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Are there areas in Boise that should be avoided when looking to buy a home, i.e. more crime, traffic congestion, etc.?
Thanks!
It really depends on your budget and what want in a house and neighborhood. You couldn't pay me to live in Meridian or Eagle , yet many on here love it.
Are there areas in Boise that should be avoided when looking to buy a home, i.e. more crime, traffic congestion, etc.?
Thanks!
Traffic wise, I would be hesitant to live where I had to rely on State or Chinden westbound or Eagle northbound in the evenings. Traffic westbound on the freeway in the evenings is heavy but it generally moves well unless there's an accident - so as long as you aren't too far off the Eagle or Meridian exists you'll have a pretty reasonable commute.
Crime wise, there really isn't much here so you'll be fine almost anywhere. That being said, Canyon County does have more crime, and there are some pockets of Ada County I'd avoid as well. I know it isn't a perfect indicator, but I would plug the address of whatever house you're considering into the sex offender registry map and see who lives nearby. Personally I wouldn't live where there was a high concentration of those folks - I have two daughters and I'm a protective dad.
As was said above, the best answer to your question is "it depends." People like different things and have different priorities, so there's no right or wrong answer.
Crime wise, there really isn't much here so you'll be fine almost anywhere. That being said, Canyon County does have more crime, and there are some pockets of Ada County I'd avoid as well. I know it isn't a perfect indicator, but I would plug the address of whatever house you're considering into the sex offender registry map and see who lives nearby. Personally I wouldn't live where there was a high concentration of those folks - I have two daughters and I'm a protective dad.
This is a good point - there's no uniformly "bad" or dangerous areas but there are some streets and pockets that I would avoid, especially with kids. Find the general area you like and then zoom in on specific neighborhoods.
Budgetwise, we're hoping to find something $400K or less with at least a 4+ car garage or 2+ garage with extra shop/garage to house our motorcycles, tools, etc. RE: neighborhood - would like something that has sidewalks and is walkable, but that's not a high priority, the garage space is more important to keep hubby happy. Thanks. Appreciate your responses; your information is very helpful and encouraging.
At 400k, you can have your pick anywhere throughout the valley, but walkable AND 4+ car garage likely won't happen.
I'd suggest southeast Boise. Possibly Surprise Valley... Are you leaning more toward suburban or urban feel? If urban, I'd suggest the North End, but if you found something, you'd be at the very top of your budget.
No way are you going to find anything close to that in the north end right now for under 400K. You are going to find a garage that size for the price in west or south/southwest Boise, Meridian or Eagle. I just pulled listings and there are 90+ listings. There is one in a great west bench neighborhood that has a great attached 3 car garage plus a 2 car shop at the back of the property with street access to the street that runs behind the property. Lots of great options for sure!
No way are you going to find anything close to that in the north end right now for under 400K. You are going to find a garage that size for the price in west or south/southwest Boise, Meridian or Eagle. I just pulled listings and there are 90+ listings. There is one in a great west bench neighborhood that has a great attached 3 car garage plus a 2 car shop at the back of the property with street access to the street that runs behind the property. Lots of great options for sure!
I see the one you are talking about, and I think it looks like a beautiful house with a beautiful yard. I'd live there for sure. You can get a very nice house for $400k in Boise. I also noticed one for about half the price (just under $200k) with a 3 car plus another 3 car shop, so tons and tons of space, but without the beautiful yard, and very (VERY) dated, although it looks to be in good general condition. So if the OP wanted something they could get for a good price and do the updating themselves, that exists as well.
Neither would be particularly walkable, but I agree that a 5 car garage or garage + shop are going to be practically impossible to find in the more walkable areas of town. The one you mentioned would be a pretty bike-able area, relatively close to both the mall and the downtown parks.
Last place I worked we did work on the sheriff department's fleet, so got a chance to talk to lots of county LE. Asked a couple of these guys if there was anyplace in Ada County where it would be unsafe for them or a family member to walk through after dark. All of them said that other than a couple of blocks of Garden City and a few spots along the Boise river, Boise was an extremely safe city.
Doesn't sound like you are planning on moving to Canyon County, but was told that their are whole neighborhoods around Nampa and Caldwell that get dicey after dark.
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