Kemper@ColdwellBankerTomlinsonGroup Blog

Now that spring is finally here, it's time to work on starting a garden at your Boise home. While it's still too early to put many plants in the ground, you can plan, prepare, and start some plants indoors to transplant when it gets warmer.

Our REALTORS® share the following guide to starting a garden in Boise:

The Basics of Gardening in our Area 

If you're starting a garden in Boise, your frost-free growing season will start, on average, on May 7. This date will help you start and transplant your seeds at the right time. 

It's also important to use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which helps you learn the plants that are likely to grow well in your area. The map's zones are determined by the average annual minimum winter temperature in every area of the country, and Boise is in zone 6. So, if you read a plant label or look up information about it online, check to see if it's recommended for zone 6. It's no guarantee, of course, but the plant's chances of thriving in this area will be good. 

The Boise area has a relatively short growing season, so many plants will need to be started indoors and then transplanted when there's no longer any danger of frost.

Growing Veggies

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As fall approaches and a new school year begins, Ada county has seen a slight uptick in home sales compared to July and early August.  I am still seeing homes in Ada county priced at or just below the $250K price point sell within a day or two. What does that mean for you?  If you are a first time home buyer and you are considering buying a house rather than rent, you may be in a hard spot.  Your rent on a 2 bed 2 bath apartment or home is about $1200 to $1500 per month. If you were to buy rather than rent and you wanted to keep your monthly housing payment roughly the same you are looking at a house just under $250K with a decent down payment.  The upside is, you are no longer paying the landlord to realize no appreciation of your own. Interest rates today on a 30 Year Fixed Conventional is 3.5% which will continue to spur buyers to purchase rather than rent.