Planned communities
Boise foothills planned communities: Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Harris Ranch & Cartwright Ranch
You keep seeing Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Cartwright Ranch, or Harris Ranch on listings around Boise and Eagle. Maybe you're relocating. Maybe you're moving up from a valley-floor subdivision. Either way, you want to know where each one sits, how you get in and out, and what to ask before you tour.
Browse homes: Avimor · Dry Creek Ranch · Cartwright Ranch · Harris Ranch · Boise · Eagle · All guides
Open the community that caught your eye, skim what's live, and save a search while you compare. Reading an HOA packet already? Keep HOAs in Idaho new communities handy, or talk to a local expert. No obligation.
What "planned community" means on a listing
A planned community is a neighborhood built under one overall plan. It usually comes with an HOA, shared open space or trails, and design rules for things like exteriors and landscaping.
You'll sometimes see it labeled "PUD" on a listing. That's just the listing term for the same idea.
Not every foothill home is in one. And each community sets its own dues and rules, so ask for the documents on the home you're looking at.
The four communities at a glance
| Community | Setting | Main roads | Homes you'll mostly see | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avimor | Foothills north of Eagle, ridges with open ground between neighborhoods | Highway 55 | Newer single-family, HOA | Avimor homes |
| Dry Creek Ranch | Boise foothills, dry-grass ridges | Highway 55, Dry Creek roads | Newer single-family, HOA common | Dry Creek Ranch homes |
| Cartwright Ranch | Ridges above northwest Boise | Hill Road, Cartwright Road, Bogus Basin Road | Single-family, HOA | Cartwright Ranch homes |
| Harris Ranch | Southeast Boise on the Boise River, below Table Rock | Warm Springs Avenue | Lofts and a mix of home styles, HOA common | Harris Ranch homes |
Drive times below are typical. Yours will vary with traffic, weather, and which street you're on.
Avimor
Avimor sits in the foothills north of Eagle, along Highway 55 toward Horseshoe Bend. Homes spread across ridges above the Treasure Valley, with open ground between neighborhoods.
Highway 55 is your road in from Eagle and your road north. Eagle and State Street are typically 15–25 minutes south, depending on which ridge you're on.
Listings are mostly newer single-family homes, and many show Eagle as the city. The HOA is part of the community, so put dues and CC&Rs at the top of your list.
Browse Avimor homes · Curious about the next stop up the highway? Horseshoe Bend homes
Dry Creek Ranch
Dry Creek Ranch is in the Boise foothills, north of Hidden Springs and west of Highway 55. Homes sit on dry-grass ridges with open ground around the neighborhoods.
Highway 55 and Dry Creek roads connect south toward Eagle and State Street. Downtown Boise is typically 25–35 minutes.
Listings are mostly newer single-family homes. Many show Boise as the city, even though you're up in the foothills. HOAs are common here.
Cartwright Ranch
Cartwright Ranch sits on the ridges above northwest Boise, with dry-grass hills around the streets.
Hill Road, Cartwright Road, and Bogus Basin Road take you down toward the North End and State Street. Downtown Boise is typically 15–25 minutes.
Listings are mostly single-family homes. Ask what the HOA covers before you compare dues with a valley-floor subdivision.
Harris Ranch
Harris Ranch is in southeast Boise, along the Boise River and Warm Springs Avenue, below Table Rock. The Greenbelt follows the river.
Warm Springs Avenue is the main road west toward downtown, typically 10–15 minutes away.
Listings here go by several MLS neighborhood names: Harris Ranch, Harris Ranch Lofts, Barber Junction at Harris Ranch, Barbervalley, and Barber Vista. The Harris Ranch page pulls them together so you see them in one place. Harris North is filed separately, so open the Boise page if you want the wider southeast Boise picture. Many homes here are in an HOA.
Browse Harris Ranch homes · Like the river-path idea? The Greenbelt also runs through Garden City.
Harris Ranch is one part of southeast Boise. Southeast Boise and the East End covers Warm Springs, Barber Valley, historic districts, and the river parks around it. Columbia Village, Surprise Valley, and Mayfield Springs are covered in Columbia Village, Surprise Valley, and Mayfield Springs.
How these communities differ day to day
None of these fits everyone. Use the questions to match a setting to how you'll actually live.
| Foothill ridges (Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Cartwright Ranch) | River edge (Harris Ranch) | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Open ridges and dry-grass hills. Do you want space between neighborhoods and hillside streets? | River, Greenbelt, and Table Rock. Do you want paths nearby and a shorter drive into the city? |
| Getting around | Highway 55 and foothill roads. How do grades and winter driving fit your routine? | Warm Springs Avenue. How does city-street traffic fit your routine? |
| Home types | Mostly single-family. Does that match your size and yard plans? | Lofts and a mix of home styles. Which one fits you? |
| City on the listing | Could read Eagle or Boise. Which pages will you save? | Several neighborhood names, with Harris North separate. Do you want the wider Boise search too? |
Still choosing between cities, not just communities? Treasure Valley cities walks through the bigger picture.
Questions to ask before you tour
Get answers for the specific home. Sales talk and listing remarks are a starting point, not the final word.
| Topic | What to ask |
|---|---|
| HOA | What are the dues, and what do they cover? Can I see the CC&Rs, design-review rules, and rental rules? |
| Who runs the HOA | Is the association still builder-controlled, or run by homeowners? When does that change? |
| Wildland edge | Are there landscaping or defensible-space rules? Can I get homeowner's insurance, and what will it cost? Ask an insurance agent before you write an offer. |
| Winter access | What's the route like in snow and ice? Is there a second way in and out? |
| Utilities | City water and sewer, or a community system? Who maintains it? |
| Future phases | Is more construction planned nearby? Check public plans for road and amenity timelines. |
| Trails | Which trails can you reach from the neighborhood, and what are the rules? Many Boise-area foothill trails are part of Ridge to Rivers. |
For the full HOA checklist (fees, reserves, special assessments, rental caps), use HOAs in Idaho new communities. Weighing a new build against a resale in the same area? See New construction vs resale in the Treasure Valley.
Want help sorting through a packet or planning tours? Talk to a local expert. No obligation.
Finding homes in each community
- Start with the community. Open Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Cartwright Ranch, or Harris Ranch. Each one shows live listings filed under that community's MLS neighborhood name.
- Widen when you want more choices. Open Boise, Eagle, or the whole Treasure Valley and use the map to look around the foothills.
- Save this search for each community you like, and get listing updates so new homes reach you while you compare.
- Read the remarks for HOA and community-rule cues, then confirm them with the documents.
Looking for a lot? Browse land and acreage near Boise or Eagle.
Want to see how prices and listing activity look across the region first? How to read the Idaho housing market and all markets are good places to start.
Already own in one of these communities?
- What is your Idaho home worth? A local expert looks at recent sales and sends you a range, not an automated estimate.
- How that range comes together: What is my Idaho home worth?
- Getting ready to list: Selling your Idaho home
Related guides on BrowseIdaho
| Guide | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| HOAs in Idaho new communities | The full list of HOA questions for any of these four |
| New construction vs resale in the Treasure Valley | Tradeoffs when you're torn between a new build and an existing home |
| Treasure Valley cities | City-fit questions if you're still choosing between Boise, Eagle, and beyond |
| Southeast Boise and the East End | Warm Springs, Barber Valley, and the river parks around Harris Ranch |
| Columbia Village, Surprise Valley, and Mayfield Springs | Three more planned communities southeast of Boise, including Mayfield Springs in Boise on the Elmore County side |
| Moving to Idaho | Relocation basics before you narrow to a neighborhood |
| Buy an Idaho home from out of state | How remote buying works once you've picked where to look |
| How to read the Idaho housing market | Making sense of prices and listing activity as you browse |
| Buying and selling a home at the same time | Timing if you're selling one home and buying in a foothills community |
| Moving to Eagle & Star | Highway 44, Eagle, and Star if the foothills communities are one option among several |
| All guides | Everything else in one place |
FAQ
- Where are Avimor, Dry Creek Ranch, Cartwright Ranch, and Harris Ranch?
- Avimor is in the foothills north of Eagle along Highway 55. Dry Creek Ranch is in the Boise foothills west of Highway 55, north of Hidden Springs. Cartwright Ranch sits on the ridges above northwest Boise. Harris Ranch is in southeast Boise along the Boise River and Warm Springs Avenue.
- Do homes in these communities have HOAs?
- Most listings in these communities mention one. Confirm the dues, what they cover, and the CC&Rs for the specific home. HOAs in Idaho new communities has the full question list.
- How do these communities differ?
- The three foothill communities sit on open ridges reached by Highway 55 or foothill roads, with mostly single-family homes. Harris Ranch sits on the river edge off Warm Springs Avenue, with lofts and a mix of home styles. Browse each one and match it to your routine.
- Why don't I see every southeast Boise home on the Harris Ranch page?
- Harris Ranch homes are filed under several MLS neighborhood names, and the Harris Ranch page combines them. Harris North is filed separately. For the wider picture, open the Boise page and use the map.
- What should I ask before touring a foothill planned community?
- Start with HOA dues and rules, who controls the association, landscaping and insurance near open wildland, winter access, utilities, and any future construction nearby. Then talk to a local expert if you want help planning tours.