Anngela Musgrave Realtor

Have you ever learned why Olympians bite down on their medals? I just did, and here's why.

First, it makes for an epic photo! Photographers love getting Olympians to take a post biting down on the medal because it looks pretty cool in the newspapers.

Secondly, historically biting down on a precious coin was a way for traders to verify that the gold was authentic. Gold is a soft metal, so teeth marks could be seen, thus proving the coin to be real.

However, Olympians haven't received solid gold medals since 1912...so it's really all for the Gram!

I'm not an Olympian, but my friend Heather and I started successful businesses so we got into a "Hall Of Fame" for our industry. Here we are posing like we're the nation's best athletes...hey, a girl can dream!

Honest question. Chick-Fil-A or Popeyes?

Hey homeowners! Here are 5 easy ways to add value to your home! These are especially smart if you've been thinking about selling.

1. Our family has 2 dogs (and they can get a little stinky). If you have pets, get a product like Odor Ban to clean up the odors in your home. You'll be able to enjoy a clean, fresh home for yourself. Plus, if you choose to sell, when folks walk through they will smell pleasant odors, not stinky ones.

2. Sometimes I look at our garage and sigh...when we've neglected it. But, a clean organized garage will change your attitude, and it communicates you value and respect your home. Organization communicates respect to potential buyers, and they will have a higher perceived value of your home! A few hours on a Saturday morning can go a long way. :)

3. The front door is the gateway to your home. Having a cute, well-decorated, and beautiful front door and entryway can transform a home's value. It's estimated you can add up to $24,000 of value just by upgrading your front door! If you have a solid door, paint it for $50-60. Or if you choose to replace, Home Depot has beautiful doors for $500-800. Or I'd even recommend Marketplace where you can snag a deal for a couple hundred dollars.

4. In the summer, it's so important to have well well-working AC. I'd recommend getting a tune-up (seriously, I didn't know it was under $30) and this will give you peace of mind, especially if you choose to sell your home in the summertime.

5. Have you considered planting a couple fruit trees in your yard? How fun would it be to be able to grow your own apples or peaches? Well, this is a quick way to enjoy your property and a way to add value for $100-200. Plant a couple trees and in 2-3 years, you will get to harvest your own fruit! If you're thinking about selling in a couple years, this is a way to invest in perceived value when you go to move.

What are other ways you've added value and improved your home?

Justin and I are painting our home. It's been a lot of work! Did you know upgrading your front door can give you a 75% return on investment? In fact, it's estimated a new front door could add up to $24,000 to the perceived value of your home. It makes sense, your front door is the first thing you see when you visit a home.

We decided to paint this door for now...but I'm considering replacing it with a craftsman door. Or should I go with a 5 panel modern door?

I heard someone say there should be at least one average guy in every Olympic race, just for reference. And so I want to officially announce that if called upon I will represent my country. As the prophet Isaiah boldly declared in the Old Testament, “Here I am, send me.”

PS
If you're concerned about my form, rest assured that I'm a better realtor than a sprinter.

-Anngela

A friend sent me this. 😂 What new ways did the potato marketers come up with to sell more Idaho potatoes?

Hey guys! If a friend was visiting the Treasure Valley area, what restaurants would you recommend that they HAVE TO check out while they're in town?

It’s buying Idaho dirt and building your dream
It’s keeping what you sweat for
It’s raising your children according to your values
It’s gathering together to worship God
It’s growing your own food
It’s driving a truck not cause you need it, just cause you want it
It’s speaking your mind
It’s risking everything to create your own business
It’s protecting your family
It’s the most important thing to pass to the next generation.

It’s freedom.

And I’m proud it’s what defines us. It’s a precious and breathtaking blessing, and it’s why this Independence Day I’m thankful to say:

What a country! 🇺🇸

When you get to see your first Major League Baseball game and it's the iconic Atlanta Braves, you take it!

Why did Sears stop selling homes in 1942?

These home kits were wildly popular in the early 1900s. When Sears released its “Sears Modern Homes” catalog line, it was complete with 40 ready-to-build homes. Eventually, it was expanded into over 400 different designs and layouts, with the option to add on plumbing and electrical for an additional cost.
(For cities without municipal water systems, you could add-on an outhouse for just $23!)

The prices ranged from around $650 to around $6,500 for the complete kit, which included pre-cut lumber. They advertised that you could build your own home in 90 days.

Most of the history of these homes was lost due to the destruction of sales records during the move to Sears Tower in the 1970s. However, it is estimated that they sold between 70,000 and 100,000 homes between 1908 and 1940. It is hard to say how many homes are still standing today. At least 5,000 of them have been identified, but most are still undiscovered. Experts believe around 70% of them are still standing - many of them right here in Idaho!

The phrase “they sure don’t build them like this anymore” is a direct reference to Sears homes. (Okay, that part might not be a fact, but it feels true.)

In 1911, Sears opened their own mortgage company, in an effort to make the process streamlined for its customers. But this was likely their downfall.

The company faced a public relations disaster when the Great Depression hit. They ended up having to foreclose on many of their own customer's homes. The final nail in the coffin was the lumber shortage in the early 1940s, due to the preparations for WW2.

They halted residential construction from fulfillment issues and had to refund deposits on homes that were made. They discontinued the catalog in 1940, and completely closed their sales offices in 1942.

Check out some of the most popular models that were sold in the photos.

If Sears made a comeback and released their Sears Home Kit catalog today, would you buy one?

- Anngela

P.S. I included a photo of their school house kit at the end, it was only offered for one year in the catalog and it is unknown whether one was ever purchased.

If Forest Gump had been a realtor, he would have said in his most famous line "Real estate is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get...unless you do research before you take a bite."

Cause it's true in real life. You really don't know what's going on until you start looking, researching, and asking questions.

If you ever have any questions, I'm happy to be a resource whether researching chocolates OR homes in the Treasure Valley😉

A father is...
A shoulder to cry on when you've had a bad day
A teacher when you don't know how to do something
A guide when you are on an adventure
A voice of encouragement when you doubt
A storyteller at bedtime
A comedian when you need a good belly laugh
A calm and confident leader in times of trouble
A confidant when you need advice or just someone to listen
A hero who saves the day

The man who will walk his daughter down the aisle. The man who will teach his son to fish and to become a man of his own. The man who will be remembered for his love and courage.

He's the man who changes generations when he provides, protects, prays, and is present.

This is a father.

To all the fathers out there, thank you. Happy Father's Day. ❤️

Sincerely,

- Anngela

We just got this mother and son into a beautiful home!!

If you are looking to buy a home this year, let me know. I'd love to help 😊

- Anngela
(208) 412-0401

Bless this dehumidified air unto our bodies, and the hands of the AC techs who maintain it. And Lord, as summer temperatures approach 90+ degrees here in the Treasure Valley, we pray for a divine hedge of protection over these miraculous vessels--unto which we are not worthy. For these conditioners of air, Lord, we pray that you might fill them with a double portion of freon.

Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no humidity.

Amen.

Many people choose to do a CrossFit style workout called “Murph” today. It’s a grueling endeavor that starts and finishes with a mile run:

1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
1 mile run

It’s become such a regular Memorial Day tradition in gyms that many people have forgotten the meaning of this particular workout. “Murph” is slang for Lieutenant Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who knowingly, consciously, and intentionally sacrificed himself to save his friends while behind enemy lines and outnumbered ten to one.

Here’s what’s happened on that day in 2005:

“Deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, a very committed four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a reconnaissance mission at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. The SEALs, Lt. Michael Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz, Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell had a vital task. The four SEALs were scouting Ahmad Shah – a terrorist in his mid-30s who grew up in the adjacent mountains just to the south.

Under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail, Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the "Mountain Tigers" that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local nationals, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban.

A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 militia. The enemy had the SEALs outnumbered. They also had terrain advantage. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. The firefight continued relentlessly as the overwhelming militia forced the team deeper into a ravine.

Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountain's steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Approximately 45 minutes into the fight, pinned down by overwhelming forces, Dietz, the communications petty officer, sought open air to place a distress call back to the base. But before he could, he was shot in the hand, the blast shattering his thumb.

Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the QRF at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team.

At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up and completed the rescue call, knowing he had to expose himself without cover for the signal to get through. It did.”

He was killed shortly after.

Lt Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Did you know there's a correct way to retire an American flag? I decided to put together a list of places where you can honorably retire your used flags here in the Valley.

The American Legion Department of Idaho properly disposes of approximately 10,000 flags each year. Idahoans can dispose of their unserviceable flag by dropping it off at their local government or military bases, Girl or Boy Scout locations, American Legion posts or local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.

Girl Scouts:
8948 W Barnes St, Boise, ID 83709

America Legion
1504 2nd St S, Nampa, ID 83651

Boy Scouts of America
22 W Broadway Ave, Meridian, ID 83642

American Legion Post
360 W Main St, Kuna, ID 83634

I also want to thank you to all who have served and those who've paid the ultimate price 🇺🇸

Does your home smell like a pet store (or worse)? I was talking to a seller recently and they asked me what the ONE thing they can do to prep their house for sale is. I answered simply, "clean it."

In my experience, I've seen houses get sold for 10 or even 15% less than what they could have sold for simply because it smelled like the cat litter aisle. I won't take up too much of your valuable scrolling time to explain this, but the power of smell cannot be underestimated:

- Studies show that 75% of emotions are triggered by smell which is linked to pleasure, well-being, emotion and memory. Make a lasting memory and prioritize cleaning/staging a smooth scent when you show your home.

- The sense of smell is the first of all our senses to develop. Even before we are born, our sense of smell is fully formed and functioning. Connect your buyers with their ORIGINAL sense and don't let your home be offensive to it.

- The human brain can process roughly 10,000 smells in an area the size of a postage stamp, each triggering a neural response. The ol' olfaction can pick up the tiniest of details.

So if you're considering selling your home in the Treasure Valley area anytime soon, let's connect! Goodness "nose" you wouldn't want to lower the price of your home just because the scent is a little off.

- Anngela
Idaho Town & Country Realty

P.S. I'm sure YOUR home doesn't smell bad. I'm talking about someone else.

🏈 Today, I watched my son play in his first football tournament, and what a rollercoaster of emotions it was! Despite the unfair calls from the referees and a tough loss of 49-12, there was a valuable lesson learned on the field. It wasn't about the scoreboard; it was about sportsmanship and dignity in defeat. Seeing my son and his teammates face adversity with grace and determination will be something that sticks with me forever. But what truly moved me was when my husband stepped in to remind everyone, parents, and coaches included, of the importance of setting an example for our young athletes. As adults it’s just as important to show our kids that how we handle defeat is just as crucial as how we celebrate victory. Today wasn't just about football; it was about teaching life lessons that will stay with them forever.
I couldn’t be more proud of my son but especially my husband for standing up for what’s right when it’s so easy to go with the masses and do just the opposite. 🌟

In 1999, someone at Pixar accidentally deleted all of Toy Story 2. The backup hadn't worked for a month. Executives were panicking. The movie was saved when someone on maternity leave revealed they had a copy of it saved on their home computer.

Here’s what happened:
“The Linux file server back in the day that they had was command-based. No graphical interface, no mouse. You navigated by keyboard and commands. Most likely what happened was one of the IT guys ran a delete command with the intent to clean up a specific folder. But they accidentally ran it at the root of the file system. So once they hit enter, it began to recursively delete files akin to a worm eating its way out of an apple. By the time they unplugged the server, about 90% of the movie had been deleted.

“The backups had also been dead for weeks. So they began to panic.
“But the technical director had a backup with a PC at home since she had just given birth to her son. So they brought the PC back to the office and fired it up, and the movie was saved.”

So, a mom saved the day….“a tale as old as time.”

- Anngela

I wear many hats. No, seriously, I wear a ton of them. 🧢

Here are some of my favorites:
- Mom
- Wife
- Real Estate Agent
- Mentor

What's your favorite hat you wear? 👒

- Anngela
Idaho Town & Country Realty

Here's the BEST way to spend $200 in your new home. Especially if it's in a new construction neighborhood! Plant trees in your backyard.

Often in the new construction communities here in the Treasure Valley area, lots are smaller & houses sit closer together. Many times, homeowners will put up privacy fences that share property lines or tie into their neighbor's existing fence. This helps, for sure.

But the best bang for your buck from a long term perspective is to actually plant a couple trees in the backyard as soon as you move in. Over time, they'll grow to offer more privacy. And your backyard will feel qualitatively separate from your neighbor.

Plus, in situations where folks need to sell a home in these newer communities, often improvements like this are a compelling way to make your property stand out.

Your home could sell for thousands MORE than a similar house in your neighborhood with the standard, "builder grade" backyard.

My best advice is to go grab a few young trees at a local nursery here in the Treasure Valley area. It's important to plant some equity in your home!

- Anngela
Idaho Town & Country Realty

What’s something you learned from your grandmother or grandfather that has stayed with you?

I actually like showing homes in the rain. It’s not the most fun thing to do, but showing homes in the rain offers a ton of practical value. When you see homes in the rain, you’re more apt to notice if a home has a leaky roof or basement or another form of water intrusion.

True story…I recently had a homeowner tell me that after living in their home for about a month, they were awoken in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm with water pouring in through the closed window in their bedroom.

This issue might have been noticed and addressed prior to closing if the showing and/or inspections had occurred in the rain! Another time, during a final walk-through on a rainy day, we were in the basement and noticed some water on the floor. Turns out there was a small hole in the foundation where the water was intruding. We were able to get the fix priced out by a contractor and the buyers received a credit for the price of the repair from the sellers at closing and still closed on time!

I love being a rainy day Realtor. ☔

That rainy day could just save the day down the road.

- Anngela
Idaho Town & Country Realty

I was 3 years old in this photo.

Obviously, everyone has regrets in life. I sure as heck do. For starters, I should have been buying land and investing in real estate. But I was too busy wearing hot pink.

- Anngela

Mini farm escapades today! 🐐🐰🐓. Anyone else fantasize about selling everything and letting the kiddos raise animals for 4-H? These two cuties and baby goat Chloe stole my heart today! 😍🐐 If you're hunting for land to start your dream mini farm, let me know! I'll even throw in the first goat on the house so I can come by for some cuddles and selfies! 📸

Do you love churros? Then you gotta check out Dos Caminos Mexican Restaurant right here in Nampa!

10 out of 10 yums! 😋