you’re thinking of applying for a mortgage, I’ve brought in professional lender Jim Dildine of Bank of England Mortgage to answer a couple questions you might have. Do you need to save a lot of money for your down payment? According to Jim, a large down payment would have been required to secure a loan many years ago, but this is no longer the case. Nowadays, there are several loan options that require little-to-no money down, and you don’t have to be a first-time homebuyer to take advantage of them. If you’re a veteran, for instance, you can buy a home with no money down. “Many years ago, a large down payment was required to secure a loan, but that’s not the case anymore.” What are the first steps of getting pre-approved? First, you need to fill out a loan application, which can be done online or by talking with a lender over the phone or in person. This process typically only takes five to 10 minutes, and once that’s done, you’re ready to start searching for homes. If you have any more mortgage questions for Jim, you can give him a call at (208) 703-9696 or visit his website www.JimDildine.com. As always, if you have any real estate questions for me or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, feel free to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you.

What’s the latest news for homebuyers in the Kuna area?   According to Samandra Farris of CBH Homes, Kuna is growing quickly. Their main price point ranges from $230,000 to $400,000, and they currently have 30+ spec homes that are move-in ready, with over 70 that will be move-in ready in the next 90 days. With a population of roughly 19,000, it’s interesting to note that Kuna residents can still qualify for a rural development loan, which is a unique option among other areas in Treasure Valley. “Kuna is growing quickly.” You should also be aware that CBH Homes is running a year-end promotion in Kuna where they’re offering discounts on all their move-in ready homes. Specifically, they’ll contribute $5,000 toward buyers’ closing costs or a design studio credit for homes under $250,000. For homes priced between $250,000 and $300,000, they’ll contribute $7,000. For anything above that, they’ll go all the way up to $10,000. This promotion lasts until December 16, so time is limited. CBH homes is also hosting their third annual Festival of homes right now, which runs all throughout December and features six fully furnished sales models. If you have any more questions about the Kuna market or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.  

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so today I want to take a moment to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for in my own life, and I’m blessed to be able to serve you in your buying or selling needs. I hope you enjoy the holiday, and I hope you have a great time celebrating with your friends and family. To see my full message of thanks, watch this short video.

I recently encountered a family who had owned a home for two years before deciding they wanted to buy another one. The mortgage payment for their first home was approximately $1,400 a month, so instead of selling it, they converted it into a rental home and found a tenant who was willing to pay them $1,900 a month in rent “Instead of selling their current property, this converted it into a rental home and found a tenant who was willing to pay them $1,900 a month in rent.” Now, they have $500 of positive cash flow per month. They can take that extra $500 and pay down more principal on their current home or apply it toward their next mortgage, which is normally more expensive, but now their transition will be much easier. It’s a beautiful thing, really—they have two homes that are appreciating in this hot market, and their renter is completely paying off one of their mortgages and partially paying off the other. If you’re thinking about investing in real estate and doing the same thing or you have any other questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I’d love to speak with you.  

Real estate is what I do for a living and I take it very seriously. This has been a great year for me and I’ve been able to work with so many of you and your referrals. I just wanted to let you know that I truly appreciate your trust in me. I take pride in knowing our Boise market and staying up to date on what’s going on so that I’m ready to help anyone who is buying or selling a home. Thank you very much for your support, your trust, and your referrals. If you or anyone you know needs help buying or selling real estate in the Boise area at any time, I’m always here to help. To hear my full message of gratitude, watch this short video.

I wanted to give you a quick update on our market here in the Boise area. To start, it is a super-hot market. It has been all year. In fact, it has been for several years and there isn’t a slowdown in sight. Home values are up. I talk to buyers and sellers daily, and there are many people moving in from out of state all over the valley. I’ll share an example of this trend. About three and a half years ago, I was involved with a sale that went for $270,000. The same family that bought that $270,000 house took a job out of state recently and needed to sell. We sold the home in the last couple of weeks and they walked out of the title company with a check for $95,000. The appreciation has been so strong in this market that in only three and a half years, they were able to take nearly $100,000 worth of equity with them to purchase their new home. I’m often asked, “Have I missed the opportunity to do well in this market?” No, not at all. This market is still strong. There is no slowdown in sight and it’s an excellent time to put your home on the market and sell for top dollar. “There is no slowdown in sight and it’s an excellent time to put your home on the market and sell for top dollar.” If you are thinking about buying or selling, please feel free to call or email me. I look forward to sitting down and speaking with you soon.

Today I just wanted to talk briefly about agency with you. In most transactions, there is a buyer’s agent and a seller’s agent. We’re focusing on the buyer’s agency side of that in this blog. One of the main duties of a buyer’s agent in a real estate transaction is to protect the buyer who is making a large financial investment. It makes a lot of sense to have someone looking out for your best interest. A few days ago, I was talking to a homebuyer who told me that they had received an offer from their current landlord to buy the home she was renting for $230,000 to $250,000. That’s a pretty wide range of value, so I asked her how she was going to determine the price, if she wanted representation, etc. “I always want to make sure my homebuyers don’t make a bad deal.” I then had her text me her address to determine if the price was fair. I ran the numbers and long, story short, one of the best comparables I found for the home was actually right under $200,000. That’s $30,000 lower than the lowest price the landlord was willing to sell for. She hasn’t bought the home yet, and for that I’m glad. She would have been getting ripped off, more or less. As a professional, this is part of my job. I wanted to make sure that this buyer was making a proper investment, but she would have just been overpaying for it if she decided to buy. If you have any questions for me or if you’re thinking about buying a home in Boise, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

There is certainly a time and a place for renting, but if you’re paying $1,200 or more per month, why not consider homeownership? Wouldn’t it be better to apply that monthly expense toward your own wealth, rather than lining your landlord’s pockets? I recently received a referral for a woman who was sick and tired of the rental lifestyle. She had had enough of rental rates going up year after year, and was ready to make the jump into homeownership. Not long after we got in touch, she was able to get pre-approved. And to make a long story short, she’s now set up to move into a new construction home in a brand-new subdivision. “You don’t need to be afraid of homeownership.” As a homeowner, she’ll start building equity in her home right away. On top of that, she’ll also benefit from appreciation and tax write-offs. So if you’re in a scenario like this yourself, now is the time to start considering homeownership. Homeownership is easier than most think. And there are many different programs that can make it even simpler, as well as more affordable. You don’t need to be afraid of homeownership. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Welcome to 11772 Purple Sage Road. Listed at $525,000 and sitting on 2.5 acres of land, this beautiful property is over 4,200 square feet and comes with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an additional two half-baths. On top of that, the home has two kitchens, two large 2-car garages, separate living quarters, and much more. For more information and to see a tour of this gorgeous home, watch this short video.  

If you haven’t noticed, new construction homes are being built all around our city in all prices ranges. What does this mean for buyers in our market? To me, this is super exciting. If you’re a first-time homebuyer, it means you can buy a brand-new home and still keep your mortgage payment around $1,100 to $1,200 per month. In most cases, that’s less expensive than what you pay in rent. If you’re looking to move up into the luxury home market, I can tell you from experience that you can look forward to a super fun process. When we work with move-up buyers, we typically start by finding the community you want to live in or the building lot that makes the most sense for you. We then sit down with the builder (or in some cases, the architect) and get your thoughts on what amenities you want in your home. After that, we design the floor plan you’re looking for in your new home. “When building a new construction home, the builder makes you a part of the process.” From there, it’s time to build your new house. It’s fun to watch your new home being built and participate in its construction. Further along, you get to pick things like the appliances, flooring, lighting, and interior and exterior colors. The builder makes you a part of the process, and it’s a lot of fun. So, if you’re thinking about building a new home, whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or you’re a move-up buyer, I would love to help you with the process and get you pointed in the right direction. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I look forward to speaking with you.

With the new year ahead of us, it’s the perfect time to take a look at our market. Today, I’d like to share some statistics on the outlook for 2018. Over the last three years, we’ve seen an increase of 42.7% in our Boise market. That’s an impressive number in relation to appreciation. In terms of days on market, the average in Ada County is 31 days. In Canyon County, the average is 35 days. “We’re seeing phenomenal opportunities for people in our market to buy, sell, or invest in homes.” According to the National Association of Realtors, a healthy market should have between five to six months of inventory. This means our area currently has a big shortage of properties. This presents a great opportunity for sellers, who can take advantage of the lack of competition when they list. But it’s also a great time to buy since interest rates are still very, very low. Overall, I’m very excited about the market outlook for 2018. We’re seeing phenomenal opportunities for people in our market to buy, sell, or invest in homes. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

It’s the holiday season! Today, I just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! 2017 has been awesome, and I look forward to helping you all in 2018. To hear my full holiday message, watch this short video. “Merry Christmas and happy New Year!”

Today I want to talk about some of the things I do once one of our clients’ homes goes live on the multiple listing service (or MLS) so you can understand what agents do once a home gets listed. When I list a home, I let the seller know that there are some key factors to pay attention to. If it was your home, for example, the first thing we’d have to pay attention to is the traffic we get through your home. If we’re getting traffic, the MLS system is working, but if we’re not getting any offers or any hint of an offer, the home is probably priced too high. If the home’s not getting any traffic at all or we’re not scheduling at least two showings a week, it’s also probably priced too high. The reason I know this is I talk to buyers every single day, and I watch the amount of traffic coming through my sellers’ homes very closely. “We don’t just list your home and wait for a buyer.” Another important thing I do is gather feedback. I’m always watching and talking to other agents and getting feedback from them about what their buyers did or what buyers potentially don’t like about your home. We don’t just list your home and wait for a buyer. We’re always gathering data and gathering feedback so we can make sure your home is priced right and we can sell it for top dollar in the least amount of time with the least number of hassles. If you have any questions about this topic or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

Today I’d like to give a shoutout to all you good people. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many buyers and sellers throughout the year. Thank you all very much. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with so many buyers and sellers throughout the years.” A lot of you have referred friends and family to me this year, and I want to give you a huge shout out for that as well. Most of all, I want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving this year. Be safe and eat lots of turkey!

Today, I wanted to discuss the Zillow estimates (or Zestimates) that people have recently been receiving in their email inboxes. However, the estimates Zillow has been sending out to homeowners are greatly exaggerated in most cases. In fact, I personally received an email from Zillow with a Zestimate that was $100,000 off from my home’s true value. “You need to be extremely careful about trusting the information Zillow is sending out.” I also have been working with a client recently who received an estimate from Zillow that was $50,000 off. You need to be extremely careful about trusting the information Zillow is sending out. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, I’d love to talk. I work this market every single day, so I can examine your property and give you a real estimate of what your home is truly worth. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What is the difference between a buyer’s agent and a seller’s agent? It’s a question I get a lot, but the answer is quite simple. If you see a sign in a yard with an agent’s phone number on it, that is the seller’s, or listing, agent. They are hired by the seller and act with their best interests in mind. This is great if you’re a seller. However, if you’re looking to buy a home, you need someone on your side as well. That’s where a buyer’s agent comes in. Some of their duties include: Showing you all the homes you want to see Running comps to help strengthen your offer Helping you write a strong offer “Buyers need agents for many reasons.” These are far from the only things a buyer’s agent does, but they are some of the most important. The best part about hiring one is that it’s completely free. That’s right. In the transaction, the seller is contracted to pay all of the real estate commissions, including those to the buyer’s agent. It doesn’t make sense to not hire one. If you have any questions about buyer’s agents or anything else about real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Now that we’re in the fall months and colder weather is setting in, a lot of sellers have been asking me if they’ve missed their opportunity to list. Today, I want to let you know that now is still an outstanding time to put your home on the market. There are still a ton of buyers out looking for their next property. Interest rates are still low, but there’s no telling what they’re going to do when next summer rolls around. Buyers aren’t waiting, so you don’t have to either. “Sellers right now can afford to ask for and obtain top dollar.” Also, many out-of-state buyers are moving into our Boise area. Boise is definitely one of the best places to raise a family in our country, and out-of-state buyers have caught onto this. All of these factors combined with our current low inventory mean that sellers right now can afford to ask for and obtain top dollar. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What is a CMA, and how can it help you in your real estate transaction? A CMA is a comparative market analysis, which is a way for agents to help you determine how to price your home in order to get the best value in the least time. To conduct a CMA, agents will look at all active, pending, and sold homes in your neighborhood that are similar to your own property. All of this data will be analyzed by your seller to help you effectively list your home. As a seller, having your home sit on the market for too long is one thing you should always do your best to avoid. When days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, your home listing can become stagnant. “A CMA will help you determine how to price your home to get the best value in the least time.” When your listing becomes so stale, your home will cease to be shown—buyers and agents alike will simply stop looking at your property. A few years ago, my team and I listed a home in West Boise. Because it was priced well, we received four different offers in just a few days of the home being on the market. At this point I sat down with the seller to go over these offers. The worst offer was just slightly under asking price, while the best was actually $10,000 over asking price with no contingencies or inspections. This was an absolute dream scenario, and it was largely thanks to the CMA that we performed to establish a market value. Correct pricing led to a lot of buyer activity and ultimately to the seller receiving a great offer that was well over acting price. If you’ve been thinking of selling your home and would like our help, have any other questions, or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

As a buyer, there are a few issues you can run into throughout the process of your transaction. Many of these problems can manifest right before closing, so it’s important not to overlook any last-minute details. For one thing, always remember to do a final walkthrough. With a couple days before closing you should meet with your agent and walk through the home to ensure the property is in the same condition as it was when you made your offer. Sometimes certain items, like refrigerators or playground equipment, will be included in the sale. During the final walkthrough, check to ensure that the items you agreed upon have been left behind. By doing your final walkthrough a couple of days before closing, you will have ample time to remind the seller of any items they may have accidentally taken with them that were included in your contract. Next, look out for lender problems. Once you’ve got your pre-approval letter, you’ve found the right house, and you’re ready to close, you may think you’re in the clear. “It’s important not to overlook any last-minute details.” However, things can still go awry. Just prior to closing, a lender will perform a final credit search. If your credit score or job status has significantly changed since when you first began the process, this could cause big issues. Anything that could incur monthly payments, like a car, could cause you to become ineligible for the home purchase. Larger purchases are often best left until after you’ve already closed on a home. You always need to be careful not to ruin your debt-to-income ratio. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.