Bicycle trails in Sandpoint and Dover a part of real estate purchase decisions

Several recent national surveys are showing that real estate buyers are placing more importance on cutting gas bills and commute times, and that homes near urban centers and bus stops are selling faster than those in distant suburbs. More and more, people want to live, work, and go to school within a 6 block radius, a fact that is changing the way people look at property. As evidence of this trend, real estate agents around the country are starting to offer bicycle tours of property.

This makes total sense and certainly applies in my experience in and around Sandpoint. When the snow melts in town in early Spring, it is amazing to see how Sandpoint transforms into a bicycle town. The appeal of downtown and South Sandpoint stems in large part from the ability to bike anywhere, including the 3rd Avenue Pier or City Beach, the Festival at Sandpoint and other regular events, the Panida Theatre, or Eichardt's Pub. In dealing with buyers coming to this area, one factor that appeals to many is how easy it is to get around by bike.

From our own experience, the bike trails in and around Dover Bay Resort have certainly been a key factor in our decision to build a house there.

The resort community of Dover Bay is located around 2 miles from downtown Sandpoint. One of the most important amenities offered is the paved bike path that runs alongside the lake and mountains and connects residents and visitors of Dover to the community of Sandpoint. It just makes town so much more accessible and certainly adds value to Dover's real estate. Add to this the fact that the developer of Dover created 9 miles of easy biking and walking trails throughout the 285 acre resort, meandering across the waterways and wooded areas of the community.

Immediately outside the entrance to Dover Bay is also a very accessible and excellent set of single track mountain biking trails, in an area referred to as 'Syringa'. This is primarily fast riding, with all sorts of loops, some great views, and a decent amount of technical and steep terrain as well.

In any case, it just makes sense for everyone buying real estate to consider the activities that are important to them, whether that be snow skiing, boating, biking, whatever. This is perhaps even more important for second home buyers. Before making a purchase decision, ask your Agent to give you a bike tour of the area. Or simply hop on a bike and start exploring. You'll soon get a completely different perspective on various neighborhoods that may point you in the right direction for your decision.

If you'd like to give me an excuse to get on my bike, I'd love to show you some of the better bike trails around town. For photos of some of my recent rides, check out this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29620933@N02/sets/72157607155396501/

Enjoy!

Rick Evans

www.SandpointResortRealty.com