Relocating: How's area around Ustick and Maple Grove? (Boise, Meridian: flat fee, rent)

[azfamof4]

We are relocating and are looking at a property located between Ustick/Fairview and Five Mile/Maple Grove. Is this part of Boise or is this area part of Garden City or is it Meridian? It looks like there may be a few older homes there and quite a few newer duplexes or townhomes. Is this area a good place to settle with kids? If I remember right, Garden City off of Chinden was much more industrial. I'm not looking for lots of new houses necessarily, just want to make sure that the area is decent and a relatively safe and friendly place for the kids.

[grmi66]

It's considered west Boise, when we moved here I was looking in that area too and found a good mix of older houses. Most of the houses will be 70's and a 80's suburban ranch with a little bit of infill of newer homes. My agent told me when I was looking at that area to check and see if the neighborhood had flood irrigation. I would drive down some streets in the summer and one subdivison would be half brown and across the street another subdivision would be lush and green because of cheap irrigation water.

I'm guessing by your name you are coming up from Arizona, it will be safer than most neighborhoods in Phoenix.

[azfamof4]

Thanks for the input grmi66 - it's so nice to be able to use these forums to try to feel our way through the relcoation process without actually being there!

We are actually in Surprise, just northwest of Phoenix, but raised in North Phoenix growing up. We are sooooo ready to get out of this place!! Not sure this particular piece of preperty we are looking at is what we want to get into though, maybe we'll rent for 6 months or a year til we get our bearings.

[grmi66]

We moved here from north Phoenix 5 years ago. Renting for the first 6 months was the best option for us, gave me the time to figure out what side of town was the best for us. Really wanted a 50's or 60's rancher on a big lot in the west Bench neighborhood like the houses off Central Avenue in Phoenix, but quickly found that most of them did not have master bathrooms. So it takes a few months to figure out what the differences between Arizona and Boise houses are.

[Lacerta]

I've lived in the area of town you're looking at for 30 years. Yes, it is definitely West Boise. Personally, I really like it up here. I feel safe walking around by myself, or leaving my windows open at night. I've even accidentally left my garage door standing wide open all day while I was at work and never had any problem. I'm in a newer townhouse in a newer subdivision, but completely surrounded by houses 20-30 years old, so there is definitely a mix.

Personally, I'd much rather have "pressurized irrigation" than flood. Pressurized just comes out of your normal sprinklers, just like city water, and it can run on a clock. That's what much of West Boise/Meridian has. Of course, if you have sprinklers, you do have to winterize them here, unlike Phoenix.

Speaking of cheap water, some areas in that part of town are actually Capital Water rather than United Water. Capital Water is non-metered for residential, so you can use as much as you like for a flat fee. Currently, I think it is around $15-20 in the winter and $35-40 in the summer. They don't supply a very large area, but if you end up looking at one, that is a plus.

I think renting in an area before making a purchase decision is usually a good idea, and I would never discourage someone from doing so. On the other hand, prices and interest rates are both so incredibly low right now ... that makes the decision a bit tougher.

[zoso1979]

[quote=Lacerta;20358345]
Personally, I'd much rather have "pressurized irrigation" than flood. Pressurized just comes out of your normal sprinklers, just like city water, and it can run on a clock. That's what much of West Boise/Meridian has. Of course, if you have sprinklers, you do have to winterize them here, unlike Phoenix.

Speaking of cheap water, some areas in that part of town are actually Capital Water rather than United Water. Capital Water is non-metered for residential, so you can use as much as you like for a flat fee. Currently, I think it is around $15-20 in the winter and $35-40 in the summer. They don't supply a very large area, but if you end up looking at one, that is a plus.
quote]

We live in SE Boise on United Water. For a city lot and family of 4 our annual water bill is about $40 more for the year and we try and be careful (not overly so). I wouldn't say water bills are a deal breaker relative to the part of town you choose.

[azfamof4]

Awesome information from everybody! Thanks so much for all of the input. Any input on electric for 1700 sq foot single story in the same area? Has central cooling and heat.

[grmi66]

A lot cheaper than Arizona, just got my most expensive electric bill of the year for $181. I have a 2800 sq foot house with the A/C, computers, tv's and video games constantly running.

[Lacerta]

We have a couple of tenants in properties that don't have pressurized irrigation, they have to water the lawn off city water. Summertime bills of $200/month are not unheard of. So while it may not break the bank, it is something to consider.

For power/gas combined, I would figure an average of $150/month. Of course that is highly dependent on both usage and power/gas and efficiency of the house. Spring and Fall are often pretty cheap here utility wise, because you don't have to either heat or cool much.

[zoso1979]

The main utilities, power, gas, and water all have a level pay option. You don't have the cheap months, but you can avoid the high seasonal bills. Those play havoc on our budget. I wouldn't do it any other way.