Rare extra day tomorrow..... what do you plan to do with it? MAKE IT MEMORABLE!

Being born on a leap year (turning 28 this year) I have always found an interesting significance to "February 29th".   I've always looked at it as a gift of a day. Something that only happens once every four years. Something special.... the Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics, World Cup.... also only happen once every four years. And all are things I look forward to regularly. Tomorrow will be my 6th Feb 29th. How many have you experianced?

I would like to set forth a challange to anyone that might read this. Treat tomorrow like a gift. Go out of your way to do something rare and extra ordinary. (not that you shouldn't strive to live every day like this) but really take advantage of such a truely rare opportunity we have tomorrow. I always think of the below classic song by Chicago on any Feb. 29th, because it is so true... "I've been waiting such a long time,..for today!"  :)

And please, let me know about your experiance that you do have tomorrow! Either below in a comment, or on my facebook page. :) Enjoy it! And , "DO WORK"!!!



Presidents Day Quote: President Herbert Hoover on home OWNERSHIP VS. renting

On this very special day, we look back to the past and give thanks to the wonderful men that have lead this country. I found a old quote from President Herber Hoover from 1931 on home ownership in contrast to renting. The words are actually powerful, and moving even today some 81 years later:

“Next to food and clothing, the housing of a nation is its most vital problem. . . . The sentiment for home ownership is embedded in the American heart [of] millions of people who dwell in tenements, apartments and rented rows of solid brick. . . . This aspiration penetrates the heart of our national wellbeing. It makes for happier married life. It makes for better children. It makes for courage to meet the battle of life. . . . There is a wide distinction between homes and mere housing. Those immortal ballads, ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ and ‘The Little Grey Home in the West’ were not written about tenements or apartments. . . . They were written about an individual abode, alive with tender associations of childhood, the family life at the fireside, the free out-of-doors, the independence, the security and the pride in possession of the family’s own home. . . . Many of our people must live under other conditions. But they never sing songs about a pile of rent receipts. . . .”

May the American dream never die of home OWNERSHIP! Please know that as a realtor I along with every other realtor are fighting in your behalf to make sure that opportunity continues and never goes away. :)



Happy Presidents Day! :)

Sellers or Buyers Market in Boise Idaho?? (Remember we're not concerned what the market is doing in New York!)

In case you don't read any farther then this, let me just inform you that currently the Treasure Valley Real Estate market is indeed a SELLER'S Market.

The numbers for the first month just came out for both Ada and Canyon county, and the numbers are pretty amazing.

First of all, in any market a "6 months supply of homes" is a STABLE market.  Now what does "months supply" mean.??.....

Currently there are 1,976 Single Family units on the market in Ada county. If starting today not a single home more was allowed to be put on the market "months supply" would tell us how long we'd have homes to sell before they were all gone.  (It's kind of like NASCAR.... if you watch NASCAR some times it shows how many seconds behind a particular car is from the leader. Basically if the leader car were to come to a complete stop, how many seconds would it take for the trailing car to catch up. Same idea..:) hope that helped)

In the January we just had, there were 381 homes sold. And now there are only 1,976 left. So lets do the math:

1976 ÷ 381 =  5.1    or 5.1 month supply of homes.  

Now remember 6 months supply is STABLE.  More than 6 is buyers market... however less that 6 is a Sellers market.


Not only is this evidence of a SELLERS market, but you can also look at the number of homes on that market as of Jan. the past 4 years and see a very shocking number!!

Total number of homes on the Ada Market in :

January 2008 -  4,307
January 2009 -  3,764
Januray 2010 -  2,991
January 2011 -  2,232
January 2012 -  1,976

As you can tell that number continues to drop, and with the number of homes shrinking, and the number of buyers increasing, it really is as simple as SUPPLY vs DEMAND!

Why so many buyers?:

1. Interest rates are still below 4%. If you are going to buy, rates have never been better.

2. Renters are tired of renting and hearing about their friends paying less on a mortgage.

3. Treasure Valley rental Vacancy at a 5 year low! Lots of renters, no place to rent = high rent.

4. Investors!!! With vacancy rates low, investors can buy a home and charge double the mortgage to instantly cash flow on a property.


The Boise market is unique! It doesn't follow what you, your parents, your barber, your yoga instructor, read and see everyday in the New York Times or on CNN.

As a licensed Realtor with experiance in the Treasure Valley Market, I am here to help you either buy or sell and make sure you get the best deal possible in THIS market!

You can call or email me with more questions you may have about our local market. 208-631-8775 or jeff@househuntersofidaho.com. Or just go to my website to search the market for yourself. www.jeff.househuntersofidaho.com

So, you gave her the RING.... but now.. WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSE??

Congrats to all you Boise, ID love birds that are either just getting engaged today, or are renewing your love for one another on this Valentines Day! .....BUT....

If you did just get engaged, what are you plans for once the two of you move in together?  Or maybe you already live together and will be combining your finances for the first time.... Where are you planning on starting out this new journy together?? Renting...or Buying???

I bet that RING you just bought wasn't cheap, and probably was the majority if not all of your tax return.  So now if you even wanted to think about putting a down payment down, you're going to have to wait at least 6-8 months to save up right....??????

NOPE!! There are actually quite a few options depending on your credit score and the location where you are wanting to buy, that you can actually get 100% financing (aka $0 down) and walk into a brand new home with nothing out of pocket!

But why buy just starting out? Why not!! In our local market in Boise, rental vacancies are extremely low, meaning it is hard to find something nice that is going to be pushing $1,000 dollars a month.(and that's just an apartment!)

However, with the interest rates still below 4% on 30 year fixed loans... you can easily be living in a very nice home, that is YOURS, that you are putting money away on to build equity and have a mortage closer to $800 or $850! If you don't believe me, just give me a call! 208-631-8775.

Or better yet, register on my website to start looking at homes now! www.jeff.househuntersofidaho.com

So once again, congrats on the new steps you are about to take!! And although like the oldie song by the Beatles says, " Can't buy me love"... if you are wise and don't though it away early on in your new relationship, you may just end up having more of it at the end!   Com Muito Amor Jeff

Where can I watch the BOISE STATE Football Games this year? I did the research for you!

With Boise State moving to the Mountain West Conference this year, there has been a lot of confusion on which programmers will be showing the games? Will you or will you not have to run to the local sports bar to check out the games? And what will it cost extra to get the the Boise State football games?

The Mountain West has it's own television deal, so now KTVB channel 7 will not be able to broadcast the games that ESPN does not pick up this year. When calling your cable companies keep in mind the channel you are wanting to get is the "Mountain Channel"

Out of my love for my blog readers and my love for the BLUE AND ORANGE i went a head and called all the networks today and here is what I found out.

1. Direct TV -
 If you have Direct TV you have the ability to receive every single BSU game this year! I was told that the channel package that has the " Mountain Channel" is an extra $7.00 dollars per month to receive. A very small price to pay to watch excellence!

2. Dish Network - 
Dish does not carry the "Mountain Channel" however, the news isn't that bad over all!  Dish will only miss airing 3 of the BSU games this year. One away game against Colorado St., and two home games against Wyoming and New Mexico.  You have to upgrade your sports package to get the "Versus" channel and also the "CBS Sports Channel" in order to miss only the 3 games.  * The CBS Sports Channel IS NOT the local channel 2 station. You will need to upgrade to this channel.

3. Cable One  - 
Cable one customers will be able watch ALL BSU games this year. If you do not already have Cable One, plan on paying $75 dollars a month for the appropriate package to receive all the BSU games.

4. Bronco Vision -
 An alternative option for those that do not have a cable service is Bronco Vision. Bronco Vision usually does not have anyone announcing the game (at least I don't believe so) and is shot by their own crew. In years past they have had every regular season game. However I was not able to find a schedule for this years live events on their website. Their year package costs $79.95 and you can register for that at the following link: https://www.nmnathletics.com/PremiumVideo.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9900

I hope this info. has been helpful for all you BSU fans out there! Please share this blog and link with your friends! Well, unless they are Vandal fans! :) Just playing! Enjoy the season! And GO BIG BLUE!!! Here is a little video I just came across to get you PUMPED for the Georgia game on Sept 3rd!! Let me know if you'll be in Atlanta! I will be there for sure!!

Everything is AMAZING, and nobody is happy.....?

I remember being about 12 years old one summer and helping my mom dig a ditch on our two acre lot in Nampa, Idaho. It was the "WORST THING IN THE WORLD" at the time! :) And for those of you that don't know about the terrain of the Treasure Valley area, you can't dig much deeper than 1 or 2 feet in some areas due to hard pan, and lava rock!! But the one thing I remember even more is how good the water tasted coming out of that hose attached to the house, best water I had ever tasted!!

Yep you heard right, it wasn't filtered, or from FIJI, nor was it sparkling, but it was the reward of HARD WORK and the mere APPRECIATION of having water there to drink that made it taste so amazing!!

So many people work hard everyday across this great country, but some how we lose sight of  APPRECIATING all that we have! From the simple things to the technologically advanced complex things, we truly have so much to be appreciative of. I litearlly heard this song this morning....makes you think just how good we have it:

The future is here! The things we use, the entertainment we share, the conveniences we love, we ought to be thankful for all of them! Imagine what our great grandparents would have given to have even half of the time saving, heartache saving devises that we have today!   So here is to being the generation of APPRECITATION, and not the generation of "Spoiled idiots" like this video says below! Enjoy!

"We only got 86,400 seconds in a day......"

What do you do with it? Our time is valuable, so short, and yet we waste so much of it! NO THIS IS NOT A WORK MOTIVATION BLOG! :) This is a LOVE LIFE AND ENJOY IT BLOG today!  To many times we forget to enjoy everything we have. 

Lyrics make my life more meaningful everyday, and thanks to some pretty amazing lyrics and music videos, my prospective on life has been altered. Today I only want to share a couple quotes, lyrics and videos that make me a better person!

Please let me know how they effect you! :) Enjoy it!

 "One is responsible for one's own life. Passivity provides no protection."

Madeleine Kunin(1933-     )

"we only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
turn it all around or throw it all away
we gotta tell 'em that we love 'em
while we got the chance to say
gotta live like we're dying"

And finally, this video crosses my mind more then you would imagine. What would happen if we did know when it would end for us!?

Or better yet, maybe it's better we don't know and just live each day like our clock is about to run out! If we all did that,  and used our individual talents, careers, gifts, etc. imagine the quality of life we would experiance!

Today I switched it up a bit today I know! I love "Real Estate", but it by far is not the most "Real" thing that is important!

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE IN 5 MIN.!!!

With interest rates here in Boise below 5%, heck below even 4.5% I have had lots of clients looking at funding and getting approved, and it isn't rare to see them a handful of points away from being able to be approved, or get a better rate!

In my two years of real estate experience, the FASTEST and most EFFECTIVE way to raise your score up to 25 points in short amount of time is " optoutprescreen.com  "

Most of us receive pre-approved emails in the mail all the time. The credit bureaus know that you receive these, and this does have an effect on your credit score! When you go to optoutprescreen.com, you can opt out of receiving these types of mailers for up to 5 years, and it will have an immediate POSITIVE effect on your credit!!

If you or someone you know here in the Boise area needs a little help getting there scores up, please let them know about this! And then let know to give me a call as well! I have a couple other tricks that can help significantly improve your credit score!  208-631-8775.

2011 First Quarter Renter Vacancy Rates hit ALL TIME LOW!!! ( RENTING vs BUYING)

Surveys that were just recently done on over 4,000 rental units shows that the Vacancy Rate on Rentals has dipped below the 3%!!! (Ok Jeffrey, but what in the world does that mean for me, you may be asking..?..)

If you are an investor or even thinking about investing your money in rentals, there literally has never been a better time!!! You will more than likely have no problem finding a renter and a good one at that! And if bought at the right price (which of course all you investor savy people are!) you will have no problem cash flowing instantly!

And second, for all you RENTERS out there! Lets go back to a very simple economic lesson that may be familiar to most.... What happens the price of product when you have a large amount of people demanding that product but a low supply of that product? PRICES GO UP!!!! If you are renting , there is a VERY real possibility that you could be OWNING  a home for the price or less expensive then you are renting!!!


If you are a investor that has questions on the possiblites that are out there right now, or if you are a RENTER that literally can't take another month of your LANDLORD please give me a call and lets see if we can figure out something for you.  208-631-8775

2011 Parade of Homes Information! CBH HOMES wins Overall Award!!!

Here at CBH HOMES we are so excited to kick-off the Parade of homes this week!
Well it’s official, our Parade home, the Catalina is a winner in everyone’s book!
Here are the awards we cleaned up with…


*  BEST KITHEN
*  BEST INTERIOR DESIGN AND FINISH
*  BEST MASTER SUITE


And finally!!!!!!


* BEST OVERALL!!!!!
Click here to check out all of the parade homes and most importantly,
our CBH home (#40) in the online magazine & be sure to stop by for a visit!

CBH Parade Details:

The Catalina 1947 in Trailside Place

3783 Jump Creek Lane, Boise, ID  83716

Parade Opens this Saturday,

April 30^th through May 15^th.

Mon – Fri ::: 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Sat & Sun ::: 12 p.m.- 8 p.m.

2days 2 cents: What are you doing to show your clients they are of value!!!

2days 2 cents

“ Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry. ”
Mark Twain (1835–1910)
American writer
Do your prospects and customers know
they're important to you?

Sales thanks...

Do your people (customers, prospects, team, colleagues) know they're important to you? Always? Sometimes? Rarely?

Remember... It's your occasional words and continual actions that'll help them know best.

To be sure it's a closer to always thing, consider implementing a personal appreciation audit each month or quarter for your most important people - remembering that actions speak louder than words (but words are important too).

Sales thanks...

Do your people (customers, prospects, team, colleagues) know they're important to you? Always? Sometimes? Rarely?

Remember... It's your occasional words and continual actions that'll help them know best.

To be sure it's a closer to always thing, consider implementing a personal appreciation audit each month or quarter for your most important people - remembering that actions speak louder than words (but words are important too).

MARCH MADNESS!!! As a Realtor, are you a #1 seed, or a #16 seed?

As we enter the month of March, there is always an amazing energy around the game of basketball.... and as i sat and pondered today the future brackets I would be feeling out (by the way my basketball team is UNC!...what about you!?) I realized how similar basketball and real estate really are!

 I hope you enjoy my attempt below to draw very interesting comparisons between the two.

1. Both have a leader (Head Coach, or Broker). Both of which have it great when times are good, but always get the heat when things go wrong.

2. 10 players on the same 94 x 50 foot court. ( I bet sometimes it can feel like there are even more agents in your area per square foot doesn’t it!) But the well prepared, in shape, and hard working always rise above the others.  Preparation is key to both successes.

3. There are people that go under the radar and don't always get the lime light, but it could not happen with out them. (Assistant coaches, physical trainers, weight coaches, physical therapist:  Underwriters, Loan officers, Title officers, Appraisers, etc etc) How grateful we are for them! (well, unless the

appraisal comes back low! :)   

4. The basketball is very similar to our clients, as much as we pass them around to touch and deal with all our teammates, (lenders, title companies etc), we must take extra special care of them, as not to "turn them over to our competitors.

5. And finally making a jump shot is just under pressure with the game on the line is just like closing the deal with our clients (the ball). The balls home is the hoop, and we hope to do the same by sending our clients to their new "home" as well. And unless we are able to perform and close under pressure, everything else is for not!

So as we enter the craziness of March Madness I hope you not only take a second to fill out a bracket, but also reflect on the great comparisons between real estate and basketball!

Oh, and finally, GO TAR HEELS!!! :)

Enjoy the below video! It's March Baby!! Magic is in the air!!!!

Boise finds itself in the "TOP 20" again!!!

And no! It's not the Football! Team!!!

Boise was rated 18 of the top 20 Healthiest Housing Markets for 2011!!! Check out the evidence for yourself!!

Boise is #18!

With a 109% projected increase for building permits for the year, with CBH Homes leading the way,
2011 is shaping up to be a year in which if you are currently a fence sitter, you might want to "JUMP OFF" before you're left with a sliver in your bum!!! (Unless of course it's a Vinyl fence...haha... "building humor")

You think that sign is silly don't you!!! Who would be crazy enough to sit on "that fence"...... what I'm telling you is I'm asking you the same question! 

2011 is the year! Call me and I'll help you through it! 208-631-8775

Don't throw your TAX RETURN AWAY! Invest it in your NEW HOME!

BELIVE ME! I know the feeling of having that fat IRS check burn in your pocket! CARS, TV's, NEW FURNITURE, ETC ETC, so many things you could do with it! However........

NONE of those will ever give you a return on investment! (now, for all you "naysayers" I know a home is not always 100 percent on this) But I'm willing to bet on it over any of the other options any day!

RENTERS! PAY ATTENTION HERE! Most don't realize that with a traditional FHA loan (most common loan on homes) that you ONLY NEED 3.5 % down payment! And with the average american getting around $3,200 back from the IRS, (and the average 3.5% down payment for a single family home being $2,000- $5,000) AND the majority of sellers paying ALL closing cost fees, it would be very possible to get into a NEW HOME and finally kick your landlord to the curb! (Not to mention all the other tax benefits that come as being a home owner).

PLEASE, check out my friend, Terry Heffner's blog (Guild Mortage), and for more information on this!

Terry Heffner's Blog

WHY SPEND YOUR TAX RETURN ONCE!? Make that money work for you, invest! And enjoy being a Home Owner!!!

BOISE HOMES: Interest Rates take dip...BUT NOT FOR LONG!

Attention Homebuyers! Interest rates just dropped again ever so slightly! And now would be the time to take advantage of those rates! According to mortgage expert Terry Heffner with Guild Mortgage, interest rates are only going to trend upward through out 2011. See his video below for a better explanation.

AGENTS: Your clients need to know about this information!

Currently on a $100,000 loan the monthly Mortgage Insurance is $75.00
Beginning April 18th, $100,000 loan amount, the monthly MI will be $95.78, or a increase of $20.78/$100,000.
Pass it along to any homebuyers sitting on the fence post, although home prices are going down, interest rates and NOW MI rates are going up.See this link below for more info.

HUD Link

Also, let your buyers know that if they wait for prices to fall, and rates do increase then they in the end would lose! See graph below:

15 sales days left this month, 38 left this quarter Saturday, February 5

“ I attribute my success to this:
I never gave or took an excuse. ”
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)
English pioneer of modern nursing

Sales reminder...

Objections are a requirement to a successful sales day.

It means you're engaging your prospects and customers and helps you

move the sales process along (or end the process with an unqualified prospect).

All along, make sure you're qualifying continually!
__________

If you've not seen it or need a reminder, 1 minute from Nike...

DON’T MAKE EXCUSES!

EXCUSE VIDEO

500 bones to roll with!!

There is a pretty good chance that if you are reading this blog that you yourself live in a CBH Home! Or you know someone that does. CBH is by far the largest builder in the State of Idaho, so it's not that unlikely!

BUT!!!! Here is what you probably did not know! If you reside in a CBH Home and refer ANY (or all :) of your friends to buy a new CBH Home, you will get "$500 big ones", "$500 Benjamins", "$500 ways to make it rain", "$500 bones to roll with"!!!!!

So if you know anyone looking, send him my way.......and then invite me to the after party!

Click to start your CASH PROJECT

OPEN HOUSE PARTY!!!! Boise New Construction!! CBH Homes (Bridgeview)

I am hosting an open house today 1/28/2011 from noon till 5:30 at 8300 Grubstake Ave. Boise, ID. I will be desplaying and showing homes in our Bridgeview Community!

Brideview is just off of Amity and Cole, and minutes from the freeway! And i have brand new homes starting in at $108k! And that is 1413 sq ft.!!! 

Please feel free to call me as well for more information!!!

Map: 
Location of OPEN HOUSE!