Inside Valnova | Boise’s Hottest New Suburb [FULL VLOG TOUR]

If you are dreaming about foothill views, endless trails, and a true master planned community near Boise, Idaho, Valnova in Eagle might be exactly what you are looking for. In this guide, I will walk you through what makes Valnova unique, how it is laid out, what amenities are planned, what homes and builders you will find here, and what you should know before deciding if this is the right community for you.

Table of Contents

• Intro: Boise’s Next Big Foothills Community
• Valnova Overview: Size, Vision, and Timeline
• Location and Access From Boise and Eagle
• Amenities, Village Center, and Year Round Activities
• Parks, Trails, and Open Space
• Homes, Lots, and Builders in Valnova
• Pricing Expectations and Product Types
• Inside a Sample Home by Brookstone Custom Homes
• Lifestyle, Wildlife, and Everyday Living
• Is Valnova Right For You?

Intro: Boise’s Next Big Foothills Community

If you are looking to move to the Boise, Idaho area and you want real foothills, real elevation, and real outdoor access instead of just another flat subdivision with a canal, Valnova needs to be on your radar. This community sits in the foothills above Eagle, Idaho and is designed to feel more like a mountain village than a typical suburb. Think miles of trails, open space, and a future village center, all about 40 to 45 minutes from downtown Boise.

Most people who research Boise online are surprised when they arrive and see how flat much of the valley is. Valnova flips that script. You are actually in the hills, surrounded by views, with direct access to the Eagle trail system and future on site amenities that make it feel like a destination, not just a neighborhood.

Valnova Overview: Size, Vision, and Timeline

Valnova is a 6,000 acre master planned community in Eagle, Idaho. It is being built out over a long timeline and is expected to include roughly 7,000 homes over the next 10 to 20 years. This is not a small subdivision. It is an entire new foothills community with its own village core, schools, services, and recreation.

About 40 percent of the land is planned as preserved open space. That means trail systems, greenbelts, natural hillsides, and view corridors that make the area feel like Idaho instead of just more rooftops packed edge to edge. If you have been looking for a true foothills lifestyle but still want to be tied into the Boise and Eagle area, this is one of the few large projects that really checks those boxes.

Location and Access From Boise and Eagle

Valnova is located in the foothills above the city of Eagle, Idaho. From the future town center in Valnova you are roughly:

• About 30 minutes to downtown Eagle
• Roughly 40 to 45 minutes to downtown Boise
• Approximately 45 minutes to the Boise Airport in current conditions

Today, Highway 16 is the primary access route. It has been expanded and improved with turn lanes that make it easier to get in and out of the community. Over time, access will get even better as more infrastructure is completed.

There are two key future road improvements to watch:

• Highway 16 overpass and full interchange – planned to give Valnova its own safer, more direct access to the highway.
• Linder Road connection to Beacon Light – this north–south connector is expected to shave time off commutes into Eagle, Meridian, and Boise once it is complete, although final traffic patterns remain to be seen.

If you work fully remote, are retired, or only commute a few times a week, the location will likely feel ideal. If you need to be in downtown Boise or Meridian every day at peak commute times, you will want to factor in the extra 10 to 20 minutes of driving compared to a home down in the valley.

Amenities, Village Center, and Year Round Activities

One of the biggest differences between Valnova and many other foothills areas is the scale of its planned amenities. This is not just homes scattered on a hillside. The plan includes:

• 240 acres of commercial and mixed use space for shops, restaurants, services, and possibly churches and offices
• A village style town center that will feel similar in spirit to the Village at Meridian, but nestled in the foothills and oriented to Valnova residents
• A winter ice skating rink in the village area
• Planned pools and clubhouse for residents
• Pickleball and tennis courts for everyday recreation
• An 18 hole championship golf course within the community
• An amphitheater in the village park for concerts and community events
• A bike lift in summer to turn the hills into more of a downhill mountain biking experience
• A magic carpet style tubing hill in winter for family friendly snow fun

What is unique here is that the developer is putting in the major amenities early instead of waiting for thousands of homes to be sold before building the pools, clubhouse, and core village features. In a lot of master planned communities, residents have to wait years for that. Here, the goal is to have the amenities in place as homes become available so that you are buying into the lifestyle from day one.

Parks, Trails, and Open Space

Valnova is designed around the Glen Kara Greenway and the broader Eagle trail system. This is where the 40 percent open space really shows up.

The current plan includes:

• 1 regional park that will draw visitors from outside the community
• 5 community parks that serve large pocket areas within Valnova
• 13 neighborhood parks scattered through the different phases
• Miles of paved and natural surface trails for walking, running, biking, and in some areas horseback riding

As you walk along the Glen Kara trail system you see bridges, tunnels, greenbelts, and views back toward the valley. It feels peaceful and more like a foothills resort than a typical subdivision. If you value being able to walk right out your back door and get onto a trail loop without loading bikes or driving to a trailhead, this is a big selling point.

Homes, Lots, and Builders in Valnova

Valnova is being built in multiple phases, and more phases will be released over the coming years. The first three major residential areas are:

• Glenview – larger lots, semi custom and custom homes, bigger square footage, and many of the best views
• Muirhaven – smaller single family homes, townhomes, and duplex style homes
• Linden – similar to Muirhaven with more traditional single family homes on smaller lots

There are currently 13 hand selected builders in the community. Most are local Idaho builders, with one national builder in the mix. The group includes:

• About 7 true custom builders who can build one off custom homes on the larger view lots
• Several spec builders who build move in ready homes with curated finishes

Even many of the custom builders are planning to offer spec homes so that buyers can purchase a completed home without going through a full design build process. There will also be:

• Townhomes for lower maintenance living
• Twin homes(paired single family homes with one shared wall)
• Mid sized single family homes on smaller lots
• Large custom homes on big view lots, including one acre parcels in some phases

Pricing Expectations and Product Types

Pricing will always move around with the market, builder costs, and specific lots, but here is a general ballpark of what to expect based on the current plans:

• Townhomes – likely in the $400,000 to $500,000 range depending on size and finishes
• Twin homes – often around the $600,000 range for a paired home with a shared wall
• Single family spec homes – commonly starting in the $800,000 range and moving up into the low millions
• Custom and larger view homes – $1 million to several million dollars depending on lot size, square footage, and view

One nice feature in Valnova at this stage is that lot premiums are built into the home price. You are not typically seeing a low base price advertised and then a surprise $100,000 lot premium added later. You are just looking at a single price for the home on that specific lot, which makes budgeting a little more straightforward.

Inside a Sample Home by Brookstone Custom Homes

To make this more concrete, let us talk through an example home that has been built in Valnova by Brookstone Custom Homes. Brookstone is a local builder who focuses heavily on empty nesters and buyers who want main level living with high quality finishes. Many of their floor plans are 3 bedroom plus office layouts with an emphasis on functionality.

The sample home is expected to be priced in the $800,000 to $1 million range and includes:

• A four car garage with two separate double bays set at a right angle, plus extra storage in the center
• Tall garage ceilings and a roughly 10 foot tall door on one bay that can handle a Sprinter van or smaller RV
• Central vacuum system already installed
• Three bedrooms plus a large flex room or office that could be used as a media room, game room, or second living room
• A huge kitchen island around 6 feet by 11 to 12 feet with storage all the way around
• Full height cabinetry with a driftwood style stain and black hardware that ties into the fixtures and lighting
• Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring throughout the main living areas with carpet in the bedrooms
• A separate formal style dining space instead of a small nook
• A living room with built in cabinetry, floating shelves, and a Smurf tube run inside the wall so TV wires are hidden

One standout feature is the oversized office, roughly 14 by 16 to 18 feet. It is large enough to be a true multi purpose room. You could make it a theater room, a game room, a second family room, or a combined office and hobby space. A sliding barn door saves space and looks great, although it will not block sound as completely as a solid door.

The pantry is another smart touch. Brookstone includes a long counter with multiple GFCI outlets so you can tuck appliances like the microwave, air fryer, mixer, and coffee equipment out of sight. For buyers who want clean kitchen lines, this is a big plus.

In the primary suite, you get:

• A well sized bedroom with room for a king bed and furniture
• Coffered ceilings that step up to around 11 feet
• Pella windows which are a step up from many standard builder packages
• A dual vanity bath with matching quartz and cabinetry
• A walk in closet with direct access to a conditioned crawl space

The conditioned crawl space is worth calling out. Instead of open vents to the outside, the crawl space is sealed and tied into the home’s conditioned air. That helps keep floors warmer in winter, reduces moisture issues, improves energy efficiency, and makes it harder for pests to get under the home.

Outside, this particular home has a covered patio with a ceiling fan and a fully landscaped backyard that backs up to green space and foothill views. Not every lot will have the same view or yard size, so it is important to match the specific lot to your priorities.

Lifestyle, Wildlife, and Everyday Living

Living in Valnova means you are in a true foothills environment. That comes with big positives and a few practical realities.

On the plus side:

• Easy access to trails right from your neighborhood
• A more “mountain town” feel instead of pure suburbia
• Cooler evening temperatures compared to the valley floor
• Quick access to mountain and water recreation like Black Canyon Reservoir and, once Linder connects, more direct access toward Bogus Basin for skiing

You will also see more wildlife than you might in a typical subdivision:

• Raptors like hawks patrolling the hills for food
• Potentially coyotes and other small predators in the area

That means if you have small pets you will want to be mindful of fencing, supervision, and not leaving small dogs outside alone at night. Chickens are not allowed under the current rules, so if a backyard flock is a must have for you, Valnova may not be the right fit.

Is Valnova Right For You?

Valnova is likely a great fit if you:

• Want a foothills lifestyle with trails, views, and open space
• Like the idea of a self contained village with shops, restaurants, and recreation in your own community
• Are comfortable with a 30 to 45 minute drive into Boise, Eagle, or the airport
• Value architectural variety and higher end building standards
• Are looking at price points from the $400,000s up into the multi millions, depending on product type

It may not be ideal if you:

• Need a short daily commute into central Boise
• Prefer flat, walkable urban neighborhoods over foothills terrain
• Want chickens or more agricultural uses on your property
• Are extremely sensitive to winter driving or elevation changes

If you are considering a move to Valnova or any of the other foothills communities like Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Hidden Springs, or Cartwright Ranch, it really helps to have someone who knows both the builders and the land. I have a master’s degree in construction management, I have helped many clients build and buy new construction, and I understand how to compare builders, negotiate incentives, and make sure you are getting the right product for your budget and lifestyle.

Whether you want a custom home on a one acre lot with a huge view or a lower maintenance townhome close to the village center, I can help you:

• Evaluate which phase and lot actually fits your needs
• Compare builders, floor plans, and included features
• Negotiate price, credits, and upgrades where possible
• Oversee the build process if you are out of state and need eyes on the ground

If you are serious about exploring Valnova or other Boise area communities, all you have to do is reach out.

Call or text me at (208)-510-0427 and we will set up a Zoom call to map out your move. Whether you are nine days, 90 days, or even two years out, I help people just like you make a smooth move to Idaho.

EXPLORE BOISE AND EAGLE COMMUNITIES