Creekside Mortgage - Video Blog- Boise, ID VA Home Loans

Check out the Treasure Valley Video Blogs below

11/13/2023-Treasure Valley-Rates are on the decline, how is that Affecting our Treasure Valley, Idaho Market?  

 Hey Treasure Valley, it’s Kerry Greenwald your NW VA Guy. I’m coming to you this week with some great news. It has been an awesome week. At the end of last week, the new job creation report came out. It was less than what was anticipated. Chairman Powell, who basically controls what interest rates are going to do in the future, came out and announced that they are done raising rates at least up to the end of the year. So, with all of that stress, rates dropped a little bit. It’s the perfect storm in front of us right now. Rates came down almost .75%. We’re looking at immense opportunity right now. It’s still a buyers’ market, but those trends are going to flip in the relatively near future. If rates do keep coming down, prices will start going back up. Right now, you are getting single offers accepted on houses. So, we are in a little bit of a sweet spot here for the next few weeks until those trends pass each other, and things shift. There is no better time to get a seller to pay for all your closing costs. I’ve been saying this for weeks now and rates are coming down. I’m sure you are getting a lot of feedback from a lot of people. Right now, we even have situations where people are paying more for rent than they would be for their mortgage payment, and they are able to control their payment. You’re also creating wealth by buying property. I know we’ve got a lot going through and happening right now. We’ve got a couple transactions going on in Mountain Home, one in Nampa, one in Eagle, and Star. There is a lot of VA traction happening right now. Appraisals have been coming in great and we have been getting them back really fast. Closing has been happening really quickly. We’ve been able to close purchases in the 15–20 day window. It was awesome. So, definitely reach out to me and my team. We would love to go through and help you here at Creekside Mortgage. 

10/26/23-Treasure Valley-How Can You Get a Seller to Pay All of Your Closing Costs?  

Hey Treasure Valley, Kerry Greenwald coming at you, your NW VA Guy and owner of Creekside Mortgage. I know I’ve said this a couple different ways, but I’m putting the two together now. It is unbelievable when buying a house right now about getting a seller to pay for everything. Every single appraisal we have been getting in has been coming $5K-$15K above sales price. We even had one that came in closer to $20K high. It’s definitely a buyers’ market right now and if you can use those seller funds to lower your interest rate, pay off debt, pay off cars, or other things there is no better time to buy. Remember, with VA if and when rates do start going back down, we can take advantage of it and do the restricting IRRRL’s to ride rates all the way down. So, I highly encourage you to get the seller to contribute to closing. We haven’t seen a buyers’ market like this in a long time. It’s still a busy market. We are still seeing transactions coming through all over. Mountain Home, Idaho is just blowing up. There is a lot going on, a lot of Air Force movement happening. A lot of the people in Mountain Home are buying locally closer to the Boise area. We just went through and closed one yesterday that is moving to Nampa, Idaho from Mountain Home. Same situation, his appraisal came in above and beyond and he was able to lock down some seller paid’s to help buy down the interest rate. So, it’s just a great time to buy. Please reach out to my team or me. Always here to help.  

10/18/23-Treasure Valley-New Construction is Heating Up in the Treasure Valley  

 Hey Treasure Valley, Kerry Greenwald here your NW VA Guy. There is a lot going on in the Treasure Valley lately. We’ve been seeing a lot of contracts coming through. New construction has been really popular. The existing spec home that’s already completed is pretty attractive right now. What it’s selling for vs. what an existing home is selling for is hard to be beat. Builders are willing to do extra things to assist borrowers in buying those houses. It seems to be a big deal right now, locally. Another area that’s booming is Mountain Home, Idaho. Coming into October, we are seeing a lot of military relocation happening. A lot of people are coming into Mountain Home so we are seeing a lot of traction happening. A lot of those people are obviously moving into the outskirts of the Boise area. We’ve seen multiple transactions happening in Nampa, Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho, and we even just went through and closed one in Marsing, Idaho. So, this area right here is definitely really taking off. Rates keep going up, but it seems like traction is getting busier and busier. We are being really creative on VA right now. I know I said this in my last video, but we are getting sellers concessions on pretty much every transaction right now. We are using that money to pay off debts or buy down the interest rate. It hasn’t been a buyer’s market for so long so definitely go through and take advantage of it right now. There is no better time to buy in the Treasure Valley. I know that sounds funny to say, but if you’ve got someone willing to negotiate or help you out in this market, there is no better time. Rates will peak and when they start coming down, it’s going to get robust again. Good luck. You will be fighting with three, four, five, or six people trying to buy each house. With VA being 100% financing, it’s going to be hard for us to go through and win those. Reach out to me or my team we would love to go through and help you in anyway.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho-October 12th, 2023-How Can You Get a Seller to Pay All of Your Closing Costs?  

Hey Treasure Valley, Kerry Greenwald coming at you, your NW VA Guy and owner of Creekside Mortgage. I know I’ve said this a couple different ways, but I’m putting the two together now. It is unbelievable when buying a house right now about getting a seller to pay for everything. Every single appraisal we have been getting in has been coming $5K-$15K above sales price. We even had one that came in closer to $20K high. It’s definitely a buyers’ market right now and if you can use those seller funds to lower your interest rate, pay off debt, pay off cars, or other things there is no better time to buy. Remember, with VA if and when rates do start going back down, we can take advantage of it and do the restricting IRRRL’s to ride rates all the way down. So, I highly encourage you to get the seller to contribute to closing. We haven’t seen a buyers’ market like this in a long time. It’s still a busy market. We are still seeing transactions coming through all over. Mountain Home, Idaho is just blowing up. There is a lot going on, a lot of Air Force movement happening. A lot of the people in Mountain Home are buying locally closer to the Boise area. We just went through and closed one yesterday that is moving to Nampa, Idaho from Mountain Home. Same situation, his appraisal came in above and beyond and he was able to lock down some seller paid’s to help buy down the interest rate. So, it’s just a great time to buy. Please reach out to my team or me. Always here to help.   

Treasure Valley, Idaho-October 12th, 2023-Take Advantage of the Temporary Buyers’ Market  

Hey Treasure Valley Kerry Greenwald, here, your NW VA Guy. I’m coming at you today to talk about what the latest and greatest is in our little Idaho community. We’ve seen some great things happening with rates. For the first time in over 40 days, we’ve seen rates start to slowly decrease. This has been an awesome sign. Other awesome factors we’ve seen is we aren’t seeing multiple offers on transactions and your getting seller concessions. We’ve even had cases right now where we’ve got enough cash left over to pay off vehicles, credit cards, and other debts for the borrowers. So, a lot of the stuff that normally wouldn’t go through and happen, is happening. The biggest thing that I recommend to do is whatever portion of seller’s concessions that you get, use that to buy down the interest rate much lower on a permanent basis. I wouldn’t recommend a temporary rate buy down right now. Going through and doing this can save you a tremendous amount of money right now on rates if you have a seller willing to contribute. The next thing is appraisals. We’ve been getting appraisals back in days. They have been coming in well over the purchase amount so inflating that to compensate for the 4% seller concessions is very doable. We haven’t had any issues with appraisals lately. Seriously, we had one in Mountain Home, one in Meridian, one in Nampa, Idaho, and they all came in within 48-72 hours. I’ve never seen this as long as I have been in the industry. So, where that helps you is we can do a very short-term lock. We can close within 3-week windows, so you are saving money by not having to do a long-term lock. It’s definitely the time to buy right now. You have all the power over sellers and that rarely happens. Obviously, we hope that rates improve next year. When rates do improve, it’s going to push those values up even more. So, right now is the temporary time period to go through and make something happen. Please reach out to me or my team if you have any questions. 

Treasure Valley, Idaho – September 13th, 2023-Where are all the Houses in the Treasure Valley, Idaho? 

 Hey Treasure Valley, Kerry Greenwald, your NW VA Guy here talking about the market. We’ve got some heat going this week. We had a lot of activity happening over the weekend, so Monday was an awesome day for intake on ad calls. We are still seeing Californians moving up this way. That’s got to be the number one thing happening right now and along with it the good, the bad, and the ugly. But going back from 2016 to now and watching some of the information come out, the numbers are crazy. Back in 2016, we were one of the lowest markets in the United States for value. During that 7-year time period, our uptick in value was the highest in the US. We are #1 in the whole country, but yet wages have not necessarily kept up. Another big thing to think about is that we are still 10,000 houses behind in Treasure Valley from what’s needed based on supply and demand. There is no way that can be caught up. You just can’t build that many houses as quickly as we need them. I know they are building fast, but they are just building for what the current need is, not for what the deficit is. So, we definelty see values holding and wages are coming up. Just not as quickly as values went up on houses. However, we are seeing some sense of normalcy start to emerge. We will get back to 1%-5% increase per year moving forward, but we aren’t going to see the big crash in values happen that we’ve been talking about.  

Treasure Valley is still a very desirable place to be and we all know why. It’s a beautiful place, especially during the fall and spring. There is no better place in the world right now than right here. I hope everyone has great week and reach out to myself of my team with any questions.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho – September 5th, 2023- Economic Pressure is Building, What Does that Mean for Rates?  

I’m Kerry Greenwald, your NW VA Guy. I’m talking today about Treasure Valley, Idaho, and all the latest market updates. We’ve seen some dramatic slowdown in our local overall market. This to me is an opportunity. Rates have ticked up a bit and they continue to kind of bounce around at those numbers. There will be a lot of pressure building up throughout the course of this week. We have unemployment numbers that will come out on Thursday, September 7th. That’s going to indicate what goes through and happens. Bad news is great news for interest rates. I know it sounds funny, but if there are signs of economic pressure slow down that’s going to improve rates. We will continue to get more and more vibrant information going into the election year and that’s going to be a big factor in what happens with rates moving forward.  

Your rural communities along the 84 corridor are always going to be a hot market. The farther out you go, the cheaper it is. We’ve seen some transactions coming from Emmett. It’s not that far from Meridian and it’s a lot cheaper to buy there. It’s a very attractive place to move to if you want to save a dollar. I highly recommend that area. If you go even further out in the Mountain Home direction, you will find that it’s cheaper out there too. The drive isn’t too bad getting back to Boise and you’re probably saving around 20-25% on the cost of a property. I hope everyone has a great rest of your week. Please reach out to me or my team if you need anything.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho – August 23rd, 2023 – VA Home Loans 

Hey everyone! It’s my favorite time of year here in the Treasure Valley. If you look up tomorrow and the next day you will get to watch all of the balloons going up in the sky for the Spirit of Boise. It’s just an unbelievable event to take place. The air show out at Gowen Field over the last weekend was a huge success as well. I loved all the videos of the National Guard people swearing in, and all of the military connections with that event. It was just awesome. Meanwhile, things continue to boom here throughout the Treasure Valley. The shock right now is how many VA refinances we are doing. A lot of people have that need right now and they have to do something. So, it’s been happening quite often lately. We have started to see a lot of things in the market begin to slow down, but if you watch the numbers on VA, they continue to tick upward. There are more VA transactions happening in the Valley and that makes me very excited. My ultimate goal is for more veterans to be able to take advantage of their VA benefits. Today has been an awesome day in the market. Finally, after about 3 weeks we’ve had some correction in rates. Things seem to be improving and there was a lot of economic news that came out this morning that was positive. So hopefully that will continue to drive things here in the Treasure Valley. I’m looking forward to answering any questions you have so don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my team.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho – August 16th, 2023 – VA Home Loans – The VA Cash-Out Refinance is Making a Comeback 

 Hey Treasure Valley, Kerry Greenwald here, your NW VA Guy and owner of Creekside Mortgage. So, what’s the latest and greatest in Treasure Valley? We’ve had a couple of recent transactions that are VA Cash-Out Refinances. I know that rates are higher right now and there is a lot of stuff going on in the market. However, if you are one of those people that have equity line seconds where the rate just keeps rising or other credit card liabilities that are outstanding, the VA Cash-Out might be a good idea. Most people have an amazing rate on their first that is hard to let go, but it might make more sense to combine all of the outstanding debt together into one transaction. Yes, the rate is going to go up, but the overall monthly debt burden is coming down. Definitely something to think about if you are in a financial crunch and you have all this equity position in your house. We also know that in the future rates will begin to start coming down and through the VA, you can take advantage of the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance and restructure your loan with a lower rate in the future. It’s definitely something to go through and reach out to us if you want more information about this loan product. We are always here for you with any questions from the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho – August 9th, 2023 – VA Home Loans  – How quickly can a VA Loan close?

Hey Treasure Valley, it’s Kerry Greenwald coming at you another week. It’s been an awesome week. We had a few transactions go through and close this week in the Treasure Valley and we got them closed very quickly. The best thing right now on VA is how fast the appraisals are coming back. We’ve been seeing appraisals come back under the 8-business day window. This has allowed us to get things closed relatively quickly. The cool thing about closing quickly is we can do a shorter-term interest rate lock. If you’re locking something in for 20-21 days, you’re able to save money on what your interest rate is going to be, and it allows you to be more competitive. We are still seeing sellers that are willing to offer seller concessions that help in buying the interest rate down. VA rates right now on average with a 740-credit score and a loan amount of $350K are around the mid 6% range. It’s encouraging to see this improvement happening as we saw them over 7% not that long ago. I think Treasure Valley is going to continue to be hot throughout all the different areas around here. We’ve been closing transactions in Meridian, Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho and Boise, Idaho. Middleton, Idaho is another area on the outskirts that is expanding. I think this whole area is going to continue to grow. Let’s make it another great week. If you have any questions, please reach out to me and my team.  

Treasure Valley, Idaho – July 26th, 2023 – VA Home Loans  – Employment is Flourishing

Hey Treasure Valley, it’s Kerry Greenwald, your NW VA Guy. Today I am coming at you to talk about all things VA going on in the Treasure Valley. We are definitely seeing an uptick in market activity and people moving to this area. We aren’t seeing as big of influx of people moving from California as we did in the past, but there are still plenty of people escaping from other states and coming here to beautiful Treasure Valley. Idaho is going to continue to be a hotbed. You are seeing the new job creation flourish as employment increased by 9.9% in the state of Idaho. It’s #1 next to Utah for desirable places to be. Idaho has surpluses in the government, it’s got income factors, and a lot of things are on their way down such as taxes. So, all of these things are attractive for new businesses to move into the area. I think Idaho will continue to be a hotbed. We are now starting to see more people from the Midwest moving towards this area especially because it’s an attractive area for climate purposes. Our areas of growth area always going to be Kuna, Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho, Meridian, Idaho and even Mountain Home, Idaho. I definitely think Treasure Valley is going to continue to grow and it’s an opportunity for all of us.

So, please reach out to myself or my team and we are happy to go through and help you at any point.

Treasure Valley, Idaho – July 18th, 2023 – VA Home Loans  – Slowdown in market

Hello, Treasure Valley Kerry Greenwald here, your NW VA Guy. I’m talking to you today about the activity going on in the Treasure Valley. With the slowdown in the market, we are seeing some of the gimmicky stuff start to come back such as the rate buy down on interest rates. I think that is going to continue as we move forward. We do have some negativity coming in the near future as the fed meets again to go through and do their proposal. We will probably have 2 more rate increases between now and the end of the year. I think next year is going to be pretty heroic with rates dropping during the election year, but I think we have a little bit more fun between now and then. There is still not enough inventory. You have certain price points that are unbelievable right now. If you’ve got a house in the $400K-$500K range, it’s going to be taken up pretty quickly. Once you get above that, it’s pretty stagnant. Of course, this all depends on what neighborhood you’re in and what your zip code is. I think that is going to continue in the Treasure Valley as we move forward throughout the rest of the year. There are a lot of ins and outs about this, but definitely, if you’re doing anything VA or have any questions, reach out to my team and me. We would love to go through and help you through this process.

Treasure Valley, Idaho – July 12th, 2023 – VA Home Loans – Current Market Conditions

Another week has come and gone and today we are talking about more market conditions in the Treasure Valley as some new things have come out. A couple of weeks ago we talked about the tax assessments that went out showing values dropping dramatically due to them being overcorrected the previous year. I saw great statistics this morning that showed if you watch from 2019-current date you will see it’s more of an upward flow versus that jagged straight upward jump. We are now to the point of correcting ourselves and getting back to a sense of normalcy. I think we are going to continue to see the numbers increase. There are still houses that are going for sale, we just don’t have a tremendous amount of inventory available. You put something on the market, and it’s pretty much gone immediately. At the same time, applications are slowing down. As rates continue to increase, there’s less and less people to buy houses. However, that is still not affecting the inventory. There are just not enough houses available. I think we’re going to get more of a normalcy in the market moving forward once we get past these corrections. The thing that always makes me nervous is every single time we’ve been in a presidential election year, we typically have an uptick between 2% to 5%. Even more in some cases. I think we are going to go through a bit of turmoil through the end of this year and the next year go into either a plateau or a correction in the market. The Treasure Valley is still a hot market. I know some statistics have come out for the county as a whole, but if you take our areas, we still have an increase in employment, we still have values holding, and our foreclosure rate is only at 2% compared to the national average that is almost twice that. All of this indicates that this continues to be a hot market moving forward. Treasure Valley is just a great place to be and that will continue to drive people to move here.

Treasure Valley, Idaho – June 27, 2023 – VA Home Loans – Nampa, ID – Nampa is a Growing Destination

 Kerry Greenwald here, your NW VA Guy. Today we’re talking about the Treasure Valley, but more specifically Nampa, Idaho. To think about Nampa, in 2000 there was 81,000 people that lived here. Fast forward to current times and the population is around 117,000. Comparing those numbers, it looks like it’s really popped. In the grand scheme of things though, it really hasn’t grown that quickly. That is pretty steady growth to happen. There are some estimates out there that say in 20 years there’ll be as many as 250,000 people living in Nampa. So, where is that growth going to go through and happen at? Some of us don’t want it to happen, but it’s inevitable that when growth starts, it doesn’t stop. I think as the new freeway entrances go in, more of that stuff basically will expand upon that and you’re going to see the growth start to happen around those areas. That’s where the opportunity is and you want to control growth as much as you can, but like I said it’s inevitable. I think Nampa, Idaho is a great place. It’s a suburb of Boise, Idaho and like I said it’s going to continue to grow right into Caldwell, Idaho and Meridian, Idaho. You’re not going to be able to tell where those city lines are. Just like it is with Meridian and Boise where you can’t really tell where the line is. My team is here for you to help answer any questions. Definitely subscribe to our YouTube channel. We talk about different areas in the Treasure Valley on a weekly basis and we would love to help you out.

June 23, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NLS#70269 | Caldwell, ID. | Tidewater on an Appraisal

This was a case of the Caldwell, Idaho VA home loan we just closed; the Tidewater process was initiated on a VA purchase transaction. Tidewater refers to the appraiser informing the lender that they are facing challenges in attaining the value of the purchase price. However, Tidewater does not imply that the value cannot be achieved; rather, it signifies that the appraiser is seeking assistance.

In this scenario, the VA real agent remained calm and took proactive measures to address the issue. They provided valuable comparables that matched the property and justified the value of the VA purchase amount. Despite the appraiser initially being $20,000 off, the agent’s efforts reduced the gap to only $4,000 short of the sales price.

Both the listing agent and the selling agent collaborated and swiftly negotiated to adjust the purchase price to make it work. They now have 48 hours to work together with the appraiser, presenting additional comparable homes or pending sales to help justify a higher value.

As a lender at Creekside Mortgage, Inc. located in Meridian, ID, which specializes in 90% VA lending, we are dedicated to supporting and educating the agents about this process. Staying calm during this process is paramount, and our VA team is here to assist and guide both agents throughout this appraisal challenge.

June 20, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NLS#70269

Hey, I’m Kerry Greenwald, your NW VA Guy. Today I want to talk to you about our Treasure Valley area. From Boise, Idaho to Meridian, Idaho to Caldwell, Idaho to Nampa, Idaho, and everything in between, you’re basically still seeing a robust market going on. There are not enough houses available and there are a lot of people that want to buy them. If you have anything under that $600K price point, it’s just immediately being bought up. There are multiple offers still going through and closing pretty quickly. We’re going to continue to have inventory issues. Employment here is just awesome. A lot of people are moving here for the opportunity and there aren’t enough houses available. So, until you change this supply and demand, it’s going to continue to be the way it is. I do think rates will probably continue to rise through the course of this year. Waiting for an event to happen, it’s obviously not there. Waiting is not going to create any benefits. We’re here for you at the Greenwald Team. We would love to go through and help you. Please subscribe to our channel to get weekly updates on what’s happening within Treasure Valley. 

June 13th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

What’s new in the Treasure Valley for VA, Government, or anything else lending wise? Right now, we’ve got a few things going on. They’re rezoning Boise, Idaho. Basically, they are going through and figuring out what they’re going to tear out, what they’re going to remove, if they’re going to put more apartments in, or more affordable housing. A little combination of all of this is going on in the proposal stage right now. The thing we hope doesn’t happen is they tear out the old and put apartments in as a replacement. It’s desirable to try to put the first-time home buyer there and put houses that people can move into. You know, a smaller house that’s kind of designed for them. But everyone fights against that because the lots cost so much money. It’s hard for them to put a lower end, smaller house into those lots, but ultimately that’s what needs to happen. I frown upon too many apartments. I know that’s where everyone first needs to start out, but then you start pushing people just purely into apartments instead of homeownership, which is something I truly believe in. So, let’s hope these people are wise when they go through and do all of these build outs in Boise, Idaho. Everything that is happening in Boise, ID will affect Treasure Valley as a whole, so we want to make sure we’re doing it correctly. If you have any questions, please reach out to us. We’d love to go through and help you in any possible way we can. Thank you! 

June 6th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Hey Treasure Valley, coming at you today with a little news. In the last few days, property assessments have come out. It’s a piece of paper you would have gotten in the mail. What this is basically showing is what the government is assuming your property is worth so they can calculate your taxes. It’s crazy right now in Ada County we had a decrease on average by about 10%, which is what should happen. You should be about 15%-20% below what fair market value is vs. what assessment is because that is what you pay on a yearly basis on taxes. So, if you decrease in value by 10%, guess what, your taxes are also going to decrease by about that same margin. The assessment just came out right now, but later in the year you’re going to get the actual bill. This bill will go to your mortgage company, your financer, or you if you pay the bill on your own. Everyone likes a bill when they go down, although it doesn’t happen very often. I think we’re only one of two states in the US that had an overall decrease in property taxes this coming year. It’s a great thing to have go through and happen. Now make sure in the state of Idaho, the most important thing you do is if you owner-occupy your house that you file the Homeowners Exemption Act. Go online, and click that one little button saying, “Yes, I occupy the home, and this is my house.” You have to file this every year and if you get used to doing it online, it will be really easy. Don’t forget to do that or your taxes will be a lot higher, and you can’t fix it later. Any questions you have on VA or non-VA, make sure you reach out and give us a call. We’d love to go through and help you.

June 5th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Nampa, ID, experienced significant growth in median household income between 2000 and 2021. In 2000, the median income was $34,758, while in 2021, it increased to $63,471. This represents a substantial 45.2% increase over the period. Comparatively, the median annual income across the entire state of Idaho in 2021 was $66,474, making Nampa’s median income slightly lower by 4.7%.

The per capita income in Nampa also saw impressive growth, rising from $14,491 in 2000 to $30,300 in 2021. This signifies a remarkable increase of 52.2% over the same period. These substantial income improvements highlight the economic development and opportunities available in Nampa.

Nampa’s appeal as a place to live and raise a family is further enhanced by its affordability compared to neighboring areas. The city provides a lower cost of living, making it an attractive option for those seeking more affordable housing options. Additionally, its convenient location on the I-84 corridor allows for easy access to nearby Boise, a bustling economic hub in Idaho.

Looking ahead, Nampa, Idaho is expected to continue being a desirable place to reside and establish roots for years to come. Its affordability, coupled with its proximity to major transportation routes, makes it an appealing choice for homebuyers. The neighboring Caldwell, Idaho, located just a few exits up the road on I-84, offers similar advantages in terms of affordability and accessibility.

For veterans considering purchasing a home in Nampa or Caldwell, Creekside Mortgage, Inc., based in Meridian, Idaho, is ready to assist with all their VA home loan lending needs. With their expertise in VA loans and commitment to serving veterans, Creekside Mortgage can provide valuable guidance and support throughout the loan process.

In summary, Nampa, ID, has experienced remarkable growth in median household income, with a 45.2% increase from 2000 to 2021. The city’s affordability, accessibility, and family-friendly environment make it an appealing place to live. As a result, Nampa and nearby Caldwell are expected to continue being desirable locations for homeownership. For veterans interested in purchasing a home in these areas, Creekside Mortgage, Inc. is available to provide assistance and expertise in VA home loan lending.

May 31rd, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

 Creekside Mortgage, Inc., NW # VA Home Loan Experts, recently finalized a VA home Loan Purchase in Caldwell, ID. Kerry Greenwald and the Greenwald Team guided the borrowers through this process was the skilled real estate agent, Craig Serverson, affiliated with John L. Scott Boise. The closing transaction was successfully conducted at Stewart Title Company in Meridian, Idaho, under the expert guidance of Beth Wilson.

The borrowers, Ken and Cece Dorman, are thrilled with their new home in Caldwell, Idaho. With the assistance of Creekside Mortgage, Inc., they were able to secure a VA home loan, which provides numerous benefits to veterans and active-duty military personnel. This milestone achievement marks the completion of their home purchase journey, and they are now eagerly looking forward to settling into their new abode.

By working with Craig Serverson, an experienced real estate agent from John L. Scott Boise, Ken and Cece Dorman received expert guidance and support throughout the home buying process. Craig’s knowledge of the local market and commitment to his clients ensured a smooth and successful transaction.

The closing took place at Stewart Title Company in Meridian, Idaho, with the capable assistance of Beth Wilson. As a trusted professional in the title industry, Beth facilitated the necessary paperwork and ensured that all legal and financial aspects of the transaction were handled efficiently and accurately.

With the loan successfully closed, Ken and Cece Dorman can now enjoy the excitement of moving into their new home in Caldwell, ID. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of Creekside Mortgage, Inc., Craig Serverson, and Beth Wilson, who helped make their dream of homeownership a reality.

May 30^th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

 So, what will the effect of the debt ceiling negotiations have on the Treasure Valley? They came together basically at the end of last week and over the weekend with a compromise. It’s not signed into law yet, but it’s basically a little bit of giving on both sides. In reality, they are just kicking the can down the road for two more years. We will be dealing with this again. But hey, negotiation is good. If there’s a mutual agreement just not signed off, let’s go through and do it. So how will this ultimately affect the Boise metro area from Meridian, Idaho to Nampa, Idaho to Caldwell, Idaho, and all the way out to Mountain Home, Idaho? What will the effect be along the whole 84 corridors? We’re going to keep booming. It’s not going to stop. If we do get any trickling down of interest rates and it happens to get into the natural fives without having to buy it down, it’s going to be more explosive. You are starting to see builders now picking up on their growth. Road work is starting to be completed and that’s going to be a big deal for our community. When you get more access points and entry points into the city, you can stimulate traffic and that is going to make things even better. These are all positive things moving forward. I think the Treasure Valley will continue to grow. People’s desire to come here this summer is going to be a big event. There’s a bigger influx of people coming in, more of those license plates we don’t like to see, but they’re coming. So, it’s going to continue to happen. We’re here to help with any questions you have. Please reach out to me and my team. I’d love to go through it and help you. Our office is located right here in Meridian, Idaho off of Eagle Road. Stop in and say hi. Talk soon.

May 23rd, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

The slight uptick in interest rates has certainly impacted us locally. We’ve seen the impact in Boise, ID, Nampa, ID, and basically the whole Treasure Valley. We’ve seen slowdowns in these areas with the increase in rates because, obviously, that correlates to an increase in payment. We recently had a transaction in Eagle, Idaho where we were qualifying the client and had to add a half percentage to the interest rate. So, it’s key to make sure you’re keeping your approvals up to date and making sure you’re staying ahead of the curve and what rates are doing. I tell everyone that I’ve worked with to always calculate your payment factors about half higher than what physical rates are at the time. That way you are always sliding into something knowing it could be less, so you are not overextending yourself. You don’t want to pick out that house, get everything negotiated and all of a sudden you find out you’re not eligible because rates have gone up. I do think there will be ebb and flows in the market where you can take of advantage of a dip. It’s basically trying to time that out just perfect to go through and hit it. Although, it’s pretty much impossible to time it out perfectly. So, you always want to calculate that into your equation, so you always have a safe landing spot. We are here to help on any of your VA Home Loan Purchases and would love to go through and do anything from Caldwell, ID anywhere down the 84 corridor.

May 2nd, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Hey Boise Idaho area, just coming at you with the updates for this week. The market is hot. We’re seeing a lot of activity right now. A lot of people were waiting for this crater to happen, for values to drop. But here we go, prices are going up again and there’s multiple offers on transactions. This is solely to do with supply and demand and it’s not going to stop. There are just not enough available houses for how many people want them. You have 75% of people that are out of the market and the limited amount that is remaining, a lot of people are wanting it. Idaho state is continuing to grow in employment and that’s encouraging people from other states to move here. I think that’s going to continue throughout the whole entire valley. I’m sure the valley is going to be a hot area for some time to come. So, if you see something you are interested in, be eager about it and don’t wait because it’s either going to get more expensive in the near future or who knows what rates are going to do in the upcoming months. It’s definitely the right time to go through and buy. Here to answer any of your questions, reach out to us. We’d love to help.

April 11th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Let’s talk a little bit about Treasure Valley today, how VA loans and everything else is kind of working in this area. You can see Springtime is arriving. We’ve seen the change of weather a little bit, little bit of craziness going back and forth between rain and sun. But we see water in the canals and different things are going through and happening. We can see summer right around the corner. We can also see that some of the downtown areas are really becoming modern as they are fixing them up and doing some really cool things down there. Especially in Nampa, ID. and Caldwell, ID. we are seeing some improvements on the revitalization of those downtown areas, and I definitely think that will continue in the future. Everything around the 84 corridor will just continue to improve. They continue to fix up some of the roadways, the freeways, and just improving everything around the Boise, ID. area right now. That’s definitely going to be a highlight and the growth is going to continue all the way out. I went and visited Emmett, Idaho this past weekend. It’s just an awesome area. Emmett, Idaho, it’s got that old feeling to it, but really, it’s just a few minutes right over the hill. I know everything will keep expanding farther and farther out of the Boise metro area. Meridian, ID. will continue to explode as it’s doing right now. Kuna, ID. is totally revamping and changing right in front of our eyes. As they keep continuing to introduce the new freeway access points that area will continue to explode. So, a lot of opportunity here and it’s not over with. It’s definitely going to continue to grow and there’s no stopping in sight. I think it’s going to continue to improve and there’s a lot of opportunity and potentional to go through and buy something in this area.

We are here to help so definitely reach out to us at any point. We’d love to help you out in any way. VA will always be my passion and it’s the thing that we love the most, being a veteran myself. I’d love to talk with you so don’t hesitate to reach out to me and my team anytime.

Thank you!

March 28th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Hello Treasure Valley Idaho! Ada County Idaho and Canyon County Idaho have a little separation between the two with Nampa, ID. and Meridian, ID. but we can see through growth and activity that they’re going to touch here soon. My prediction is within five to seven years you’re going to have no defined line basically there anymore with that activity. You can see that growth just on 10-mile road. Scheels Sporting Goods store is going in right there and then all the growth that’s happening on that exit with the new freeway coming in just an exit down.

You’re going to see that growth between Nampa, ID. and Meridian just slowly growing into each other. Star, ID. is also going to continue to grow. So you can’t deny the growth that’s happening here in the Treasure Valley Idaho and I think that’s going to keep going. And yes, get the roads caught up, get some other stuff going. I know some people are negative on that. But growth is inevitable. It’s making sure you have correct structure in that growth. You know, they’re still putting the schools in, they’re still doing the infrastructure around it. Of course, it would be a little better if there’s a lot more road action going. But it is what it is. I mean that’s just the norm now. We better be getting used to it. Just go out a little bit earlier to try to get places. That’s all we can go through and do. But growth is here, and I think it will continue to go through on the I-84 corridor. We’ll continue to keep expanding and I see a lot of positive activity going on and happening there.

March 14th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Hey there Treasure Valley Idaho! I’m excited to say that we came out with our continued education classes here in Ada and Canyon County. We have three courses that are coming out for realtors who need their continued educations credits. I know two of the offices are based right here in Meridian, ID. and I’ll get the list of locations out to you guys. If any agents or anyone else around here wants to participate in those it’s two hours continued education credits. I like to put it on at no cost. Just so I can educate more and more people, especially the introduction of how VA transactions work and the benefit of the VA loan for Veterans. I like to teach from every avenue from identifying the potential benefits that a veteran may have to all the different concepts and stuff that go along with the VA loan. So, I’m proud to launch that class. I plan to probably do a few more courses throughout the year and throughout the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. We’re definitely going to go through and launch it right here in Ada County ID. first. So, it’s one of my exciting things to go through and get back to teaching which is what I used to do many, many years ago. It’s something I’m passionate about. Definitely, the more and more people I can teach about VA will benefit all of us in the end. Just want to let you know about that.

Have a great week!

March 2nd, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

We got some cool statistics in for the Treasure Valley Idaho for last year. It kind of breaks things down. Approximately 85 transactions per month that were done in the Treasure Valley were VA. So, it’s a big deal. I know we’ve seen Kuna, ID. growing dramatically, Star, ID. is where a lot of things took place and all the way out to Caldwell, ID.. So, we’re seeing activity happening throughout the entire Treasure Valley on VA. Now a lot of those transactions were new construction or finalization of new construction, but we’re seeing that uptick compared to the year before dramatically. It’s more of a buyers’ market now. People are more willing to accept a VA transaction. I just beg everyone out there, if you’ve got your VA eligibility don’t let someone talk you out of that, especially if you have service-connected disability and you’re not paying any fee. If you’re doing anything in the Boise, ID. Metro area here in Idaho state, you definitely want to take time, if you’re a veteran, to talk to us. We want to make sure that you’re doing the right transaction for you and the thing that best fits. This means, doing a 0 down and you tend to have a lower rate than what conforming rate is. If you have a service-connected disability you’re not paying that upfront fee to the VA so VA is going to be your option that you typically always want to go through. We don’t just do VA here. We like to work with veterans as much as possible being, a veteran myself, but it’s one of those things that we want to encourage you to do the loan that best fits you versus trying to persuade you to do that conventional loan that’s easier for the realtor and everyone else. It typically is not best for you as the consumer. So, take time to reach out to us. I’d love to go and have a one-on-one conversation with you.  Me or my team is always here. We would love to go through and help you.

 Thank you!

February 13th, 2023 | Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269

Today, I want to talk to you about how we decided on this location in Meridian, Idaho. I’ve always been big on being in the middle of an area. Being where our office is now, we are located in the center of the Treasure Valley Idaho. Our address is 1965 S. Eagle Road Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642. We are located just 3 blocks south off of I-84. One of the key landmarks that is nearby is the new Top Golf that just got built in Meridian, ID. Across I-84 on the other side you have Saint Luke’s hospital. Some of the main crossroads located near us is Overland, and of course, Eagle Road.

The main city that everyone knows near us of course is Boise, Idaho and that is located just East of us.  If you travel a little bit farther you will find Mountain Home, ID. A lot of people commute from Mountain Home Air Force base to Boise, ID. or Meridian, ID. Directly North from us you run into Eagle, Idaho which of course is right off of Eagle Road. Eagle, ID. might be a little bit more of an expensive area to live in, but it is very popular. Directly South of us you have beautiful Kuna, ID. Kuna is a little bit less expensive, and it is a beautiful area with a great view of Boise, ID. and Meridian, ID. Right in the middle, you find Meridian, ID. The giant land mass that runs through everything. Directly to the West of us you have Nampa, ID. If you continue up I-84, you will find Caldwell, ID. Right between Eagle, ID. and Caldwell, ID. you will find Star, ID. and Middleton, ID.

Our main goal is to be centrally located so we can service all of these keys areas in the Treasure Valley.  Meridian, Idaho has been a key location and we love everything about it. It is obviously a growing area and it will probably potentially pass the population point of Boise, Idaho within the next 10 years. There is a little bit more capability for growth here in Meridian, ID

The Treasure Valley Idaho is an awesome place to be. With Boise, ID. being the capital of Idaho state, we are really close to the downtown area with the shopping and the restaurants and it makes the Treasure Valley, ID. a very desirable place to live.

We love our office and just wanted to tell you how much!

KERRY N GREENWALD | NMLS#70269 | TREASURE VALLEY UPDATE | MARCH 7TH, 2023

Kerry N. Greenwald | Sr. VA Loan Specialist | NMLS#70269 | Treasure Valley Update 2/28/2023

Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269 | February 13th, 2023 | Why we opened a branch location in Idaho where we did

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