Curb Appeal 1
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Memorial Day weekend has become the unofficial signal of the official beginning of summer. Schools are recessing, graduations are being celebrated and moving vans populate the roads. It is a time of change for many people.

Along with this season of change, a very active real estate market kicks into high gear. The activity can be intense, and it is crucial to be prepared if selling your home is in your plan.

With almost all first impressions being created by internet browsing, it is imperative to win at least a showing of your property by prospective buyers. Making sure the curb appeal 1 of your property is fresh and inviting will go a long way to finding a quick sale.

Clean the yard. Grass trimmed, and shrubs manicured. Toys stowed in the garage or storage area. Showing a clean and inviting outdoor space cannot be stressed enough.

House numbers. It is easy and inexpensive to replace house numbers with new ones. Make sure they are noticeable and stay with the style of the house.

Light fixtures. Replacing the light fixtures with by the entrance door will not only freshen the appearance but keeping outside lighting on through the evening extends your drive-by appeal.

Entrance door. Make sure the entrance door is in good repair and freshly painted or finished. A new welcoming accent color that blends with the siding of your home, makes a huge statement. Get help from your local paint store for creative color choices.

Garage doors. The biggest return on investment is still the garage door and front entrance door. If the garage door is accessed and visible at the front of the house, it now becomes a substantial part of your front landscape. Make sure it in perfect repair and consider adding or changing some panels to enhance the look.

Finally Home!
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Created under the leadership of former Governor Phillip E. Batt in 1997, Finally Home! is an educational course designed to learn the process of buying a home in Idaho.

The Finally Home! program originated in 1997 when the need for a homebuyer education program in Idaho became apparent. Former Idaho Governor Philip E. Batt formed an affordable Housing Advisory Task Force to look at the many views of Idaho’s housing picture. Public hearings were held around the state and through those hearings; the Task Force discovered a lack of coordination, understanding and knowledge regarding Idaho’s affordable housing problems and solutions. With that information in hand, the Task Force made several recommendations to Governor Batt. Those recommendations included the need for quality, standardized homebuyer education throughout the state.

With homebuyer education recognized as one solution to Idaho’s affordable housing problems, several organizations, including profit and nonprofit organizations, accepted the challenge of creating a statewide homebuyer education program. After many hours of volunteer time and the input of a diverse group of people and organizations through the state, Finally Home! was organized and  homebuyer education program became a reality.

In 1999, Idaho Housing and Finance Association  teamed up with seven non-profit agencies from across Idaho to offer homebuyer education through the Finally Home! program. The Finally Home! program serves low-and-moderate income, prospective homebuyers through the state of Idaho who are generally purchasing their first home.

In 2004, the first online version of the Finally Home! course was introduced.  The online course was originally developed to provide education to those living in rural areas that were too far from live class sites.  With the advancement of technology and the increased demand for online education, the online Finally Home! course has been revamped and modernized into its current program.  The Finally Home! online course now offers homebuyers in differing states the ability to take a comprehensive education program.

The course will give a prospective first-time homebuyer a solid base of understanding of the home buying process and requirements, including mortgage programs, qualification requirements, credit, budgeting and fees connected to purchasing a home. Completion of the course will reveal sources of funding help in the form of down payment and or closing cost assistance, lower rates and gifted funds.

The course is completed in 6 hours and is available in a traditional classroom setting. An online version is also available. There is a $20 fee for classroom instruction and the online version is $50. The online version is offered in either English or Spanish.

The course is being offered:

May 22 and May 24, 2018, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM (each session)

College of Southern Idaho

Taylor Building, Room 276

315 Falls Avenue Twin Falls ID 83301

• Both sessions are required attendance for a completion certificate.
• Pre-registration is required by calling 208.732.6442
• Online @ Registration (As of 2-20-2024 this course is still offered)

Car Condos
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Buy a condo for your vintage car, boat or RV. Really? It appears to be a growing trend to address how and where to store upscale motorized toys. Multiple cars. Vintage and collector cars. RV’s. Boats. Car condos are climate-controlled places to warehouse, out of the weather, work- on, and enjoy your luxury and recreational vehicles, or other storage items.

Rather than rent a storage unit or multiple storage units, garage condos give you the option to buy your own storage area that is plumbed, heated, wired for phone, cable TV and internet. You receive a deed, title insurance along with all the benefits of owning commercial real estate.

Car lifts, lofts, kitchenettes and seating areas with large screen TV’s, are a few of the popular features condo owners install after purchase. The condos cannot be used for living quarters but can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Established now in bigger metropolitan areas, the introduction of garage condos has been a hit. The concept is sure to find its way to less densely populated areas. As with traditional condos, layout, size and amenities vary. Common areas are maintained by traditional HOA monthly fees.

One advertisement proclaims,” a solution for now….an investment for the future”.