Total Active Listings

Total Sold in June=32

Absorption Rate= 11 mos (up from May’s 9.8)

#of sales year to date = 195

<150K= 36

150–200K= 105

200–250K= 30

250–300K=8

300–500K= 6

>500K=1

Average Sold Price= $185,583

Average List Price = $188,021

Pending Sales =47 (up from 29 in May)

Since I have a special interest in country properties, I looked at the “home with land” category and here are the numbers, like it or not:

Total Active Listings= 63

Total Sold in June= 1 (short sale for $265,000)

Pending= 4

Total Active listings in Ada county=332

Sold in Ada Co in June=15 (half of those in Eagle for a average price of $791,650)

So the Kuna market is continuing to be strong in the under $200,000 price range.

But if you are trying to sell a house with acreage be sure your agent is knowledgeable on that market. That’s what you are paying he/her for, knowing what buyers are looking for and what they are responding to in today’s market.

Tags: Sales, Absorption+Rate, Kuna, residential

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Eagle– Great chance to meet all your neighbors at Eagle’s fireworks display. Music prior to the fireworks will be a great background for your picnic in the shade of the trees at Eagle Island State Park. Eagle Fireworks

Boise– Plans to be bigger and better than last year. This fireworks display is played to music (simulcast on 107.1 K-Hits.) so bring your radio. Also part of the festival includes pancake breakfast and a parade. Centers around Ann Morrison park, starts at dusk (10:20?) More traffic to content with so plan on after fireworks activities to allow the traffic to thin. Plenty to do in downtown Boise until the fireworks. Boise Fireworks

Tags: Fireworks, Boise, Melba

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Another bad feature is the fact that the seed stays viable for years. You can chop it off or use a herbicide, but the seeds need to be raked up, burned or covered over so that it doesn’t germinate the next year.

I had one professor that claimed a weed is only something that is growing in the wrong spot and that every plant serves a purpose. Bet he didn’t know about goatheads. I can’t imagine this weed being of any good to any creature on earth. It’s right up there with wasps and monster trucks in my book.

If you see this weed, don’t dilly dally!  Kill it before it goes to seed!  And if you see seeds, get rid of them one way or another. People physically pick up goatheads, burn them or use weevils that eat the seed to solve this dilemma. Could be very time consuming and costly if you have a large infestation.

When looking for that perfect country property be aware that this is a potential problem.  I would imagine you will not find a single piece of country property that doesn’t have this weed somewhere. It is a noxious weed in Ada County and is the responsibility of the homeowner to control. So if you see fields of it, consider the cost and time invested in getting rid of this noxious weed.

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“More and more Americans will choose to be middle-class in the country than scrape-by, oil poor in the suburbs.”

An interesting statement made by Curt Seltzer, land consultant and author of How To Be a DIRT-SMART Buyer of Country Property www.curtis-seltzer.com.

In his recent article Sooner Than Later We Will Change, he theorizes why he thinks people will choose to live in the country even when gas prices reach $8.00 a gal.

Having talked with those choosing to move out of Kuna and those that are looking to buy in Kuna, it’s all a matter of perspective and choice.

So I am taking a poll. I’m curious what people thing about gas and rural living.

Home prices are relatively thousands less than comparables in Boise. So there is the choice of paying for taxes and housing versus paying for gas. The average price for a 2000 sq ft home in Boise is $23,000 more than Kuna.

Living in Boise also could involve driving to social events, kids sports, and shopping that takes you all over the city. You would avoid the drive into town everyday but whether you would do more driving if you lived there…..?

Usually small towns mean things are centrally located and within a short drive or even close enough for a bike trip or walk.

So even though people in small rural settings don’t like the idea of their towns getting a Walmart, industry or changing too much, Kuna could benefit greatly with the addition of some shopping and jobs!!

Other options being tossed around is the need for public mass transit opportunities for those that do travel to Boise. As the Kuna Melba news reported last week, there has been a steady increase in participation of the ACHD commuteride.

There is also been talk of companies going to 4 day work weeks and telecommunicating to reduce driving. Smart!

So what do you think? Are people willing to live in a more economical town where everything is close, driving less while you are here. Choosing to working out of their home, carpooling, and combining trips to help make it affordable enough to enjoy and live in a rural community? I would love some feedback.

Picture taken by Neato Coolville See more of his pictures

Tags: gas, Kuna, rural

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A friend from Northern Idaho sent me these pictures and I thought they were worth repeating.   I marvel at the way nature takes care of itself. And even though humans suffer by acts of nature, it is sometimes the results of us not taking care of our earth and sometimes just the natural process that makes our world what it is. Unavoidable facts of life.     That’s kind of how I feel about the real estate world right now. We made it what it is and this is just a cycle that will balance out eventually.   These photos were taken recently by Tom Carver. He lives on Lakelse Lake just outside of Terrace, B.C.  Owner of The Water Lily Bay Resort, he also feeds the swans on the lake all the time!   Eagles are very common in this area too. These are amazing photos!   Enjoy!     So here is the swan photo.                                        What a beautiful bird, so graceful and majestic.    Here comes the Eagle!!!                                     You can see the feathers flying here from the swan.                                                  This one is so amazing to see the actual  eagle wing span beside the swan.   The poor swan must be scared to death .   It is attempting to actually escape death in the air!            The eagle is loosing his grip on the swan in this picture.                          Now the eagle has just lost his grip on the swan completely.                                                 At this point the swan starts falling straight down.               The swan falls into the water below, swims away and the eagle    just looks on at his ‘lost’ prey. I am amazed at these pictures    because I have NEVER seen an eagle attack or tackle something    so big in mid-air before.

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One of the nicest subdivision in Kuna, Crimson Point offers mid price homes(average price $200,000) in a community that supports a family friendly atmosphere.

elementary school is located in the middle of the subdivision, parents love the convenience of having their kids so close to home. Plus the school has attracted lots of families with children close to the same age. Talking with neighbors, they love having children for their kids to play with and a peaceful, safe family atmosphere to live in. Some amenities that may be coming ….

(more…)

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So often these things are not considered until it’s time to put the house on the market.  Unfortunately, shade takes years to develop and is a treasured addition in most yards.

I love working with clients that have beautiful yards.  Usually if the grass is green, weeds are pulled and some beauty has been added, it’s a good sign the rest of the house has also been maintained.

A modest home at a modest price begs to be viewed.  Let me know if you would like to see the inside.  I would love to show it to you and help you find the perfect home.

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May 2008 Kuna has 242 building lots being advertised on the Multiple Listing Service.

23 of those building lots are not in subdivisions.

Kuna is still growing and people are still choosing to drive to this community to live.  How long will we have this kind of supply, even if sales picked up? I’m thinking we will have an abundance to choose from for a few years. Even if these sell, there is lots more land just waiting to be developed.

Subdivisions in Alphabetical Order

Applewood– One of the newest with a few houses built for show. It is located off Hubbard/ Ten Mile North of Kuna. Lots start at $54,900.Applewood

Arrowrock Ranch– Large almost Acre Lots South East of Kuna.  Luxury Custom Built Homes. Stricter CCR’s. Only a couple lots left $104,900

Belmont Heights–Nampa address, Kuna Schools, 1 acre lots perfect for horses. Only a few lots left, some with daylight basement possibilities . Located north of victory on McDermott. $162,500

Denali Heights– One of the most exciting subdivisions in Kuna, large lots with upscale homes. Swimming pool and city park add to the nice things this community offers. Located North of Kuna on Hubbard.  $75,000  Denali Heights

Iron Horse– Luxury homes and large acre lots. North of Kuna west of Ten Mile on Columbia   $189,000

Mineral Springs– North part of Kuna, close to schools and conveniences. Large Lots and promises of water features and walking paths. $60,000 Mineral Springs

Placerville– 62 lots available in this new subdivison south side of Kuna off of Ten Mile. No building going on yet. $70,000

Regal View– Two lots available. 2.5 acre for 250K and 4.74 acres for 400K  Small subdivision on a bluff over looking Kuna on its south side off of King Rd

SchoolHouse–  Only 20 lots left and priced to sell! $37,000!  South of Kuna off of School Rd,.School House

Sutter’s Mill – Just a small part of this subdivision is not built out.Advantage being you can see what this neighborhood looks like. Custom built homes.  South of Kuna off of Ten Mile.  $79,900

WillowGlenn – Close to Schoolhouse subdivision, South side of Kuna off of School Rd. $39,900.

What has sold this year in Kuna?  42 Lots have sold or are pending  this year. One in Denali Heights, one in Willow’s Glenn, and 2 in Applewood.

The majority of lots are pending in the Schoolhouse Sub (19) and 17 lots sold to CBH homes for building in Crimson Point

New construction has slowed in Kuna. But you can be assured that we will always be growing and have need for more housing.

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Internet users who click on the “Street View” box on Google Maps (maps.google.com), will be able to peek at images from streets in the Boise and surrounding communities including Kuna. The views were stitched together from images taken by Google employees over the past year from cars and vans equipped with cameras.

The feature, which already captures street scenes more than 15 cities across the country, has become popular among people planning vacations, searching for shops or restaurants, or checking out landmarks such as Wrigley Field in Chicago or the Empire State Building in New York

Now it can be used to check out a neighborhood when considering a move to a new community. This is a great tool to use to see what is around the house you are looking at. Some things do not show up on the video that the real estate agent advertises with for a reason. 

Of course this is just another tool, and does not take the place of actually being there. I noticed on our street it must have been on a very hot day in the middle of the summer. It did not capture the best part of the day.

There were complains about privacy issues, everything from photos of recognizable men entering adult bookstores to an image of a cat in a window has shown up on street views.

“We take privacy concerns seriously,” said Stephen Chau, product manager for Google Maps. “All these images are taken on public streets. It’s exactly what you could see walking down the street.”

This is another good reason to keep the front of our homes in tip top shape. If I would have known they were in my neighborhood we would’ve fixed that dead spot in our front lawn!  Now when we list our house, that dead spot will glare out at any inquisitive customers that use this google feature.

At least I wasn’t standing in my robe on the front porch!

The service covers only certain streets and neighborhoods in the cites where it’s now available, although in some locations, such as the Treasure Valley, the majority of streets have been photographed. Google plans eventually to extend Street View to cities and towns of all sizes worldwide.

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I grew up on my Dad’s hobby farm.  He was a farmer’s son and it was in his blood to raise his food and spend his free time tilling the soil and feeding his family. The hard, back breaking work was never discussed, it was just part of our lives.

But it does get in your blood.  I love the smell of fresh turned dirt. And I’m always sneaking my husband’s truck to fill up with good rich well composted cow manure.

So it’s easy for me to connect when people call looking for a house with a little land too.

But what is rural living in this neck of the woods?

My definition of rural is defined as a community (that could include a city) of less than 20,000 where the majority of the local income is agricultural. So Kuna  and Star are the only towns in Ada county that I would considered rural and they will probably outgrow that definition in 10 years.

Suzie Benkstein from Emmett Idaho, defines rural as an area with no bright lights, not a lot of traffic, quiet, where you can ride bikes and you can see the stars.  I like her definition.

There are still plenty of larger acreage lots within Ada county that are not located in a defined rural community. You may have more road traffic, can’t see the stars all the time or have to put up with more noise, but they definitely meet the requirements for most people that want to raise animals, gardens, or numerous other reasons people need more land.

Rural living  is completely different from urban living. You deal with different issues, it’s easy to get involved in the community, entertainment is very different, and it’s easier to give.     Community Giving

Of course that’s only if you like that social interaction. You can be isolated and private in the country if that is what you need.

I think people get discouraged when they move to a rural community for the cheap land or housing, build or buy their dream home and then decide they don’t like driving all the time into the city to do the things they were use to doing with their free time or to conduct business.

My office is in Boise but I like being here in Kuna. I like dealing with people that like rural communities and know what that means. And if they are relocating, I make sure I understand what kind of community fits their needs before I start showing them homes.

This is my envision of someone that would enjoy living in a rural community. They enjoy quietness, don’t care for crowds, are OK with a slower pace, only go to the mall if necessary, they lift their heads to take in the smells of the country and they can’t wait for the weather to straighten around to venture out to do yard chores. Then rural living is probably something you would enjoy.

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