9846 W Westview Dr

Run June 7, 2026 (county record completed) · rate 6.5% (Freddie 6.48% / Bankrate 6.52%, 6/7/2026)

Listing facts (Zillow)

• ~$254/sqft · listing claimed “built 2017”; actually built 1977 (RESOLVED — see flag)
• Listing markets it as “Verado” — false: Verado is a 2018 subdivision in Meridian (83646), ~15 mi away. County subdivision of record is WESTVIEW SUB NO 02, West Bench.

County record — Ada County Assessor (the truth)

• Tiny 0.067-ac lot — patio/zero-lot-line home; Tax Code Area 01-4 (School Dist No. 2 — cheaper levy).
• Year built (county): 1977 · 2 full baths · 441 sqft garage · has A/C
• Total levy: 0.006103518 (~0.61%)
• List price is ~$83k (26%) ABOVE assessed value — a big gap and a real question; you’d pay a steep premium over the county’s market read with no equity cushion at close.

Notable: assessed value fell from $337,300 (2025) to $313,900 (2026); 2022 was the peak ($350,400). The county does not see this house appreciating into the high-$300s — which makes the $397k ask look even richer.

The “implausibly low ~$1,222 annual tax” was REAL, not a half-year installment. The full annual bill genuinely runs ~$1,300/yr — low because this parcel sits in the cheaper Tax Code Area 01-4 (0.61% levy, School District No. 2) AND the homeowner’s exemption is already applied (~$1,302 ≈ 0.41% of assessed). Eric inherits roughly this: ~$1,300/yr ≈ $108/mo, a low tax line. FILE FOR THE EXEMPTION in your own name after closing — it does not transfer with the sale.

Affordability — VERDICT: FITS $2,500 (the HOA eats the headroom); over the old $2,000

A low ~$108/mo tax; the $141/mo HOA is what pushes the all-in up.

• 20% down = $79,400 → loan $317,600
• P&I at 6.5%: ~$2,008/mo
• Property tax (exemption already applied, cheap levy): ~$108/mo
• Insurance: ~$110/mo
• HOA: +$141/mo (highest dues of any candidate)
• PMI: $0 (20% down)
• All-in: ~$2,367/mo → ~$133/mo UNDER $2,500 (and ~$367 OVER the old $2,000). Clears $2,500 — but it’s the thinnest-margin “fit” of the non-Duncan houses, and the HOA is the reason.

Cash — fits at $105k

• 20% down ($79.4k) + ~$11.9k closing (3%) ≈ $91.3k — inside the $105k fund, leaving ~$13.7k of cushion.

Flags

• ✅ RESOLVED — built 1977, not 2017. The listing misrepresents it. Three independent sources (Homes.com, Redfin, prior MLS) confirm 1977; the county agrees. The “2017” traces to a cosmetic remodel (the listing itself touts a redone master shower + newer kitchen appliances/granite/cabinets) — a renovation laundered into a build year. The “Verado” label is also false (that’s a 2018 Meridian subdivision). Net: this is a 48-year-old West Bench townhouse with a fresh kitchen, not a newer build. The “low-maintenance newer home” thesis is dead — budget for 1977 systems (roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical), and do NOT pay 2017-new prices.
• $83k / 26% over assessed value — the biggest pricing flag, and the assessment is actually trending down (2025 → 2026). You’d overpay with no cushion.
• $141/mo HOA — the highest dues of any candidate (~$1,700/yr); the reason this lands at ~$2,367 instead of ~$2,230. Confirm coverage and reserves.
• Tiny 0.067-ac lot — patio/zero-lot-line product; no yard.
• Genuine pluses: a low ~$108/mo tax, real 2 full baths (only one in the batch), ~1,565 sqft (largest of the batch).

Bottom line

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 a low ~$108/mo tax. 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. The price + HOA only really work in the mid-$300s (near assessed), where the loaded payment drops toward ~$2,200.