I have been in real estate my whole life. Born and raised in Boise, surrounded by agents and lenders, watching the market grow from something small and overlooked into one of the hottest markets in the country. And yet, sitting down with [Zach Matson of Matson Homes](https://www.matsonhomebuilders.com/) taught me something I genuinely did not know. ## Why I Had This Conversation Most people think of real estate investing as buying a house, renting it out, and waiting. What Zach does is something completely different, and until this conversation, I could not have explained it to you. Zach Matson is the CEO of Matson Homes, a Boise-based infill real estate developer specializing in high-value projects ranging from single lot splits to multi-unit developments. He navigates local zoning across Boise, Garden City, and Meridian with a precision most agents and investors have never seen, and has written about [how to use Boise's new zoning codes to maximize your returns](https://www.matsonhomebuilders.com/blog/how-to-use-boises-new-zoning-codes-to-maximize-your-returns). There are roughly a dozen developers in Boise doing this at any real scale. That is not a crowded space. That is an open field. ## What Infill Development Actually Means When Zach said the word infill, I stopped him. I was not sure I knew exactly what it meant, and I wanted to be sure our listeners did too. Infill development Boise Idaho refers to building within existing city limits where all the infrastructure, streets, utilities, and sewer lines are already in place. You are not going out to raw acreage with wells and septic. You are working within an established neighborhood and maximizing what the land can produce. Boise is uniquely set up for this because of how it was originally platted. Most lots were only 25 feet wide, so homeowners would buy four at a time and build a small 800 square foot house, leaving large sections of land underused. A hundred years later, those same properties sit on oversized parcels in desirable neighborhoods, and as Zach explains in his writing on [why infill development is the future of smart growth in Boise](https://www.matsonhomebuilders.com/blog/infill-development-boise-smart-growth), most investors walk right past them. ## The Infill Deal List: Finding Opportunities Nobody Else Sees One of the most practical parts of our conversation was when Zach walked me through his daily routine. It is far simpler than I expected, and it is where his entire system starts. Every morning he gets tailored MLS listings sent to his inbox. He spends 15 minutes reviewing them. Because he has memorized the zoning codes for Boise, Garden City, and Meridian, he can look at a listing and know within minutes whether it holds any lot split development opportunities. If it does, a quick five-minute underwrite tells him whether it pencils. The promising ones go on his infill deal list. ## The New Boise ADU Ordinance That Changes Everything This is the part of the conversation I keep coming back to, because I genuinely had no idea it happened. About three weeks before we recorded this episode, Boise City Council passed a new ordinance allowing property owners to add not one but two ADUs to any single-family property. Lot size does not determine eligibility. As long as you meet the setback requirements, you can add two additional units to any home within city limits. That is a game-changing shift for ADU investment strategy in the Treasure Valley.
