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SE Boise is a very hard place to find a house, the good houses get snatched up right away. One thing to consider with many of the two bedroom houses on the Bench is that the lots are large enough that you can easily put on an additional third bedroom in the future. A lot of the Bench houses that are three bedrooms were originally two bedroom houses and they converted the garage into the third bedroom. That's why you have lots of three bedroom houses with no garage.
Micro ...
one the hand you say that the good areas of the bench are N of Overland and EAST of Orchard ...but then in the next section you say that the nicests areas are between Orchard and Maple Grove. That area is West of Orchard ... so now I'm confused. What am I missing?
Plus, what do you think about the bench area with small children (7 and 3)
I like it there because of the proximity to Down Town, but some folks have implied that I wouldn't want to be there with children. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks for all of the great advice. While I still have your ear, could you please give me your opinion on SE Boise? To be more specific, could you compare SE Boise and the bench area for me in terms of housing prices, size of lots, traffic, etc.? Any reason to avoid looking here?
Another question I have is about the re-sale of houses in Boise. I see many houses in my price range with 3 bdrm and no garage, or else 2 bdrms and (sometimes) a garage. Was wondering if it would be a better investment in Boise to go for the garage or to go for the third bedroom. I'm curious to hear what your hunches are.
I live in SE Boise (just off of ParckCenter) and LOVE IT, but I am renting ($910) an 1100 square-foot (s.f.) townhouse because that is the only way I can afford that part of town.
SE Boise is very expensive to buy. My wife and I looked at buying an condo/townhouse in "River Run". It was about 900 s.f. but it cost $270,000. Although, I qualify, I would be stuck to eating mac&cheese every night.
You can find less expensive areas in SE Boise, but you will likely be close to I-84, the airport, Federal Way, or living right beneath the New York Canal (big canal).
As for traffic in SE Boise, it is a very easy commute and BSU is at most 10 minutes away.
Alley - There are two prime areas of the Bench that I think are good, the Depot Bench neighborhood and the west Bench neighborhood. The Depot Bench still has that funky in-transition feel and there are deals just waiting to be snapped up and is primarily located behind the train depot and off of Vista Avenue.
The west Bench overlooks Garden City and starts west of Orchard. This is full of well kept family homes on big lots and has the lowest amount of renters. If you are looking for a classic 1950's/60's ranch or split level this is the place to go. As my wife put it, lot's of Brady Bunch houses around there. Hope this eliminates any confusion.
We own a home in SE/Downtown Boise, East of Broadway & West of Park Center. It is one of the nicest homes in the immediate area & we bought last summer for $280,000 for 3400 sq. ft. There are alot of older homes in the area though, fixer uppers, renters, & college students but cute smaller homes tucked throughout. I think SE Boise is generally a nice, safe area to live. I prefer it to SW Boise & is closer/easier access to BSU.
Some people have suggested that I rent for awhile to get a feel for the neighborhoods, but since I have pets, I would prefer to purchase a house rather than rent. I'm not necessarily looking for a "dream house," but some place where I can live comfortably, say for 5 years or so.
Your responses have been invaluable - I have a better idea of the places I'd like to check out when I meet with the realtor in Boise this fall. Thanks for the help!
My house is for sale, it's close to BSU but far enough away that it's quiet.It's priced around 212K and is 1650 sf. A beautiful house, unique, not your cookie cutter.
I will be moving to Boise at the end of the year. I will be working at BSU and would like to purchase a house that is actually in Boise (not one of the nearby communities), mainly because I would like to live near the university and also because I want to avoid traffic as much as possible.
I'm looking for a modest house with a decent yard and would like to avoid the cookie-cutter subdivisions if possible. I'm afraid my price range ($150-170k) will probably prevent me from purchasing in the North End as I would prefer to get a house with at least 1000 sq ft.
Can anyone give me their opinion on the Boise Bench area and how it compares with other areas of Boise? There appear to be several houses there that are in my price range. Also, does anyone have any opinions about southeast vs. southwest Boise or northwest Boise vs. the Bench? I'm from out-of-state and would like to get be as informed as possible about the different areas within Boise city limits, so that I can maximize the use of my time when I go out to visit.
Thanks in advance.
Have you tried looking in the lakewood area or Columbia Village?
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I'm confused ...
