I’m sure you’ve all been feeling the heat of the Treasure Valley these past few weeks! Our summers are not terribly long but they sure are hot. The housing market has also been pretty hot the past month, let’s take a look at what’s been going on and also see what big differences there are between the rental market and the buying/selling market.

The Treasure Valley, specifically the area surrounding Boise, is a hotspot for out-of-state buyers and big investors. As a result of the high demands for homes and properties, prices for both rentals and homes for sale are quite high. Boise’s median rent is around $1,800 a month and Meridian is around $2,300 a month. Nampa, a more affordable larger city, is around $1,500 a month. Many renters who can’t afford the areas on the east side of the valley are starting to move out towards Caldwell and beyond. As for homes on the buying and selling market, Ada County’s median sold price was $540,990 in March 2026 down 4.25% year over year; and Canyon County’s median sold price was at $432,490, up 1.76% year over year. Ada County is at about 2 months of inventory, and Canyon County is at just over 2 months of inventory, both under the ideal of 4-6 months of inventory, but definitely better than we’ve had in previous years.

Overall, we do still believe that if you can buy, do it! Renting can be good for short-term, but with the influx of newcomers to our state, renting prices are high and options are slim. It would be better for most people to put money towards something they can own, even if maybe you live a bit further out from Boise than you’d prefer. Consider your options and stay informed, contact us at TVRE and PM if you have any questions!

Summer is finally here in the Treasure Valley with its long, sunny days, ongoing celebrations of the U.S.A’s 250^th birthday, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures with the whole family. If you’re hoping to move into a different home this summer, whether to get more space for your family or to downsize and have less space or yard to take care of, you will have to decide whether you can buy or need to rent. Maybe you’re waiting on a new build to be finished, or don’t know what exactly you even want yet, or maybe you genuinely don’t have the financial ability to purchase a home for yourself. Renting is a great option for any of those scenarios! Let’s take a look at how the Treasure Valley rental market is doing this summer.

There’s a strong rental market in the Treasure Valley, with over 3,000 listings as of Spring 2026. Many landlords are competing for tenants and are working properties to appeal to families who normally would have bought houses already but are waiting out the high prices of the current market. There are also plenty of new builds being worked on and people often need temporary housing while they’re waiting for their homes to be finished. 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes are often the most attractive rentals, and Meridian, Caldwell, Kuna, and Middleton are some of the hot places to get homes since they are affordable and accessible locations. Most rentals range from $1,500 to $2,500 a month.

If you’re looking to rent, you’ll want to ask yourself what your long-term goals are and find something that works for your family and that won’t trap you in a rental agreement for longer than you need. Pay attention to your finances and keep an eye on the market if you’re hoping to be able to buy a home soon, don’t let your monthly rent eat away at your savings when you could be putting that money into a mortgage payment. Feel free to ask us at TVPM and RE any questions you might have, and don’t forget to research and stay informed.

In this day and age, you may think that renting is the best choice for long-term savings. And in some cases, you may be right! However, you might be surprised at the passive savings that you can accumulate just from living in your own home and paying off a mortgage instead of paying rent.

While renting is typically cheaper than paying a mortgage, owning a home means that you can collect equity, which is the financial stake you have in your home. If you put a down payment of 20%, then your equity will be 20% of the home’s value at closing. Each time you pay your mortgage, you gain more equity in your home until you own it outright. If you were to sell your home and you have 40% equity from paying off your mortgage each month, you will receive more money than what you paid initially on the sale of your home! But if you were paying a landlord, the rent you deliver each month will make its way into your landlord’s pocket and not back into yours, unlike with selling your home and gaining back your equity.

In addition to building equity, owning a home also means that you can refinance and potentially sell your home at a greater price in the future. Or, if you decide to stay there long-term, it would mean that you never have to worry about a landlord kicking you out or raising your rent and you can put down permanent roots. Renting does have its benefits too, however, if you’re not able to factor in the costs of maintenance, property taxes, and mortgage payments into your budget yet then renting is great for keeping a roof over your head while you save. But, if you’re able to buy a home and just haven’t yet, you should do it! You’re missing out on the equity you could be building just from owning your home and the rent you are paying each month is just going down the drain (AKA into someone else’s pockets).

Contact us at TV Idaho RE and PM if you have questions regarding home equity or renting, or just want to talk about home ownership or selling your home! We’re happy to help you in any way we can.

Are you planning on selling your home this year? Selling a home can be overwhelming, whether it’s your first time or your fifth, and there’s a lot of things vying for your attention before you can even put it on the market. One thing that is important is how your home is presented to potential buyers: how it looks, smells, and is listed online. Here’s a few things that can help you to narrow down what’s urgently needed done in your house and what can wait for the new owner.

The first thing a buyer typically notices for a home is the online listing. A real estate agent is usually the one who makes the online listing for a home, but you’ll want to make sure a good photographer is taking the photos of your home and that your home is well lit, clean, and possibly staged in the photos. You can choose to either stage your home yourself with your own furniture, borrow or rent furniture from someone, or even hire a professional stager to do the work for you. The important things to focus on when you’re staging a room is a minimal look with neutral colors and bright lighting, natural is usually best.

Second thing a buyer will notice is what they see when they first pull up to your house. How do the front yard and entryway look? Maybe you need to sweep, pressure wash, or touch up paint in the front; or plant some colorful flowers in your front planter and mow your lawn. Whatever it takes to be a pleasant introduction to your home!

For the interior: declutter every surface, remove family photos from walls, touch up paint, fix broken handles or dead lightbulbs, and clean! Hide any valuables you have laying around and check for smells, a bad smelling home can put off potential buyers even if it’s just a full trashcan or dirty toilet making the smell and not something worse. Try and make it easy for a buyer to look at your home and see themselves living in it, everything should be open and well lit. Don’t over-stress about all imperfections however, fixes can always be negotiated in offers if something is very important to a potential buyer.

Lastly, know when you want to sell your home! Get all your paperwork lined up, check your warranties, budget, and get in touch with a real estate agent. You’ll want to enter this time of selling your home with all the information you’ll need to sell your home at a price that’s worth it to you but reasonable in the market we’re in in 2026. Please reach out to us at TV Idaho RE and PM and we can start the conversation about selling your home this year!

Starter homes: properties with a few bedrooms and small lot size perfect for young couples starting a family. Maybe with a child or two already, these couples are looking for something affordable and manageable that fits their family, and they want to own something, not rent. These kinds of starter homes have been increasing in value over the past few years, making it almost impossible for many couples to afford a down payment, let alone the rising interest rates on their mortgages. Many couples are now opting to buy old homes, which can have many hidden costs and upkeep or fixes that don’t accompany new builds.

There could be some changes coming up that would make it easier for people to buy starter homes, however! New build sizes have been shrinking in the past few years, and our own Idaho government is working on legislation that would enable housing to be more affordable, open more land for building, and remove laws prohibiting existing homeowners to build on their own property. Lawmakers are hoping to enable churches and other religious organizations to build homes on their property and remove restrictions in place in HOAs to make room for specific starter homes or duplexes to be built in neighborhoods. Between these proposed laws and a hopeful balance in the economy, 2026 could look a lot different for new home buyers looking for a smaller start.

Home buying is not just for yourself and your family in the now, but you could also keep the home you buy now when you’re ready to move again and rent it out, building generational wealth for your family. It’s also better financially to put money towards owning something through a mortgage instead of paying for a rental every month. So even if it takes a little longer to fix the market than we hope it will, definitely stay informed, know your goals and finances, and don’t forget: date the rate, marry the house!

Let us know if we can help you in any way here at TV Idaho PM and RE, we’re always happy to answer questions and help you stay informed!