Living, Working and Real Estate in Twin Falls Idaho

30 facts about Twin Falls Idaho (Part 5)

2011-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some quickfacts about the Twin Falls area 21-30 and the last of these blogs about Twin Falls facts

21) Population, 2009 estimate 75,296
22) Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 17.1%
23) High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000 81.3%
24) Homeownership rate, 2000 68.3%
25) Persons per square mile, 33.4
26)Ancestries: English (18.9%), German (18.5%), Irish (9.9%), United States (7.7%), French (3.1%), Swedish (3.1%).
27) Elevation: 3729 feet
28) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units in 2000:
Twin Falls: 0.9% ($838)
Idaho: 1.0% ($1,007)
29)Single-family new house construction building permits:
2009: 189 buildings, average cost: $135,600
30)Full-time law enforcement employees in 2009, including police officers: 99 (68 officers).

I hope you have enjoyed some of the facts and figures about Twin Falls and it's surrounding area. If you find you have questions or need more information about our area, email me at my website www.bryannewberry.com
Have a great week!!

30 facts about Twin Falls Idaho (Part 4)

2011-01-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

Although Twin Falls has sustained a nice growth rate over the past few decades, for many it is still just a quick pit stop on their way from Salt Lake to Boise, Las Vegas to Sun Valley or even Murtaugh to Glenns Ferry. That being the case, I thought I would publish a few little know facts about Twin Falls in the hopes that the next time your through our area, you may pause and reflect on what a wonderful place it is to live.

So, here is part four of my "30 Facts about Twin Falls" numbers 16-20

include famous people in or from Twin Falls

1)Gary L. Bennett (born January 17, 1940, in Twin Falls, Idaho) an American scientist and engineer, specializing in aerospace and energy. He has worked for NASA and the US Department of Energy on advanced space power systems and advanced space propulsion systems. His professional career has included work on the Voyager, Galileo, and Ulysses space missions, and is currently working as a consultant in aerospace power and propulsion systems. He is also an author

2)W. Mark Felt, the informant in the Watergate scandal known as Deep Throat, graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1931.

3)Notable musicians who spent parts of their childhood in Twin Falls include Gary Puckett, Paul Durham of Black Lab, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill.

4)Actress Christina Hendricks, of the renowned AMC series Mad Men, grew up in Twin Falls and despite moving while in high school, Hendricks still considers Twin Falls her hometown.

5)Singer Gary Puckett was born in Hibbing, Minnesota and grew up in Yakima, Washington - close to the city of Union Gap - and Twin Falls, Idaho. He began playing guitar in his teens, and graduated from Twin Falls High School before attending college in San Diego, California.

Twin Falls is really a unique place to live and work. People leave simple to pursure a life that does not exist in our area, and who can blame them? When all is said and done, many of our residents are people who have left to pursue a dream, fulfilled it (or gave it their best shot) and then wound up back home in Twin Falls to unwind and enjoy a slower pace of life withour giving up so many of the amenites that we all enjoy. As i am writing this blog, I am sitting in a quiet coffee shop (Java), looking out the window at the wonderful weather and also the wonderful people that make up this town I call home.

If you are in need of any more information about Twin Falls Idaho, or specific information about the real estate market in southern Idaho, please feel free to email or call me at any time. Drop by my website a http://www.BryanNewberry.com anytime.

30 facts about Twin Falls Idaho (Part 3)

2011-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

I took a few days off to enjoy some time with my family. Here are a few more facts about Twin Falls you may not find anywhere else. These are items 11-15

1) Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 34,469 at the 2000 census; a 2006 estimate found 40,380 people. Current census is about 43,000

2) The original townsite follows a unique design. It is laid out on northeast-to-southwest and northwest-to-southeast roads. The northwest-to-southeast roads were numbered and called avenues, while the northeast-to-southwest roads were numbered and called streets. Only two central streets, the northwest-to-southeast Main Avenue and the northeast-to-southwest Shoshone Street, were named. It is purported that the reason this was done was to allow sun to come into every room in the home at some point during the day. This system created situations where one side of a street may have an entirely different address than the other, and where the corner of "3rd and 3rd," for example, was in more than one location. In 2003 the numbered northeast-to-southwest streets were renamed to alleviate decades of confusion. Later city roads, such as Blue Lakes Boulevard, Addison Avenue and Washington Street, are laid out in standard north-south and east-west orientations.

3)The City of Twin Falls has a council-manager form of government. The seven-member Twin Falls City Council is directly elected in non-partisan municipal elections to four-year terms. The mayor, who holds little executive power, is periodically selected among current city council members to chair meetings. City council meetings are usually held on Mondays.

4)The city's day-to-day operations are overseen by a city manager, who is appointed by the city council. The city government through various citizen boards oversees parks and recreation, planning and zoning, sanitation and garbage collection, street maintenance, wastewater collection, and maintains police and fire departments. Twin Falls Public Library, Twin Falls Municipal Golf Course and Joslin Field-Magic Valley Regional Airport are also under the city's jurisdiction.

5)Although Twin Falls has the distinction of being the largest Idaho city not directly on the Interstate Highway System, the city is served by several major highways including U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 93. Access to Interstate 84 is afforded by a junction with U.S. Route 93 approximately 5 miles (8.3 km) north of the city in Jerome County. Idaho State Highway 74 provides direct access from downtown Twin Falls to southbound locations on U.S. Route 93, including Hollister, Rogerson, and Jackpot, Nevada.

Thats all for this post. Keep an eye out for items 16-20. Remember, if you need any help with real estate in southern Idaho, visit my website at www.bryannewberry.com. Thanks!!

30 facts about Twin Falls Idaho (Part 2)

2010-12-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is a continuation of my "30 Facts about Twin Falls" This is part 2, items 6-10

-Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads , that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America.[6] Later native American tribes predominant the area included the Northern Shoshone and Bannock.

-Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 34,469 at the 2000 census; a 2006 estimate found 40,380 people.[2]

-Twin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region. As the largest city in a 100-mile radius, Twin Falls serves as a regional commercial center for both south-central Idaho and northeastern Nevada.

-Twin Falls is the principal city of the Twin Falls, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area - the state's largest (population about 91,000)- which officially includes Jerome and Twin Falls Counties. The resort community of Jackpot, Nevada, in Elko County is unofficially considered part of the greater Twin Falls area.

-The first people of European ancestry to visit the Twin Falls area are believed to be members of a group led by Wilson Price Hunt, which attempted to blaze an all-water trail westward from St. Louis, Missouri, to Astoria, Oregon, in 1811 and 1812. Hunt's expedition met with disaster when much of his expedition was destroyed and one man was killed in rapids on the Snake River known as Caldron Linn near present-day Murtaugh. Hunt and the surviving members of his expedition completed the journey to Astoria by land.

-In 1812 and 1813, Robert Stuart successfully led an overland expedition eastward from Astoria to St. Louis which passed through the Twin Falls area. Stuart's route formed the basis of what became the Oregon Trail. Some 150 years later, Robert Stuart Junior High School in Twin Falls was named in his honor.

Thats 5 more facts about Twin Falls Idaho. If I can be of assistance to you in anyway with regards to your real estate needs or questions about this area I call home, drop by my website at http://www.bryannewberry.com.

Look for my next in the series "30 Facts about Twin Falls Idaho

30 facts about Twin Falls Idaho (Part 1)

2010-12-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

Although Twin Falls has sustained a nice growth rate over the past few decades, for many it is still just a quick pit stop on their way from Salt Lake to Boise, Las Vegas to Sun Valley or even Murtaugh to Glenns Ferry. That being the case, I thought I would publish a few little know facts about Twin Falls in the hopes that the next time your through our area, you may pause and reflect on what a wonderful place it is to live.

So, here is part one of my "30 Facts about Twin Falls"

-The original townsite follows a unique design. It is laid out on northeast-to-southwest and northwest-to-southeast roads. The northwest-to-southeast roads were numbered and called avenues, while the northeast-to-southwest roads were numbered and called streets. Only two central streets, the northwest-to-southeast Main Avenue and the northeast-to-southwest Shoshone Street, were named. It is purported that the reason this was done was to allow sun to come into every room in the home at some point during the day. This system created situations where one side of a street may have an entirely different address than the other, and where the corner of "3rd and 3rd," for example, was in more than one location. In 2003 the numbered northeast-to-southwest streets were renamed to alleviate decades of confusion. Later city roads, such as Blue Lakes Boulevard, Addison Avenue and Washington Street, are laid out in standard north-south and east-west orientations.

-Twin Falls became the center of national attention in September 1974 thanks to an attempt by Evel Knievel to jump the Snake River Canyon in a specially-modified rocket cycle. Watched by millions on television, the attempt ultimately failed due to high winds and a premature deployment of Knievel's parachute. The foundation of the launch ramp, which lies on private land, can still be seen.

-Twin Falls had the first live call-in radio show in the nation. It was called "Party Line" and was hosted by L. James Koutnik on KLIX KLIX (AM)radio. The FCC attempted to time delay the program but the host, and his willing conspirator, station owner Charlie Tuma, thwarted this effort and continued to allow live callers on the air.

-Shoshone Falls is taller than Niagara Falls by about 36 feet (11 m).

-The Perrine Bridge, which spans the Snake River Canyon immediately north of the city, is one of only a handful of artificial structures worldwide where BASE jumping is legal. In September 2005 Miles Daisher of Twin Falls set a BASE jumping world record by jumping off Perrine Bridge 57 times in a 24-hour period.

That's five things you need to know about Twin Falls, (part one). I'll post more as I find them.

If I can assist you in any of your Twin Falls Real Estate needs, drop by my website at http://www.bryannewberry.com

Don't buy a house in 2009!!!

2009-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Yeh Right! Our activity for the past 10 days has shot through the roof. I think people are finally starting to act normal (what ever normal is) and relizing that with interest rates at around 5%, and prices down in the magic valley almost 10%, then it may be the best time in decades to buy. All of my buyers the past few months have had good credit and down payment money. Imagine that, all the banks are asking is that the new owners put a little "skin" into the game, and the money is still there. I have already seen a little loosening of credit scores from where it was a few months ago, but not at levels we saw 2 years ago. Those days are loooong gone. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We are at the bottom right now. We will scrape bottom until mid-summer, then start to see a slow increase after that. Be ready!!! With the decrease of around 50 agents from our local association, and perhaps more to come, those agents that position themselves for late this year will reap huge benefits when it does pickup.

Have a great 2009....

Activity in the Twin Falls area

2008-12-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

It is amazing driving around the Twin Falls area and seeing all of the commercial activity taking place. From the new St. Lukes hospital to Walmart, the new CanyonRidge High School, several new hotels, and a few million dollars of other commercial activity, I think someone forget to tell them that we are in the middle of a recession. After having been in Twin Falls for over 40 years now, I have seen times like this come and go. Many of the people that I meet from the central valley of California tell me how much our area reminds them of the central region of that state some 35-40 years ago. I think that helps us to see how much growth potential we have yet to realize. I don't think my wife and I are going to be building a house just know, family responsibilities are going to keep us where we are, but I am on the lookout for some great real estate deals. When all of this commercial activity gets finished, the market will no doubt have rebounded, and I hope to be in a good position to profit from it, as has many of my clients.

What a great month!

2008-10-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the Real Estate market has not been all that great this month, but our weather here has been phenomenal for October! The high the past few days has been in the 70's and blue sky. Even before that, we have had alot of days in the 60's and very light winds. Other than that one day when we had 6 inches of snow at my house, it's been great! I still beleive that we have reached the bottom of the market here in southern Idaho, and will continue to scrap bottom for the next few months. Perhaps by spring we can return to a slightly increasing market for both buyers and sellers. For now, we just have to get through winter!!

Real Estate on hold?

2008-10-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's strange how everyone seems to be acting the same way with regard to the real estate market. Although everyone's situation is different, most people I talk to are putting their plans on hold until congress gets this whole bailout fiqured out. Even those that have cash in the bank (or mattress if they prefer) are waiting to see if the bailout works, or at the very least, they are observing the reactions of everyone else to see how they should react. I cannot say as I blame them. If you do not at least reflect and pause about the entire situation, check your pulse. It's a wild ride, and yet most of the underpinnings are fundamentally the same as they were 24 months ago. It's just that the route to the end is going to be different. I still beleive that after a few months of uncertainty, the market will begin a slow and steady climb back to healthy levels.