Are Boise Residents Being ‘Stalked’ and ‘Targeted’ For Their Homes?

Have you received letters in the mail from "local realtors" telling you they "want nothing more than to build relationship." Maybe you've received a few phone calls or texts informing you that people are interested in your house and you should sell today. You're not alone. This has been happening to hundreds of people all across the valley. Not only is it annoying, but it's slightly creepy too.

This isn't anything new; people report they've been receiving these types of messages for years! Who's really sending these pesky letters though? Is it an actual local realtor truly wanting to "building relationships with the community," or could it be another business entity entirely?

Vanishing Boise, a Facebook group "of concerned citizens who advocate for a sustainable community in Boise and the Treasure Valley," shared a post about one resident who claims they were able to trace the letters they've been receiving back to a PO Box in Vancouver, Washington belonging to a private equity firm. It is believed that these letters are being sent by "out-of-state speculators and fly-by-night hucksters seeking properties to flip at inflated prices to newcomers." That sure makes this whole thing sound even more creepy!

The page even claims that investors have been scanning obituaries with the intent on purchasing property of someone who has recently passed for a "quick home sale." It's not necessary illegal but it's certainly ethically questionable. One frustrated homeowner has reportedly gone as far as to contact Idaho’s attorney general to pursue an investigation into "speculative real estate practices."

However if these investors are simply that and are not licensed real estate agents, then they are not subjected to professional industry ethics. Hence those annoying, overbearing, and borderline stalker-ish letters you've been receiving.