Last week I read an amazing blog from Michelle Heart talking about the difference in homes you can get in the $300,000 range from Boise, Meridian and Nampa. Having just bought a house in Nampa, I felt like I should chime in with some advice that I learned throughout my process. My goal is just to make it easier for you.

The number one must have when looking into purchasing a home is a quick moving and good communicating real estate agent. I will say that when we were looking at purchasing a home it was more difficult being an out of state buyer. Yes, the seller can choose to accept or decline any offer they want for any reason. And being an out of state buyer makes sellers worry more about backing out of the deal.

The Boise Housing Market is so hot right now, almost anything listed has an offer within a day or two. My wife and I made offers on four properties before ours was accepted for our home in Nampa, which we are delighted with. There is no way we would have our home without an agent that kept in contact with us constantly.

Other than getting a great real estate agent, the other bit of advice I have is don't get tired of searching. It will be a long and challenging battle, but I promise you the payoff is so worth it. Okay, one last thing, don't settle. Make a list of the things you really want in a home and make sure you don't settle when making one of the biggest purchases of your life. Good luck and happy house hunting.

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