Houses

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 · 1 ba · no HOA

The best budget fit on the board: cheapest list ($399,900), priced ~1% UNDER the county’s $395,400, lowest payment (~$2,329/mo, ~$171 under $2,500), and the most cash left (~$13k inside the fund). The trade is that it’s an admitted fixer — a 1977 3/1 needing cosmetic work — so reserve part of that cushion for the reno and inspect for anything structural hiding behind the “fresh paint and flooring.” On numbers, the strongest fit here; the work and the single bath are the honest caveats.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

On numbers it’s one of the best fits of the batch: ~$2,006/mo all-in, far under $2,500, with a low cash entry (~$80k, leaving ~$24.7k inside $105k). But with affordability no longer the differentiator, the value/condition picture carries the verdict — and it’s mixed. This is the oldest candidate on the board (1931), a small 2bd / 1ba on the busy Vista arterial, listed ~18% / $53k over assessed with no equity cushion.

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.

1 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

⚠️ Stub pending the Ada County pull. A 1936 ONE-bedroom at $479,900 (~$543/sqft) — ~$55k over the ceiling, and a 1bd/1ba is a severe livability/resale limiter. Hard to justify on spec; county pull decides the numbers.

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.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Numbers work: clean 20% down fits (~$96.6k cash, ~$8.4k left) and all-in lands ~$2,361 — about $139 under the $2,500 ceiling. Versus the Cathy comp it’s the better value — bigger (1,486 sqft, 0.202-ac lot), priced much closer to assessed (~4% over vs. ~19%), and even cheaper on tax — at the cost of being slightly older (1995) and the tighter cash entry of the two. Strong contender.

4 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

The payment now clears (~$2,286, ~$214 under $2,500) at clean 20% down with ~$13k cash to spare — so the verdict shifts off the budget and onto value and the layout. It’s a flip (LLC owner) listed 23% / $74k over assessed — buying well over the county’s market read, no equity cushion — with 4 bedrooms but only 1 bath, a serious livability/resale limiter (is there room/plumbing to add a second?). It sits on the busy Vista arterial (confirm noise on the block), and as an LLC flip needs a rigorous inspection plus an exemption re-file after closing (~$1,280/yr recapture).

2 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

⚠️ Stub pending the Ada County pull. List $425,000 sits right AT the ceiling, and it is the newest build of the batch (2005) — a 2/2, 989 sqft. This is the one that could actually pencil; the county pull + PITI math will say if the payment fits ~$2,500/mo.

2 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

The monthly now fits (~$2,247, ~$253 under $2,500) with ~$15k cash to spare — so this is no longer a budget no, it’s a value/size no. It’s the highest $/sqft of any candidate ($410/sqft for 951 sqft), a 2-bedroom listed ~$42k / 12% over assessed with no equity cushion. Essentially a newer, smaller, more-expensive-per-foot Clinton: same payment, less house, worse layout (Clinton is a 3/1.5 on a bigger lot for the same money). The genuine plus is the 2005 build — the second-newest on the board, low deferred-maintenance risk — plus no HOA.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A real contender on payment (~$2,439/mo, just under $2,500) but it leans on cash: ~$96.6k of the $105k fund goes in, leaving only ~$8.4k. The house is a 1948 3/1 at $330/sqft, priced 5% over the county’s $399,900. Inspect the 1948 systems hard and verify the remodel scope; if it checks out, it fits — just with a slim cash margin.

3 bd · 1.5 ba · no HOA

Now a soft yes / real contender under the new params. The monthly clears $2,500 with ~$267 to spare, cash fits with ~$15k cushion, and on the merits this is the best house in the ~$390k tier: 3bd / 1.5ba — the best bed/bath mix of the batch — on the largest lot (0.25 ac), exemption already in force (low ~$151/mo tax), and listed only ~12% over assessed (the smallest gap of the four ~$390k+ houses). The real knocks are the 1948 build (inspect foundation, wiring, plumbing, roof — A/C present) and the ~$42.5k of buy-over-market with no equity cushion at close.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $29/mo

The best house of the batch, and at the new budget the price finally works. Everything physical is right — 2004, 3bd/2ba, biggest lot, $29 HOA, and the lowest property tax of any candidate (~$80/mo) — and $399k = assessed (fairly priced, no cushion) now pencils to ~$2,237/mo (~$263 under $2,500) with the cash fitting at $105k (~$13k left). It’s strictly better than Auburn (same price, far lower tax, normal lot) and a genuine top-tier contender alongside Bury and Brookover.

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 verdict flips from a clear no to a viable contender under the new params. At $105k / $2,500, clean 20% down fits (~$95.5k cash, ~$9.5k left) and the all-in lands ~$2,451 — just under the ceiling. On house quality it’s arguably the best spec on the board: a true 3/2, newest build (1999), with low tax.

2 bd · 1 ba · HOA $17/mo

The payment now clears cleanly (~$2,283, ~$217 under $2,500) at clean 20% down with ~$14k cash to spare — so this is no longer a budget question. It’s a value no. You’d be paying ~$374/sqft for a 2bd / 1-bath, 1,056-sqft flip listed 19% / $63k over assessed — a lot of money for a small one-bathroom house with weak resale, bought well over the county’s market read. It’s a corporate (mortgage-company) flip, so the inspection has to be rigorous (what was actually repaired vs. lipsticked) and Eric has to re-file the exemption after closing to land the ~$159/mo tax.

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 the lowest tax of any candidate 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 comfortably and is the best house of the small-home batch — but it’s the most expensive to buy into. At 20% down on ~$399k it runs ~$2,209/mo all-in (~$291 under the $2,500 ceiling), helped a lot by an unusually low Tax Code Area 57 levy (~0.354%) that, with the homeowner’s exemption, drops the tax to ~$846/yr (~$70/mo) — the cheapest tax on the board. The catch is cash and price: ~$92k in (highest of the batch) leaves only ~$13.2k of the fund, and the list sits ~9.6% over the $364,100 assessed value. On the flip side, this is a 2002, 3bd / 2ba, ~1,200 sqft single-story — newer and with a second bathroom, so far less systems risk than the 1939 (Post) or 1974 (Valley Heights) candidates.

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

The closest of the stretch candidates to fitting. At $468,000 the all-in is ~$2,665/mo (~$165 over the $2,500 ceiling) and cash needed (~$107.6k) edges ~$2.6k past the $105k fund — over on both, but only just. It’s a genuinely livable house: 3 bd / 2 ba, 1,326 sqft, 2020-remodeled, good Bench location near BSU/downtown.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

Squeaks in: ~$2,475/mo (just under $2,500) and ~$97.8k cash (~$7.3k left in the fund), priced ~3% under the county’s $439,600 — the only at/under-assessed house besides the cheapest ones. The catch is the house itself: a 1920, 881-sqft, 2/1 in a Historic District Overlay at $482/sqft. The North End location carries it, but you’re paying top dollar per foot for a very small, very old home with renovation constraints.

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 $105k). The problem is the tax is 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-increase cap, so that already-worst tax drifts up every single year (it’s risen every year on record).

3 bd · 2 ba · no HOA

Fits on payment, is the newest/cleanest house on the board, but is the most expensive to buy into and the tightest on cash. At 20% down on ~$415k it runs ~$2,307/mo all-in (~$193 under the $2,500 ceiling), held under target almost entirely by an unusually low Kuna Tax Code Area 04 levy (~0.485%, about half of Boise’s ~0.9%) that, with the already-applied homeowner’s exemption, drops the tax to ~$1,126/yr (~$94/mo) — the cheapest tax on the board. The catch is cash: ~$95.5k in (highest of the batch) leaves only ~$9.5k of the $105k fund, and the list sits ~16.3% over the $356,900 assessed value — the widest premium of the upper-price candidates, and the ~$512k neighbor estimate does NOT back it up. On the upside, this is a 2016, 3bd / 2ba, 1,505 sqft single-story — the newest and largest of the recent candidates, so the lowest systems risk.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A clear NO — and the new params make it even clearer why. The monthly fits comfortably (~$1,990, $510 under $2,500) and the cash fits with the largest cushion on the board (~$22k left). None of that matters: the county values this 720-sqft 1958 cottage at $234,400 and the seller wants $359,900 — a 54% / ~$125,500 premium, the widest list-vs-assessed gap of any candidate. You’d close ~$125k underwater on day one, for the smallest house on the board (720 sqft, 2bd/1ba) at $500/sqft, the worst price-per-foot anywhere in the search.

3 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

On the numbers this fits comfortably — ~$1,977/mo all-in at 20% down (~$523 under the $2,500 ceiling) and ~$77k cash in, leaving ~$28k of the fund. The big lot and single-story 3-bed ranch are real positives. But the headline property-tax figure is a trap: the assessor shows ~$751/yr only because the prior owner had income/age-based tax relief (circuit breaker + homeowner’s relief credit) that will not transfer. Eric’s actual tax resets to ~$2,080/yr with just the standard homeowner’s exemption — about $1,300/yr more than the record suggests. The eval already prices that in.

3 bd · 2 ba · HOA $141/mo

Now a soft no on value, not budget. The payment squeaks under $2,500 (~$2,367, ~$133 of headroom — thinnest of the non-Duncan houses, all of it eaten by the $141/mo HOA) and the cash fits (~$91.3k, ~$14k left). On layout it’s tempting: the most livable spec on the board — real 2 full baths (the only one in the batch), ~1,565 sqft (largest), and the cheapest taxes anywhere (~$108/mo). But two hard flags override it: the year-built question is now resolved against the listing — it’s a 1977 townhouse sold as a 2017 “Verado” home (both claims false), so price it as a 48-year-old house with a cosmetic refresh; and it’s listed ~26% / $83k over a declining assessment (the county marked it down 2025→2026), so you’d overpay with no cushion on a tiny 0.067-ac lot.

4 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A pass on the numbers at list: ~$2,721/mo (≈$221 over $2,500) and ~$109.3k cash needed (over the $105k fund), with the list ~26% above the county’s $378,100. It’s a charming 1950 Bench home with 4 bedrooms at the lowest $/sqft here, but 4 beds / 1 bath is an awkward layout and the price is steep versus assessed. Would need a meaningful price cut (and a plan for a second bathroom) to be a real contender.

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 lowest tax bill in the batch 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

Off-market (nothing to buy; the ~$475,000 is a Zestimate). ⚠️ The Ada County address lookup for 2118 W Targee did NOT resolve to a confirmable parcel — the Assessor’s address search fuzzy-matches it to an unrelated 2714 S Columbus St parcel, so assessed value and real tax history are UNVERIFIED and not recorded here. On the listed spec (4bd/2ba, 988 sqft, 1962) the ~$475k estimate would run ~$2,700/mo (~$200 over $2,500) at 20% down — a no even before the county confirms.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

A pass on the numbers: $489k is the priciest list here, ~27% over the county’s $386,100, and it breaks both of Eric’s limits — ~$2,789/mo (≈$289 over $2,500) and ~$112.5k cash needed (over the $105k fund). The exemption Eric would file saves ~$1,150/yr but doesn’t close the gap. It’s a small (2/1, 1,300 sqft) un-renovated 1938 Craftsman whose price is all Crescent Rim charm.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

Off-market, so there is nothing to buy today — the ~$475,000 is a Zestimate, not a live ask. County baseline pulled: a 1949 2bd/1ba on a 0.21-ac lot, 2026 assessed $385,400, owner-occupied since 2014 with the exemption applied (~$188/mo tax for Eric). IF it relisted near $475k, 20% down would run ~$2,700/mo (~$200 over $2,500) and ~$109k cash (~$4k over the fund) — a no. Tracking only.

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 dropped). On numbers alone this is a pass unless the price comes down meaningfully; the recent $5K cut isn’t enough.

2 bd · 1 ba · no HOA

⚠️ Stub pending the Ada County pull. At ~$389,900 it is the only one UNDER the $425k ceiling (~$35k under) — but it is OFF-MARKET, so that price may be a Zestimate, not a live ask, and it is a small 1947 2/1 (816 sqft). If it relists near this number it could genuinely fit; county pull gives the real tax and a true read.

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. At $500,000 it’s over the $2,500 ceiling (~$2,854/mo all-in) and over the $105k fund (~$115k cash needed) — a no at ask. It’s also priced ~23% above the county’s $405,900 and ~$12.5k above Zillow’s own Zestimate, with zero price-cut history to soften it.

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 “own a home in Ada County well under budget” at ~$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 (title, occupancy, financing, as-is condition) 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.