Where should I move? (Boise, Nampa: sales, real estate, how much)

[crittersitter]

We are starting to look for a retirement area for the future. We desire a more isolated location. Need low priced acreage for horses. Conservative values. Pleasant weather and not a lot of snow. Basic necessites like a Walmart and medical facilities within a 30 minute drive. Is there such a place there?

[cleosmom]

Looking for low priced acreage and not a lot of snow, I'd suggest south central. Twin Falls, Burley, Rupert and Kimberly areas. They get snow, not nearly as much as we do over here in SE Idaho.

[ArtMom]

Originally Posted by crittersitter

We are starting to look for a retirement area for the future. We desire a more isolated location. Need low priced acreage for horses. Conservative values. Pleasant weather and not a lot of snow. Basic necessites like a Walmart and medical facilities within a 30 minute drive. Is there such a place there?

Are you out of state, thinking of coming in to Idaho?
Middleton, Emmett, Kuna... try those.
All very horse friendly and sort of off the beaten path, and yet not a major drive to get to town. Prices are still going up here though... better act!
I can give you the name of the BEST equine vet if you do move to the area!

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by crittersitter

We are starting to look for a retirement area for the future. We desire a more isolated location. Need low priced acreage for horses. Conservative values. Pleasant weather and not a lot of snow. Basic necessites like a Walmart and medical facilities within a 30 minute drive. Is there such a place there?

Do you mind saying from what area you are moving from so we can evaluate what "snow" and "conservative values" are for you?

I just saw the breakdown, this week, or where the immigration to Idaho Falls is coming from; how much in state and how much out of state. It was rather interesting as a good percentage of Idaho Falls growth is coming from 200 miles south (UT).

I'd vote on Idaho Falls for you, if you have lived anywhere and had yearly snow. Although, I must admit that many who have relocated from AZ, FL, CA etc. do not find the snow, within the city, that difficult to deal with on a daily basis. An overall, thee probably are not more than 12 really snow days/year.

Medical facilities are supberb, especially if you've lived in an HMO market. Open heart surgery, interventional cardiology, extremely sophisticated care, usually only found in cities in excess of 500,000 and many other specilaties. ONLY designated trauma center in Idaho (all other hospitals have either lost their rating or never applied). White-House Designated Hospital.

The cost of land, that can be tough - depends on how much you need. Did you know Idaho Falls is home to Sandy Downs and there are horse races at that racetrack throughout the summer? When Boise's racetrack was shut down a few years back, they used Sandy Downs weekly, as the members in Boise believe it (Sandy Downs) was the best option available to them.

There is a dedicated equine veterinaran who is located very close to Sandy Downs.

I hope this helps. The country roads would be a little more difficult for some, during the winter months, but it depends how far in the country you might locate. My biggest concern would be the cost of the property. But, again, everything is relative and if you are from CA or AZ, or even UT, much of ID looks far cheaper than what you are currenty paying.

Good luck finding what is right for you!

[crittersitter]

Thanks all. I am currently living in Central Virginia (about 16 - 18 inches of snow per winter - but much less this year). I grew up in NE PA. Mega snow (60-80 inches per winter) which I hated. I moved to Austin, Texas in my early 20's and spent 20 years there so I got used to no snow. I've also lived in Albuquerque, NM for a short time and NW Arkansas so I've seen a lot of country but never Idaho. I have always loved what I've seen of Idaho and dream of a less humid place to enjoy my horses. Unfortunately, we won't be filthy rich when we retire so I'm looking for cheap land. I haven't decided if I can live with the snow yet.....Thanks again.

[logicskier]

Originally Posted by crittersitter

We are starting to look for a retirement area for the future. We desire a more isolated location. Need low priced acreage for horses. Conservative values. Pleasant weather and not a lot of snow. Basic necessites like a Walmart and medical facilities within a 30 minute drive. Is there such a place there?

South Canyon County; South Nampa. Has everything you are looking for and is only 30 minute drive to Boise (non-rush hour).

[Mtn. States Resident]

Thanks for the info, crittersitter. logicskier may be able to give you an idea of prices in south Canyon county - I don't know.

You may want to look closer at Twin Falls County (Gooding County, Jerome and all through that area). Perhaps even by Mtn. Home. Some of the rural areas farther out of the Boise metro most likely would be a little cheaper than S. Canyon County. I think other posters have far more knowledge than I, of real estate prices in that part of the state.

Just to be clear, in no way am I saying anything negative about Canyon County, my colleagues tell me prices are much higher there than say closer to Mtn. Home or Twin Falls. But, you know your budget and I'd recommend, if possible, you start looking at some real estate organizations on line. Or, the Boise Newspapers, The Idaho Statesman does not require a subscription - Idaho Statesman | Boise, Idaho news, sports, outdoors, business, jobs. I'm not sure, but the paper may have properties listed closer to Twin Falls, but would absolutely have properties in Canyon County listed in their classifieds.

Good luck finding your own piece of ID that is right for the two of you!

[Syringaloid]

As Mtn. States Resident stated Idaho Falls does have an excellent hospital. It is a Level III trauma center, but it is not the most advanced in Idaho. Saint Alphonsus Hospital (a non profit Catholic hospital) in Boise is one of the most advanced in the Northwest and the most advanced hospital in Idaho. It has a Level II Trauma center and has one of the most advanced life flight fleets in the Western USA. The helis have to fly deep into the Idaho Wilderness and they are a beacon to many people. St. Als has recently added on with a new medical tower and has catapulted themselves so far ahead of other Idaho hospitals with advancement. They are still considered a Level II Trauma center, but did not re-apply for that certification because they have the reputation , the facilities, and felt that it was a waste of money to apply when the "label" is not really needed. My little bro works at St Al's and trained at EIRMC in Idaho Falls before transferring to Boise. He confirms that St Als is the most advanced in Idaho and that while EIRMS is very good, it cannot come close to St. Als. http://www.saintalphonsus.org/workfiles/foster_mcgaw.pdf (broken link)


Both Idaho Falls and Boise are very lovely cities. One is the big city and the other a small city. Both have different lifestlyes, but are both great places in Idaho.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

As Mtn. States Resident stated Idaho Falls does have an excellent hospital. It is a Level III trauma center, but it is not the most advanced in Idaho. Saint Alphonsus Hospital (a non profit Catholic hospital) in Boise is one of the most advanced in the Northwest and the most advanced hospital in Idaho. It has a Level II Trauma center and has one of the most advanced life flight fleets in the Western USA. The helis have to fly deep into the Idaho Wilderness and they are a beacon to many people. St. Als has recently added on with a new medical tower and has catapulted themselves so far ahead of other Idaho hospitals with advancement. They are still considered a Level II Trauma center, but did not re-apply for that certification because they have the reputation , the facilities, and felt that it was a waste of money to apply when the "label" is not really needed. My little bro works at St Al's and trained at EIRMC in Idaho Falls before transferring to Boise. He confirms that St Als is the most advanced in Idaho and that while EIRMS is very good, it cannot come close to St. Als. http://www.saintalphonsus.org/workfiles/foster_mcgaw.pdf (broken link)


Both Idaho Falls and Boise are very lovely cities. One is the big city and the other a small city. Both have different lifestlyes, but are both great places in Idaho.

Syringaloid, One reason I suggested crittersitter might want to check out the prices of real estate and homes in S. Canyon County, but also in other counties headed more towards Twin Falls, was crittersitter's concern with finances. The realtors I've spoken with in the Boise metro don't indicate less expensive property necessarily being in Canyon or Ada Counties, compared to some others. But, they may be wrong..there may be parts of Canyon County that are more affordable compared to other Boise metro neighborhoods.

Obviously, crittersitter and her husband know their budget and what looks affordable to them. You may have some other ideas of what cities or counties might meet their needs.

I recently read an article that raised a question I hadn't really thought about much previously, and that was the fact that the State of ID had an increase in Sales Tax compared to when many first started looking at relocating to ID. Additionally, with ID being in the top 3 states for rapid growth, not only are prices for a home or the land more expensive than probably even a year ago , but the taxes increasing on property based on metro status are raising at a much faster rate than some anticipated.

For those outside of ID who have lived in areas where their homes always would sell for 2-3X the amount paid for them, this probably isn't such a new concept. However, it was a very new idea for the person who wrote the article. She explained how her family hadn't really realized how rapidly property costs were raising (and subsequently taxes too) in Idaho, so they didn't really calculate those increasing numbers in their budget when first looking to relocate and doing the first recalculations of relocation. When it came time to knowing exactly how much land they could buy, with the home they were moving to, their family couldn't buy as many acres as they had hoped with the house they had selected.

If there is a specific sub-development or area of Canyon County that is focusing on the retiring population, would you please suggest some websites or names where I can learn more about that?

It's great to hear your information about St. Al's! Wow, that new patient tower - it sure it's nice from the outside. St. Al's is an excellent hospital like one would expect to find serving the Boise Metro Population and eastern OR and probably still northern Nevada and western ID. I know St. Luke's is building their network of hospitals and referral patterns. I don't know what other hospitals in western ID work directly with St. Als. However, I think the names of those hospitals and the communities where they are might beneficial for crittersitter (or at least it would me if I were looking at moving to southwestern ID.). I can't remember if some of the other hospitals in the Twin Falls area (like Jerome, Gooding Memorial etc.) are working directly with St. Al's or not.

Southwestern ID, especially in the Boise metro is starting to have more managed care and all the restrictions that come with it. No one disputes that Boise's metro population is about 500-600,000 people. I would think it would be very important to try to be in the service area of a St. Al's feeder hospital, if I wanted to live more rurally (where perhaps real estate may be more affordable), while knowing St. Al's was there for the most complicated care, if needed.

It seemed liked for many years St. Al's and EIRMC worked together to try to improve, especially emergency care, in their respective geographical areas. I just recently saw that St. Al's got an MFM and that has got to be a huge relief - and long overdue (no pun intended). Anyway, I think that is great news. I know how much the MFMs have added at EIRMC and it is so much easier for patients to receive that care at home.

Thanks for the additional info you added, Syringaloid. Hopefully, as crittersitter and her husband search for their special retirement spot, they will be remember that St. Luke's and St. Al's are not the same hospital as I think that can be confusing to many newer residents. Each are good hospitals and have their specialty areas. I'm not sure that some who haven't lived in Idaho understand the level of differentiation and sophistication each of those hospitals has undergone the last 5-10 years.

Syringaloid, just to reassure you, should you travel to eastern Idaho and need trauma care, EIRMC Trauma Center functions as a level II, and is a Level One Critical Care Center. That is why the EIRMC's Critical Care was awarded the prestigious Beacon Nursing Award, in 2005. I think steady improvement has continued in some hospitals in both the western and eastern sides of the state.

All residents and visitors benefit from the hospitals dedicated to improving and adding more services to their sophisticated care. I think it is reassuring to know for those considering moving to Idaho.

P.S. Syringaloid, Would you mind if I PM'd you some time to ask you more about why St. Al's is buying property in Bonneville County? Plus, I want to make sure you've seen the publication that disputes why St. Al's Trauma Designation wasn't renewed. Those topics really aren't pertinent to crittersitter finding the perfect place to retire. I hope we're able to PM in the future. Thanks.

[Alli]

Your question is a good one. I, too, am looking for a retirement home in a mild climate, with no serious weather threats, affordable housing and taxes, access to good health care and an airport. I don't want to be isolated but I do want a little space of my own. I hope we both get some good suggestions. I am doing all the research I can on the internet.