As a low income person is small town idaho still worth it? (houses, buying)

[jwest09]

Originally Posted by nowhereman427

It looks to be that East Idaho - Pocatello, Idaho Falls to Rigby has more affordable homes and new homes in comparison to the Treasure Valley/Boise area where alot of people are moving to.

Because the much colder snowier windy weather, and a high concentration of LDS, is a turn off for the majority of non- LDS fair weather wealthy California to Idaho home buyers. Price isn't a issue for them.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by jwest09

Because the much colder snowier windy weather, and a high concentration of LDS, is a turn off for the majority of non- LDS fair weather wealthy California to Idaho home buyers. Price isn't a issue for them.

Unless a newly constructed home is the target.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by banjomike

More affordable, maybe.
But home scarcity down here is extraordinarily severe. I've never seen homes move as fast as they are now in my life.

2 in my neighborhood in a month's time. One was listed for only a week, and the other, which has problems, lasted for 2 1/2 weeks before selling.

Both are homes build in the early 60s that would have taken over a month to sell during more normal times.

Here we get multiple bids and homes usually sell within one week to a few weeks.

[Cdarocks]

So an interesting development...someone we know in N ID has decided to sell their house and has offered it to us at a great price. It's a decent sized home, meticulously maintained, in one of our desired locations. What an easy transaction this would be. The problem is I don't love the house. I've been there many times. The layout doesn't work for us.

I feel absolutely rotten for not jumping at this when people are lining up to be there.

I'm in Canada and have been for the last several weeks, so my spouse and I have been having all our conversations via face time. While I'm away our realtor has previewed our home, all the needed items on our list have been done including refinishing our hardwood floors (was already on our personal to do list). They are beautiful! Our realtor has a professional photographer that is taking all the pics tomorrow. And still we have no idea where we are going to when we sell. Outside of our friend's house that has been offered to us for sale, we have no leads. We have seen one house in our price range we actually wanted to make an offer on. Our budget is pretty healthy, but it's riiiiight under the line of the really nice places in our preferred locations that also have property and/or shops and there is a ton of competition at our point.

Tonight we started talking about doing something alternative, possibly coming to stay a month at a time in a vrbo while maintaining our current home, which also happens to come with sunshine in the winter . It wouldn't be a vacation, we'd just be working from there and seeing family as part of every day life while we were there. We may do this for a year and re-visit the move. What a murky place we are in with our plans.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Have you considered buying your friends' home and then flipping it? In other words, treat it as if you're renting it from yourselves while looking for a place that suits you better--without the rush? It will be a hassle, but under the circumstances it might make sense.

[nm9stheham]

Originally Posted by Cdarocks

So an interesting development...someone we know in N ID has decided to sell their house and has offered it to us at a great price. It's a decent sized home, meticulously maintained, in one of our desired locations. What an easy transaction this would be. The problem is I don't love the house. I've been there many times. The layout doesn't work for us.

I feel absolutely rotten for not jumping at this when people are lining up to be there.

I'm in Canada and have been for the last several weeks, so my spouse and I have been having all our conversations via face time. While I'm away our realtor has previewed our home, all the needed items on our list have been done including refinishing our hardwood floors (was already on our personal to do list). They are beautiful! Our realtor has a professional photographer that is taking all the pics tomorrow. And still we have no idea where we are going to when we sell. Outside of our friend's house that has been offered to us for sale, we have no leads. We have seen one house in our price range we actually wanted to make an offer on. Our budget is pretty healthy, but it's riiiiight under the line of the really nice places in our preferred locations that also have property and/or shops and there is a ton of competition at our point.

Tonight we started talking about doing something alternative, possibly coming to stay a month at a time in a vrbo while maintaining our current home, which also happens to come with sunshine in the winter . It wouldn't be a vacation, we'd just be working from there and seeing family as part of every day life while we were there. We may do this for a year and re-visit the move. What a murky place we are in with our plans.

Don't feel too rotten... if it does not work for you, then you don't have to 'settle'. Plus, realize that a direct sale to you would cut out a realtor's commission for your acquaintance.

Depending on how good the deal is, CFF's idea has merit. You'd sell the present house at a known market peak (presumably that is going on in your neck of the woods too), and make a good deal 'interim' house. Whether you could flip the interim house after a while is unknown.... maybe you could or maybe the market will cool. But you would save the VRBO rental $$ towards what you want. The downside is that you are committed to a move.

Never easy to call... we have been 'missing' a lot of houses we liked for about 3 years now due to various reasons. Now that the last 'hurdle' is being cleared, the market is way up and the latest house we wanted has just gone under contract LOL. Oh well, like you guys, we don't 'have' to do anything....and there will be more houses.

[Cdarocks]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Have you considered buying your friends' home and then flipping it? In other words, treat it as if you're renting it from yourselves while looking for a place that suits you better--without the rush? It will be a hassle, but under the circumstances it might make sense.

This idea definitely has me thinking.



I think we'll be there in December. If he hasn't listed it yet, I am sure we will take a look at it closely. His price to us definitely reflects the savings of him not listing it with an agent. We also have a family member there who has offered my husband office space at his business whenever we are there. It certainly makes finding somewhere to stay easier if we aren't constantly looking for somewhere with an office.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Have you considered buying your friends' home and then flipping it? In other words, treat it as if you're renting it from yourselves while looking for a place that suits you better--without the rush? It will be a hassle, but under the circumstances it might make sense.

If I sold my house to a friend for a great price so my friend could move to CDA, where houses are hard to come by, and then the friend flipped the house, it would put a serious strain on the relationship.

[Cdarocks]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

If I sold my house to a friend for a great price so my friend could move to CDA, where houses are hard to come by, and then the friend flipped the house, it would put a serious strain on the relationship.

Don't worry - we won't do anything to offend our friend. If we buy it, it will be because we figured out enough ways to make it better for ourselves to stay in it.


But CFF got me thinking about other ways to make all this happen. There are small houses with smaller prices in locations we like, maybe flipping one of those types of homes is an option. Just thinking out loud. The market may cool, so location is key.

[banjomike]

This thread has been going on since August.
I've read lots and lots of responses on the first part of the OP's question, but very little on the second part:

Is living in a small Idaho town still worth it?

We all now know buying a home is going to be expensive. What say you all to the rest of the question? Some folks have answered it, but most have not.

I can't give an answer because I've been here all along. I was never a newcomer.

Has life in Idaho turned out better, or worse, or no big difference? Was it worth the move? If so, what made it worth the expense, upheaval and trouble?