As many are discovering nationwide, the cost of living his risen dramatically in recent years. While this is a nationwide situation (in my opinion due to rampant government debt spending innocently called “quantitative easing”), Idaho has generally been more of an oasis to protect families against the rampantly high cost of living in big cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and so many others.

This economic benefit to Idahoans (which plays out dramatically in disparate housing prices from many other states and metropolises) has led to a rising population and housing costs. Home values have appreciated dramatically in recent years, as have rents. This is not good for young people who don’t already have a house, and who therefore have to rent to be out on their own. However, it is good for homeowners.

In my 53, almost 54 years of life, my wife and I have rented a few times and owned four homes. I can say from experience that home ownership is worth the effort and savings to cost of living. If you can save as much as possible, get your family on a budget so you don’t go into debt on everyday expenses (Dave Ramsey’s approach is hard, but worth the effort, in my humble opinion), and purchase a home at a good price, with sufficient down, and a great interest rate, you can live well Idaho despite rising cost of living in Idaho. Yes, we have a rising cost of living in Idaho like the rest of the nation. But you also have some protection if you go about home ownership right (buy low and negotiate well, which is one of the ways I work hard for my clients).

I also have good contacts in the mortgage industry I can recommend who will get you pre-approved for a home purchase if at all possible given your finances. We can also work with sellers who are offering seller-financing that may be beneficial to you as a buyer.

Whatever your housing situation, or what you want your housing situation to be, I would be honored to help you achieve your real estate goals. And in the process,  I hope to make your cost of living in Idaho better than other parts of the nation. All we ask here in Idaho, is if you are coming here from out of state, please don’t bring the policies you ran from and replicate them here. We welcome newcomers, but we kind of like Idaho and want to keep it’s benefits for our kids and grandkids! 🙂

Sincerely,

Kevin Harper
kevin@1776re.com
208-249-8893