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MethodologyApril 24, 2026· Renew

Research Methodology and Data Sources

How Renew Group sources, verifies, and maintains market data for Boise investment real estate — from government ordinances to operator-derived metrics.

Breadcrumb: Boise / Research / Methodology

Page type: Methodology
Published: 2026-04-22
Read time: 8 minutes

Summary: How Renew Group sources, verifies, and maintains market data for Boise investment real estate — from government ordinances to operator-derived metrics.

Our approach

Every metric, ordinance reference, and market observation published on this site follows a documented source hierarchy. We do not publish speculation as fact. We do not cite "industry sources" without naming them. We do not present operator interpretation as verified data.

This page explains how we classify sources, assign confidence levels, define geographic scope, and maintain update cadence across all Boise content.

Source hierarchy

All data falls into one of five source types, ranked by reliability:

1. GOVERNMENT (highest reliability)

Official municipal, county, state, or federal sources. These are the only sources we cite for zoning rules, ordinance changes, demographic projections, and regulatory requirements.

Boise examples:

  • City of Boise Zoning Code (codelibrary.amlegal.com)
  • City of Boise Planning & Development Services ordinance amendments
  • COMPASS (Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho) population projections
  • U.S. Census Bureau demographic data
  • FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) unemployment figures
  • Idaho Legislature bill text and session records

Update cadence: Ordinance-triggered (immediate) or annual refresh for demographic data.

Confidence level: VERIFIED when citing current effective code. DATED when citing older demographic snapshots.

2. MLS (market data platforms)

Multiple Listing Service aggregators and real estate data platforms that compile transaction records, listing activity, and pricing trends.

Boise examples:

  • Redfin Boise Housing Market (monthly updates)
  • Zillow Boise Home Values (quarterly updates)
  • Intermountain MLS (IMLS) — not yet integrated; planned for Phase 2

Update cadence: Monthly for Redfin median sale price, days on market, and year-over-year price change. Quarterly for Zillow rent and vacancy estimates.

Confidence level: VERIFIED for closed-sale medians. ESTIMATED for Zillow rent averages (algorithm-derived, not survey-based).

3. BROKER (institutional research reports)

Commercial brokerage firms that publish quarterly or annual market reports based on proprietary transaction databases and client surveys.

Boise examples:

  • Cushman & Wakefield Boise Metro Multifamily Report (quarterly)
  • CBRE Idaho Market Outlook (annual) — not yet cited; under review
  • Colliers Boise Industrial Report (semi-annual) — not yet cited; under review

Update cadence: Quarterly for multifamily. Annual or semi-annual for other asset classes.

Confidence level: VERIFIED for stabilized vacancy and net absorption figures (based on actual leasing data). ESTIMATED for cap-rate ranges (survey-based, not transaction-verified).

4. SURVEY (third-party aggregators)

Non-broker platforms that aggregate lender surveys, investor polls, or crowdsourced data.

Boise examples:

  • ApartmentLoanStore cap-rate estimates (quarterly lender survey)
  • NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers) rent surveys — not yet integrated

Update cadence: Quarterly or annual, depending on survey frequency.

Confidence level: ESTIMATED. Survey data reflects respondent perception, not verified transaction records.

5. OPERATOR (Renew-derived interpretation)

Metrics, ranges, or observations derived from Renew's direct deal flow, client transactions, or operator experience in the Boise market. These are NOT third-party verified.

Boise examples:

  • Bench flip ARV range ($380K–$445K) — based on 12-month Renew transaction history
  • North End premium flip ARV range ($780K–$1.1M+) — based on Renew transaction history
  • Infill-development timeline estimates — based on Renew builder client experience

Update cadence: Quarterly review or deal-flow-triggered.

Confidence level: OPERATOR. Always labeled "Renew take:" in prose and tagged [OPERATOR_TAKE] in structured data.

Confidence levels

Every metric on this site carries one of four confidence labels:

VERIFIED

The metric is sourced from an official government record, a closed-sale MLS median, or a broker report citing actual leasing/transaction data. No estimation or modeling involved.

Example: Boise median sale price of $495,000 (Redfin, March 2026 closed sales).

ESTIMATED

The metric is algorithm-derived, survey-based, or modeled from incomplete data. It reflects a reasonable approximation but is not transaction-verified.

Example: Boise 3BR SFH average rent of $2,218/month (Zillow Q2 2025 algorithm estimate).

OPERATOR

The metric is derived from Renew's direct deal flow or operator experience. It is not third-party verified and should be treated as a market observation, not a statistical fact.

Example: Bench flip ARV range of $380K–$445K (Renew 12-month transaction history).

DATED

The metric was VERIFIED at the time of publication but is now older than 6 months. It remains factually accurate for its stated period but may no longer reflect current conditions.

Example: Boise SFH vacancy rate of 3.06% (Zillow Q2 2025) — cited in April 2026 content, flagged as DATED.

Geographic scope definitions

Every metric specifies one of five geographic scopes:

city

City of Boise municipal limits only. Does NOT include Garden City, Meridian, Eagle, or unincorporated Ada County.

Example: Boise population of 253,550 (COMPASS 2025).

metro

Boise MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) — includes Ada, Canyon, Boise, Gem, and Owyhee counties. Used for unemployment, multifamily vacancy, and regional economic indicators.

Example: Boise MSA unemployment rate of 3.4% (FRED, January 2026).

county

Ada County only. Used for county-level demographic projections and tax/assessment data.

Example: Ada County population of 572,020 (COMPASS 2025).

neighborhood

One of the seven approved Boise neighborhoods: North End, East End / Warm Springs, The Bench, West Boise, Hill Road / NW Boise, BSU Area, SE Boise.

Example: Bench flip ARV range (Renew operator data).

zip

ZIP code-level data. Not yet used in Boise v1 content but reserved for future parcel-level analysis.

Update cadence by data type

Ordinance changes (immediate)

When the City of Boise adopts a zoning code amendment, we update the affected deep guide within 7 business days and publish an ordinance-update brief within 14 days.

Trigger: City Council adoption + effective date confirmation.

Example: ZOA25-000013 ADU amendment (adopted February 2026, effective February 15, 2026) — ADU guide updated February 20, 2026; ordinance-update brief published February 28, 2026.

Monthly market data (monthly refresh)

Redfin median sale price, days on market, and year-over-year price change are updated within 5 business days of Redfin's monthly data release (typically first week of each month).

Trigger: Redfin Boise Housing Market monthly update.

Last update: April 5, 2026 (March 2026 data).

Quarterly market data (quarterly refresh)

Multifamily vacancy, net absorption, and cap-rate estimates are updated within 10 business days of broker report publication (typically mid-month following quarter-end).

Trigger: Cushman & Wakefield Boise Metro Multifamily Report quarterly release.

Last update: April 15, 2026 (Q1 2026 data).

Annual demographic data (annual refresh)

Population, growth projections, and Census-derived metrics are updated within 30 days of official release.

Trigger: COMPASS annual projections update or Census Bureau vintage release.

Last update: March 2026 (COMPASS 2025 projections).

Operator-derived metrics (quarterly review)

Renew transaction-based ranges (flip ARV, rental comps, timeline estimates) are reviewed quarterly and updated if deal flow reveals a material shift.

Trigger: Quarterly internal review or significant market event.

Last review: April 2026.

How we handle stale data

If a metric is older than 6 months at the time of page publication, we:

  1. Flag it as DATED in the confidence field
  2. Add an inline note: [DATA AGE: X months old — verify]
  3. Link to the most recent available source
  4. Do NOT remove it unless a fresher metric is available

Example: Boise 3BR SFH average rent of $2,218/month (Zillow Q2 2025) — cited in April 2026 content with DATED flag and inline age note.

How we handle missing data

If a metric is required for a page but not yet sourced, we:

  1. Emit a placeholder: ``
  2. Do NOT fabricate a number
  3. Do NOT publish the page until the gap is filled OR the section is rewritten to remove the dependency

Example: ``

How we cite sources

Every source cited in Boise content must appear in the canonical source list below. If a new source is introduced, it is added to this list with full metadata before publication.

Canonical source list (Boise)

GOVERNMENT sources:

MLS sources:

BROKER sources:

SURVEY sources:

OPERATOR sources:

  • Renew Group transaction history (internal)

How we handle operator interpretation

All operator interpretation is labeled "Renew take:" at the start of the paragraph and tagged [OPERATOR_TAKE] in structured data. It is NEVER presented as verified fact.

Example:

Renew take: The Bench remains the highest-volume flip market in Boise because it offers the widest margin between distressed acquisition price and stabilized ARV. Investors can still find sub-$300K acquisitions that appraise at $380K–$445K post-rehab, assuming competent execution and no major structural issues.

This interpretation is based on Renew's 12-month transaction history in the Bench neighborhood. It is not a statistical claim and should not be cited as such.

How we handle ordinance references

Every ordinance reference in a deep guide must include:

  1. Specific code section or ordinance number
  2. Effective date
  3. Official source URL (GOVERNMENT type only)
  4. Disclaimer: "Verify current standards at [OFFICIAL_URL] before any development decision."

Example:

Under Boise Code §11-02-01 (effective February 15, 2026), up to two ADUs are permitted per lot in R-1 and R-2 zones, subject to owner-occupancy and design standards. See the full code at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/boise_id/latest/boise/0-0-0-65305. Verify current standards at the City of Boise Zoning Code before any development decision.

How we handle risk flags

Every regulatory, market, or operational risk identified in Boise content is tagged [RISK_FLAG] with severity level (low / medium / high / critical) and mitigation reference where applicable.

Example:

[RISK_FLAG] name: "Historic overlay" risk_type: regulatory severity: high description: "North End properties within the historic overlay district require Design Review Board approval for exterior modifications, adding 30–60 days to project timelines and limiting design flexibility." scope: neighborhood scope_id_or_slug: "north-end"

Questions or corrections

If you identify a sourcing error, stale data, or missing citation in any Boise content, contact us at research@renewregroup.com. We update ordinance-related errors within 48 hours and market-data errors within 7 business days.

Sources

For full methodology and source hierarchy, see this page.

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Renew analysis

Our read on this. Labeled as internal analysis.

Renew take:
— Renew
Renew take:
— Renew
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