The headline
Inventory across the three biggest Treasure Valley submarkets — Boise, Meridian, and Nampa — is up 14% over the last 60 days. That's the first meaningful supply-side movement we've seen since last fall, and it lines up neatly with the start of PCS season. If you're moving here on orders that close mid-summer, this is the window where your VA offer has the most leverage.
The "VA loans don't compete" line has been wrong in Boise for at least 18 months. With more inventory, it's even more wrong this quarter.
What more inventory means for your VA offer
Two practical shifts:
- Concessions are back on the table. Through last winter, listing agents were declining nearly every seller-concession ask. With more competition, that's softening. I'm getting 1–2% closing-cost concessions through on roughly half of my VA offers in the last 30 days.
- Inspection objection windows matter again. Earlier this year, asking for repairs would lose you the deal. Now I'm seeing reasonable requests get accepted, especially on homes that have been on the market 21+ days.
Where I'd write differently than 60 days ago
I've stopped recommending "as-is" VA offers on listings over 30 days. The pendulum has swung — sellers in that bucket need you more than you need them, and a clean-but-not-stripped offer wins more often.
Where inventory and pricing are moving
The 14% inventory bump isn't evenly distributed across the Treasure Valley. Here's a factual snapshot of recent county-level movement drawn from Intermountain MLS data. This is reference information — not a recommendation of any area over another.
Ada County
Active inventory across Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, and Kuna is up approximately 16% over the last 60 days per MLS. Median list price has moved roughly 2% lower in the same window. Days-on-market has lengthened modestly.
Canyon County
Active inventory across Nampa and Caldwell is up roughly 11% over the last 60 days per MLS. Pricing per square foot remains lower than Ada County on average. New-construction inventory is meaningfully present in both submarkets.
Elmore County
Active inventory in Mountain Home is up roughly 8% over the last 60 days per MLS. Inventory turns are most often tied to PCS-season cycles.
Practical steps if you're house-hunting in the next 60 days
- If your orders close before July 31, get pre-approved this week so we're ready to write when something matches your criteria.
- Decide your own priorities up front — commute distance, school district, price, square footage, lot size. Bring those criteria to the search.
- Ask your lender about a rate float-down policy. Rates softened in March; that option matters if it happens again before closing.
- If you're open to multiple cities, set up MLS searches in each so you can compare current inventory side by side.
Questions on your specific situation? Send me a note or call 208-860-6100. I read every one personally.
