Boise & Foothills/Mountain Areas (Eagle, Emmett: for sale, houses, unemployment)

[manatra]

Looks like my wife's company will be relocating us to Boise. We live in a far west suburban area of Chicago which until 10 years ago was a farm town. We're looking for an area fairly close to Boise, within maybe 40-45 minutes, where homes are reasonably priced ( I know that's a relative statement ) and NOT one on top of the other, I don't want look out the window and know what my neighbor is having for breakfast. In fact if I didn't see my neighbor every day, that wouldn't be a bad thing either! The other thing we need is a decent school system for our 9 year old son. Coming from an area where the schools are breaking our backs with tax referendum after referendum, we'd really like to blend in to the local area, as long as the schools aren't gang infested or have water pouring through the roof.

Any suggestions on areas I can start looking at would be appreciated.

[Anchorless]

Good luck finding all of that here.

If you want isolation you'll be dealing with future annexation, increased taxes due to the dozens and dozens of ridiculous new planned communities popping up in our foothills, and pretty broke school districts. Emmett's school district is broke, Middleton's school burned down, Star has reported facility problems, as has Garden Valley.

If you're looking for good schools in an higher class area you're looking at the outskirts of Eagle or Kuna. Eagle is growing so rapidly that no matter where you build you'll be surrounded in a few years, and Kuna is out in the desert, far from the foothills and also growing rapidly.

You could try buying Simplot's old house (the governor's mansion) - it's on its own hill.

(And personally I strongly urge you to not consider adding to our problems by building in the foothills - you're only encouraging the many problems our area faces, including sprawl, air pollution, and destruction of our natural areas)

[manatra]

Thanks for the speedy reply. I've spend some time reading through many of the posts about Idaho. First, we don't plan to build, we prefer to find an existing home. The area we live in outside Chicago (about 50 miles west) was, until 10 years ago largely rural and farm. Now, the farms grow houses and everyone who has moved here claims they moved here for "the open space" however, I don't call houses sitting 20 feet apart, open space. I've read quite a bit about what seems to be a CA vs ID issue. I think it's similar to what we're experiencing here with the newcomers and the building and clogged roads. I appreciate the feelings of the folks out there. We're not "corporate nomads" having never relocated due to work before, however my wife's company is looking at moving her to Boise, the way the economy seems to be going, it's move or the unemployment line so not much choice there. I've also read about the school districts and it does seem that outside of the cities that funding is a big problem and I'm seeing that property taxes are based on market value which seems odd and can cause wild swings in taxation. We're definitely not going into this with the idea that it's all milk and honey, we just want to try and do the best we can with the least amount of impact. We're going to come out to the Boise area in April and take a look around. Hopefully we can get a better idea of what to do.

[Anchorless]

Originally Posted by manatra

Thanks for the speedy reply. I've spend some time reading through many of the posts about Idaho. First, we don't plan to build, we prefer to find an existing home. The area we live in outside Chicago (about 50 miles west) was, until 10 years ago largely rural and farm. Now, the farms grow houses and everyone who has moved here claims they moved here for "the open space" however, I don't call houses sitting 20 feet apart, open space. I've read quite a bit about what seems to be a CA vs ID issue. I think it's similar to what we're experiencing here with the newcomers and the building and clogged roads. I appreciate the feelings of the folks out there. We're not "corporate nomads" having never relocated due to work before, however my wife's company is looking at moving her to Boise, the way the economy seems to be going, it's move or the unemployment line so not much choice there. I've also read about the school districts and it does seem that outside of the cities that funding is a big problem and I'm seeing that property taxes are based on market value which seems odd and can cause wild swings in taxation. We're definitely not going into this with the idea that it's all milk and honey, we just want to try and do the best we can with the least amount of impact. We're going to come out to the Boise area in April and take a look around. Hopefully we can get a better idea of what to do.

I appreciate this response, especially in light of some difficulties I encounter here in some of the responses and opinions I give.

There are many communities and neighborhoods that do put a premium on property space and that exist in a more favorable location - Hidden Springs, for instance, has a great school and is in an incredible location. However, the homes are expensive and tend to be very...odd, in an almost Tim Burton way.

A lot of the homes in the lower foothills feed into the very great Boise School District, and have many of the things you want, but do suffer from space (they're built almost on top of each other).

Again, take your time to look around. You'll find something you like, and you'll also find a community that deeply cares for its land and water resources. You sound like you'll be very much a great addition to this community.

[manatra]

Anchorless, Thanks again for the comments. I have read several of your posts and I think we're actually on the same page, just in different states. We have so many people moving out from Chicago and inner suburbs as well as out of state. No problem with that. The issue is that they then end up missing what they left and attempt to recreate it. THAT is what causes so many problems, along with a disregard as to understanding why the local population may not be happy about your recreating CA or CHI or what-have-you. If you move to a place, you need to become part of the landscape, not change it. Just my opinion there.

It sounds like as many people leave ID as move in so there should be some houses for sale without building. I like used cars, so a used house is fine! Everyone wants to build new and that leads to issues of all sorts, water runoff and retention, needing to draw more natural resources and on and on. My wife found a home in an area called Wilderness Ranch which looked to be sort of between Boise and Idaho City. Idaho City schools serve that area I guess and they seem to be having the financial problems you speak of, but if they get the job done, that's ok.

I'll keep reading and between that and visiting, we'll see what shakes loose.

Keep sounding off.....growth, with control, reason and consideration is not bad, it's when the big $$ starts talking that it gets out of hand. Once the land is changed, it's too late.

[Anchorless]

Awesome.

Agreed, and great post.