Unfamiliar Territory (Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls: sales, crime, buying a house)

[IndigoMoose]

Hi, everyone. My family will be relocating to Idaho next year and, while doing our research, have come across a few things that we are unfamiliar with. We're hoping that you can lend a hand with the lingo and assist with locals-only knowledge about a couple cities/towns we're debating.

Bully barn - what is it?

Swamp cooler - never heard of one, what is it?

Numbered streets - quite a few of the homes we've looked at online have included in the description a reference to the numbered streets. What is so terrific about living on a numbered street?

I'm still trying to figure out why realtors call the basement in a home the third level or fourth level... to me, the third level would be three levels above the ground floor and a basement is a basement. What am I missing?

Finally, can we get your input on the good/bad regions of a town? I know everyone will have their own opinions, but we're looking for a safe place to bring our three kids. The two main cities/towns we're considering are Pocatello and Idaho Falls or any of the surrounding communities. We're looking for a small town feel, being close to a University is a plus as hubby and I are both lifelong learners but crime, access to parks, and quiet neighborhoods are extremely important to our family. So, for the communities we're looking at... is the West side a better area than the South side for example? Do we focus on or avoid numbered streets? Live in downtown areas or steer clear?

Thanks so much!

[CafeDelSol]

Originally Posted by IndigoMoose

Hi, everyone. My family will be relocating to Idaho next year and, while doing our research, have come across a few things that we are unfamiliar with. We're hoping that you can lend a hand with the lingo and assist with locals-only knowledge about a couple cities/towns we're debating.

Bully barn - what is it?

Swamp cooler - never heard of one, what is it?

Numbered streets - quite a few of the homes we've looked at online have included in the description a reference to the numbered streets. What is so terrific about living on a numbered street?

I'm still trying to figure out why realtors call the basement in a home the third level or fourth level... to me, the third level would be three levels above the ground floor and a basement is a basement. What am I missing?

Finally, can we get your input on the good/bad regions of a town? I know everyone will have their own opinions, but we're looking for a safe place to bring our three kids. The two main cities/towns we're considering are Pocatello and Idaho Falls or any of the surrounding communities. We're looking for a small town feel, being close to a University is a plus as hubby and I are both lifelong learners but crime, access to parks, and quiet neighborhoods are extremely important to our family. So, for the communities we're looking at... is the West side a better area than the South side for example? Do we focus on or avoid numbered streets? Live in downtown areas or steer clear?

Thanks so much!

Bully Barn is a brand of storage shed that's shaped sort of like a barn.

A swamp cooler is a primitive air conditioner that converts the hot air inside your home to hot, HUMID air. I never quite understood the appeal of the things. You mostly see them on thirty year old mobile homes.

Numbered streets (First, Second, etc.) and lettered streets (A, B, C, etc) are the older streets closer to the river and downtown area. They consist mostly of very old houses built from the turn of the century to the 1960's, depending on distance from the river. I'd avoid them due to the fact that they are so old and most are not that well built. There ARE a few newer houses in the area but you have to hunt for them.

Not sure about the basement thing. It's not an additional level, it's a basement and should be called such. Maybe it's a new sales tactic used by certain agents. You need to be really careful buying a house with a basement in this area. Most builders here do not do any moisture proofing whatsoever on basements so you'll eventually have seepage problems.

The only areas in Idaho Falls I'd really avoid is BelAir and the lettered streets. And anything within a few blocks of Benton Street. BelAir was crap housing built after WWII and quickly went downhill. There are a few nicer houses in the area but it's still quite run down overall and the houses are VERY poorly built. The lettered streets, around "H" in particular, are higher crime areas (relatively speaking). Generally, anything within about a mile of the river is where you'll find many of the oldest houses and/or the worst neighborhoods. There are really no "bad" neighborhoods here compared to big cities but there are areas I wouldn't care to live.

There are lots of great neighborhoods here on all sides of the city. It depends on what you like and how close to which part of town you want to be. We have nice parks and lots of educational opportunities here. You can take classes at East Idaho Technical College or from U of I and ISU at the extension center.

[IndigoMoose]

Thanks for the info, CafeDelSol!

I'm curious about AC... there have been quite a few homes that we've looked at online that don't have air conditioning. It's such a common thing here in Nebraska, but I'm wondering if it's more of a luxury or unnecessary item in SE Idaho. I know it's cooler there and far less humid, but I still love my AC. You mentioned using caution when buying a house with a basement... are basements common or uncommon there? Here in tornado alley, basements are a necessity, but am not sure about ID.

I appreciate the info on the various areas of town. It's great to get some perspective from someone familiar with the area. Thanks!

[bookman]

Most of the newer homes in Poc. have A/C. E/C (evaporative cooling/swamp coolers) works well as long as the relative humidity is below about 20%. E/C uses far less electricity than A/C. Evaporative coolers require an outlet to force hot air out (e.g. open window/door or ceiling vents). A good example of E/C is getting out of a pool on a hot day and having wind instantly make you cold. That is caused by the rapid evaporation of moisture on your skin. Hope that helps

[cleosmom]

There are getting to be more and more homes here in IF that have Central Air, I think global warming my have something to do with it. When we arrived almost 20 years ago, you never wished for a/c except for maybe one week and well times have changed and our hotter days seem to be growing.

Basements here are more of a house plan rather than needed safety from the twisters. some are finished quite well having nearly everything there but the kitchen.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Swamp Coolers work well in dry climates where the humidity isn't very high. They can also help keep moisture inthe air to keep wood furniture from drying out/cracking.

[CafeDelSol]

Swamp coolers were popular when I was a kid growing up in Boise and all I remember is being hot and sweaty all the time. It was much better just opening the windows and turning the fans on. Idaho Falls is much drier so maybe they actually work here. I prefer my central air anyway. Now that's comfortable!

To answer IndigoMoose's question, a/c has almost become a necessity here with the long hot summers we've had. If you have a well-insulated house with a basement and forced air furnace you can usually get by without a/c. You just open up the house at night to let it cool off then close all the windows in the morning before the outside warms up. When it gets hot in the afternoon just turn on your blower and circulate the cool air through the house. This won't work as well though if the evening temps stay above 70 or so which they have been doing during our hottest spells. And it won't work at all if you have a cheaply built house where the contractor skimped on insulation and the windows and doors all leak around the edges (pretty much every house in my neighborhood, for example).

Basements - Love them and hate them. If I were to buy another house with a basement I'd want it unfinished unless I talked to the builder and he showed me documented proof the foundation was moisture-proofed. It's easy to do when building the house but very expensive to excavate after the house is finished.
Inside an unfinished basement you can use a good heavy waterproofer to seal the concrete before building the walls , followed by vapor barrier under the sheetrock. That should be acceptable unless you're in a flood plain, of which we have several.

As for weather shelters, I've only headed for my basement once for a tornado - after I realized it wasn't too smart standing outside trying to watch it! We got 90 mph winds out of that one and I lost a few shingles but nothing more. We normally have one or two funnel clouds officially spotted each year but they don't amount to much. It's those hurricane force micro-bursts that come out of nowhere you have to worry about. Those do much more damage but it's over small areas. One ripped my fence to shreds like it was toothpicks. Another slammed several big rigs off the highway like toy trucks. And you haven't lived until you get caught in one on a motorcycle!

[robi528]

I live in California in the high desert. We have a swamp cooler. It works great like previously post with high temperature and low humidity. In the years before we installed a swamp cooloer in the summer months here it would be 100-110 outside and to keep the house at a cool 78 degrees with the central air alone the bill would be 300-400 dollars. Now with the swamp cooler it is 68 in the house and the bill is 50-80 dollars a month. I like them very much. They do not work well when the humidity level is high though. They make everything muggy.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

I think they work best when outside humidity is less than 15%

[IndigoMoose]

Wow, you guys are full of great information! Thank you so much!