3309 W Palouse St
Run June 7, 2026 · via boise-home-eval skill · rate 6.5% (Freddie 6.48% / Bankrate 6.53%, 6/7/2026)
Listing facts (Zillow, MLS #98979830)
- Source: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3309-W-Palouse-St-Boise-ID-83705/79480791_zpid/
- List price: $390,000
- 2 bd / 1.5 ba · 951 sqft · built 2005 · lot 3,136 sqft (0.072 ac) · no HOA
- Off-street parking, back patio. ~$410/sqft — highest $/sqft of any candidate (Brookover $303).
County record — Ada County Assessor (the truth)
- Parcel: R2024304102 · Subdivision: EAGLESON PARK ADD · Zone R-1C · 0.072 ac
- Owner of record: HALL TYRA M (a person → owner-occupied; took title 2023, Instrument #2023044543)
- 2026 assessed value: $348,100 — land $165,600 (MARKET) + dwelling $182,500 (COST)
- Land is ~48% of value on a tiny lot → location premium (near downtown / the Bench).
- List price is ~$42k (12%) ABOVE assessed value — priced to the top, not a discount.
Actual property tax history (Total Taxes billed)
| Year | Total Taxes |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $3,216.12 |
| 2023 | $2,978.78 |
| 2024 | $1,917.24 |
| 2025 | $1,980.56 |
The 2023→2024 drop (~$1,060) is the homeowner’s-exemption kicking in after Hall took occupancy. So the current ~$1,980/yr ALREADY reflects the owner-occupant exemption — Eric inherits roughly that (~$165/mo), no exemption adjustment needed. Effective rate ≈ 0.9% of assessed once you back out the exemption. Budget for modest upward drift (no ID assessment cap).
Affordability — VERDICT: FITS $2,500 with room; over the old $2,000
Same loan as Clinton → same P&I. Under the new params it clears.
- 20% down = $78,000 → loan $312,000
- P&I at 6.5%: ~$1,972/mo
- Property tax (actual, exemption already applied): ~$165/mo
- Insurance: ~$110/mo
- PMI: $0 (20% down)
- All-in: ~$2,247/mo → ~$253/mo UNDER $2,500 (and ~$247 OVER the old $2,000). Clears $2,500. ✓
Cash — comfortable now
- 20% down ($78k) + ~$11.7k closing (3%) ≈ $89.7k — inside the $105k fund, leaving ~$15.3k of cushion (at the old $90k this was maxed out with ~$300 left; the higher fund fixes that).
Flags
- $/sqft is brutal: $410/sqft for 951 sqft. You’re paying a 3-bed price for a 2-bed cottage.
- Listed above assessed value — no equity cushion at purchase; you’d be buying at/over market.
- 2 bedrooms — even tighter on resale/livability than Brookover’s 3bd/1ba.
- The one genuine plus: 2005 build = low deferred-maintenance risk vs. 1948 (Clinton) / 1962 (Brookover). And no HOA.
Bottom line
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. But you’d be paying a 3-bed price for a 2-bed cottage. Affordability passes; value doesn’t. Only makes sense in the low-$300s (at/below the $348k assessed), and even then you’re buying 951 sqft. Newer house, wrong size for the price.