Coeur d'Alene Real Estate - Come Live the Life Style - Christina Ethridge

Since I don't live in the Mica Flats area, I can't really give an opinion on the subject. So, if you live there, or are buying in the Mica Flats area, here is some information to help guide you...

A public hearing on a 240-acre subdivision four miles south of Coeur d'Alene is scheduled May 14.

"It's what we expected," said Mica Meadows resident Mark Bright. "We have major concerns about sustainable water quality out here."

Kootenai County commissioners voted last week to delay making a decision on the Mica Meadows project until after the hearing.

L&M Properties is seeking to crop up 55 residential lots in a rural zone on the southeast corner of U.S. 95 and Presley Road.

The conservation design would cluster residences so that over 50 percent of the acreage would be preserved as open space.

More than 40 neighbors of the proposed site have penned letters to the county opposing the development.

Article here.

Yes, the Post Falls Idaho Life Care facility has been completed and fully ready to open since SEPTEMBER - but the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare hasn't been able to inspect the facility because of some such ranking system (a ranking system of priority) - ok yeah, whatever.

The facility has been employing a staff of 25 and only allowed to have 2 patients for the past 6 months - how ridiculous is that?? If their income is supported by medicare - that's tax payer money being wasted because of the IDHW inspection priority list - lovely.

Well, be that as it may - the final inspection came along Feb. 24 and now - the Post Falls Idaho facility is officially open - at it's height it will employ an addition 125 people (total of 150) - that's excellent news for the unemployed - get thee some medical training and you'll have a job for life!

One thing the North Idaho area offers is excellent work-force and vo-tech training - so now is the time to make that transition!

Read article here.

Yes - every weekend and once in a while during the week - the online version of the Coeur d'Alene Press is a jumbled mess.

I mentioned this to the new "manager" (I don't remember his title, just know him and his name and that he oversees the online version now) and he too was frustrated but working on it.

I wonder what it is that is preventing it from being "fixed"??

I am often asked "how's the real estate market", followed by a nervous and ostensibly "knowing" laugh. Like the inquiring mind "knows" the market stinks and then waits to see if I'll tell them some tale or be negative. The thing is, "how's the real estate market" is a multifacted, loaded, complicated question and no short pithy answer is going to credibly answer that question.

Anyway, in the same breath, I am asked "what do you think the future holds...." you know, the preverbial "crystal ball question".

Here's the thing... I have "hunches" and "instincts" but I get those hunches and instinctive/intuitive directions from things I see... things I read... stats I watch.

For example, here are 2 things that are punching that "hunch button" I have that the Coeur d'Alene market area is cradling "the bottom"...

Glimmer of Hope for Southern California Home Market:

For the first time in 10 months, the median home price in Southern California in February didn’t decline from the prior month, the La Jolla, Calif., firm said. The median price for a home sold in the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange last month was $250,000. While that was down 39% from February 2008, it was unchanged from January.

The Biggest Surprise in the Housing Data: Single-Family Permits:

Economists and home builders are more focused on the 11% rise in permits for single family homes. The increase in permits suggests that builders are hopeful that the housing market is improving, ever so slightly.

It's the constant "reading between the lines"... applying these 2 interesting tidbits along with labor tidbits, company formation tidbits, credit and lending tidbits... all compiled to provide an educated "instinct" that often serves me well.

A single year has not gone by without Coeur d'Alene, Idaho being ranked in the top 10 of at least 2-3 reports and "best of" lists.

I know people (especially a select few locals) think the world of Coeur d'Alene is coming to an end.. but I hate to disappointment them (well actually, I take glee in proving doomsdayers wrong) - Coeur d'Alene is alive and well and kicking strong.

Since the late 80's when our area was first "discovered" because of a full 2 page article (full color mind you) in the Los Angeles Times, the Coeur d'Alene area goes through cycles of discovery. We've been discovered multiple times - each time the discovery "circle" gets wider and wider.

For the past 5 years we've been on the "discovered nationally" cycle. I always wondered when people would realize that we have some of the best snow skiing here - most of it better than anything you'll ever find in Sun Valley, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge or Park City - and guess what, it's all less expensive here!!

And the summers - YUMMMMMMY!! I am SO looking forward to summer right now... swimming, skiing, boogie boarding, boating, jet skiing, hiking, camping, biking... you name it, we do it - every day. It's not retirement or vacation for us - it's LIFE!

Anyway, take a look at the Milken Institute's 2008 Best Performing Cities - Coeur d'Alene is #2 in the "smallest metro's" list.

And hey... Come Live the Lifestyle!!