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Which city or town in the Boise area has the best $ per square foot ? We want to move to this area after retiring in the next 2-4 years. What is Medical insurance like? That is our main concern. Thank you in advance!
Which city or town in the Boise area has the best $ per square foot .......!
You might clarify what you think constitutes "the best $ per square foot". The cheapest? The best built for the price? Generally, the "best" house is going to be the expensive one. Purchasing on a budget is a balancing act between quality and price, not necessarily the lowest price available.
If it is cheapest you want, there are mobile homes in mobile home parks for very little money and some of them are quite nice.
Very likely, your current insurance will transfer. You could perhaps call them and ask.
Caldwell is as far out as I would go to be near medical facilities, and still give you bang for the buck. Lots of newer neighborhoods close to the $110-$115 a square foot.
Nampa has more medical facilities, and nice neighborhoods command $120-$125 a square foot.
Boise is pretty much full up and averages $150sf, and Meridian is getting full quick and closer to $160sf.
Building in Middleton, which 10 min north of Caldwell, its a small quiet area 5k to 8k people. House is 2200sq with some upgrades it was 260k, The same house in Meridian would be 320k
I will try to give you a fairly quick answer to price per sq. ft. but will defer to someone else on insurance.
Please try to avoid buying your home based on price per sq. ft. because it is not a very good way to buy a home. (Do you buy your car by the pound or your clothes by the yard?). However, since that is the unit of measure you selected, I will try to show you why it may not be effective.
1) The same builder in the same subdivision will vary on their own price per sq. ft. based on if it is a single level small home or a large two story square box. Keep in mind that a 1,000 sq. ft. home with a two car garage becomes a 2400 sq. ft. home if built as a two story on the same lot since you get to gain 1,000 up and another 400 sq. ft. over the garage without paying any more for the lot, landscaping, driveway, garage, foundation or roof! The kitchen is the most expensive room in the home on a per sq. ft. basis and if it doesn't get bigger/better on a two story, ... etc.
2) The design of the home makes a huge difference in price per sq. ft. Do you want a Victorian home with a huge covered porch, steep roofs, turrets, etc, or just a big rectangular / square boxy home?
CBH Homes is the largest volume builder in the state of Idaho (Toll Brothers builds more nationwide, but not as many in Idaho. Corey has a very popular floor plan called the Montico which is 1,934 sq. ft. and a two story home. Currently, the MLS shows 14 available for sale priced from a low of $195,540 in Caldwell, $213,040 in Nampa, $238,040 in Star, yet the same floor plan costs $303,755 in Eagle. Even though there is a $108,215 difference in price the exterior of each home can look different, their could be different landscaping/fencing, etc. Even if they were identical, that is only roughly $500 difference a month in payment. If you only make $10 an hour and spend an hour each way each day 5 x a week, that is still $433 a month and more! (52 weeks a year / 12 months = 4.33 weeks a month x 2 @ $10 hour = $433 / month) plus gasoline, oil, wear and tear on your car, etc.). Now factor in insurance, tax costs, quality of life, etc, and see if is worth it to you.
Another way to think of this is "if it was all about price per ___, wouldn't lingerie cost 1/10th of the cost of tent at Walmart or your favorite store? To stick to a a housing analogy, would you rather live in a nice town of equal or better homes worth 1.5X the average or in a community of 1976 mobile homes at 50% per sq. ft.? I am not trying to be a smart @ss, just trying to drive the point home.
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