Boise Relocation Guide Faq's
Answers To 101 Questions- Moving To Boise Information
Answers To 101 Questions About Moving To Boise
Answers To 101 Questions About Moving To Boise
Cities - Pros & Cons
1. Why Move To Boise Idaho?
If you are considering relocating to Boise you should know it is clean, safe and friendly. It has great public schools plus world class recreation and entertainment. Housing is abundant and affordable when compared to other west coast cities. Boise Idaho has a big city feel and small town ambience. Boise has awesome parks and a zillion mile long riverside greenbelt that ties them all together. Another Boise Bonus is the sensational weather, not to hot, not to cold! As the capitol of Idaho and the primary industrial and high tech hub of the state, Boise is buzzing. From the new Zions bank building and the Inn At 500 downtown, to the newest in the string of pearls, The Esther Simplot Park. There is something new every time you get to town. Boise State University continues to grow and with every new addition gets one step closer to the world’s great educational institutions. In just the last few years the campus has welcomed a new home for the Business school on Capital Boulevard, the shiny Friends and Alumni Center across from Albertson's stadium is a combo fundraising center and events center. As you might imagine, carrying the moniker “The City Of Trees” means just 1 thing, my favorite seasonal event in Boise is the fall colors. Maine..no, Winnemucca..no. For a high desert locale the fall colors are to die for. Living in Boise is a bit of a step back in time to a place where neighbors offer a helping hand, the low crime rate means no one is afraid to look you in the eye and say hello, help your wife or daughter change their tire or just hold the door open on your way into your next appointment. It is Mayberry, USA on steroids!
2. Why Move To Meridian Idaho?
A relocation to Meridian Idaho is a move to a new home that is safe, close to great schools, shopping and just a hop skip and a jump to downtown. Boise Idaho’s largest bedroom community has come in to its own. With roughly 100,000 people living in Meridian there is a lot to do and a lot of choices for your housing options. Meridian has the largest number of new homes for sale and homes less than 5 years old in the valley. The valleys newest shopping complex, The Village is in Meridian, replete with shops and restaurants, movies, games and bowling, there is something here for everyone. Including a Vegas style lighted water show and ice skating. Meridian also boasts Idaho’s premier water park, Roaring Springs. The industry in Meridian Idaho has taken several steps forward with the likes of Aire rafts, Scentsy, Regence Blue Shield, St. Lukes West, The State of Idaho police. New freeway access at Ten mile road has helped with the traffic congestion that is Eagle road! The icing on the cake is lot prices in Meridian Id are generally less than what you will find in Boise Id. Supply and demand dictates new homes cost more in East Boise and less when you relocate to Meridian Id! Meridian is centrally located in the valley and is a great hopping of spot for recreating in all directions. Many new retail developments are either going in or in the planning stages as well. A new Costco and Winco in northwest meridian and a new YMCA in Southwest Meridian by Century Farm. The biggest issue with Meridian is the traffic that has resulted from all the new homes, although it is still laughable compared to what you will find traffic wise in Seattle or Portland. You are not supposed to sit through the light twice in Mayberry.
3. Why Move To Eagle Idaho?
Relocating to Eagle Idaho? It has long been the ranchette capital of Boise Idaho. Since Hewlett-Packard dropped the printer division in way west Boise in 1976, Eagle Idaho cornfields have been getting chopped up for housing to accommodate relocating families. At first it was subdivisions where there were services adjacent to downtown, as well as 5 and 10 acre parcels beyond that. Later as the zoning changed, 1.5 to 2 acres became the norm, McMansions. Present day, as you move further west near Eagle High School it appears the City of Eagle has abandoned open spaces for more friendly faces! The whole idea of being the quiet country town is for close in Eagle. Mega developments with quarter acre lots, Meridian style, have been dropping like they are going out of style. The good news is you probably would not want to afford Eagle if these were the traditional 2 acre lots! Relocate to Eagle Idaho's new affordability. To name just a few subdivisions, Legacy, The Preserve, Lilac Springs and Syringa. Downtown Eagle is cute, events and restaurants abound, from Saturday Market and Last Friday, to Rice and The Rib Shack, Bardenay to Zen Bento. The city host's Eagle Fun Days every summer complete with a rocky mountain oyster feed, now that's old school. The western end of the green belt is just across the street from downtown and the fire department hosts a fund raiser every fall called haunted woods along the river. The rest of the year, ride a bike, swim or catch some crawdads for dinner! It is a leisurely 1+/- hour ride from Eagle to downtown Boise on the greenbelt! It is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with the kids! Eagle has the benefit of being close to the highway going north for recreationist, camping, white water rafting and hot springs are both under an hour from town. The biggest con would be fighting your way up Eagle road to the freeway. Most times it is quicker to take State street into Boise for events and concerts.
4. Why Relocate To Star Idaho?
Quiet, less expensive than Eagle but the same great school district. Star is what Eagle was 25 years ago. Can you say up and comer for those who do not mind being 10 minutes further out than Eagle. Relocating to Star Idaho is also great for those employed in Nampa or Caldwell. Combine the valleys best school district for the kids and a drive through the corn fields to work for mom and dad. Star is also close to the river for fishing and a summers eve swim.
5. Why A Kuna Idaho Relocation?
A move to Kuna Idaho offers budget minded home buyers a less expensive alternative than Meridian, yet keeps you far from the smelly sugar beet factory that Nampa calls their's. The school district is the third best in the valley as well! Easy exit recreation near Swan Falls South of town is a bonus too. Kuna is a great place to buy a home for the budget conscious with school age kids and do not want to do the Nampa-Caldwell thing. Cbh homes has numerous subdivisions that offer a great bang for your buck.
6. Why Move To Nampa Idaho?
You work there, love the smell of stewing beets or want a horse property in the country that won’t cost you an arm and a leg like the ones in Meridian and Eagle! What’s good about Nampa is the affordable home prices and the largemouth bass fishing in Lake Lowell! Generally the "smell" is northside near the freeway. South or Southwest Nampa near Greenhurst and towards Middleton rd. has no smell to speak of.
7. Why A Relocation To Caldwell Idaho?
No smell here that’s Nampa near the freeway and boulevard! Combine the vineyards and wineries south of town with the cute and quaint college and you have a great place to raise a family! Affordable horse properties and homes in tracts, 2 school districts to choose from. While there are still a few areas of Caldwell that need to be revitalized near freeway, the areas further south and west are great! Hop in the car and you are deep in the Owyhee's in no time. That said if you are going to drive to Boise for all the events an concerts every weekend, you will probably spend more on gas, tires and brakes then you will save on the house.
Treasure Valley History- Meridian Boise
Looking to move to Idaho? Here you will find properties listed in bedroom communities like close in Meridian and budget minded Nampa as well as the low key "old" Idaho atmosphere of McCall and the glitz of the Sun Valley Resort! If Idaho new homes are more your thing, we can represent buyers who are looking at “spec” homes or new builds from the ground up! With years of experience, we aim to please with a personal touch and our service and attention to detail don’t hurt either!
Erica and I were both raised in the Boise area and know it well. If you are looking for a buyer’s agent who will work hard for your best interests, we would love to assist you here or in other areas including the cities of Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna, Nampa and Caldwell. As caring real estate professionals we are committed to partnering with you to help you achieve your real estate goals!
Idaho History
The great State of Idaho was admitted into the union as the 43 state in 1890. Formed with a panhandle because Washington state did not want the mines of northern Idaho in Washington for fear of a power shift from their capital in Olympia. Ours is a state with many and varied climates and demographic groups. It can be demographically and geographically divided into 3 sections Eastern Idaho, Southwestern Idaho, and Northern Idaho. This page is intended to give you a little insight and general information. One of the best places to start is the official home page of the State of Idaho.
As fourth generation and life time Idahoan's who are proud of our state, feel free to give us a call! We would love to share our knowledge of Idaho’s history, homes for sale in Boise, Eagle and surrounding areas and Idaho's resources. Both Boise real estate and those natural ones you may have questions about. Like the camping at Redfish Lake, visiting a historic ghost town like Silver City or picking a few huckleberry's! We look forward to providing unparalleled service if you decide a move to Boise, Meridian, Eagle or anywhere in the Treasure Valley is in your future.
Topography
Idaho is a land of mountains, desert canyon lands, and a banana-shaped plain called the snake river plain, that runs from Weiser (named for a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition) in the west, all the way to Yellowstone National Park in eastern Idaho. Here you will find roughly 80 % of the population of the state. Water is the life blood here in the high desert and the reservoirs that hold back the snow melt provide the liquid gold to fuel the agricultural fields and water the lawns in the developments in our various cities.
Idaho is filled with many wonders, including America's deepest gorge and lava flows so unique that they are a national monument. Fossil Beds and hot springs. Everything from the Snake River plain north is mountains, many with no roads only trails. I was once told that if you could flatten Idaho out it would be bigger than Texas. Although technically we are the 13th biggest state. At the bottom of every mountain is a river. At the bottom of every river are rocks, and under the rocks are the words and some of the words are theirs. That line from "A River Runs Through It" has always been one of my favorites and speaks to my long roots in the state and the memories I have of this great state, usually driving up or floating down one of these Gems of the mountains.
Taxes
Idaho has a tax base that is spread out fairly evenly between a sales tax (6%), Income Tax (8% for the biggest earners), a .43 cent per gallon gas tax. Property taxes are about 1.25%. The governing agency for taxes in Idaho is the Idaho State Tax Commission. So basically the tax based is spread out so no one group ends up burdened by an unfair amount of taxes. If you drive a lot, spend a lot or own a really big house, then you will pay more than somebody who lives in a small house, saves every penny and rides there bike to work.
Politics
Idaho is conservative country, The GOP has ruled over the last quarter of a century. However the democrats picked up a large handful of seats in the legislature in recent elections. Our legislature meets annually and is comprised of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The senate which is filled with lots of conservative rural legislatures who act as gatekeepers against higher taxes and out of control spending. I think Erica put it best when she moved back to Idaho from Portland Oregon. During her first election cycle she turned and looked at me and exclaimed, in reference to the candidates, Democrats in Idaho are Republicans in Oregon! And it is somewhat true. While the voting district boundaries have been gerrymandered to the point that the republicans hold a vast majority in the state house, I think the popular vote for governor in the last election was roughly 64/36.
Climate
The climates of Idaho are many and varied. In general, north Idaho gets more rain and hence has lots of trees. The crops there are generally watered by mother nature and are mostly cereal crops like wheat. Southwest Idaho is classified as high desert as is southeast Idaho. However as you go upstream from Boise to the east you go up in elevation so you can expect more wind and snow, longer winters and lower summertime highs. The Boise area has four true seasons, Summer is just a little on the hot side, winter a little on the cold side. Boise is also bright and sunny with about the same number of sunny days as Las Vegas, but without the heat or crime! Our drinking water comes from an underground Aquifer. But our liquid gold is the snowmelt held back by the 3 dams on the Boise river. It waters our yards, our crops and our economy. Without that water we are just another dusty high desert town. With it we have grown into the best small city in the country. We are just a big Mayberry USA!
Cities
Boise is by far the largest city in the state and by the time you consider Nampa, Meridian, and Caldwell, over 1/2 of the state's population live within 60 miles of Boise. Other towns of good size are Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Pocatello to the east and Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene to the north.
26. Why Is Boise Here?
The Oregon Trail and Gold! Thar’s gold in them there hills! And black gold in the ground if you have water rights . The Ward Massacre (local native Americans killed pioneers) which took place near the present day town of Middleton prompted the United States to open a military fort to protect the Oregon Trail pioneers and the gold prospectors! Located near present day downtown Boise, the fort was founded in 1863, the next year the capitol 
was moved from Lewiston to Boise. In 1915 Arrowrock dam, the first dam went in on the Boise river. This opened up thousands of acres of super productive farm land and the clamor to add more dams ensued. Lucky Peak and Anderson Ranch were to follow providing more irrigation, recreation and cheap water for you to water your yard with! While agriculture cemented our economy for 50 or more years large corporations like Morrison-Knudsen(Aswan Dam), Albertsons, Boise Cascade and others added to the affluence and solidified the local economy. Later the high tech with the likes of Hewlett-Packard, Micron pushed us over the hump and into the 21st century!
When Was Boise Founded?
"As we neared Boise (in 1906) the scene changed. The fields were fresh and green, the orchards were luxuriant, and the town resplendent with lawns and flowers, shrubs and trees, the houses were up-to-date... Boise had a pride in its town and people and culture, and could rightly be called the Athens of the sage-brush."
- From Clarence Darrow, The story of My Life (1932)
Another Famous American Said this about Idaho and I believe both men's observations
are as true today as they were in their time:
"Throughout Idaho are men (and women) who have settled in the state and natives who refuse to leave simply because the side rewards of living there are greater than the greater money they might make outside. They like small towns and small city associations, and they like free space; they fill their eyes with grandeur and their ears with the great silence of the mountains."
- From A. B. Gutherie, Jr. "Idaho" Holiday (May 1954)
The following is intended to give some background information into the what, where, and whys of Boise Idaho Metro area and how it came to look as it does today.
A combination of factors led to the formation of the city of Boise Idaho, as we know it today! The original use of the name was for a Hudson Bay Company fur trading fort, old Fort Boise, which was located about 40 miles downstream from present day Boise Idaho near Parma, and it was abandoned because of numerous Indian attacks in the 1850. As a result of the Ward Massacre on the Oregon trail near present day Boise and the discovery of gold in the 1860's near Idaho City, the federal government opened a military fort named Fort Boise bear what is now downtown Boise. As was common at the time a new town sprung up near the fort. The new town site of Boise Idaho grew rapidly because of the gold rush and the Oregon trail came out of the desert into the valley on the east side of town. One story has the French leader of the trailees saying Les Bois, Les Bois. Les Bois or Boise, Boise, Boise (which means trees, trees, trees). What he really meant was water, water, water as the section of trail from here to Three Mile Crossing was one of the driest on the entire Oregon trail. Because of these factors Boise became, and still is, a vibrant commercial center.
In 1864, Boise was incorporated and became the Capitol of the Territory of Idaho. On July 3, 1890 Idaho became a state whose motto is "esto perpetua", - may she live forever. Construction of the state capitol building began in 1905.
Let us get something straight before we continue on. Water is gold. Without it we would be Winnemucca with a river. Starting in 1915 3 large dams were constructed in the mountains east of Boise. This resulted in land rush’s for the once dry desert and now lush farm land. This led to the flowering of the desert from sagebrush to corn, wheat, hay, and other farm commodities. They are also the reason Boise Idaho has such cheap water for non-potable uses like watering your yard for about $50 dollars a year. In the early part of the century, big corporations such as Boise Cascade, Morrison Knudsen, and Albertson's all had a hand in developing our little town into the great city you see today. In 1976 Hewlett Packer opened their printer division here and Boise enjoyed its first taste of what high tech can mean economically as housing prices started to rise. In 1987 Micron (makes RAM for your computer) opened and we saw a doubling of home prices in 8-10 years. The Boise Idaho area, also known as the "Treasure Valley" has continued to grow, prosper, and diversify while keeping its safe middle class feel. The state government and Boise State University contribute directly and indirectly to Boise being vibrant and alive.
Eagle, Star and Kuna were all little farm towns that have grown into bedroom communities. Read more about… Eagle Star Kuna
Meridian was a small farm town that has really morphed to bedroom community and now a standalone city complete with major medical centers, shopping, restaurants and regrettably traffic. Read more about Meridian
Nampa and Caldwell are both there because of the Oregon Shortline Railroad arrived in 1890. Read more about… Nampa Caldwell History.
As far as real estate goes, chose from homes almost as old as the Oregon Trail to homes that will not be completed until tomorrow, the Boise Idaho real estate market has something for everyone. The Boise Idaho real estate market has seen an amazing amount of growth since 1987 when Micron opened its doors. Between 1987 and 1995 the Boise real estate market doubled, meaning a home that was worth $100,000 in the 1987 Boise Idaho real estate market would be worth $200,000 in the 1995 Boise real estate market. The same factor that led to the doubling of prices also cooled the market down. Namely Micron announced a hiring freeze. Prices of Boise Idaho real estate froze for a couple of years at which time a healthy appreciation of around 5% a year kicked in. In 2004 the market heated up again in response to our relatively low prices compared to the rest of the west and as we now know because of reckless lending practices, about 10% for that year. 2005 brought exponential growth and appreciation for the Boise real estate market, 15-25% depending on whom you talk to and what size and price range the home is in. Of course 2007-08 brought the crash! At this point we have experience 10 percent appreciation for the last 3 years and home prices are back to an all-time high.