Housing markets trend better for buyers across the nation, what about Idaho?

KIFI on June 3, 2025

Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — According to real estate company Redfin, there are nearly 500,000 more sellers than buyers in the United States. With supply rising above demand, there are questions about the prices of houses being too high (due to volatile interest rates), recent spikes of demand over supply that are finally balancing out, and other causes of economic instability.

In Idaho, according to Redfin, 14.4% of home in Idaho sold above their listed price. That’s down 2.2 points year over year. There were 30.8% of homes that had price drops from their listed price, which is up from 29% in April last year. This indicates at least a small movement in the direction the rest of the nation is leaning.

As it stands, the average sales price for a house in Idaho is $470,000. In the area that spans from Blackfoot to Rexburg, that number looks a bit closer to $440,000.

“Right now, nationwide, prices are high, interest rates are high, so that’s a bad combination for buyers,” says Carissa Coats, spokesperson for the Greater Idaho Falls Association of Realtors. However, not everyone agrees with Coats’ sentiment.

“Time is not on your side right now. Sell earlier rather than later, and it’s really important to price your home correctly for the current market and not use comps that are outdated because you don’t want your home to sit,” says Chen Zhao, Redfin’s Head of Economics Research.

With more people moving in than moving out, Coats believes Idaho is a bit ahead of the curve with demand also increasing compared to other locations. But volatile interest rates that can rise at any moment are an increasing concern for many realtors. When interest rates rise, the loans taken out when purchasing a house can become unaffordable when it was previously within budget.

It’s a waiting game. If sellers get desperate to sell, they’ll lower prices to get buyers. If buyers get desperate to purchase a home, they’ll pay for one at a higher price. If a seller lowers their prices, all other sellers lower theirs, but when bought from, the pressure to lower the prices is lessened. With interest rates causing problems, forcing people to break contracts on homes they can no longer afford, realtors have a tricky road to navigate.

“Those open houses, you’re going to see a lot more of those. Not just on weekends, we’re going to see them on weeknights. You’re going to see a lot more on social media postings. You’re going to see a lot more fliers in your mailbox. You may even see more realtors knocking door to door, just to get the word out for their sellers, because word of mouth is better than any advertising. But its been a while since realtors have had to do those kinds of things,” says Coats.

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UPDATE: Five more tremors reported Tuesday morning near Stanley

KIFI on June 3, 2025

Michael Coats

CENTRAL IDAHO — Early Tuesday, June 3, seismic activity continued northwest of Stanley as several quakes struck northwest of the town, the latest in an ongoing series observed in the area since Saturday.

Shortly after 1:30 AM, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck, representing the largest quake in the area since the seismic activity began.

The early morning activity was followed by two more quakes, measuring 3.5 and 3.9, just before 6 AM. The activity persisted, with a 3.9 magnitude tremor around 7:06 AM, and a smaller 2.5 magnitude quake at approximately 7:58 AM.

UPDATE:

CENTRAL IDAHO (KIFI) – Two separate magnitude 3.6 quakes struck within three minutes of each other Monday evening, the latest and largest so far in a series of quakes near Stanley.

The latest sizeable quakes struck around 8:23 PM and 8:26 PM. The epicenters were roughly 9 to 10 miles northwest of the town of Stanley.

There have been at least 20 quakes over a magnitude of 2.0 since Saturday. Most earthquakes under a magnitude 3.0 are rarely felt by people.

This area is no stranger to earthquake swarms or larger quakes.

The last major earthquake to hit was a magnitude 6.5, on March 31, 2020.

If you felt the latest sizeable quake, you can report your experience to the USGS at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000qhjl/dyfi/intensity

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I-Team: Power Struggle

KESQ on June 3, 2025

John White

Sky-high power bills are on the way with the warm summer months ahead in the desert. 

Some people prepare for those increased expenses by going on a level-pay or “budget billing plan.” 

Palm Springs resident Ross von Metzke went on the plan last year, hoping it would take some of the shock out of those bills. 

“We were expecting big power bills, and for the first year, we got them during the summer,” von Metzke says. 

They conserve the home to save electricity by pulling the blinds, making sure the TV is off when they’re not using it and keeping their condominium at 76 or 77 degrees. 

He explains what he expected from the budget billing plan, “They take a look at a year’s worth of your energy usage and then use that to find a base rate that they can apply across, they say, eleven months.” 

It worked as far as he knew with SCE giving him a monthly bill lower than he thought it would be. 

It started at $116.00. 

It was adjusted three months later to $259.00. 

Then it went up to $317.00. 

Then in May, it was $960.66. 

“Definitely not expecting to get that,” he says. 

We took his concerns to SCE Senior Advisor, Jeff Monford. 

“Now we know not everybody gets out their magnifying glass and studies every detail in the bill, but at the same time that information is presented there on where to look.” Monford says. 

Von Metzke was keeping a close eye on the biggest number on his bill, the amount due each month. 

Below that shows a running tab of sorts and whether the amount he’s been paying is keeping up with his actual balance. 

He was running a tab without realizing it. 

“We summarize what is currently being billed, and we show what is piling up for reconciliation later,” Monford explains. 

The lesson, von Metzke says, is to pay close attention to that “actual balance” number, so you don’t have any surprises. 

Imperial Irrigation District also has a similar program. 

It’ll also show a credit or a balance at the top of the bill, while showing the budget billing plan amount due, much like the SCE bill. 

It’s important to look at both, so you know whether you’ll face a big balance at the end of your billing year. 

Resources:

For information on SCE Budget Billing Plan and how to apply, visit here.

For information on Imperial Irrigation District Budget Billing Plan, visit here.

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Fences For Fido and Madras Animal Hospital partner to bring free pet services to Warm Springs

KTVZ on June 3, 2025

Barney Lerten

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) — With medicine and supplies in tow, a team from Madras Animal Hospital and Fences For Fido greeted dozens of Warm Springs residents who lined up on Saturday for free pet vaccines, flea/tick medications, and pet food.

The free wellness clinic is among the services that help bridge gaps between the remote tribal community and essential services like veterinary care.

“Forty minutes before the clinic opened, our first customer arrived with seven dogs and a cat,” says Michelle Blake, Executive Director of the Portland-based nonprofit Fences For Fido, who coordinated Saturday’s two-hour drop-in wellness clinic at the Warm Springs Fire and Safety building.

“Just imagine the cost if all eight pets needed to get their exams and treatments at the going rate for veterinary care,” Blake said.

In the first hour, the team vaccinated 44 dogs and 5 cats and anticipated an afternoon total of about 75 pets.

Pets arriving for the free clinic ranged from a 1.7-lb puppy to 80-lb adult dogs.

“There was even a little family reunion when a brindle pit bull mama met two of her 7-month-old puppies while waiting in line for shots,” Blake said.

Now adopted to separate families, the puppies and their mother recognized each other and exchanged little nose-bumps while waiting their turns.

Fences For Fido has served the Warm Springs community since 2016. The nonprofit’s founding mission is to build free fenced yards to improve the quality of life for dogs previously kept on a tether or in a small enclosure. “Our mission expanded to help meet other critical needs for dogs and cats on the reservation where there is no on-site veterinary care,” says Kelly Peterson, Fences For Fido’s chair and co-founder.

The organization partners with another nonprofit, First Nations Veterinary, to bring high-volume summer spay/neuter clinics to Warm Springs. Those summer clinics will sterilize 100 or more pets in a two-day weekend. Outside of clinic weekends, Fences For Fido partners with Dr. Jerud Rhen and his staff at Madras Animal Hospital.

“Dr. Rhen makes time available to help us serve Warm Springs families, and our team will drive pets from Warm Springs to Madras if the family has a transportation challenge,” says Blake. “Together, Fences For Fido and Madras Animal Hospital have spayed and neutered 167 dogs and 26 cats.”

Fences For Fido processes 600+ applications each year form Oregon and Washington families asking for help with fencing, veterinary care, or spay/neuter services. The group’s volunteer fence-builders unchained 323 dogs and delivered 217 dog houses to pets in need in 2024.

Their services in Warm Springs have provided:

600+ dogs with safe fenced yards. 

400+ dogs and puppies transferred to shelters and rescues

800+ dog houses to provide protection from weather extremes

100,000+ pounds of dog/cat food distributed through the organization’s Warm Springs pet food bank

Fences For Fido, founded in Portland in 2009, has unchained more than 3,700 dogs across Oregon and Washington. FencesForFido.org

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Palm Springs Jewish community leans into resilience after Boulder attack

KESQ on June 3, 2025

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Following a violent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, Jewish communities across the country are processing the pain.

In Palm Springs, leaders said they are choosing to respond with resilience.

Rabbi David Lazar of Congregation Or Hamidbar in Palm Springs said he personally knows victims injured in the attack.

“They’re going to be all right, but they’re suffering right now,” Lazar said. “Those people are the same Jews that are urging the Israeli government to stop the slaughter in Gaza. That’s the irony here — the bitter irony of it.”

He said the Boulder demonstration was not a pro-Israel rally, but a weekly gathering to raise awareness for the remaining hostages in Gaza.

He emphasized that political slogans like “From the river to the sea” are sometimes interpreted as “permission granted for murder,” especially by emotionally unstable individuals.

“All they need is a little push and a feeling that it’s legitimate for them to show their hatred in actions,” Lazar said.

He said the rise in politically motivated violence is disturbing — but his congregation refuses to live in fear.

“We’re not afraid to do good,” Lazar said. “We won’t succumb to the fear.”

This latest attack comes just weeks after two Israeli embassy staff members were fatally shot outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.—and a little more than two weeks since the targeted attack on a Palm Springs fertility clinic in Palm Springs.

Carolina Vasquez, executive director and clinical therapist at Desert Insight, said emotional awareness is the first step to understanding how to move forward from traumatic events.

“The first thing is to notice it,” Vasquez said. “Sometimes we’re on autopilot.”

Stay with News Channel 3 at 10 and 11 p.m. to learn how some members of the Jewish community are reacting after the attack in Boulder.

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New ‘last resort’ wildfire prevention plan would cut off power to homes in southern Colorado

KRDO on June 3, 2025

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Stopping wildfires could come at the cost of losing power in your home for the span of hours – or days.

Black Hills Energy says by the middle of the summer, they plan to have their new Public Safety Power Shutoff program up and running – a program the utility calls a “last-resort safety measure.”

Through the program, Black Hills Energy will proactively shut off power in high fire-risk areas during extreme weather, such as intense winds and low humidity, to reduce the chance of wildfires sparked by electrical equipment until conditions improve.

Campbell Hawkins, vice president of Colorado Utilities at Black Hills, says the specific conditions that would trigger a shutoff include sustained wind gusts around 50 miles per hour and persistently low humidity.

“When those two conditions combine – both high winds as well as low humidity – those are the conditions that are ripe for wildfire,” Campbell said.

But customers won’t be left in the dark without warning. 24 to 48 hours before a potential shutoff, Black Hills Energy says customers will receive a watch alert, encouraging them to prepare for a possible outage.

A further warning will be issued if conditions are likely to require a shutoff, and once conditions improve, power will be restored, Black Hills Energy said.

Breakdown of the timeline surrounding a potential PSPS decision.

The company says they’ve already heard concerns from residents who rely heavily on electricity.

“Customers that are on life support equipment, some of the eldercare facilities – all of which are top of mind to us and top of mind to our customers. It’s why we’re out there informing those customers of what’s to come with this Public Safety Power Shutoff program,” Campbell said.

Black Hills said that, based on past years’ weather and research done while preparing the program, the shutoff would have been used only a handful of times per year.

You can find more information here.

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Rexburg Police arrest man on child pornography charges

KIFI on June 3, 2025

Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A Madison County man is now in custody, facing charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. Rexburg Police Detectives arrested Jackson Johansson on Monday, following an investigation that began with a tip from the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The tip alleged that a Kik messaging account was being used to share and trade explicit materials of children. According to the Rexburg Police Department, detectives obtained search warrants and successfully identified Johansson despite his attempts to conceal his identity online.

Johansson has been booked into the Madison County Jail.

Disclaimer: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Showing up to get a REAL ID? Don’t forget these documents

KESQ on June 3, 2025

Garrett Hottle

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) As of May 7, 2025, a real id or other acceptable form of identification is required to fly domestically within the United States.

But in the Coachella Valley, News Channel 3 has heard some people are showing up unprepared, and walking out empty-handed. 

So what are they missing? And how can you avoid the same headache?

News Channel 3’s Garrett Hottle spoke with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and breaks it down. 

To find out more information about what you documents you need to obtain a real ID visit this link.

For more information about obtaining your real ID visit this link.

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Two prescribed burns conducted SW of Sisters and SW of Crescent; we’re getting a close-up look

KTVZ on June 3, 2025

Isabella Warren

Isabella Warrenvisited the site of a burn near Sisters; her report on KTVZ News at Five

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes National Forest conducted two more prescribed burn operations Tuesday on the Crescent and Sisters ranger districts. 

Firefighters on the Crescent Ranger District planned to conduct up to 42 acres of ignitions on the Sting 16 Prescribed Burn, located about 12 miles southwest of Crescent and two miles south of the Two Rivers subdivision.

The prescribed burn unit is located between OHV Trails #13 and #39. No closures are anticipated for these trails; however, officials say the trails may have some smoke impacts during and after ignitions. Smoke will be visible from Highway 97 and 58 and the surrounding area.  

Residents in Two Rivers, Crescent Lake and Crescent are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours. 

Also on Tuesday, after a successful test firing, the Sisters Ranger District conducted 91 acres of prescribed burning on SAFR 240, two miles southwest of Sisters and one mile southwest of the Crossroads subdivision, at the intersection of Forest Service Road 15 and FSR 1512 near Sisters Cow Camp.

The burn was complete by early Tuesday afternoon and crews were transitioning to cooling down hot spots and securing the perimeter.

Smoke was visible from Sisters and the surrounding area. No road or trail closures are anticipated; however, smoke may impact FSR 15.

Isabella Warren is getting a behind-the-scenes look at this season’s prescribed burns for a report tonight on KTVZ News at 5:00 p.m..

Drivers should use caution when traveling in the area. Residents in the Crossroads subdivision, Sisters and the surrounding area are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed, to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours. 

Firefighters implement understory prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk to communities. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within our fire-dependent ecosystem by removing concentrations of vegetation and restoring forest health while increasing public and firefighter safety. 

Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to plan prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are conducted when the weather is most likely to move smoke up and away from our communities. While prescribed fire managers take significant preventive measures, it’s likely that communities may experience some smoke during or immediately after a prescribed burn.  

What does this mean for you? 

During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight and in the early morning hours.  

All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts. 

If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best when running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner. 

If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible. 

When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and turn air to recirculating. 

If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional. 

Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources. 

For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest, visit fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes. Follow us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts. 

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Bonneville County Annex offices to close for parking lot maintenance

KIFI on June 3, 2025

News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Several key offices located within the Bonneville County Annex in Idaho Falls will temporarily close later this month due to scheduled parking lot maintenance. The closures will take place from Wednesday, June 18th, through Friday, June 20th.

The impacted offices include:

Bonneville County Motor Vehicle Office

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Divisions:

Driver’s License Office

Concealed Weapon Permit Office

Sex Offender Registry Office

While other offices within the annex building, such as the D7 Treatment Center and Bonneville County Adult Probation, are not slated for full closure, they may experience partial closures or limited operations during the maintenance period. People are being advised to call ahead if they plan to visit these departments.

Normal operations for all affected offices are scheduled to resume on Monday, June 23rd.

The information above comes from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

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