Real Estate Information

Stand Out Points

Bonneville County is up 4 % in sales year to date.

Year to date Madison county has seen a 25 % decline in sales.

Notice of defaults have seen a drastic fall in the last few months.

New home construction is on the rise with significant increases in new homes being built in the valley.

When repainting any room there are a lot of different things to consider. One of them that is sometimes forgotten is, painting the Baseboard. This process can be very difficult if the room is fully carpeted. Taking the right steps to protect the carpet while you paint can help prevent damage to your carpet. Listed below are the steps you should follow.

1- Get rid of any air vent covers along the baseboard

2- Tape along the edge of the carpet where it meets the baseboard. When laying the tape, tuck the edge of the tape underneath the edge of the baseboard with a putty knife.

3-Place tape along the bottom of the wall right above the trim.

4- Lay something over your carpet, like a a tarp or plastic sheet.

5- Fill any holes or scratches you might have in the trim with wood putty. Sand the putty smooth with fine-grit sandpaper. Wipe the dust off the trim with a clean, dry rag.

6- Apply primer to any spots where you patched the trim with wood putty. If you're painting the baseboard a different color, apply primer to the entire baseboard. Allow the primer to dry.

7- Paint the trim. Using an angled 2-inch brush. Begin painting the trim in one corner of the room. Allow the paint to dry.

8- Add a second coat of paint to the trim. Allow it to dry.

9 - Pull the paint away when dry, and enjoy your freshly painted baseboards!

When was the last time you gave your BBQ grate a good scrub? If you don't know the answer try out this method. All you will need is a heavy duty garbage bag and 1 cup of ammonia.

Pour 1 cup ammonia in a heavy duty garbage bag, place your grate inside the bag and seal tightly. Use a rubber band to make sure your garbage bag is sealed. It is important you seal the bag tightly. The fumes from the ammonia is what going to get your grate clean. If you do not seal your garbage bag tightly the fumes will escape and your grate will not get clean. Place your bag in a spot where the sun will hit it and let it sit there until the next day.

Now be careful when you go to open your garbage bag up. The fumes will be strong and can make your eyes burn. Take out your grate and hose it off really well. Now you have a sparkly clean grill grate. Party on! 

1) Cut the neck off a plastic soda bottle.

2) Remove the bottle cap and flip the neck upside down and place it in the bottle opening that you cut.

3) Tape together using packing tape or duct tape.

6) Empty the trap - but first make sure the wasps are dead by pouring boiling water in or freezing. Personally, I'll just dispose of entire trap and make a new one.

One last thought, be careful where you put the trap as living wasps will be attracted to it. Place away from where your kids or pets will be hanging out.

Your garbage disposal is the workhorse in your kitchen! If it ever needs to be repaired it is pretty easy if you know how. If you garbage disposal is not making a humming noise when you turn it on you probably have an electrical problem. First off make sure it is plugged in! Most garbage disposals have a reset button at the bottom of the unit. If it does have one it will be popped out, push it back in to reset it. Its a simple as that!

This home has it all… and then some. The nearly 3200 square foot home sits on a half acre that is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system and lots of trees including fruit trees, elm trees, and crab apple trees. The back yard is fully fenced and features a large garden area with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and asparagus. The home is located in an established and very clean subdivision on the edge of Shelley and backs up to a field. You can enjoy the country feel with the city amenities. The home has a very open floor plan that includes brand new carpet, wood and tile flooring, a large kitchen with center island, and a sizable master suite that you are going to love. The basement is partially finished with a family room and a gas insert fireplace to take the chill off during the cold winter months. And when the sun is hot, the central A.C. should do the job keeping things cool.

For more pictures of this home click here.

To schedule a private showing please contact Luke Stallings.

The Idaho Falls Farmers' Market is located in the KeyBank parking lot on the beutiful Snake River Greenbelt in downtown Idaho Falls. The market will open for the 2013 season on April 27th. The market offers in-season greenery and produce throughout the spring, summer and fall. The market is open every Saturday through October 26th, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. When you shop at the Farmers' Market you have the unique opportunity to shop for fresh locally produced products. The market promotes direct marketing at it's best. Buying directly from the grower/producer enables you to ask questions, share gardening tips or a favorite recipe, or maybe just talk about the weather. Our produce vendors range from the small backyard vegetable grower, to large producers with acerages of prime produce. Produce is picked fresh each week and deliver to the market to the delight of our customers. The market also offers garden starts, trees, hanging baskets, meats, specialty foods, outdoor decorative items, handmade crafts, fresh-baked breads and pastries, and much much more. For more information click here to visit their website!

Have you ever had your toddler in the bedroom screaming, with you out in the hall, with a locked door between you!? If so you need to continue reading! On the knob or on the plate around it, there should be a small hole that's made to save your day. Take a small piece of metal, such as a small flat head screwdriver, and slip it in the hole. Press on the spring inside or slip the screwdriver head into the slot on the spring and turn. Its like magic! Your door is unlocked, toddler safe, and your shoulder isn't broken.

An immaculate home located on the west side of Idaho Falls. This 5 bedroom home has been very well cared for and loved and it shows! The home is located in an established quiet neighborhood and has great curb appeal. The main level features a formal living room and the kitchen that includes all stainless steel appliances. Just off the kitchen it drops a few step down into a main floor family room. The home also features a huge laundry room and a half bath when coming in from the 3 car garage. The basement offers 2 bedrooms and a large family room area. The upstairs has three bedrooms; one of which is the master suite with its attached full bathroom that's equipped with a separate tub and shower. The back yard is fully fenced with a vinyl privacy fence. It also has an open patio and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy!

For more pictures or to schedule a private showing of this property click here.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind if you are considering buying investment properties. Understanding that owning rental property is a very involved investment is very important. Even if you are planning on having a property management company help you it will still require a lot of your time, energy and money.

1. Tax benefits and rate of return: Check with your CPA about how this property will or won't benefit you tax wise. Is this the best investment you could make?

2. Mortgage: Meet with an experience mortgage broker about lenders requirements for investment loans.

3. Cash flow: Make sure you really will have a positive cash flow after all expenses. If you do not have positive cash flow, its not an investment property. Crunch the numbers and be realistic!

4. Management: Buy close to your home if you will self-manage. Factor in management costs if you hire a property manager.

5. Cash reserves: Have several months of cash reserves on hand for vacancy and repairs.

Things to look for in a property:

3 bedrooms 2 bath minimum is best, but not always necessary.

Good school district.

Good commute location.

Good condition-foundation, roof, paint, upgrades, appliances etc., unless you want and can do the work quickly and not have a long vacancy.

If you are considering buying an investment property contact Luke Stallings. It is important to have a realtor who is familiar with rental properties. Luke Stallings has been managing rental properties for nine years and would be a great realtor to have on your side!