Negative Equity Helping Boise

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Boise Home Price

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Treasure Valley Home Prices Up Over 25% Year To Date!

How? Why? Details Pages 4-6

By Mike Turner Front Street Brokers

The US housing market is experiencing a 21% decrease

in available homes on the market compared to last year. The cause of this sudden drop in

supply results from a string of events, including the lack

of or non-existent new construction market, fewer

foreclosure prop-erties entering the market, and the

biggest reason of all– negative equi-ty.

Homebuyers are often surprised and shocked when

they start to look for homes and find very few available

for sale. Most assume that with a sluggish economy, the market would be littered with

unsold homes. This is not the case because negative equity is keeping the bulk of homeowners from putting their homes up for sale.

Foreclosure numbers have impacted markets by pushing home prices far below what most homeowners can com-pete with. Although US foreclosure activity has now

decreased on a year-over-year basis for 20 straight months, allowing a chance for more non-distressed list-ings to sell, many of the markets that were hurt the most

during the housing crash have seen such steep price declines that most homeowners owe too much on their home to compete with today’s home prices. Thus we see

many homeowners not even attempting to sell their homes. The housing markets with the most homes underwater

are now seeing the biggest drops in the supply of homes. Oakland, CA has seen their inventory of homes on the market drop over 56% in just one year. In Phoe-

nix, AZ supply has decreased 44% in the last year. Figure 1 shows that higher negative equity equals

a lower supply of homes. However, I would argue that negative equity is also a cause for helping the housing market recover faster than

expected. Because negative equity is restricting supply,

it will ultimately help push up home prices. Phoenix, AZ

and Boise, ID are good examples of markets where the lack of inventory led to an extreme and quick increase in median list price for their markets. Phoenix home prices

are up over 32% year-over-year. Boise is up over 14% year-over-year and up 30% year-to-date. Here are the Top 10 Cities with the largest year-over-

year gain in median list price (provided by Move.com). Note that they all have huge decreases in total inventory. Every Top 10 city listed with big gains in median list

price has also seen a 20% or more decrease in available inventory. As home prices begin to rise, fewer homeowners will

have negative equity, which will allow them to re-enter the marketplace to sell their home and cause the market to cool down. Meaning, once cities experience the price

bump caused by low supply, real estate markets should return to a more gradual and healthy rise in home prices.

Summer is in full swing in my neighborhood, and there's something I've noticed that's pretty encouraging. As you probably know, I think it's pret-ty important for par-ents to teach their kids about finances. Personally, I feel like it's important to teach my own kids about entrepreneurship and owning a business. I feel these principles are overlooked or ignored in academia. My daughters are still very young but I hope to teach these princi-ples at an early age so it is second nature when they are older. The cool thing I've noticed in my neigh-borhood this summer is that I see more and more kids getting involved in business. I've gotten flyers for:

A pet-sitting/dog-walking service

Two grass-cutting services

A "snack-wagon" (little girl with her wagon selling snacks)

Hair decorations for girls

Home made scented candles

A used-toy sale (with trade-ins considered) All of these little businesses were operated by children. What's also pretty cool is that some of these ventures have been marketed via social media - Facebook and Twitter - with their parents' help. I'm not a huge fan of kids being on social media sites, but if they're old enough and supervised, it's fantastic that they're getting some lessons in modern-day marketing that they probably won't get at school. My wife drove by two adorable kids, probably 6 and 8 years old on a busier street around 7pm on her way to a meeting. When her meeting ended at 8:30pm, she drove that same busy street (this was not in a neighborhood, but actually in a high traffic area in front of a business park). The two girls were still there. She stopped and talked to them and found out they were raising money so they could help their team travel to Nevada for a sporting event. They went into great detail about the different lemonade options they had for just $1.00. My wife said these girls were so cute because they took their jobs so seriously. Pouring the cup of lemonade was like watching a doctor perform sur-gery. Complete and total focus. At 8:30pm no less. Amazing. I don't know whether it's the kids growing up enough to start under-standing how to earn money, or if it's that parents are seeing things like I am and encouraging their kids to be more entrepreneurial. I hope that's the case. I'd also like to think that the economy of the past few years has had at least one positive effect. I do believe that with high unemployment, less corporate structure and more mobility there have been more opportuni-ties for freelancers, contractors and the self-employed. If this economy can re-generate that American spirit of entrepreneurship, then we'll get something out of tough times. Apparently, it's working with some of the kids around town. I hope that by sharing that encouraging sign with you, you'll be a little more enthused that maybe there is an underlying upside to this down economy. - Mike T—FS Brokers

Negative Equity: The Cause for Low Supply in Housing

One Positive To A Down Economy

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store chronicles what happens when a little girl who scorns the idea of marriage and children (in favor of becoming a stiletto-wearing, attache-carrying Secret Agent), majors in Russian, minors in Vodka, and then one day finds herself with child… and in-laws.

“Empty bladder before reading.” -Laurie Notaro, New York Times bestselling author of We Thought You Would Be Prettier.

“Reading This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store is like going to your neighbor’s house for a play date and discov-ering that she’s just as clueless and crazy as you are.” -Stacy Dymalski, Confessions of a Band Geek Mom

“A.K. Turner’s witty essays explore the raw realities of raising children so they won’t become serial killers, show-ing that it’s okay to put the little darlings to bed and then guzzle a bottle of hooch. This is the perfect cross between Nora Ephron, David Sedaris and Chelsea Handler.” -Elaine Ambrose, Menopause Sucks

O ur very own Amanda Turner (Mike

Turner’s wife) has come out with another book this summer and it’s already taking

off like wildfire.

If you are looking for a good and funny book to read this summer then go to Amanda’s website: AKTurner.com, local bookstores, or Amazon to get

yourself a copy.

Amanda is not only a local author she is also very much involved in promoting the local writing commu-

nity so if you haven’t heard the radio show she pro-duces called “The Writers’ Block” or checked her Blog, then be sure to make your way over to

www.AKTurner.com.

FYI—Don’t be surprised if you’re at Front Street Bro-kers office downtown that you see Amanda walk into the office. She still handles our bookkeeping; at least

for now, until she becomes totally famous .

Congratulations Amanda on your latest Book!

- Staff at Front Street Brokers

Local Author

Months of Supply In

Ada County

White Line = 6 months Supply

Anything below that normally indicates a Sellers’ Market

Boise Home Prices VS Inventory (Supply) of Homes

The Tipping Point

Quick Stats

BOISE REAL ESTATE FACTS

Available Bank Owned Foreclosures –

Boise Metro

Down 90% Since Peak (Peak= Sep 2010)

Bank Owned Foreclosures

1.8% of Total Supply – Ada

4.0% of Total Supply – Canyon

Pending New Construction Home Sales

Up over 100% - Ada

Up over 270% - Canyon

Total Inventory Homes For Sale

Down 61% Since Peak – Ada

Down 66% Since Peak – Canyon

Median Home Price – Ada

Up 26% Year to Date

Up 16% Jun 2011 – Jun 2012

Price Bottom = Mar 2011

Median Home Price – Canyon

Up 31% Year to Date

Up 25% Jun 2011 – Jul 2012

Price Bottom = May 2011

Home Buyer Demand - Ada

Up 8% Year to Date over 2011

Up 11% from last month

Home Buyer Demand – Canyon

Down 13% Year to Date from 2011

Down 5% from Last Month

Monthly Average 30yr Interest Rate

3.55 % in July 2012

4.55 % in July 2011

CANYON County-Pending

New Construction

This chart uses a 3% appreciation line versus actual median sale price for homes in the Treasure valley. You can see in 2002-2004, the local housing market was growing at a healthy pace. We all know what happened next… Massive and uncontrolled growth. We peaked in summer 2006 (6 YEARS AGO). The

bubble burst and 5 years later we appear to have bottomed out in the Treasure valley in winter/spring of 2011. From looking at this chart one could make a strong argument that the local market overcorrected, but with a recent explosion in median home price we appear to be close to where we should be. We are

forecasting the market will start settling out and will begin to follow a similar pattern we saw 10 years ago. Affordability of our marketplace is keeping demand levels strong. For reasons why Boise is seeing such a strong come back in median home prices...see page 6.

New Construction Explosion in Treasure Valley Shocking numbers in the new home sector of the market. New Construction home sales are up over 100% in Ada county and up over 200% Canyon county. This has to translate into JOBS and a lot of them. I’m guessing that a lot of the jobs will go to folks who are NOT col-lecting unemployment benefits, so I doubt we will a huge drop in jobless claims but this

should translate to a great natural stimulus for this local economy. Right now it seems build-ers can barely keep up with the demand. I have spoken to many builders about this new wave of demand and most of them are excited but are concerned about the lack of quality lots for buyers. Either the best lots have already been taken or the quality lots were pur-chased by sellers in the past at double today’s rate and they are holding onto the land until prices comeback. I expect to see other markets have a jump in new construction by next spring as Boise has been a leading indicator for many other markets for the last few years.

Page 5

Why Boise Home Prices Are Up Over 20% Year To Date

In February of 2012 I wrote about how I expected to see

double digit increases in Boise area home prices for 2012

and possibly even 20+% increase.

Of course everyone thought I was crazy for saying this.

Even in the summer in 2011 when I announced on the radio the market bottom in Boise was the 1Q of 2011, I still got

people telling me that I was being over optimistic.

But the reason I was so confident in making these outlandish forecasts of the Boise area housing market was because I wasn’t predicting a 20+% increase in appreciation, but rather

a median price bump due to rapidly decreasing foreclosures.

In the Boise market the majority of foreclosure properties are found in the bottom price ranges. Only 1% of foreclosures

can be found in homes priced above $300,000.

If all of sudden we lose 50% of the inventory of homes priced below $120,000, it is logical we can expect the aver-

age and the median price of homes sold to go up substan-

tially.

On Chart 1 you can see that home prices in Ada County

have jumped as much as 29% Year to Date. Chart 2 shows how the supply of available distressed property in the Treasure Valley decreased 90% in the last 18 months. Chart 3 depicts

how Ada County had almost zero home sales priced below $100,000 prior to 2009. The tidal wave of foreclosures drove down the median price of homes, having the largest affect to

home prices in 2011 (when we hit the market bottom locally). Chart 4 shows how the number of homes listed below $120,000 in Ada County is steadily decreasing, thereby almost guarantee-

ing that Boise area home prices will increase on the whole. You would need to see the inventory of homes available for sale priced below $120,000 to increase to get back to the median

home prices we saw in early 2011.

This disappearing bottom price range is starting to effect other markets that have seen a large decrease in foreclosures. Phoe-

nix is a good example of another market that has seen a sur-

prise jump in home price exceeding 20%.

As mentioned before we don’t want to confuse this jump in

home price as appreciation. It is rather a price correction that has been skewed by an abundance of foreclosures grouped in

the lowest price range on the market.

However, you may be able to sell your house for 10% or more if it is priced below $200,000. The reason is now the foreclosures are almost gone in the Boise market, but people want to buy

them now more than ever, but they are not finding them so

they are forced to look at non-distressed listings. For example, a client of mine bought a small 3

bed 2 bath newer home in Boise in 2009 for $125,000. At the time they thought they got a great deal because the home had been previous-

ly sold in 2006 for $189,000. In 2011 that same house could have been purchased for $110,000. Fast forward to summer of 2012, that home can

now likely be sold for $130,000. That is almost a 20% increase in 1 year. Do you think that has anything to do with appreciation? I think not. As

foreclosures become less impactful on the mar-ket we should see more natural increases in

home prices.

As far as the threat of a new foreclosure wave impacting the Boise Market, our only true indica-tor of this is tracking Foreclosure Starts. A fore-

closure start happens when a home owner stops paying their mortgage and the lender files an initial notice of

default.

Nationally foreclosure starts are down 10.6% so far this year compared to the previous year. In Idaho they are down 54.5% according to Realtytrac. Idaho appears to have cycled through

their supply of distressed inventory much faster than other states. In the Treasure Valley, new foreclosure starts appear to

have peaked in March 2010, which lead to the supply of foreclo-sure properties peaking in late 2010. Since then foreclosures

have been decreasing steadily.

This is all good news for the Treasure Valley marketplace. The worst is behind us, at least as far the housing market is con-

cerned. If anything changes in that regard, you can be sure you

will hear about it first in this publication.

Ada County Home Prices

CHART 1

CHART 2

Homes Sold in Ada

County Under

$100,000

CHART 3 Number of Homes For Sale

Priced Under $120,000

CHART 4

BEFORE AFTER

I am extremely impressed with Innovative Custom Homes as I am constantly running into their work

around town from Brand New Custom Homes they have built to homes that I would call serious fixers

that they have completely transformed in a matter of weeks.

They have truly figured out a great system. Instead of hiring many sub-contractors, they instead take

on many employees who are extremely skilled personnel. The benefit appears to be consistency and

speed. I watched them remodel this Boise home pictured here in about 3 weeks time. I also saw them

build an absolutely gorgeous home in “The Shores” in Eagle - start to finish about 85 days!

They appear to avoid the hassle of constantly trying to keep sub-contractors on the job to finish the

job. I think just about everyone has had a contractor horror story of something that should have taken

a week turn to months or a year.

With Innovative Custom Homes I can personally speak for their quality and it opens new doors for my

clients that really didn’t exist before now. Think about it. What if you see a home in a perfect location

for you and your family but the home is extremely dated or the layout is just all wrong. A big project

like that would discourage most buyers and for good reason. Typically large remodels can be extremely

expensive and take forever. However, with Innovative Custom Homes they have the experience and

the manpower to completely transform your home in a month. The end product is like a brand new

home, the cost is a fraction of what you may have paid another service and you get to move in and

enjoy the home in no time flat.

The next time I have a client who loves the location and yard but the house doesn’t work for them I’m

going to suggest they contact this company to see what it would take in time and cost to transform the

home. The answer just might surprise you… in a good way.

Also, if you can’t find a home on the market that suits you but you can’t afford the 6-9 months that it

typically takes to build a home. Now I can recommend a builder that can build a very high end quality

home in 2 1/2 months! How cool is that?

I highly recommend you give Innovative Custom Homes a call. The owners are Ben and Heather and

you can reach them at 208.695.5846 or go to InnovativeHomesBoise.com.

Also the pictures shown on the right are all from the same home. It is amazing they did all

that work in just a few weeks. FYI—This property is listed for sale by The Real Estate Shop, and is

priced at $374,890. I previewed this home and what you can’t see from the pictures is that this home

is located on a cool rim view property in the Boise Bench and it overlooks a baseball stadium. You

could literally watch a live baseball game from your living room or porch! Hello sports fans! This might

be the home for you. The address is 6014 Randolph Drive, Boise Idaho.

Look it up if you are in the market.

- Mike Turner, Managing Agent with Front Street Brokers

Builder Spotlight

FRONT FRONT

BACK BACK

LIVING ROOM LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN KITCHEN

FAMILY ROOM FAMILY ROOM

BEDROOM BEDROOM

www.InnovativeHomesBoise.com Page 7

B elieve it or not, there are secrets to

selling your home. If you follow these

proven strategies, you dramatically

increase your chances of selling your

home faster and for more money than you would

believe. But, before we talk about that, there are

three things we need to establish.

1) Why Homes Don’t Sell

If you tried and failed to sell your home recently,

it’s ok; it may have nothing to do with your

home. However, it’s very important for you to

understand why your home (or any other home on

the market for that matter) did not sell before you

think of listing your home. That way you don’t

waste any more time and endure the emotional

burden of wondering if your home will ever sell in

this market.

Believe me, I completely understand the emotional

rollercoaster of selling, the inconveniences of

listing your home on the market, the hoping and

wishing that someone would just buy it so you

could move on. I’ve been there. It’s a pain in the

butt to regularly have to vacate your home on short

notice for showings to have it judged by random

people… or worse: not having ANY showings in

months.

The good news is that your home WILL sell in this

market so long as you position yourself with the

right tools, strategies, and assistance. Selling your

home now as opposed to pushing it off could help

you finally move on to what you really de-

sire. Whether you are looking to lower stress

levels, or maybe seeking the ability to buy your

dream home, or the freedom to relocate for a better

opportunity… whatever your situation is, I often

see how selling a home helps people accomplish

their goals and I want to see that happen for you.

But first, we need to understand WHY homes

don’t sell, and then FIX THE PROBLEM.

2) Don’t Blame The Market

Yes, the market is extremely tough for sellers right

now, but the market is not the only reason homes

don’t sell. Homes don’t sell because it wasn’t

presented to the market in a way to give you the

best chance of selling.

I agree, having foreclosures in your neighborhood

is awful and adds a great deal of difficulty to sell-

ing your home now. But that doesn’t mean you

can’t sell your home for a reasonable price.

Understanding Foreclosures and the Buyers in this

market can actually help you leverage the situation

so your home can stand out from the crowd, and

even demand a higher price, and be sought after,

rather than being pushed aside. But you must use

the right tools and strategies.

3) Blame The Agent..?

Unfortunately, most real estate agents (like 98%)

don’t understand marketing and buyer behavior to

a level sufficient enough to sell homes in this

tough marketplace. Agents, for the most part,

seem to take a quick guess about what they think

your home is worth and throw your home on the

Internet and MLS and then hope the market will

sell your home for you.

I caution blaming your agent because they might

be trying hard or doing everything they know to

sell your home, but without the right advertising

knowledge, market expertise, understanding of

selling strategies that work for buyers, and the

right available tools to use, their chances of selling

a home in this market are significantly low.

The problem is that almost every agent from what

I can see does the same useless stuff over and over

again. This one-size-fits-all approach to marketing

your home puts them (and you) at a disadvantage –

especially in this market.

Here’s the #1 Secret to

Selling Your House… In

This Market:

I know this may fly in the face of what your last

agent told you. The secret to selling your house is

not about price. The secret to selling your house

in this market is focusing on the buyer. The

reason your past agent didn’t tell you this, is prob-

ably because they don’t know how to do that. You

see, buyers want to fall in love with the house, and

then feel like they got a good deal. If the deal

leads buyers to start with… you attract the wrong

buyers. I could go into great detail on this but let

me just give you a few crucial insights.

Let’s talk about how most agents work. It’s a

dirty little secret in the real estate world, but it’s

time someone came out and admitted it. Most

agents primarily focus on just acquiring more

listings (often at 6-12 month long contracts) just so

they have better odds – with more listings they

have a better chance of selling a few of them to

make a living. It’s a numbers game, which is good

for them, but bad for you.

Now let’s talk about what it looks like when your

agent’s focus is actually on the buyer. Instead of

focusing on quantity, they develop their selling

strategies to attract the highest quality buy-

ers. They use aggressive and innovative marketing

to get the attention of people who are actually

interested in buying a home… not just looking at

house after house after house. They know that

when they focus on the buyers, they can control,

not just hope, that the home will sell.

I work with an agency that is extremely focused on

Buyers, almost the exact opposite of every other

real estate company in town. We go to great

lengths to engage, attract, and service home buyers

in this Valley. The reason is simple: if you have

the buyers you can better predict, influence, and

advertise to the people that will actually be buying

the homes on the market.

Silver Bullet #1 – Attracting the

Buyers

Most agents –if they are lucky– have just a small

handful of buyers or an office of other desperate

agents they can market their listing to. Unfortu-

nately, this is the norm. Outside of this small area

of influence they really only have the MLS to

hopefully attract other agents and buyers to their

listing. But at that point, for these agents, it is left

up to a lot of wishing and even more luck.

What kind of impact do you think it would have if

your listing agent could speak directly to not hun-

dreds, but thousands of buyers about your listing?

Do you think it would help you sell your home

faster? Heck yeah, it would.

Silver Bullet #2 – Keeping the

Buyers’ Attention

The perfect buyer for your home may not even be

looking when you first list your home. Therefore it

is extremely important to keep getting buyers

attention so your home doesn’t get lost or get what

we call Market Fatigue. We found we can accom-

plish this in many ways but one of the best ways is

to provide them information they can’t get any-

where else, even in this day and age where infor-

mation is everywhere; This is no easy task, by the

way. It takes a lot of hard work and money. But

for me and my team, it is worth every minute and

dime because this strategy alone (of keeping the

buyers’ attention) has helped us to sell a lot of

homes.

So to recap what if your listing agent had 1,000’s

Untold Secrets on How To Sell Your Idaho Home

for the Maximum the Market will Bear

Sell Your Home

NAME YOUR PRICE

EXCLUSIVELY BY

FRONT STREET BROKERS

SAVE THOUSANDS…

We know times are tough. Homeowners have lost a ton of equity in their homes. If you are going to sell your home in this market you need an agent who can market the heck out of your home but who will also work with you on the selling fees... Which leads us to...NAME YOUR PRICE. You want to sell your home and NET as much as possible. We want listings so we can prove how good we are at selling them. Therefore, for the month of August, homeowners who interview us about selling their home have the unique op-portunity to also NAME THE PRICE of our commission.

CALL 208-740-5000 for Details

Some restrictions apply...like we don’t work in all locations or list all homes. Mostly though we just want to prove to you we can do a superior job selling your home so we hope this offer gets your attention and that you will be finally com-pelled to give us call. Go ahead...We’re Ready.

of buyers seeking them out specifically because of the unique way

they provide information that buyers can’t get anywhere else? Do you

think that would give those listing agents a huge advantage to attract-

ing interest in your home? You Bet Your Bottom Dollar.

Silver Bullet #3 – Understanding the

Market

If you take the time to get to know us, you will quickly see that we

research and study the market at a much deeper level than what you

might have come to see with other agents. That’s because 99% of

agents won’t do this extra work. It’s not just because they are lazy…

it’s because many don’t know how to do it.

Really, it’s a little embarrassing to admit… but my team and I are

almost like addicts when it comes to real estate statistics and studying

the trends and micro-details of our local neighborhoods and cit-

ies. Frankly, we don’t understand how other professionals in our

industry can give advice on such life-impacting events (like selling

your home) without doing everything in their power to become a true

authority on that subject matter. In fact, it seems a little irresponsible

to us, which is why we do things differently.

By understanding where the market is, where it is going, and the

factors that can change its course, we can leverage that knowledge to

get in front of those trends instead of being left behind wishing we

had done something differently. In short, our market expertise helps

us find where the demand is and allows us to simply step in front of

that demand to get your home noticed and sold… and our results

can prove it.

Silver Bullet #4 – Understanding Buyers

Sadly, the lack of effort that most agents put up to attract buyer inter-

est in your home is SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH to sell your home, not

in today’s market. Your listing agent is your hired gun for selling

your home. With our research and market knowledge, we know what

is going to sell your home BEFORE a buyer even steps foot in your

home, PLUS we can help identify the little, often overlooked details

that will drive buyers away.

You would not believe how quickly these ―little things‖ can turn a

buyer completely off to your home. We are talking about truly easy

fixes. Not taking care of the little things can literally cost you the

sale.

This step is where we can often help you the most. We understand

buyers and their fairly eccentric behavior. We study them on a daily

basis, which means we can put you on the fast-track to leveraging that

expertise. Together, we can get buyers to stop and really pay atten-

tion to your home.

We are definitely not shy about pointing out what will turn away

qualified buyers. It’s not that we are going to criticize your home, in

contrast we will bring perspectives and insights that can mean the

difference between showings and selling.

We are constantly amazed when we see crappy photos used to sell a

nice home. I mean come on. Your agent should be hiring a profes-

sional and the photos should be so good you question even moving

when you see them. Not making this a priority is absolute insanity.

The Fine Print

You may not have heard of Front Street Brokers. We are not focused

on being the biggest company in town, but we do want to be the most

successful and effective brokerage in the Valley.

If you have any interest in selling your home I invite you to give us a

call. We’d be happy to swing by your place to give you our profes-

sional opinion on what your home could sell for in this market.

But there is one catch… you actually have to take the first step and

call us. We can’t do that part for you. By calling us you can get

professional insights about your home and the market, and discuss

timing. There is no obligation or fee to meet with us. But we would

love opportunity to meet with you.

Sincerely,

Mike Turner—Front Street Brokers PH: 208-740-5000 Page 9

Private listings NOT ON THE MLS!

THE PROBLEM:

* The hassle of having to drop everything and frantically clean your home for the random, unex-pected showing request from an agent.

* Worry that someone will misuse the lockbox on your front door.

* Answering questions from neighbors as to why you are moving.

THE SOLUTION:

With a private listing you can avoid:

* Having a sign in your yard.

* Having your home on the MLS, which causes potential unwanted interaction with agents, neighbors, etc.

WHY LIST YOUR HOME PRIVATELY?

With our PRIVACY LISTINGS you get the full power of the Front Street Brokers marketing systems to sell your home, without having all the normal hassles of listing your home. If we find someone interested in your home either through our brokerage or through another agent, we make sure they are well qualified and your home definitely meets their criteria before we call you to set up a private showing. Our database of buyers is likely twice as large as any other brokerage in town, and we use different marketing techniques to sell our homes that most agents haven’t even heard of. Some of our privacy listings sell within a few days, due to already having a large database of able buyers looking. We have also been able to obtain higher prices on our priva-

cy listings due to the home always remaining at Zero days on the market, buyers are less likely to lowball the seller, compared to when they see a home listed on the MLS for 90 days+. If a PRIVACY LISTING sounds like a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. 208-740-5000 Or go to: PrivacyListings.com

An ideal place to raise a family! Gorgeous semi-custom home in a great neighbor-hood, close to schools. Plus the home is just across the street from the community clubhouse and pool!

Great modern craftsman style on the exterior and thoughtful traditional finishes in-side. 3,000 sq ft: 4 bedrooms , office, and 3 baths. Lots of upgrades including exten-sive hardwood, trim work, molding, and built-ins. Chef’s kitchen includes granite coun-ters, warm cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. There’s also the ultimate “man-cave” complete with a full wet bar and outdoor deck access! Fully fenced .33 acre

lot. Was $335,000, now privately listed at $324,900. Call Sandi Rubio, 208-740-

5000.

Family Home in Great Location!

Beautiful custom luxury home in desirable Castlebury subdivision in Eagle. 5,917 sq ft of luxuri-ous, move-in ready space. 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, and a second level bonus room that could be converted into a 5th bedroom. Gourmet kitchen with granite counters, two dishwashers, pro-fessional-grade appliances, custom tile, butler’s pantry and a wine fridge. Other upgrades in-clude extensive built-ins, custom paint, and dual HVAC systems. Outside, you’ll love the low-maintenance in-ground saltwater pool with diving board. Roomy covered patio features an outdoor kitchen and entertainment space with sound system. Plen-ty of room leftover for play and gardening. The whole acre lot is nicely landscaped. Private

listing priced at $979,500. Call Sandi Rubio, Front Street Brokers, 208-850-3681.

Eagle Custom Luxury Home with Saltwater Pool

2.5 acre lot, beautifully landscaped (over a hundred trees planted). Unobstructed views

of the Owyhee Mountains. 5+ Bedrooms, 7,650 sq ft, huge drive-through shop and other amenities too numerous to list. Home is in Wilder, a scenic 35 min drive from Boise. Small subdivision (there are 3 or 4 houses on this street). There is even a small

putting green, and grape vines. Perfect country family home or empty nester spot. Original owners put a ton of money in this place, and had it on the market for $1.29

million, so the current $525,000 price the sellers have

it at is awesome. Read more of Mike’s review at: http://frontstreetbrokers.com/Wilder-Home

3443 N. Triple Ridge Pl. Absolutely ideal family home and horse

property in a desirable Eagle location. Five irrigated acres (water rights) with horse set up including barn and pasture. 6 huge bedrooms with Jack-and-Jill bathrooms and a spacious master suite. 4,374 sq ft. Year round sunroom with fireplace. Two furnaces and two water heaters ensure whole-house comfort. Open kitchen with granite coun-ters. Listed at $625,000. Call me to have a look at the property today: Sandi Rubio, Front Street Brokers, 208-850-3681

What Mike Thinks

6474 N. Hillsboro: Nestled on a foothills lot with killer views of the city and valley. Bright, open floor plan with tons of windows and a contemporary but time-less feel. 5 bedrooms, 3.75 baths, 3,875 sq ft. Outside, you won’t be able to get enough of

your million dollar views, appreciated from the in-ground pool or wrap around deck. Yard opens straight up to the foothills–no behind neighbors. A ton of house and amenities for the below

market value price of $679,000. . Remember, this home is NOT on the MLS, so you have a chance to get in on a great, under-the-radar deal. Call to schedule a showing today: Mike Turner, Front Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

What Sandi Thinks

Eagle Luxury Home and Horse Property

Private listings

What Mike Thinks

NOT ON THE

MLS!

Page 11

Top 10 - Best Buys on The Market

go to: www.FrontStreetBrokers.com

See The Full Details on ―WHY‖ These Homes Made The List

Million Dollar Price Drop

Group One

Keller Williams

Keller Williams

McCall Real Estate Company

Million Dollar Price Drop 2400+ Acres—Bank Owned

Creed Noah Real Estate

Keller Williams Boise Silvercreek Realty

Keller Williams Boise

Silvercreek Realty

Huge Price Reduction

4000+ Sqft Condo Downtown

Castle Estate On Boise River

Boise Foothills Foreclosure Eagle Short Sale Eagle Foreclosure

Go To FrontStreetBrokers.com homepage, to download this Top 10 list to see full property details and why we think these are smoking good deals.

Boise Rental Management Matt Rubio

208.473.2418

“I refer my clients to Boise Rental Management. Not only is Matt the kind of guy you want in your corner, he is all business with tenants and helps you

keep your investments profitable.” - Mike Turner, FS Brokers

Home Inspector Davin Strand

Bent Nail Home Inspections 208-869-5557

“Davin has been our recommended inspector for our real estate firm for years for good reason. He is the best.” - Jared Cozby, FS Brokers

OWN A SWEET TIMBERCREST CABIN IN MCCALL FOR JUST $68,000

CONTACT JARED COZBY FRONT STREET BROKERS 208-740-5000

Restaurant Review

Alia’s Coffeehouse

908 W. Main St.

208-338-1299

By Jennifer Sanders Peterson

You know you have a bit of an addiction when it’s a hundred degree day in August and you still can’t wait to get over to Alia’s for a cup of dark hot chocolate—the one that comes with extra dark chocolate shavings floating in

the froth-formed feather on top. The one that puts to shame other local coffee shops passing off generic-brand chocolate syrup squirted in microwaved milk as “hot chocolate.” Alia’s understands quality. Which keeps me

(and others) coming back. The fact that they quickly get to know your name and your drink of choice helps, too.

Located in a nice spot on Main St, next to the Idanha, Alia’s isn’t as sleek nor as bohemian chic as other down-town caffeine establishments. It reminds me a little of my bedroom in high school with various do-dad’s hanging

from the ceiling and a variety of hand painted murals that don’t necessarily make sense together. There’s also an interior iron gate that opens into the outdoor clothing store next door. But, somehow it all works to create a

friendly, welcoming space. Even when it’s busy (which it usually is) there’s always a place to sit down. And of-ten Violent Femmes on the stereo.

Perfect hot drinks aren’t all that bring customers back to Alia’s. They also have a huge kitchen pumping out all

kinds of homemade delicacies. From the generous selection of fresh bagels with cream cheese or house-made hummus, to the vegetarian menu, to the several varieties of quiche. And then there are the baked goods! Cookies

the size of your head. Muffins the size of a lumberjack’s fist. Fudge-like brownies available in flavors like cay-enne-spice, mint, Mexican chocolate, and cookie dough. Your stomach will leave happy and your wallet still

largely intact.

In the evening, Alia’s takes on the role of wine bar. So, stake out a spot on the mini outdoor patio and enjoy a glass while you take in the sunset and some prime people watching. Friendly service, quality product, nice pric-

es—there’s a reason Alia’s has carved out a lasting space for itself downtown.

Page 13

By Alicia Malone

Front Street Brokers

When one is attempting to purchase a home, especially in today’s market place, credit is critical.

With all the purchasing we do, credit is a vital part of our society. Yet many people are confused about credit, credit scoring, and “the big three” credit bureaus. In some cases, if you don’t have credit you can’t rent a car, get a cell phone, and may even find it difficult to get a checking account. And forget about debit cards! Try and go buy a car without credit--it’s like you’re a nobody. How many people have cash to buy a house? Unless you have sold another home at a profit, most of our population is not in that boat.

So how does credit work? What is a bureau? And what’s up with this scoring business?

Prior to 1970, a credit report would often include such things as whether you were black or white, whether you embraced a particular religion or were atheist, rich or middle-class, whether somebody thought you were an alcoholic, courtroom quotes from ex-spouses, and whatever else they could find. Likewise, bankers once withheld credit to those whose appearance just didn’t fit their idea of what defined a “good human being.” You could even be denied simply because the loan officer thought you looked strange. Sadly, many of the reasons were actually based upon racial preconceptions or similar prejudices.

If you applied for a credit account anywhere, a bookkeeper in some dusty backroom requested a credit report from your local bureau. In fact, in those heady days before corporate titans took over, all credit bu-reaus were local.

The problem with that business model is that it isn’t very scalable. Scouring an individual’s credit takes time, and it also takes skilled human beings to render careful judgments. That’s just not manageable if you want to extend credit to hundreds of thousands or even millions of people on a national scale. Automation, of course, was the answer, and such technology hasn’t allowed an individualized reading and analysis of everybody’s cred-it report.

Contrary to the prevailing perceived reality, there are no official bureaus. And while most Americans believe

their credit reports to have at least the same legal standing as their driving records, the truth is that the government has no role in establishing the for-profit companies which produce them.

Is it possible that there may be errors on one’s credit report? Is it possible that the “big three” may not have all the information? Do they care? The ultimate truth is that it is up to you to check your own credit regularly and to make sure that it is accurate. If you’re assuming that any other entity out there is rallying on your be-half, you’re sadly mistaken.

All one has to do is turn on the T.V. or read the newspaper to see the multiple foreclosures and short sales to see it is a vola-tile market place. In the past, one couldn’t buy a home with-out first having a minimum of 20% down, closing costs and job longevity. But today, if one has proven an ability to pay over a period of time and have been careful not to live outside their means, there are ample oppor-tunities to capture the American

dream of home ownership.

So, if you’re ready to take the plunge and purchase one of the largest investments in your life, make sure to keep your credit in mind. Go on-line to freeannu-alcreditreport.com, request a copy of your credit re-port, make sure there are no discrepancies, then call me to get started. And remember: Luck is what hap-pens when preparation meets opportunity.

FRONT STREET BROKERS WELCOMES

ALICIA MALONE Front Street Brokers is proud to welcome our new agent, Alicia Malone. Alicia was origi-

nally born in Montevideo but recently relocated to Boise from Twin Falls. She lives here

with her husband and loves to volunteer for C.A.S.A, golf, ski, snowmobile, ride horses,

and garden. She brings with her extensive knowledge and experience in serving owner/

buyer clients. Contact: Alicia@FrontStreetBrokers.com or 208-731-3604.

Home Buyer Tip:

KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR CREDIT

HISTORIC GEM IN THE HEART

OF TWIN FALLS

Built in the 1930’s, this home maintains beauti-

ful original details like cove

ceilings, fireplace, hardwood floors and built-

ins, while boasting upgraded amenities like a

new roof and HVAC. If you’re thinking about

making the move to beautiful Twin Falls but

want to maintain that Boise North End feel—

this is an ideal home for you! Call for more

details. Contact Alicia Malone

208-731-3604

LUXURY FORECLOSURE REPORT BANK OWNED IN QUAIL HEIGHTS! The sweeping city views make it total-

ly worth the effort to update cosmetic finishes and whip the yard into shape. 4 bedrooms, 4

baths, formal living/dining, great room, and

family room. 3,659 sq ft. Homes nearby are

priced in the million dollar range. This one is

foreclosure priced at just $493,000. This

home will move

quickly so call to

schedule a showing

today! Mike

Turner, 208-740-

5000. Listing Cour-

tesy RE/Max.

Bank-owned, roomy family

home and 5.96 acres in

Eagle’s Stillwell Estates.

Nestled in a hillside loca-

tion with horse set

up including corral, stables,

trailer storage, and shop

area. 4 large bedrooms,

office, 3.5 baths. 5,437 sq ft

- Includes two family rooms

and media room, Listing

Courtesy Eagle Hills Proper-

ty. For a showing, call Front

Street Brokers, 208-740-

5000.

EAGLE LUXURY ESTATE

10 ACRES OF HORSE LAND

Once listed at 2.2 Million,

Now $990,000

Situated on 10.01 acres of prime horse land in Eagle, accessed only by a private gate. Land-

scaped, sports pool, 600 sq ft greenhouse. Theater room/gallery, game room, even a library

with a secret entrance. The finishes are pretty over-the-top (think Venetian opera house) but

it is an unforgettable and completely luxurious property inside and out. 7,147 sq ft, 5 bed-

rooms, 6.5 baths. Listing courtesy Silvercreek Realty. For a private tour, call Mike Turner,

Front Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

LUXURY SHORT SALE 1 ACRE VIEW LOT IN STAR

Sold for $814,000

NOW $579,900

Beautiful Star luxury home in Hillsdale

Estates, located on a 1.01 acre view

lot. 4 bedrooms plus bonus space,

4,200 sq ft. Large basement family

room features media set up, 9’ ceilings,

and access to huge wrap around patio.

Other luxury details include custom

paint, extensive hardwood floors, built-

ins, and two HVAC systems. Irrigation

available and neighborhood has com-

munity equestrian center. Listing cour-

tesy Coldwell Banker Tomlinson EME.

Call for a showing: Mike Turner, Front

Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

Great Eagle location--Five horse-ready acres near Beacon Light/Horseshoe Bend roads

and Dry Creek. Plus a family-perfect home. Short sale priced at $449,900 and sure to

move quickly. The acreage property has water rights, corral, shop, and RV Parking. Open

property and hill views. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,900 sq ft. Listing courtesy Coldwell Bank-

er-Tomlinson. For a showing call Mike Turner, Front Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

SHORT SALE

5 ACRES and HOME

in EAGLE

$449,900

2588 E. Boomer

EAGLE LUXURY FORECLOSURE

Was $895,000

Now $600,000

2370 W. Champagne 1.89

fully landscaped acres in Eagle’s

Tahoe Ridge subdivision, you’ll

enjoy hill and acreage views. 6 big

bedrooms, 6 baths, 7,426 sq feet.

44ft black bottom swimming pool,

fully fenced for safety, with a 1

meter Olympic-quality diving

board, spa and waterfall. 9 car

garage, RV parking. Listing courte-

sy Silvercreek Realty Group. Call

Mike Turner for a showing. Front

Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

EAGLE LUXURY HOME and 5.96 ACRES

Listed at $999,000 * NOW JUST $545,000

Page 15

Subscribe To Our E-Newsletter to

See our Weekly Home Reviews

FrontStreetBrokers.com

Group One

5,207 Sq Ft in The Colony

Somerset Ridge, Price Drop

Indoor Pool on Table Rock

INDEPENDENT HOME REVIEWS of the Latest Homes on the Market

FrontStreetBrokers.com

Group

1/2 Acre in Surprise Valley

Historic North End Home

Keller Williams

Boise City Views

02 Marketing Group LLC

Hillcrest Golf Course

Group One

Brookwood Luxury Home

Remodeled North End Charm

Creekside in River Run

Group One

1.8 Eagle Acres, Tennis Court

5.10 Acres in Eagle

Group One

6 Bedrooms and Pool Luxury Home in the Highlands

02 Marketing Group LLC

Woodhouse Group Silvercreek Realty

Coldwell Banker Tomlin-

Woodhouse Group

Keller Williams

Keller Williams

Coldwell Banker

PAGE 17

Great lot with no behind neighbors—allowing for privacy and

open views. Meticulously maintained inside and out. Huge

theater room, luxurious main-level master suite, gourmet

kitchen, upgrades galore. 5 large bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 4,115

sq ft.

Backyard designed for year-round entertaining with its huge

patio, outdoor kitchen and fireplace. Plus a custom pool con-

nected to the hot tub by a series of waterfalls. Super posh!

Not a foreclosure but priced below market value

at $539,000. Call for a showing: 208-740-5000

LISTINGS

EAGLE

LUXURY

CUSTOM

HOME

LUXURY HOME

AND

ACREAGE

IN EMMETT You will feel like you’re living in a magazine in this gorgeous Georgian-style home nestled on

a 6.25 acreage property in the scenic Emmett foothills. Enjoy being outside the city… but not

too far outside! Inside you’ll find 6,505 sq ft of the most luxurious finishes. 5 bedrooms, 4.5

baths, 3 car garage and RV parking. Fabulous entertaining spaces with plenty of room for

guests. Family room, great room, and theater room with stadium-style seating.

Gourmet kitchen features a dramatic planked ceiling, custom cabinetry, professional applianc-

es, and huge eat-in island.

Outside, you’ll love taking in your country and hill views from the big wrap around porch.

Could also easily convert to a horse property and has irrigation available.

In the Boise/Eagle area, this would easily be a million dollar home–but, with the benefit of a

short drive, you get the luxury home AND the 6.25 acres for $737,000.

BOISE

LUXURY

FAMILY

HOME

Ideal six bedroom family home located in one of Boise's most desirable subdivisions, The

Hickories. Tucked on a quiet, safe cul-de-sac lot with plenty of room. Great schools, a walk-

ing path to the park, AND within walking distance of Hewlett Packard.

Formal living and dining rooms are great for entertaining. HUGE bonus room with bath-

room, and more than enough space for everyone to gather for movie or game night. Two

HVAC systems make sure both levels stay comfortably heated and cooled. 6 bedrooms, 4.5

baths, 4,338 sq ft

And wow! Just $349,000. At less that $100 a square foot, that's a TON of home, space,

amenities and a great location for the amount. Sellers are flexible and can close quickly or

allow for a delayed close date, Call Sandi Rubio , Front Street Brokers, 208-850-3681.

LIKE NEW

HOME IN

TUSCANY

Listed at just $278,900, this home isn’t in the luxury category price-wise but, trust us, it FEELS

like a luxury home! Meticulously cared for inside and out, this home has had no smokers, no

kids, and no pets. Located on a .22 acre lot on a quiet street in Meridian’s coveted Tuscany

Subdivision. Backs up to a common area. It’s also just two houses away from the community

pool and near the neighborhood elementary school.

Overall the home boasts 3 bedrooms plus office, 2.5 baths, and 2,453 sq ft in addition to an

extra deep 3 car garage. Outside, the owners have invested more than $30,000 into landscap-

ing which includes dramatic accent lighting and a water feature. Long covered patio with hot

tub set up is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing with your family. A really great property

and location for the price! Call to schedule your showing now and be ahead of the crowd

when this home hits the MLS. Mike Turner, Front Street Brokers, 208-740-5000.

YOUR BUSINESS COULD

BE LISTED HERE!

Boise Real Estate Newspaper, an extension of Front Street Brokers, works to de-velop thriving, interactive, and ongoing relationships with our readers, and to edu-cate about the Boise Real Estate Market, community news and houses offered in an informative, entertaining manner. ¨ Read by a target demographic of professionals, homeowners, homebuyers, and those just curious about real estate. ¨ Print copies are postage mailed to over 11,000 local households. ¨ Emailed out to over 20,000 online views for each issue. ¨ Distribution grows with every issue.

Limited time summer rates, Variety of plans to help you work

within your budget and marketing goals

Mike Turner, 208-740-5000, email inquiries to

info@FrontStreetBrokers.com

-Reach this audience!- Email Jennifer@FrontStreetBrokers.com for a price sheet and circulation details

LISTINGS Ideal west Boise location, right off Curtis and North-view, close to everything. Schools close by, and Win-stead Park /tennis courts half a block away. Here’s your chance to own a big family home, freshly remodeled inside and out. Updated interior paint, and flooring. Lots of built-ins for storage and display.

Bright, efficient galley-style kitchen. Huge basement family room has warm wood paneling and enter-tainment center. Plenty of space for everyone to spread out! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,952 sq ft. The .22 acre lot is dotted with mature trees, fully fenced, and has plenty of room for play and gardening. Was listed attractively at $204,900, now just

$194,900. With the bulk of the re-

modeling done for you, that leaves some nice financial wiggle room to con-tinue with the last of the updates that will truly make this house your home.

Call to schedule your showing today! Sandi Rubio, Front Street Brokers, 208-850-3681

REMODELED BOISE HOME

2417 Bruins Circle

Beautiful Eagle luxury home in coveted Lexington Hills Subdivision. Close to downtown Eagle fine dining and shop-ping, within walking distance of Seven Oaks Elementary, and an easy drive into Boise. Fine timeless design and finishes throughout. Two master suites with split level design. There’s also a theater room and office space. Overall the home has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and 3,782 sq ft on one level with a walk-out base-ment. Outside, you’ll enjoy mature landscaping and a stream that runs right through your backyard on the .22 acre lot. Priced

at $455,000. Contact Alicia at Front

Street Brokers, 208-731-3604

Eagle Luxury Home

in Lexington Hills

1741 N. Sevenoaks

Get Your Home

Listed Here

Call Us

208-740-5000

MILLION DOLLAR HOME REVIEWS

See Idaho’s Coolest Homes—Fun Weekly Email

Subscribe at: Frontstreetbrokers.com

*Private Beach * 7 car garage * $2,995,000 * Eagle

Listed with Keller Williams Realty

August/September 2012 Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 August 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 1 September

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PAGE 19

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The Writers’

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The Writers’

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Radio 89.9FM

Public Market

8th St, 9:30 AM Les Miserables, 7:30

Morrison Center

12-1pm

The Writers’

Block 89.9FM

12-1pm

The Writers’

Block 89.9FM

Yanni,

Morrison Center,

7:30 PM

Soul Food

Extravaganza. 11am,

Julia Davis

Movie under the

stars, 7pm,

Julia Davis

Run Fido

Run!

10 am,

Eagle Island

Huey Lewis,

Maryhill Winery,

7pm

BODIES

REVEALED

9:30am

Discovery Center

LABOR DAY!

National

Left-

Handers

Day

Norah Jones,

Idaho Botanical

Garden, 7pm

Tuesday Night

Farmers

Market,

4-6:30

2350 Hill Rd

9/11

Remembrance

Day

Last Call Trivia

Solid, 8pm

12-1pm

The Writers’

Block 89.9FM

FS Brokers

Would Like To Say

Thank You For Your Referrals!

85% of our business is coming from folks like

you...Thank You!

One of the main reasons we provide this newspaper at no cost to you is we want to show you we are committed to our profession and we appreciate

you thinking of Front Street Brokers when your friends and family are in need of a knowledgeable real estate agent .

WWW.FRONTSTREETBROKERS.COM 877 W Front St, Boise ID

208.740.5000

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