Boise is once again near the top of a national Top 10 list. This time it's Kiplinger's Personal Finance "Best Cities to Live, Work, and Play" where we landed comfortably at #4.

Kiplinger noticed the abundance of activities both outdoor and cultural, the modest cost of living and low commute time, plus the natural beauty of the area. A population with above average educational level is great for employers, as well as a cost of doing business that is reported as a third less than Washington or California. Boise ranks well in many other lists including Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, etc. What is not mentioned in the Kiplinger article is the weather.

It is a mostly sunny four season area, and I find the changes refreshing. Winters are cool with a touch of frost and an occasional dusting of snow measured in inches rather than feet. Spring is fresh and green with fruit blossom festivals in the more rural areas. Summer pulls you to the mountains, lakes and trout streams as the temperatures creep towards a dry 98°. Fall is beautiful with the leaves turning all colors of the Sunset-of-Summer in the City of Trees and community Harvest Festivals celebrate family and our agricultural roots.

Aside from what the weather is, there is also what the weather is not. It is not extreme. It is not hail the size of golf balls, not hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, or waterlogged levees. In the rare case of hail it is like teeny tiny snowballs. We occasionally get a bit of lightning or wind, but I find it more interesting than anything else. A few of the rivers nudge their banks every 5 to 50 years, but that's just Nature's way of saying read your FEMA maps - and listen to your REALTOR®.

MSNBC came out with their top 10 list for Best of the Best Places and joins Forbes and Kiplingers in noting Boise, Idaho as a great place to be. A variety of sources have appreciated Boise's affordable housing market, modest carbon footprint, relatively low crime rate, mild weather and other pleasant aspects of life in the Treasure Valley. Other publications have lauded Boise as a great place to retire, bicycle, and build a business.

According to InsWeb, Idaho has the best prices in the country for home insurance. When you compare $457 in Idaho to $1,372 in Texas you can see one of the reasons so many people are flocking to the Gem State. Insurance companies feel like this is a safe place to have a home, and those of us who live here tend to agree.

Weather is comparatively mild compared to other places in the country. Hurricanes and tsunamis are unheard of, tornadoes and damaging hail are very rare, there are some volcanic areas but they are largely dormant. It's really pretty nice here.

Non-weather damage is also low. Crime is lower than many more populated areas, and people are fairly friendly here.

Come to visit or come to stay, Idaho is a pretty nice place to be!

According to HUD, "For one year, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will insure foreclosed properties marketed and sold by property disposition firms on behalf of lenders. The properties, which must purchased by owner-occupants, will no longer be subject to the customary 90-day waiting period." Full Statement...

This should help more people get into homes that are bank owned (foreclosed), shrink excess inventory, and help to keep neighborhoods safe and attractive. There are many neighborhoods and climates where a 90 day waiting period, plus the lead time for marketing and other preliminary activities will really make a negative impact in the value of a property. This will help to improve vacancy rates and stabilize the condition of not just individual properties, but of the neighborhood as well.