Hey there friends! 💁🏼‍♀️With the winter season still hanging around, why not get out your calendars and mark down some important dates to have something to look forward to 🙌🏻
I’ve round up a few events coming up in the Meridian/Nampa/Boise area that are bound to be crowd pleasers. 

Take a look:

- Winter is a hard season to feel cheerful sometimes... but don’t fret! Art Therapy for Winter Blues at the Meridian Public Library will be available Feb 26th at 6:30pm 
This is an opportunity to spark your creativity and help rejuvenate us after our winter funks. 
All skill levels are welcome! 
Register here: 
mld.org

- A volunteer service fair will be hosted by the Meridian Public Library on Saturday March 2nd from 10AM-1PM. 
This is a great opportunity to learn how you can get involved in your own community by partnering with local non profits and service clubs that are in need of someone just like you! 
*Please note: There will also be a diaper drive for this event. You are invited to bring new, clean, disposable or cloth diapers to be donated to the Idaho diaper bank. 

- If you haven’t seen it now is your chance!
Broadways very own WICKED is coming to the Morrison Center in Boise starting March 6th. 
It is well worth seeing and so fun for the entire family!
Snag your tickets here: 
http://wicked-musical.info/cities/Boise

- The 47th annual Roadster Show presented by Les Schwab Tire Centers will be at the Expo Idaho March 8th-10th. 
This awesome family friendly event showcases the best hot rods, customs, motorcycles, restorations, cool trick machines and much more! 
Learn more information here:
https://firebirdonline.com/events/roadstershow-2/

- Monster Jam will be at the Ford Idaho Center March 8th and 9th. 
Get your tickets here:
http://www.boiseticketfinder.com/buy-tickets/03-09-2019/monster-jam/607579.html

- Jurassic Quest at is coming to the Expo Idaho March 29th-31st. 
This event is The Largest Exhibition of Lifesize, Moving, Museum-Quality Dinosaurs in North America!
There will be face painting, bounce houses, science stations, crafts, dinosaur rides and so much more!
Get your tickets here: 
https://www.maingatetickets.com/events/view/336

- The village is hosting their annual Playhouses event in support of Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity May 7th-11th. 
A variety of one of a kind playhouses will be on display and available for sale by raffle and online bidding. 
Join to win some awesome prizes and all in support of a great cause!

- The 12th annual Idaho’s largest garage sale will be Saturday May 18th from 7am-5pm at Expo Idaho. 
This is an opportunity to bargain shop from both commercial and residential sellers all under one roof! Dave Hester from Storage Wars will be visiting and available for meet and greets. 
Food vendors and a children’s play area will be provided. 
Find more information here:
http://idahoslargestgaragesale.

Know of anything fun coming up? I would love to hear all about it! 
Otherwise, I’ll see you around at one of these fun events 💕


Xo, Valerie

Hi there, friends! 👋🏼  It’s a beautiful wintery day here in the treasure valley, and I have had so many questions about the housing market in Meridian. So I figured for my FIRST blog post I'd share an article I found on the google the other day.


I was reading an article by the Idaho Press that was published last May that gave a lot of great information and facts that I wanted to share for those who have been curious. Here are some of the highlights:


“...For the past three years, Meridian has exceeded the number of new residential units approved in any other city in Ada or Canyon counties. In 2017, the number of residential units approved in Meridian more than doubled that of Boise — and almost doubled the total amount of residential units approved in all of Canyon County...


...The influx of new houses on the market is one factor bumping up Meridian's average home price by more than 10 percent, as new construction costs more than existing homes... 


...According to a report by the Boise Regional Realtors, Meridian was the third most expensive place to buy a house in Ada County from April 2017 to April 2018. Eagle was the most expensive, with the median sales price of a single-family home at $451,302, followed by Star at $310,674...


...The median cost of a single-family residence in Meridian during the same time period was $302,893 — a 12.9 percent increase from a year ago, according to the same report. The median cost of a house in Boise was $282,812...


...Meridian land value has increased 16 percent in the past year, Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade said. He agreed this was one of many culminating factors making it more expensive to buy a house in Meridian...


...According to Cassie Zimmerman, director of communications for the Boise Regional Realtors, the cost of new houses in Ada County is notably higher than existing houses...


...In 2017, the median price of existing houses in Ada County was $275,000, almost $100,000 below the new house median price of $371,476, she said. This price difference is one reason the median sale cost of a homes in Boise was lower than Meridian — the Meridian's real estate market is made up of mostly new homes... 


...In 2017, there were 2,277 residential units built in Meridian, making up 30.8 percent of residential growth in the Treasure Valley area, according to a report by the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, or COMPASS... 


...In comparison, there were 1,076 units approved in Boise — making up 14.6 percent of residential growth — and 799 units approved in Nampa — making up 10.8 percent...


...Older, smaller houses are still popular too, and often purchased by young couples as their first home...


...Northwest and south Meridian are hot spots for housing development. A map developed by COMPASS shows that most of Meridian's building permits issued for single-family residential construction fell in these two areas in 2017...


...According to a report by the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service, for the first quarter of 2018, the median cost of a new house in southeast Meridian was $412,450 and an existing house was $330,000, making it arguably the most expensive area to buy a house in Meridian...


...The majority of homes in Meridian during the first quarter of 2018 were sold in northeast Meridian and northwest Meridian — 425 out of 577 sold, according to the Intermountain MLS...


...Meanwhile, the majority of permits for multifamily apartments were filed for areas along Overland Road in 2017. In 2017 the largest number of multifamily residential units were approved in Meridian over the last 15 years — which was 798 units, according to a report by COMPASS... 


...According to Miller with COMPASS, there is a need for multifamily housing in Meridian as the number of families in the area grows larger. Miller said the increase in multifamily permits is indicative of the demand for housing new urban amenities and highways...”


This article can be found at:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.idahopress.com/meridian/news/meridian-housing-market-rd-most-expensive-and-fastest-growing-in/article_bdf3867f-d73b-5f8a-809e-f1b8229ef009.amp.html
​
As always, I'm available any time to answer any questions or concerns you may have about finding your corner of the world that you make home!

Xo, Valerie