Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Boise home prices return to 2008 levels


Boise home prices return to 2008 levels

Median housing prices nationwide – and in Boise – are at the highest rate since 2008, according to statistics released by RealtyTrac, a leading housing data source.
Ada County’s average home price for 2014 is $209,900, a 6 percent increase over last year, according to the Ada County Association of Realtors.

RealtyTrac pegs the national median sales price for October at $183,000, up 16 percent from a year ago to the highest level since September 2008.

“I think around 200,000, 205,000, 210,000 is the right place for us to be right now,” said Marc Lebowitz, executive director of the Ada County Association of Realtors.
Ada County bottomed out at $146,000 in 2011.

Combining Ada and Canyon Counties, RealtyTrac placed Treasure Valley among 21 cities deemed to have “lost steam” with home price appreciation from October 2013 to October 2014. Home appreciation in Boise-Nampa stumbled from 23 to 0 percent in the last year, the lowest among all the “losing steam” cities that include nine California metros and Phoenix.

Lebowitz, however, sees a half-full glass with home price appreciation.

“We are ahead of the timeline,” he said. “Our prices increased ahead of theirs, ours fell sooner than theirs and our recovery is starting sooner than theirs.”

Lebowitz believes home appreciation in Boise is starting an upward trajectory while other “losing steam cities may still see drops in home appreciation rates.”

Boise, however, is ahead of the nation on foreclosures. It is seeing half the foreclosure rates of the country as a whole. Foreclosures among outstanding Boise mortgages in September were at .8 percent, down from 1.47 percent in September 2013, according to real estate data provider CoreLogic.

The national foreclosure rate was 1.6 percent, CoreLogic reported.

The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Monday, November 17, 2014

Kennedy Wilson Acquires 324-Unit Apartment Community in Boise

The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs. Kennedy Wilson Acquires 324-Unit Apartment Community in Boise

YTD acquisitions for Company and its equity partners exceed $3 billion as global multifamily portfolio tops 20,000 units

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov 13, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global real estate investment and services firm Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) today announced that the Company purchased Reflections at River’s Edge, a 324-unit apartment community located in Boise, Idaho for $29.75 million investing $15.3 million of equity in the transaction (including closing costs). The Company also assumed debt of $15.2 million through Fannie Mae at a fixed rate of 5.3% with 5-years of interest only remaining.

“We are extremely excited to begin our presence in the Boise market with the acquisition of Reflections at River’s Edge,” said Kurt Zech, President of Kennedy Wilson Multifamily. “Boise is a strong, stable market with unemployment well below the national average. Employment and population growth has been very strong and have outpaced the national growth rate over the past decade.”

Reflections is located in the West End neighborhood of Boise. The property sits on a picturesque lake and is located 1.5 miles from downtown Boise. The adjacent greenbelt bike path provides tenants with easy access to Downtown and Boise State University. Immediately north of Reflections, a large parcel will soon be developed into a multi-use regional park. The Esther Simplot Park is a 55-acre property that includes 17 acres of ponds and will include fishing ponds, picnic areas, green spaces, public amphitheater and a whitewater park.

Kennedy Wilson’s global multifamily portfolio now totals 20,007 units. Real estate related acquisitions by the company and its equity partners year-to-date total more than $3.0 billion, which includes approximately $2.3 billion acquired by Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate plc.

About Kennedy Wilson

Founded in 1977, Kennedy Wilson is a vertically integrated global real estate investment and services company headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, with 25 offices in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Spain, Jersey and Japan. The company, on its own or with partners, invests opportunistically in a variety of real estate related investments, including commercial, multifamily, loan purchases and originations, residential, and hotels. Kennedy Wilson offers a comprehensive array of real estate services including investment management, property services, auction, conventional sales, brokerage and research. For further information on Kennedy Wilson, please visit www.kennedywilson.com.

SOURCE: Kennedy Wilson

Kennedy Wilson
Christina Cha, 310-887-6217
VP of Corporate Communication
ir@kennedywilson.com
www.kennedywilson.com

Copyright Business Wire 2014



PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Multifamily Holding Strong!

Multifamily Holding Strong!

The national apartment market strength is not slowing down though many predicted it would. As national effective rent growth reached a 35 month high in September, occupancy remained above 95 %.

September’s effective rent growth of 4.3%, the strongest since the 4.4% of October 2011, is a 22-basis-point (bps) increase from August 2014′s 4.1% and a 131-bps difference from September 2013′s 3.0%.

Year-to-date (YTD) effective rent growth decreased by 2 bps to 5.5% in September, which is not surprising given the trends of the recovery period. YTD rent growth has peaked in August or September during the past four years and then declined somewhat before the end of the year.

 Meanwhile, YTD effective rent growth was stronger than any other post-recession year for the sixth straight month and is still stronger than the 5.2% recorded for the first nine months of 2010 and 2011.

National occupancy declined by 10 basis points from August’s 95.2% to 95.1%, the second highest rate since Axiometrics started reporting on a monthly basis in April 2008.

Historically, occupancy peaks in August or September, so the market appears to be following its seasonal pattern, but at a higher level.

This apartment cycle – which began in 2010 –  is already longer than the last one (2004 -2008), and the market continues to perform strongly. The apartment sector’s strength is surprising to many analysts, especially so deep into the current cycle.

The main factors driving this cycle’s second peak include the growing number of prime renters, those between 20-34 years old, and the fact that these renters are unwilling or unable to purchase homes.

The population in the prime renter cohort is larger than in the last cycle. Also, the home ownership rate has decreased from the last cycle. The prime renter age group is either not willing to or not able to purchase a home.

Ten years ago, the prime renter age group population (red bars in the chart below) was smaller. This cohort was also more interested in owning homes.

Another reason for the spike in rent growth at the beginning of the current cycle is that supply and demand were misaligned. Rent growth really started to pick up when the economic recovery began and job growth accelerated. Meanwhile, little, if any, new apartment supply was being delivered. Now that new units are being delivered, job growth and rent growth are more in balance.

-Axiometrics Inc.

The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Thursday, October 16, 2014

JUST LISTED - 7.25%+ Cap 13 Unit Apartment Building Caldwell ID blocks from College of Idaho

Indiana Avenue Apts. Thirteen Unit Apartment Building close to College of Idaho in Caldwell. Eight units on main floor with highly desirable townhouse style 2 Bedroom and 1 bath units. Four lower level apartments and one exterior apartment; all 2 bedroom 1 bath units. Low vacancy rates; vacant units typically pre-rented. Located close to business corridor between Nampa and Caldwell; shopping, employment centers, movie theater/restaurant complex, etc. Convenient coin operated laundry in building. Click here for listing for listing information.



The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Friday, October 3, 2014

Looking to Move to Boise Idaho or Invest in Boise Idaho Real Estate? Check out this video!

Check out this REALLY cool video from Greenbelt Magazine. If you are looking to move to Boise Idaho, you'll see a host of reasons to do so in this video. If you are looking for a home in Boise Idaho or an investment property in Boise Idaho, please call or email us. We can help you!



The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Friday, September 26, 2014

Home Selling Tips Every Seller Should Know


Home Selling Tips Every Seller Should Know

Price Your Home Realistically From the Start

94.3 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.0 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

The largest number of showings will occur in the first couple of weeks, so don’t turn these potential buyers off with an unrealistically high price!

Keep Your House Clean, Tidy and De-cluttered

91.4 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.4 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

It pays to keep your home in excellent shape at all times. You never know when a buyer might walk through the front door!

Work With an Agent Who Excels at Online Marketing

90.7 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.6 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Work with an agent who will do a good job marketing your home online. Your agent should take at least 6 listing photos and write a compelling listing description for your home.

Make It Easy to Show Your Home

90.3 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.4 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Make it as easy as possible for agents to show your home to clients. Don’t require appointments to be made weeks in advance or severely limit possible showing times.

Don’t Sign With an Unqualified Buyer

87.8 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.6 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Don’t sign a purchase agreement with an unqualified buyer. It’s not unreasonable to expect buyers to bring pre-approval letters (or proof of funds for cash purchases) to show they can buy your home.

Listen to Your Agent!

83.9 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.8 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Listen to your real estate agent! Find an agent you can trust and follow their advice and recommendations as closely as you can.

Make Small Upgrades to Your Home

83.6 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.2 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Make small upgrades to help your home sell for top dollar. These upgrades can include applying a fresh coat of paint, replacing door handles, curtains and cabinet hardware, fixing leaky faucets and cleaning the grout.

Work With an Agent Who Follows the Competition

82.4 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

1.4 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Work with an agent that will closely follow your competition. Your agent must be familiar with other properties on the market and know the comps in your neighborhood.

Stage Your Home’s Exterior

76.0 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.0 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Stage the exterior of your home: Spruce up the landscaping, trim vegetation, clean walkways of debris and apply fresh coats of paint to the house, fence and deck.

Don’t Insist on the Asking Price

72.0 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

3.0 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Don’t insist on selling your house for your asking price, its appraised value, the tax assessor’s estimate, or what you paid for it – your house is ultimately worth what the buyer is willing to pay for it!

Alert Family and Friends

67.7 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.6 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Alert your friends, relatives and neighbors that your home is on the market via email and social media. They may forward your home’s listing to buyers they know.

Make Your Home Move-In Ready

66.6 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

0.9 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Make your home move-in ready before it hits the market, so buyers know they won’t have a to-do list if they buy it.

Brighten Up Your Home

64.8 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

1.0 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Maximize the amount of light in your home. Take down drapes, clean windows and cut bushes to let sunshine in.

Clear Out Your Closets

63.1 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

1.0 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Because storage space is an important consideration for buyers, take half of the stuff out of your closets and neatly organize the rest.

Don’t Take the First Offer

59.4 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

3.4 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Don’t get over-excited when you get an offer! Examine each offer carefully and take your time deciding if you want to accept it.

De-Personalize Your Home

57.9 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

2.6 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Personal items make it harder for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. Put family photos, trophies, memorabilia and other personal keepsakes in storage.

Don’t Over-Upgrade

56.6 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

1.7 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project just before you put your house on the market.

Conceal Your Pets

52.8 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

5.5 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Pets give the impression your house isn’t clean, so hide them, their litter boxes, food dishes and toys during showings.

Don’t Work With the First Agent You Find

51.8 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

5.9 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Interview multiple agents before choosing one to work with. Select your agent based on their marketing plan, experience, work ethic and communication skills.

Hire a Professional Listing Photographer

37.1 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

16.4 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your home if your agent doesn’t do so. Professional listing photos only cost $100-300 and can increase your home’s sale price by up to $19,000.

Throw Buyers a Bone to Close Escrow Quickly

29.5 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

10.8 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

If you want a speedy and hassle-free escrow, throw your buyer a bone (like an early closing or a one-year home warranty) if they ask for one. You want to be in their good graces during escrow and after the sale.

Offer Up Extras to the Buyers

17.0 percent of agents say this is a very important tip

14.7 percent of agents don’t recommend this tip

Offer to leave behind items as extras, like high-end appliances and electronics, or if you live on a golf course, your golf cart.

The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Buying a House? 4 Reasons to DO IT NOW

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today, instead of waiting.

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

The Home Price Expectation Survey polls a distinguished panel of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts. Their most recent report projects appreciation in home values over the next five years to be between 30.8% (most optimistic) and 9.4% (most pessimistic).

The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase

Although the Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage are currently around 4.2%, Freddie Mac is projecting that rates will increase to 5.2% by this time next year.

An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. Your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

3. Either Way, You are Paying a Mortgage

As a research paper from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University explains:

“Households must consume housing whether they own or rent. Not even accounting for more favorable tax treatment of owning, homeowners pay debt service to pay down their own principal while households that rent pay down the principal of a landlord plus a rate of return. That’s yet another reason owning often does—as Americans intuit—end up making more financial sense than renting.”

4. It’s Time to Move On with Your Life

The ‘cost’ of a home is determined by two major components: the price of the home and the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise.

But, what if they weren’t? Would you wait?

Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide whether it is worth waiting. Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, you want your family to be safer, or you just want to have control over renovations, maybe it is time to buy.

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.

The Iron Eagle Realty Team's mission is to assist you, our client, in the sale and acquisition of real estate properties in the state of Idaho, specifically the Boise Idaho Real Estate Market. Whether you are buying or selling a home, whether it is a foreclosure, short sale or equity property, we handle our customers and clients with empathy and honest truths so they can make informed decisions as they advance in the process of buying and selling real estate that meet specific needs.
PS: We've Helped More Buyers and Sellers than 99.8% of any Local Realtor
Click Here to Search 24/7 for The Best Real Estate Deals in Boise!
Click Here to Download Our Free "Selling Your Home" Pre-Listing Plan! 
Click Here to Pre-Qualify for a Loan Online!

IERT logo
Regards, Michael Hon, REALTOR®
CEO, The Iron Eagle Realty Team
Associate Broker, Silvercreek Realty Group
Certified Short Sale Specialist®
Investment Property Consultant
Direct: 208.919.0458 Office: 208.939.9033 Fax: 208.514.1422
www.IronEagleRE.com Michael.Hon@IronEagleRE.com