Boise 2026 — Home Hunt

3 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

The dark-horse frontrunner — the one house in its batch that clears both budget walls with room: ~$2,220/mo (~$280 under $2,500) and ~$90k cash (~$15k cushion). Family-trust owned, shows beautifully, A/C present, tax a low ~$138/mo — and the backyard apricot is bearing. The catch: half the house is basement (~720 sqft above grade; the third ‘bed’ isn’t conforming egress), it’s a never-remodeled 1947 (fuse panel, no plumbed shower), no garage, and listed ~30% / ~$89k over the county’s $300,800 — negotiate against that number, not the ask.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The value play of the board — the only candidate priced under the county’s own number (~1% below the $395,400 assessed), so you’re not paying a market premium to get in. Cheapest list on the leaderboard, lightest payment of its batch (~$2,329/mo, ~$171 under the ceiling), fattest cash cushion (~$13k): a 1977 3-bed on an SE Boise corner lot, no HOA, a block from Liberty Elementary. The trade: the seller calls it a fixer (paint, flooring, landscaping) and it’s a single bath — hold back cushion for the work and inspect behind the fresh paint.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The easiest money fit of this group — and the price just dropped again, to $335,000 (was $349,000). At ~$2,006/mo all-in (run at the prior ask; the cut only helps) it’s the lowest payment and cheapest entry here: ~$80k in, with a ~$24.7k cushion. Ignore the scary $2,682 tax bill — that’s an unexempted rental owner; re-file and it’s ~$131/mo. The catch: the oldest house on the board (1931), a 2/1 on the busy Vista arterial listed ~13% / $39k over the county’s $296,100 — the pre-war systems and that basement need a hard inspection.

1 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A live $479,900 ask, but the tax line is a guess (county pull blocked — numbers are Zestimate-grade). Even on list math it leans hard no: ~$2,737/mo (~$237 over $2,500) and ~$110k cash (~$5k over the fund) — and it’s a 1936 ONE-bedroom, 884 sqft, a severe livability and resale limiter. A county pull and a big price cut could fix the math; nothing fixes the one bedroom.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The most house for the money on the board: a true 3/2 — the best layout here — and the biggest of its batch at 1,486 sqft, on 0.202 acre with A/C, an attached garage and a covered patio. A 1995 build, so modern stock, and Meridian tax is the kicker: ~$113/mo, the lightest on the board. All-in lands ~$2,361/mo, ~$139 under the ceiling (run at the prior $420k ask; the trim to $414,900 only helps), priced just ~3% over the county’s $404,100. The watch-out: 20% down uses most of the fund, leaving a thin ~$8.4k cushion.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The condo scare was a false alarm — the county has it as a detached 2000 single-family on its own fee-simple R-1C lot, no HOA. And the numbers are clean: 20% down lands ~$2,222/mo (~$278 under $2,500) with ~$17.6k cash to spare, it’s a real 3 bd / 2 ba with A/C and a 2-car garage, and it’s 1.5 mi from Illya’s. The catch: it’s an estate-trust sale, so inspect it as an as-is home, and don’t trust the ~$1,421 current tax — that’s a senior circuit-breaker that dies with the owner (budget ~$190/mo). Priced right at assessed.

2 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The one blind-spot house that plausibly fits: at the live $425k ask, 20% down pencils to ~$2,459/mo (~$41 under $2,500) on ~$98k cash — but the tax is an estimate (county pull blocked — parcel R2024250328 confirmed, tax numbers are Zestimate-grade). A 2005-build 2/2 on a small 0.081-ac lot. The catch is that estimate itself: with ~$41 of monthly headroom, the real assessed value and tax bill ARE the verdict — re-pull before leaning on this one.

2 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

The monthly fits with room — ~$2,247 at the prior $390k ask, and the list has since dipped to $380,000, which only helps — with ~$15k cash to spare, plus a 2005 build (second-newest on the board, low systems risk) and no HOA. The eyes-open part is value for size: ~$400/sqft for a 951-sqft 2-bedroom listed ~$32k / 9% over assessed — essentially a newer, smaller, pricier-per-foot Clinton (same payment, less house, worse layout). Fine on budget; make the price defend that square footage.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A 1948 with real work put into it and outbuilding space that’s rare in this pocket: a 0.26-acre corner lot with a double garage plus RV/boat storage, newer vinyl windows, gas heat and a recent remodel — priced a reasonable ~6% over the county’s $399,900. It fits at ~$2,439/mo (run at the prior $420k ask; the seller has since raised to $424,000). The catch is cash and diligence: only ~$8.4k left after down + closing (the $4k bump eats at it), a single-bath 3/1, and it’s FSBO — inspect the 1948 systems hard and verify the remodel yourself.

3 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

The roomiest fit in the $390k tier: a 3-bed / 1.5-bath — the best bed-and-bath mix on the board — on the biggest lot of the batch (0.25 acre), with A/C, a 440-sqft garage, and just 6 minutes to Boise High. The numbers breathe: ~$2,233/mo leaves ~$267 of headroom, the cash cushion is ~$15k, and tax is already exemption-adjusted at ~$151/mo. The catch: a 1948 build (hard inspection — foundation, wiring, plumbing, roof) listed ~12% / ~$42.5k over the county’s $347,500, so negotiate toward that number.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $29/mo

The best house of its batch, and at the new budget the price finally works: a 2004 3bd/2ba on the biggest lot of the group, priced at assessed ($399k — fairly priced, no premium), with a very low ~$80/mo tax. It pencils to ~$2,237/mo (~$263 under $2,500) and the cash fits (~$13k left) — strictly better than Auburn at the same price. The catch is the $29/mo HOA, your hard no: it’s the one thing holding an otherwise top-tier contender (alongside Bury and Brookover) at a warn.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The best-value house on the board and a top contender. Listed essentially dollar-for-dollar at assessed value (~0.7% over — the tightest list-vs-assessed gap of any candidate, i.e. you’re not overpaying), exemption already in force, ~$1,994/mo all-in (far under $2,500), and the lowest cash requirement (~$78k, leaving ~$26.8k inside $105k). On value and budget there’s nothing to argue with — it’s the cleanest numbers in the batch.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $37/mo

The best-built house on the board — a true 3/2, 1999 build, the lowest deferred-maintenance risk of any candidate — and it fits: ~$2,451/mo with a light ~$205/mo tax (run at the prior $415k ask; the list has since dipped to $410,000). The catch is a double squeeze: top-of-budget on BOTH axes at once (~$49 of payment headroom, ~$9.5k cash left — no cushion for a rate bump) plus a $37/mo HOA, your hard no. Priced ~5% over the county’s $391,100 — lean the offer toward assessed to buy back some margin.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The numbers are clean: 20% down lands all-in near $2,186/mo (~$314 under the $2,500 ceiling) and ~$88.8k cash to close, leaving ~$16k of the fund. A 1997 single-story true 3/2 beats the cramped 1-bath bungalow stock on layout, and Meridian taxes are genuinely cheap (~$125/mo with the exemption). The catch is the deal, not the wallet: it’s a same-year LLC flip listed ~14% over a county value that has actually drifted down two years running. Worth an offer — below ask, and contingent on an inspection that proves the reno went past the paint.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Fits comfortably, and it’s the best house of the small-home group: a 2002 single-story 3/2 (~1,200 sqft), newer stock with a second bath and far less systems risk than the older candidates. At 20% down on ~$399k it runs ~$2,209/mo (~$291 under $2,500), helped by a low Tax Code Area 57 levy that drops tax to ~$846/yr (~$70/mo). The catch is the buy-in — priciest of its group: ~$92k in leaves only ~$13.2k of the fund, and the list sits ~9.6% over the $364,100 assessed.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The most livable house in the stretch tier — a genuine 3/2, 1,326 sqft, remodeled in 2020, in a strong Bench spot minutes from BSU and downtown — and the cut the eval asked for has largely arrived: now $450,000 (was $468,000). Per the eval’s own $450k scenario it pencils to ~$2,575/mo — still a touch over the $2,500 ceiling — on ~$103.5k cash (inside the fund), while listed ~22% / ~$80k over the county’s $370,300. Close, not a clean fit: offer below ask, and verify at inspection whether the 2020 remodel was systems or cosmetic.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A rare thing on this board — a North End home priced under its county number (~3% below the $439,600 assessed), where the land carries the value: updated finishes, an alley carport, 5 minutes to Boise High. If you want the North End, this is a genuine doorway in. The catch is the house itself: 881 sqft, 2/1, built 1920, a steep ~$482/sqft, inside a Historic District Overlay that constrains renovations — and the margins are thin (~$25/mo under the ceiling, ~$7.3k cash left). You’re buying the location and the land, not square footage.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A comfortable, low-key fit: a single-story 3-bed ranch on the biggest lot of the small-house group (0.41 acre), with A/C, a 560-sqft garage and no HOA, clearing easily — ~$1,977/mo and ~$28k of fund left. The catch is a number to see through: the record shows only ~$751/yr of tax, but that’s the prior owner’s relief credits and they do NOT transfer — the real bill resets to ~$2,080/yr (~$173/mo), already priced into the payment here. Also: 1 bath on a 3-bed, and a 1974 build with no remodel on record — inspect hard and sewer-scope it.

The easiest budget fit of its batch wrapped around real space: a 3/2, 1,494-sqft 1980 single-story on 0.21 acre with a 2-car garage and central air, penciling to ~$2,262/mo (~$238 under $2,500) on ~$92k cash, with a low ~$120/mo tax — and it’s priced under assessed ($399,900 vs the county’s $413,400), rare on this board. The catch is condition: the listing openly sells it as a fixer, and the same ~$13k that clears the cash test is the entire renovation budget. The inspection and a real, itemized reno bid decide it.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The cheapest carry on the board — ~$1,952/mo all-in (~$548 under) and ~$80k cash (~$24.5k cushion), on the cheap 01-4 levy so tax is just ~$73/mo, the lowest in the search. A 1969 single-story with every foot above grade, owner-occupied, not a flip. The catch is livability and the over-ask: it’s a 3 bd / 1 ba with no A/C on record and no garage, and it lists ~30% / ~$80k over the county’s $269,500 — the money’s easy, the questions aren’t.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The nicer version of Jackie — a 1980 single-story that adds the things Jackie lacks: A/C, a 1-car garage, and a fireplace, all while clearing both walls with room (~$2,211/mo, ~$289 under; ~$88.5k cash, ~$16.5k cushion). It’s held back by the same knock, though — it’s a 3 bd / 1 ba — plus a list ~18% / ~$60k over the county’s $325,500 and the batch’s steepest assessment jump last year (+8.5%), so the tax will keep drifting up faster than most.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The best-aligned house in the batch for what Eric actually wants — detached, no HOA, 3 bd / 2 full baths, A/C, a single-story brick ranch remodeled in 2006, on a real 0.15-ac lot with a 400-sqft covered deck and a workshop shed. It clears both walls (~$2,267/mo, ~$233 under; ~$90k cash, ~$15k cushion) and lists only ~6.7% / ~$24.5k over the county’s $365,400. The catch: it’s a 1955 build (inspect hard despite the remodel) and it’s a carport, not an enclosed garage.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $17/mo

The quality-and-value pick — a 2005 single-story 3/2 with A/C and a 2-car garage, and the only candidate listed at/under its county number (~$1,300 below the $406,300 assessed), so there’s a real equity cushion instead of a 30% over-ask. The catch: it’s the priciest and tightest fit (~$2,391/mo, only ~$109 under; ~$93k cash, ~$11.9k cushion), carries the highest and fastest-rising tax (~$216/mo), and has a $17/mo HOA — nominal in dollars, but any HOA is Eric’s hard-no.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The most genuine house of the batch — a real 3 bed / 2 bath 1936 Bench cottage with established gardens, fruit trees and a chicken coop, family-trust owned (not a flip), no HOA. The catch is the money sits right at the line: ~$2,540/mo (~$40 over the ceiling) on a thin ~$5k cushion, and that’s before the A/C it lacks (~$5–8k). Half the 1,288 sqft is finished basement — verify egress on the below-grade beds. The scary +68% tax jump was just the exemption dropping at the trust transfer; Eric’s real owner-occupant tax is ~$207/mo, and ~$15k off the ~10%-over-assessed list buys back the payment.

3 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

The only one of the batch that fits both budget walls at list — ~$2,260/mo (about $240 under $2,500) and ~$89.7k cash-to-close, leaving ~$15k in the fund. Clean individual owner since 2022 (not a flip), no HOA, and the narrowest list-vs-assessed gap (~9%) of the four. The catch is size: it’s the smallest house — 1,193 sqft, 3bd/1.5ba, 1958, no basement — so the easy monthly partly reflects buying the least house. Tax reads un-exempted; file the exemption after closing to lock in ~$178/mo.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The most comfortable money in the batch — ~$1,881/mo all-in, ~$619 under the ceiling, with ~$29k cash cushion, from a clean 10-year owner-occupant (not a flip) on a 0.14-acre corner Bench lot with no HOA. The catch is size and price: the county records only 770 finished sqft, so the “2-bed” is really a 1–1.5-bed 1920 bungalow at ~$429/finished-sqft, listed ~28% over the $258,500 assessed. A/C is an unverified ductless mini-split — one to confirm on tour.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The most house in the batch — a 0.23-acre corner Bench lot with a detached 2-car garage, central A/C, a brand-new furnace, and a finishable basement, from a clean owner-occupant who’s already cut the price and is moving. The payment fits at ~$2,296/mo (~$204 under the ceiling), though it’s the thinner fit on cash at a ~$14k cushion. The catch: that marketed 1,596 sqft is really 948 finished plus an unfinished basement — a ~948 sqft 2/1 at ~$417/finished-sqft, so you’re paying for space you’d still have to finish.

4 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

More house than Brooklawn — 1,632 finished sqft (816 main + 816 finished basement), 4bd/2ba, a house-hack-able two-level layout, A/C, a clean non-flip owner, no HOA. The catch is price: it busts both ceilings at list — ~$2,752/mo (~$252 over) and ~$110.4k cash-to-close (~$5.4k over the fund). The saving grace is room to deal — at ~21% / $82.5k over assessed the county reads it well under list, so it’s a live option only in the low-$430s. Confirm basement egress on tour.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The easy money fit of the batch — the roomiest numbers on the board at ~$2,197/mo (~$303 under the ceiling) and ~$86k cash with the healthiest ~$19k cushion, on a full 0.2-acre Bench lot with A/C and no HOA. The catch is pure product: 804 sqft, 2 bed / 1 bath at ~$466/sqft means you’re buying the dirt, not the house — the smallest thing on the board, and an old LLC flip, so inspect for lipstick over 78-year-old systems (roof, panel, plumbing, furnace).

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Numbers work: clean 20% down fits (~$94.3k cash, ~$10.7k left) and all-in lands ~$2,330 — about $170 under the $2,500 ceiling. The house is a solid, modern (2000) true 3/2 with genuinely cheap Meridian taxes. The catch is price discipline: it’s listed ~19% over the county’s assessed value with no equity cushion, so the verdict hinges on not overpaying.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

One of the best-fitting full-price houses on the board: a clean 2004 / 3bd-2ba / no-HOA home at ~$2,079/mo all-in (~$421 under the $2,500 ceiling), with a low ~$88/mo tax thanks to Kuna’s tax rate and a workable ~$74k down leaving ~$19k of cushion. You’re buying at ~10% above assessed in Kuna rather than Boise — but on numbers it lands right next to Brookover. The real question is whether Kuna works for the life, not whether the math works.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Fits on payment and it’s the newest, cleanest house here — a 2016 single-story 3/2 at 1,505 sqft — running ~$2,307/mo (~$193 under $2,500) on Kuna’s low levy (~0.485%, about half Boise’s), with exempted tax of ~$94/mo. The catch is a double: the tightest cash on the board (~$95.5k in, only ~$9.5k of fund left) and a list ~16.3% over the $356,900 assessed — the widest premium of its group. Great house, thin margin, rich ask.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $55/mo

A hard no on two counts before the math even matters. It carries a $660/yr ($55/mo) HOA — Eric’s stated dealbreaker — and it’s zoned MX-3/DA mixed-use: a dense, attached 2023 cottage-cluster unit (Colebluff Cottages) on a 1,089 sqft lot, a different asset class than the detached Bench houses in this batch. The finish is nice — granite, stainless, EV outlet, central A/C — and it’s an original owner rather than a flip, but at $350k it’s ~23% over the $285,100 assessed. The HOA and the mixed-use zoning are the killers.

The nicest-presenting of the batch — marketed full remodel with quartz, owned solar and the biggest lot (0.245 ac), no HOA. But the numbers don’t work at list: ~$2,863/mo (~$363 over the ceiling) and ~$114k cash that would dip the untouchable emergency fund. It’s an RLM flip priced ~$78k / 19% over the county’s $416,900 assessed, and the county shows only 1.5 baths against a ‘3 + den’ listing — verify bed/bath on tour. The one path in: that 19% over assessed is a real negotiating floor near ~$424k, where the math finally clears. A pass at list.

4 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Not a home Eric would live in — it’s a duplex (county-confirmed, two stacked units, zoned R-2, tenant-occupied at $2,595/mo in-place rent), off the single-family thesis. Even setting the use aside, the money busts the budget: ~$2,678–$2,766/mo all-in (~$178–$266 over $2,500) and ~$103.5k cash-to-close leaves only ~$1,500 of the fund. The lone bright spot — listed ~1.3% under assessed after ~$60k in seller cuts — is a rental-investor signal, not a homebuyer one. Pass for Eric’s purpose.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The most appealing package on paper — biggest lot of the batch (0.29 ac), a long-held owner-occupant seller (not a flip), 2-car attached garage, A/C, hot tub, fruit trees — but the priciest to carry, busting both ceilings at list: ~$2,804/mo (~$304 over, highest of the four) and ~$111.6k cash-to-close (~$6.5k over the fund). Two more catches: the exemption is already applied, so no tax break to unlock, and it’s a 3bd/1-bath with a sqft record to verify (county 1,600 vs MLS 1,325). Needs ~$60k off — a live option only in the low-$420s.

2 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

A clear no on both axes, even after the cut to $495,000 (was $522,000). At the prior ask, clean 20% down ran ~$2,984/mo all-in (~$484 OVER the $2,500 ceiling) and needed ~$120k cash (~$15k OVER the $105k fund) — a $27k trim doesn’t close gaps that size. It’s a 1953 2/2 (998 sqft) still priced ~$69k (16%) over the county’s $425,900 assessed value — a steep premium for a small two-bed.

4 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

A no on both axes, even after the cut to $500,000 (was $519,900). At the prior ask, clean 20% down ran ~$2,994/mo all-in (~$494 OVER the $2,500 ceiling) and needed ~$120k cash (~$15k OVER the $105k fund) — a $20k trim doesn’t change that story. The hook is a large 0.318-ac lot, but it’s a 1960 house cramming 4 beds into just 904 sqft (~$553/sqft) and priced ~$37k (8%) over the county’s $463,200. Lot aside, the spec and the math both say pass.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The closest-to-fitting of this batch, but still a no at list. At $459,000 clean 20% down runs ~$2,623/mo all-in (~$123 OVER the $2,500 ceiling) and ~$105.6k cash — right at the $105k fund with essentially no cushion. A 1961 3bd/1ba on a real 0.218-ac lot, priced ~$77k (20%) over the county’s $382,200. A ~$20–25k price cut would bring it into range; at list it just misses.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

Does not fit on either axis. At $499,900 a clean 20% down runs ~$2,806/mo all-in (~$306 OVER the $2,500 ceiling) AND needs ~$115k cash (~$10k OVER the $105k fund). This is a 625 sqft 2bd/1ba built 1939 priced ~$800/sqft and ~$155k (45%) over the county’s $344,500 assessed value — a steep premium for a tiny old house.

4 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The payment clears (~$2,286, ~$214 under $2,500) with ~$13k cash to spare — so the verdict sits on value and layout, and both say no. It’s an LLC flip listed 23% / $74k over assessed — the worst premium of the contenders — with 4 bedrooms but only 1 bath, a serious livability and resale limiter, on the busy Vista arterial. As a flip it needs a rigorous inspection, plus an exemption re-file after closing (~$1,280/yr recapture). A conversation only in the mid-$300s near assessed, and only if the one-bath can be solved.

2 bd · 1 ba · HOA $17/mo

The payment clears cleanly (~$2,283, ~$217 under $2,500) with ~$14k cash to spare — so this is a value no, not a budget one. You’d pay ~$374/sqft for a 2bd/1-bath, 1,056-sqft corporate flip listed 19% / $63k over assessed, with weak resale and a $17/mo HOA — and the flip owner even let the 2025 second-half taxes go delinquent (~$940, cleared at closing). What would change it: a drop toward the mid-$300s AND an inspection that proves real repairs over lipstick.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Still a no — but for a sharper reason now that affordability isn’t the gate. The payment fits ($2,490, $10 under $2,500) and the cash fits (~$91.8k, inside the fund). The problem is the tax: it’s anchored to a $668k assessed value you cannot escape by paying $399k — ~$362/mo even after the exemption, roughly double every other house — and Idaho has no assessment cap, so the board’s worst tax line drifts up every single year. Only interesting as a deliberate A-1 land play, not a house to live in.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A clear no, and affordability is the red herring: the monthly fits (~$1,990) with the biggest cash cushion on the board (~$22k), but the county values this 720-sqft 1958 cottage at $234,400 and the ask is $359,900 — a 54% / ~$125k premium, the widest list-vs-assessed gap of any candidate. You’d close ~$125k underwater on day one for the second-smallest house here (only Broxon is smaller) at a steep $500/sqft. Real only after a cut into the mid-$200s.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $141/mo

On spec it’s tempting — 2 full baths, ~1,565 sqft, A/C, a garage, a low ~$108/mo tax, 4 minutes from Illya’s — but it’s a no: the listing sells it as a built-2017 home in ‘Verado,’ and both claims are false. County records and three independent sources confirm a 1977 West Bench townhouse wearing a cosmetic refresh. Listed ~26% / $83k over a DECLINING assessment on a 0.067-ac zero-lot-line lot, and the $141/mo HOA — highest on the board — eats the headroom. Price it as a 48-year-old townhouse: it only works in the mid-$300s, near assessed.

4 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A pass on the numbers, even after the trim to $464,900 (was $475,000): at the prior ask it ran ~$2,721/mo (~$221 over $2,500) with ~$109.3k cash needed (over the fund), and a ~$10k cut doesn’t flip both of those. The list is still ~23% above the county’s $378,100. It’s a charming 1950 Bench home with 4 bedrooms at a modest ~$312/sqft, but 4 beds / 1 bath is an awkward layout. What would change it: a meaningful cut toward assessed and a plan for a second bathroom.

2 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Close, but a no at list: a nicely renovated 1950 brick 2/2 on the Bench, but it’s listed ~26% over the county’s $364,800 and breaks both limits — ~$2,605/mo (≈$105 over $2,500) and ~$105.8k cash (just over the fund). The ~$169/mo tax bill is a real perk, and the house is move-in-ready, but the math says trim the price (or accept it’s slightly out of band). A modest negotiation could pull it into range.

4 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Showing Active again, but this file is flying blind: the county lookup never resolved (parcel unconfirmed, assessed value and tax history unverified), and the ~$475k is Zestimate-grade, from before the relist. On the listed spec — the batch’s only 4bd/2ba, but crammed into 988 sqft (1962) — that number runs ~$2,700/mo (~$200 over $2,500) and ~$109k cash, over on both axes. Before this becomes anything: get the parcel from the MLS, run a confirmed county pull, and check the live ask.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A pass on the numbers: at $489k it’s steep for a small cottage — ~27% over the county’s $386,100, the widest gap in its batch — and it breaks both limits: ~$2,789/mo (~$289 over $2,500) and ~$112.5k cash (over the fund). Even the exemption Eric would file (~$1,150/yr savings, landing ~$206/mo) doesn’t close gaps that size. A 2/1, 1,300-sqft un-renovated 1938 Craftsman priced on Crescent Rim charm — the neighborhood is the ask; the house doesn’t back it up.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

Back on the market at a verified $460,000 (relisted; eval predates the new $460k ask — its math ran against a ~$475k Zestimate). The county baseline is solid: a 1949 2bd/1ba on a 0.21-ac lot, assessed $385,400, exemption-applied tax of ~$188/mo for Eric. But the ~$475k hypothetical missed both axes (~$2,700/mo, ~$109k cash), and $460k is only ~$15k kinder while still ~19% / ~$75k over assessed. Re-run at the live ask before treating it as a contender.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

Lands ~$62/mo over the $2,500 payment target AND drains the cash fund to ~$2.7k — and the list is ~20% above the county’s $369,500, with the 2026 assessment having actually dropped. A 1951 single-level 3/1 with RV parking and mature trees; the spec is fine — the ask is the problem. On numbers alone it’s a pass unless the price comes down meaningfully; the recent $5k cut isn’t close to enough.

This isn’t the same kind of thing as the other candidates, and it shouldn’t be compared on monthly payment. It’s a depreciating manufactured home on rented park land with a $620/mo lot rent, probably not financeable as a normal mortgage, and with no assessor record to even pull. For Eric’s actual goal — own a home that builds equity in Ada County on a ~$2,500 all-in budget — this is a hard no.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Best house, wrong price — and it’s now Pending anyway. At $500,000 it’s over on both axes: ~$2,854/mo all-in against the $2,500 ceiling and ~$115k cash against the $105k fund, priced ~23% above the county’s $405,900 and ~$12.5k above Zillow’s own Zestimate. The house earns the ‘best’ — attached garage, hardwoods, a primary-bath addition, Depot Bench bikeability — and it went under contract without ever cutting the price.

2 bd · 2 ba · HOA $67/mo

Disqualified on eligibility: it’s a 55+ community, so Eric is out before the math even matters. For the record the numbers were excellent — on paper the cheapest path to owning in Ada County, ~$1,022/mo all-in with ~$71k of cash left over, on owned land — but the $149k auction estimate against a $331k assessed value was always a flashing light (condition, title, occupancy), not a clean bargain. Even if every diligence item had cleared, the 55+ restriction ends it. Shelved as a reference, not a live candidate.

2 bd · 3 ba · no HOA

A pass as a primary residence: it’s an attached 2/3 townhouse pitched as an investor crash pad, owned by a flip LLC, listed ~11% over the county’s $405,900. At 20% down it runs ~$2,565/mo (over $2,500, before any HOA) and leaves only ~$1.5k of the fund. The exemption Eric would file helps (~$1,150/yr) but doesn’t get it under target.

2 bd · 1.5 ba · HOA $244/mo

A likely no on Eric’s rules. The math clears (~$2,275/mo, ~$82k cash, ~$23k cushion) and it’s the best-priced townhouse (~10% over the county’s $321,900), but it’s a 2-bed, 1,105-sqft attached townhouse in Windstream with a $244/mo HOA — the single biggest fee in the search and a direct hit on Eric’s hard-no, in a shared-wall / no-yard product. And the 2-bed footprint doesn’t solve the daughter’s-room-plus-music-space need.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Effectively out — it went PENDING (under contract) on 7/2, so keep it as a comp/backup only. Even setting status aside, it’s an attached townhouse in Quince Cove (an HOA is likely, dues undisclosed, against Eric’s no-HOA rule) at a steep $367/sqft, ~14% over the county’s $349,700 — and once any HOA lands, the ~$2,286/mo (before dues) payment crowds the $2,500 ceiling. A tidy 1993 3/2 with A/C and a 2-car garage, but not a live target.

3 bd · 1.5 ba · HOA $270/mo

A likely no on Eric’s rules. It’s the best-priced townhouse (~1.3% over the county’s $365,000, on a dipping assessment) and the payment technically clears (~$2,410/mo, ~$85k cash, ~$20k cushion) — but it’s an attached townhouse in Oakhurst carrying a $270/mo HOA, the single most expensive fee in the whole search and a direct violation of Eric’s no-HOA hard line, in exactly the shared-wall / no-yard product he doesn’t want. The dues also eat nearly all the headroom.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

On pure numbers it works — ~$2,067/mo before HOA and ~$84k cash, with 2 full baths, A/C, a 2-car garage, and a 2011 remodel. But it’s an attached townhouse in Denton Village, so almost certainly a mandatory HOA — and Zillow shows the dues as undisclosed ("$–"), so the true carry is unknown. Any HOA is Eric’s hard-no; add a ~29% / ~$82k over-assessed list and no real yard, and it’s a likely no on his rules. Confirm the dues before anything else.