About Bonner County, ID

When coming in from Montana, Clark Fork Idaho is the port of entry to the gorgeous Pend Oreille Scenic Byway along Highway 200. Clark Fork is a small town. The population sign at one end of town says 553 and at the other 558. Smile. But no matter how many people live here it always been a draw for people seeking the peace and quite that mountain lifestyle. A large portion of the land is owned by the state and provide the perfect play ground for outdoor recreation.

This photo was taken near Antelope lake overlooking Derr Island.

The most prominent feature Clark Fork, Idaho is the clark Fork river which feeds Lake Pend Oreille the largest lake in Idaho. For the history lesson, much of the area was formed by glaciers and catacalizmic floods. Just about where the Cabinet Gorge dam now stands was a mile high ice dam which formed the Great Lake missoula. (which was the size of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario combined.) The ice dam failed repeatedly with each glacial advancement, causing cataclysmic floods that swept through Idaho and Washington and Oregon. These towering walls of water and glacial ice moved at such tremendous speeds that researchers believe the lake may have empties in as little as 2 to 3 days. Our first inhabitants were the Flathead indians. Meriweather Lewis and William Clark explored the area during the 1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1864 Northern Pacific Railroad started construction on a railroad line between Lake Superior and Puget Sound. In 1881 construction on the transcontinental line through the Bitterroot and Cabinet Mountains had begun and with the railroad the towns of Clark Fork and Hope were formed. In 1916 a bridge was constructed over the Clark Fork River and ridding the area of the need to operate a ferry.

The Cabinet Gorge dam is just upstream and supplies power to the area. Also upstream is the Cabinet Gorge fish hatchery, designed to handle 20 million Kokanee salmon annually. Clark Fork offers great fishing, wildlife and bird watching, Mountain Biking, Miles of National Forest Service Trails.

Located at the northeast end of Lake Pend Oreille on the Clark Fork River, this small but active community hosts a full range of outdoor activities, restaurants, and lodging.

Speaking of lodging. The hotel in town is the Merry Weather Inn. If you are looking for a riverside retreat, be sure to visit the Last Resort and Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast

SANDPOINT, IDAHO QUARTERLY MARKET TRENDS

Here's a look at what happened in Sandpoint, Idaho in the third quarter (Bonner County). I like the fact I can make some comparisons between the current quarter and the 2009 second quarter report and the third quarter in 2008.

This was actually not a bad quarter for Sandpoint homes (relative to the general state of the economy). We have seen an 11% increase in the number of homes sold and basically unchanged average sales price since the same time last year. The "remaining months inventory" has lowered in the under $250K range, which is encouraging, but the upper-end homes are still troubling...almost a three year inventory. Overall inventory has decreased 25% from the same period last year...a very good sign. A slow recovery appears to be happening in Sandpoint.

...on an unrelated note...Snow expected in the mountains above 2500' tonight. Ski season seems to be on track for a Thanksgiving opening on Schweitzer Mountain.

The Sotheby's name has always been synonymous with luxury, and in most every location these offices have the lion's share of the luxury listings. This was certainly the case in Southern California when I lived there, and its definitely the case in Sandpoint and North Idaho.

Here are some interesting stats, showing year to date numbers in the Selkirk MLS through Sept 09.

% of all closed transactions:

Tomlinson Sothebys (TSSIR) $66 million 30%

Century 21 $47 million 21%

Evergreen Realty $19 million 9%

Coldwell Banker $16 million 7%

All Other $73 million 33%

Pretty good numbers for Tomlinson, and these figures seem to have held pretty true in the 25-35% market share year in and year out. However in the high end this dominance is even more pronounced.

All sales greater than $500,0000- TSSIR has almost HALF!

TSSIR $36 mil 47%

C21 $15 mil 19%

Sales greater than $1 million (TSSIR has 77% of the market year to date)

TSSIR $24 million 77% of luxury market closed sales

C21 $15 million

Another impressive stat is in vacant land over $1 million, where TSSIR has 100% of the market year to date.

So in summary, its clear that our office is the best choice for listing or buying high end property. We have a core group of top producing agents who all communicate regularly, work together to get our office listings sold, and who make it easy to quickly find the best values in the market.

As a specialist in waterfront, Schweitzer, and resort properties, my personal average sale has been in the $600s range. While I put the same hard work into helping all of my clients, regardless of price range, I believe that I am in the right position to help this niche of buyers and sellers. To discuss listing your property or to search for properties at Schweitzer, Lake Pend Oreille, Dover Bay, or others, visit www.SandpointResortRealty.com or email me at Rick@SandpointResortRealty.com.

SANDPOINT TENNIS...FALL EDITION

If you read my blog with any regularity, you'll find I am pretty impressed with North Idaho and Sandpoint, in particular. There are many reasons for being such a "Babbit" for the area...world class skiing (SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT), world class lake (LAKE PEND 'OREILLE - 5th deepest lake in the U.S. and not overly cold), spectacular mountains (SELKIRKS, CABINETS, BITTERROOTS) and unlimited activities for sport enthusiasts.

...But you know what is really cool? Sandpoint Middle School is one of the VERY few Middle Schools in North Idaho to have an organized tennis program. This is just another reason to consider Sandpoint for your next home. "Lifetime" sports are definitely a priority for the residents of this community.

As the tennis coach for both the varsity in the Spring and the Middle School in the Fall, I feel privileged to be able to work with the kids in both schools and, somehow, be a piece of the puzzle in their life journey. It is part of my journey as well and a great release from the stresses of a Realtor® (especially in this market environment).

On a practical note, the Middle School is a wonderful feeder program for varsity and a big reason Sandpoint Tennis is so strong. As a native of Minnesota, I am used to Middle School tennis programs and appreciate the value of getting the kids started early in this sport. Sandpoint's emphasis on tennis made my transition from Minnesota that much easier. The lifelong sport concept is definitely alive and well in the tennis community. The Sandpoint Tennis Association is pushing 100 adult members and the ages cover the gamut.

The Fall season will be coming to an end tomorrow (October 22) and, once again, I have seen marked improvement in our players. It is always fun to watch them mature and move on to the next level. I need to add...the young people that I have been so fortunate to coach in this town are such outstanding individuals...every one of them. I am very appreciative and thankful for this opportunity and proud to be a member of the Sandpoint community!

GO BULLDOGS!

Mandy, Trace, Bentley and I were looking for something to do on Sunday in this in-between Fall season...meaning in-between being able to go swimming in the lake or playing in the snow. So we took the short drive to Faragut State Park just a half hour or so south of Sandpoint.

I had been mountain biking a few times and had a blast on all the fast single track that lines Lake Pend Oreille but had never really taken the time to just walk around and explore. Faragut is really an amazingly beautiful spot on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille, near Bayview. This area is near where the lake hits about 1150 feet deep, and the mountains just shoot up from the water.

With the water level a bit low we were really able to enjoy hanging on the beach, feeding ducks, and my boy's favorite pasttime... throwing rocks in the water!

We did a bit of swinging at the kids park.

And we took a nice family hike on one of the many trails along the shoreline.

Next time we plan to campout in one of the great campgrounds they have set up at the park. Even better we'll make sure to have a boat there for the weekend, along with our bikes. Definitely another cool spot in North Idaho for the whole family!