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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.
It's a good time to get on the Bench right now. There are some houses in your price range if you don't mind having to fix them up. When looking on the Bench, try to stay north of Overland.
I think the Bench will be the next North End and the potential to see a lot of appreciation is possible. The only downside is that some of the neighborhoods are still in transition, so your neighbors might be a little rough for a couple of years.
Thank you micrguy. This is exactly the information I was looking for, especially the tip about staying north of Overland, which I wouldn't have known about.
Yes micrguy is right. There are 27 listings in that price range right now on the bench. When I pull up SE and SW there are 19 listings. Next to the Bench, SE Boise is also a good area to look at as your commute time will be short. I think for the most part buying anywhere in Boise will be a good investment.
What area or streets are the North End and the Bench? Is there a good website that will list homes for sale by these names or do you need to know the street names?
It's area 400 in MLS language, that's the Boise Bench area. PM me with your email address and I can email you a map of how the different areas are broken up. And/Or I can set you up in MLS to only receive listings from that area if you want and that can give you an idea. Just let me know.
Thanks for the input. One more question: If I were to look north of Overland, would you suggest looking east or west of Orchard Street, or perhaps there isn't a large difference between these areas?
In response to smiles' question, I have found the search engine on Boise Idaho Real Estate | Boise Idaho Interactive MLS Home Search | Genius Realty to be the most useful for dissecting the different Boise neighborhoods. You can search just "Bench" or just "Boise SE" and it will display on a map the properties in the selected neighborhood, without crowding the map with a hundred other properties scattered throughout the city.
(I'm not affiliated with this realty company nor is it my intention to promote it. I've just found this to be a useful website to search the MLS by neighborhoods.)
The prime Bench neighborhoods are located north of Overland and east of Orchard. There are occasional pockets of good neighborhoods like the area around Hillcrest Golf Course (but for what you can afford, you will hear the freeway 24/7) and there is also the Randolph/Robertson neighborhood which is off of Curtis and Overland.
The area with the most potential is called the Depot Bench neighborhood which is essentially all of the neighborhoods behind the Depot and off of Vista Avenue.
There is also the west Bench area which overlooks Garden City from Orchard to Maple Grove. This is probably the nicest area in terms of what the houses and yards look like and the overall feel of the neighborhood. There are very few rentals in that area. However the downside is that house prices start at a minimum of $250,000.
Thanks for the info. We are looking at a certain "hidden" planned community in the foothills, but I don't want to miss out if there is a better area in town. Well I have other questions, but do not want to hijack this thread. So I will start a new one. Thanks again.
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.
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