Pat Thacker

Well its hot in Idaho right now and everyone is enjoying the water sports and sunshine. Everybody but fire fighters!   Most home owners don’t have to worry too much about fire, but acreage owners have more things they should be concerned with.

1. Tall dry grasses and thunderstorms can create ferocious fires that move fast! But if you keep a defensible space around all of your out buildings and home, you will reduce the risk. Fire marshal’s recommend a minimum of 50 ft, but if you live in the foot hills above the treasure valley, or any where  … Continue reading →

Real estate 101 for property buyers and sellers today is all about financing. Make sure you are pre-qualified with your lender. not just a quick phone call to any lender, make sure you have had them look over your tax returns, income to debt ratio, credit report and pay stub info. Lots of lenders will tell you sure you can get a loan. But when you actually get down to writing an offer after months of shopping it would be very disappointing  to find out you really don’t qualify. Don’t just take the lenders word, get it in writing,… Continue reading →

Its true, Idaho even has wild horse herds within an hour of Boise. One can actually drive an hour south of Boise into the Owyhee mountain range and see the wild horses.  But Idaho isn’t just for wild horses. Idaho is for all types of horses.

  Idaho produces some of the finest quarter horses in the US. Our state horse is the Appaloosa horse. From rodeo, to dressage to pack horses, they all thrive in Idaho. And there is plenty to do horse back in this great state where outdoor sports are king. You can trail ride all… Continue reading →

In today’s Market, it pays to be safe. Even in a low crime state like Idaho. What the heck does that mean. Lets look at some safety issues for sellers when selling your home.

1. You are going to be letting strangers into your home! So for starters keep all jewelry and cash etc hidden away or better yet locked up some way. Most showings will be with a licensed agent, but small valuable items could disappear, so just to be safe keep all  valuables safely stashed away from sticky fingers. 

2. DON”T EVER LET ANYONE IN YOUR… Continue reading →

Good question. But here is another question. Do you have pressurized Irrigation for your Yard?  Do you have a  lovely pond or water feature in your subdivision? If you do that water comes from some where, and it is because you have a water right.  So why does it matter? Because on low water years like this year and maybe next year that water may be turned off early. That means you may not be able to water your yard as long or as much as you like. Southwestern Idaho is considered high desert. Our annual rain… Continue reading →

I can hardly wait for all of the Fall outdoor activities. Outdoor recreation in Idaho in the Fall is outstanding. Steelhead fishing starts, all of the hunting seasons begin, and the weather starts to cool down. There is almost nowhere in the world more beautiful than Idaho back country when all of the trees start to turn and the weather starts to change. My favorite loop to take a drive is to leave Eagle, head up  HWY 55 towards Cascade and McCall. Take a fishing rod along. I make a quick stop in Cascade and drop a line for… Continue reading →

Boy with all of the press on grid down or power outages nowadays. I continue to hear about bugging out. Meaning to leave the cities and head for the Hills and safety!

This might sound like a lot more fun than it really might be. But just in case this is on your radar, here are a few things to consider,if you are looking for land to “bug out” on.

1. Where ever you go look for fresh water supplies. Can’t live without water.

2. If there is no power make sure you have a good avenue for… Continue reading →

Do you have water rights that you are not currently using? If so keep in mind that you can lose your water right if you go more than 5 years with out using them. One way to keep from loosing them if you dont need to use them is to lease them to the Water bank. It is not difficult, and if you ever need them again you can get them back out of the water bank. Contact me or Idaho Dept of Water resources if you need more info on how to place your water rights into the water bank for safe keeping.

What does this mean? It means a lot. In todays market, buyers need to be ready. You really need a check list to make sure you really are ready to buy a home. NOT just willing, but ready.

Here is what I mean. In order to be successful putting in offers today you will need several things in place before you ever go out shopping.

1. Loan approval letter, not just a pre-qualification letter. Get with your lender and have them review your income, tax returns, savings for a down payment, credit history,income to debt ratio and work history.… Continue reading →

If ever there were a year that you thought you needed water rights but were procrastinating, this is the year to get in gear and get those water rights. Water rights have long been the deciding factor when it comes to land and values. Just because a peice of land has no water rights does not mean they cannot be acquired. You may get discouraged when you find the prefect property, but no water rights are attached to that land. Don’t despair that can be remedied.

Water rights can either be applied for or purchased or leased. No matter how… Continue reading →