3 questions on moving to Boise... (Meridian, Eagle: ski resort, real estate, how much)

[lcinva]

Hi - I actually posted my first question in the economic/jobs thread, but it may not belong there so I'll post it here:

1. My husband and I are moving to Boise next summer...he will be graduating from dental school and joining an established practice with his brother. I am going to pursue a graduate degree in a different field than I am currently in that has good job placement, but until then (or during) I would like to work...I have bachelor's degrees in statistics and neuroscience. It worries me that people aren't able to find work, and I wonder if it is because there are too many qualified applicants in terms of education (people without degrees are being shut out) or if places just aren't hiring. Though the job market is tough here in Cleveland, there is a fair supply of research-esque jobs that keep coming up, but I wonder if there won't really be a market for me until I get my graduate degree. Any thoughts/advice would be helpful. Thanks!


So there is that - along with that, I'm planning on a master's in speech language pathology and working in the school systems...does anyone have any experience with the Boise, Meridian, or Eagle school systems? Rumor has it that pay is pretty low as compared to other metro areas, but I'm not sure.

2. What kind of gyms/health clubs are in the Meridian area? Are there some nice ones?

3. For anyone with real estate knowledge in the area - we visited Meridian/surrounding areas and I felt prices were still pretty high considering a. there is tons of inventory and b. all the homes look alike and are on about .10 of an acre. Any thoughts about this? Is Meridian kind of destined to stay this way, or are there new developments that will be not quite as track home-ish?

Thanks! My husband is really excited to move to Boise, I'm trying to get used to the idea...!

[micrguy]

Can't really answer the first two for you, but to compare real estate in the west against what you can find in Ohio is like comparing apples and oranges. I grew up in Ohio and lived in a typical 3 bedroom house in a "Drew Carey"-type neighborhood( you know, middle class, older house in a neighborhood of blue collar and low level white collar people). Last time I checked you could still buy a house in my old neighborhood for $110,000 and it was in a decent part of town. For $200,000 you could buy a house in one of the exclusive rich neighborhoods.

But comparing Boise/Meridian to places in California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona, this place is a bargain. The house that I bought in Boise for $250,000 would have cost me at least $100,000 more in Arizona, even in this bad market. If this was the height of the real estate boom, a similar house in Arizona would have been at least $150,000-$200,000 more.

[Torrie]

Maybe I can answer some of your questions-

Look here to see what your pay range might be; scroll down to page 77, from there you'll have to search for your profession...it will give you a range.

http://lmi.idaho.gov/Portals/13/PDFS...y%20Report.pdf

As far as gyms go, you can find a Curves, Gold's Gym, and Idaho Athletic Club all in Meridian. There could be some smaller one's, but those are the big names that come to mind.

As far as property goes, there are larger lots, but the more land you have most likely the more you will pay and the closer you get to Boise the prices can go up. You might like the look of the older homes in Northend Boise as they have so much character, but I'm guessing you're husband is wanting to stay closer to Meridian due to his practice being nearby? Not sure how much of a chance you've had to come out and look...there are several subdivisions that have a variety of builders/floor plans where they shouldn't all look the same.

I think you've pretty much seen bottom here so I'm not convinced prices will drop much lower. Boise-Metro is a young city as it's grown quickly in a short amount of time. A lot of people might not have years of equity built up in their homes that you might have experienced where you're coming from, so they don't have the flexibility to keep dropping their prices. However winter is coming and if you're in a position to buy now, the thought of a vacant home through winter might give you some extra buying power. Once January hits, and the anticipation of Spring arrives, sellers might not be so flexible with their prices. If you see something you like, make an offer- all they can say is "no". Just be willing to negotiate- you have to play the game.

Hope this helps.

[lcinva]

Thanks Torrie! That pdf was great...very helpful. We have come out and looked (my husband's brother and family currently live in Lochsa Falls in Meridian, so we looked at the subdivisions around there), but each time we only looked briefly because it seemed like everything was about the same. I think we probably also would need to look more closely and work with a realtor...all I know is that I saw a 1900 sq ft house for $300K, and was kind of disheartened as my parents bought a 3000 sq ft house on prime ski resort real estate in Colorado for only $100K more!

To the poster above - don't worry, I definitely do not expect Ohio prices. In fact, I'm surprised people here don't have to pay buyers to take their homes - bad market, not that great of a place to live!