McCall could get its first bike park.

ByAutum Robertson – BoiseDev Reporter

The Flight Path Bike Park is planned for about 5 acres of undeveloped land north of Deinhard Lane and the McCall Airport and just east of the city’s existing paved trail system. 

CIMBA partnered with The Land Group Inc. and the McCall Parks and Recreation Department to make this project happen. Right now, the development team is waiting for final approval of its memorandum of understanding from the city. After that is done, they will work on getting building permits. 

In the picture from left to right: Kersten Dettrich (The Land Group), Matt Brewster (CIMBA), Kurt Wolf (City of McCall), and Dominick Guliuzza (CIMBA). Photo: courtesy CIMBA.

Once permits are assigned, Guliuzza said the hope is to break ground this summer and open by the end of summer 2025.

Full Article:  Flight Path Bike Park planned for McCall, ID (boisedev.com)

What constitutes a “Seller’s Market” vs a “Buyer’s Market” and Does it Matter?

“It’s a Seller’s Market” is something we are hearing in the real estate industry.   How do we know for sure and how does it affect your selling or buying in our market?  Here is one perspective:

“Simply put, a seller’s market is a market where there are more homebuyers than sellers. Based on basic laws of supply and demand, this means sellers have the upper hand: They will likely sell their place quickly, perhaps for over asking price, with a minimum of fuss or pushback from buyers.  So here’s what buyers need to know about seller’s markets—and how to survive them.

Are we in a seller’s market?

For the greater part of 2021 and 2022, the U.S. housing market was a seller’s market. Homes were flying off the market in record time due to historically low mortgage rates and sellers were in the driver’s seat. Buyers all over the country had to waive contingencies and offer over asking just to have a chance at being the winning bid.

But in the last several months, uncertainty about the economy, inflation, mortgage rates, and more has stunted the market—and taken power away from buyers and sellers alike. Some experts have dubbed it “nobody’s market” right now. Others still believe we’re in a seller’s market, especially in hot areas of the country where buyer demand is high and median days on market is low.

Are you in a seller’s market? How to tell

Home buyers and sellers can evaluate whether they’re in a buyer’s or seller’s market by analyzing a few key variables:

• Average days on market (DOM). This measurement shows the median age of real estate listings in your area. “If houses are selling in your neighborhood in less than 10 days, it’s a strong seller’s market,” Lejeune says. You can find what the average DOM is in your city using realtor.com’s Local Market Trends tool.
• Asking vs. final home price. In seller’s markets, bidding wars can often erupt among buyers, which means sellers may enjoy a final sales price that’s equal to their asking price, or more. So, if a home is listed at $450,000 and sells for $450,000, $460,000, or higher, that’s a seller’s market. In a strong seller’s market, the final sales price is typically at least 10% higher than the asking price. You can compare listing price vs. closing price in various cities across the country at realtor.com/local.
• Home prices over time. Rising home prices over time is a sure sign of a seller’s market. You can determine if home prices are rising or falling in your city by looking at your ZIP code’s “market price curve” on BuilderOnline.com.

Buying a house in a seller’s market

To compete against other buyers in a seller’s market, you need to be prepared. First and foremost, you’ll need a mortgage pre-approval letter before you start shopping, so that a seller knows you can put your money where your mouth is.

You may also have to waive some contingencies to edge out other buyers—or widen your search to an up-and-coming neighborhood with less demand.

Other ways to make your offer more attractive include increasing the amount of earnest money that you’ll put into the escrow deposit, adding an escalation clause, writing a personal letter to the seller and, of course, offering above list price. Here’s more advice for home buyers on how to survive a seller’s market.”

For Full Article, click on What Is a Seller’s Market? A Tough Road for Home Buyers (realtor.com)

Author Daniel Bortz

Apr 20, 2023  Daniel Bortz has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Money magazine, Consumer Reports, Entrepreneur magazine, and more. He is also a Realtor in Virginia.

THANK YOU TAMFAM!

WE ARE STAYING OPEN THROUGH SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH

With more than 330 inches of snowfall and seeing your smiling faces on the mountain this winter, we wanted to say thank you to our guests for making it such a great season. We have extended our closing date to Saturday, April 8th. See below for details regarding the bonus week.

LIFT OPERATIONS:

Monday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 8th

Discovery, Tamarack Express, and Summit Express will all be open from 9:00am – 4:00pm

All other lifts will be closed

GROOMED TRAILS:

The following trails will be groomed:

• Discovery
• Homestead
• Waltz
• Upper Serenity
• Upper Showtime
• Canoe Ridge
• Upper Bliss
• Lower Bliss
• Showtime Terrain Park

FOR ALL THE DETAILS VISIT:  Bonus Week — Tamarack Resort (tamarackidaho.com)

It’s snowing like crazy at the mountain, but we wanted to share our upcoming Spring events! Mark your calendar, these are “can’t miss” events including Beer & Gear, Gaper Day, Gelande Quaff, the Cardboard Classic, and a farewell to Centennial Triple Chair.

For All The Details, visit:

Fresh Snow, Spring Events Keep Stoke Levels High at Brundage Mountain – Brundage Mountain Resort

“I can assure you, my friends, that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than it is to keep it under the mattress,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt told the U.S. public on March 12, 1933.

What just happened? Two banks failing and potentially more..? There is a lot to unpack but public confidence has always been key. And the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp) was put in place to help keep consumer confidence up, and protect depositors when needed. In 1934 FDIC insurance was introduced at $2500 per depositor per institution, today it is at $250,000 per depositor per institution for money accounts (the FDIC does not cover investment instruments such as stocks). FDIC insurance is funded by a premium of 12 cents for every $100 deposited into the Bank Insured funds account.

How are home sales doing amongst all of this rate volatility? We are still in a low inventory market with an uptick in loan applications. All indications are that the housing market is strong, and prices remain fairly stable in our market.

And where are rates heading? Rates will remain cyclical and come down after they are done going up. Indicators are that rates will continue up this year, but, the bank failures will very likely have some impact to help bring them down by next.

While there is no crystal ball for the economy, one of the first things to keep in mind is the banks in question are smaller more focused banks. Silicon Valley Bank focused more on tech start-ups, and Signature Bank focused more on the Crypto market. The larger banks will not fail, are probably too big to fail – but may pull back on some of its lending programs to wait out the storm. A couple of keynotes on these failures is the president announced right away all depositors will be made whole even above the FDIC insurance of $250k and that this will not be taxpayer burden. The Federal Reserve announced they are rolling out a Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) that is being put in place to safeguard institutions affected by the market instability of these failures. And this BTFP in essence will give banks a 1-year loan backed by the securities collateral on their own balance sheet. The collateral on their balance sheet will be valued at original par value (not market value which would have had a discounted value with today’s higher bond yields). So, can we assume the Federal Reserve knows they will be lowering rates (yields) in 1-year? My bet is there may be some good news for rates, but, of course probably after we see one or two more rate hikes this year as promised, perhaps they will not be as significant.

My message is if you are looking to buy a home it is a great day to get prequalified and discuss ways you can safeguard your rate and buying power.

Feel free to contact me to discuss the economy or how you might refinance or purchase your next home. There are a ton of programs out there to help.

Thank you!

Anissa Rooney

Mortgage Professional 

208-271-6143 – call or text

arooney@mccallmc.com

www.mccallmortgageco.com

Mortgage Solutions Inspired by Community We are a mortgage broker specializing in understanding and offering multiple lending options for every unique purchase scenario.  Start an application Our Resources Start an on-line application today to save time. Only include what you are comfortable with providing and we will discuss the rest. More > Mortgage Professional Anissa Rooney

Winter has fully arrived in Valley County with upwards of two feet of snow expected in town within the next two days!

Here are some timely tips from the Valley County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Department of Transportation regarding Winter Driving:

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SLIDE OFF THE ROAD:

Tis the season for slide offs. Especially in weather like today.

Here are some suggestions on what to do if you slide off the road:

If you slide off the road and there is no damage to either your vehicle, another vehicle or property (fences, poles, etc.) contact a tow company or roadside service to assist you in getting out.

If you slide off the road and there is damage to your vehicle or other property, this could be a reportable accident, depending on the amount of damage. More than $1500 in damage is considered a reportable accident and you should contact law enforcement to file a report.

We get lots of calls about vehicles sliding off the road and many people are not able to stop to get further information or assist the other vehicle, if that is the case, please make sure you try and gather as much information as you can about the vehicle that you are calling in. Knowing what kind of vehicle, the color, model type, exact location, what side of the road and its condition are very helpful to us so we can manage the limited resources we have during winter storms.

If you are the one that slid off the road, give us a call, let us know you have help on the way, it helps with our response and management of our Deputy’s time so we can better serve our communities. We have a huge response area, and we want to make sure that we are using our resources to the best of our ability, and this is one way you can help us.

Be safe, slow down and pay attention to the road and not your phone! Most of the accidents we have had in the past few months are due to people not paying attention to the road and being distracted.

WHAT TO DO WHEN ENCOUNTERING A SNOW PLOW ON AREA ROADS:

Do you know how to act when you meet a snow plow on the road? We want to make sure you and our plow operators are safe and sound this winter, so check out the Dos and Don’ts of driving near plows on our website: https://itd.idaho.gov/news/snow-plow-dos-and-donts/

As Always, check road reports, check your tires, carry an emergency kit in your car with all essentials and food to stay warm and dry if you should have an accident or be stranded.  Slow down, give the cars in front of you plenty of extra room, and take your time.  Let It Snow!

Check https://511.idaho.gov to know before you go.

Are You Winter-Ready?

McCall received its first dusting of measurable snow overnight, and the temps have really plummeted. If you haven’t already, now is the time to winterize your cabin and get your car ready for snowy travel.

There are numerous checklists to be found online that will help you be winter-ready in both your home and automobile.  Here are two to get you started:

Auto Checklist:

*winter snow/ice/studded tires
*ice scraper and snow brush

*flashlight/flares/emergency flashers

*clay kitty litter for traction

*winter de-icing fluid

*re-check tire pressure

*carry water and snacks

*snow shovel

*first-aid kit

*gloves

*blankets

*jumper cables

*heavy duty tow strap

*sunglasses

*cell phone charger

*always let someone know what roads you will be travelling

Cabin Checklist: 

*remove trash and perishable foods
*have propane topped off and have on auto refill if possible

*check fireplace flue

*check baseboard heaters and keep clear of any flammable materials

*change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries

*remove liquids from cabin and garage that might freeze

*set thermostats to above freezing

*check weather stripping around doors and windows to minimize cracks

*open cabinet doors in kitchen and baths to help pipes from freezing/insulate pipes

*unplug kitchen appliances, tv’s, computers to save energy

*replace furnace filters

*set interior and exterior lights with timers

*ensure doors and windows are closed and locked

*shut garages, and any outbuildings such as sheds and boat houses

*drain outdoor hoses and insulate hose bibs

Happy Winter!