FHA closing costs to rise April 1

This was posted on Facebook this morning by my friend Chris Pelkola Lee of Keller-Williams East Idaho, and I thought it worth sharing here.

In a nutshell, the Federal Housing Administration on April 1 is going to raise the up-front insurance premium it charges borrowers by 75 basis points to 1.75 percent of the base loan amount. That means for a $100,000 loan you will have to bring an extra $750 to closing. If you're thinking about a home loan, it might be a good idea to move fast.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/27/real_estate/FHA_mortgage/index.htm

Chris' Facebook page, always a good source of information, is http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/IFListings

Kiwi Loco helps EITC Foundation

With the snow falling and the roads covered with ice, one may be forgiven for not thinking of frozen yogurt right off the bat. But guess what? It's delicious any time of year, and if you want to support a good cause Kiwi Loco will be donating 10 percent of its sales this Saturday to help the Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation.

The foundation helps fund student scholarships and college programs, and sponsors such fabled fund-raising events as the Great Race for Education.

Stop in between 2 and 6 p.m. if you want to help. Kiwi Loco is at 3198 S. 25th East, in the Sagewood Plaza, near the corner of Hitt and Sunnyside roads.

Mrs. Powell's opens store in downtown Idaho Falls

Mrs. Powell's, a fixture in the Ammon Towne Square for some time, has opened a second store, on the corner of E Street and North Yellowstone Avenue.

Ryan Hatch

Although the space itself is small, manager Ryan Hatch said they are hoping to do a lot of take-out and delivery business by being so close to downtown Idaho Falls. "We'd been wanting to expand, and we think downtown is a great market us," he said. "Yesterday we took some samples to the DMV office. They're super-excited being right across the street. We're hoping delivery will be a big part of our business."

The menu will be the same as the Mrs. Powell's in Ammon, which Hatch's parents, Sherri and Alban, have owned for seven years. The food is made fresh daily in Ammon, then brought downtown, where it can be reheated if necessary. In addition to bread and cinnamon rolls, the menu features soups, sandwiches, wraps and calzones.

Work on remodeling the location (the actual address is 235 E Street) began in November, but the sign only went up earlier this week. Hatch said he is shooting for a grand opening by mid-March. In the meantime, they are ready to take orders. The phone number is (208) 200-5300. Mrs. Powell's Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/mrspowells

Areva suspends Eagle Rock enrichment work 'indefinitely'

This broke on Local News 8 last night. Not great news for anyone who pinned their hopes on Areva as the salvation of the local economy. http://www.localnews8.com/news/30555368/detail.html

That One Place grand opening is Wednesday

That One Place, 552 N. Capital Ave., will be having its grand opening Wednesday.

The restaurant has been at its downtown location since early December, after relocating from a spot on Third Street. Owner Trent Walker said he thought there would be better traffic and he also figured it would be more fun to be part of the downtown scene. The restaurant took part in the downtown open house earlier this month. The menu focuses on sandwiches, soups, wraps and rice bowls, all fresh from scratch.

For the grand opening, customers can buy one entree and get a second of equal or lesser value for free.

Walker said the name "That One Place" came from his 16-year-old son, who'd heard his grandparents talking all the time about places they'd eaten around the world, e.g. "Remember that one place we went to in Italy?"

"He said, 'You ought to call it that,' and we liked the idea," Walker said.

The restaurant manager is Ashley Mueller. They provide catering, carryout and delivery. For more information, call 529-9804

Visit the Web site at http://www.thatoneplaceonline.com