Gary Lirette

Golfing in Sandpoint, Bonner County, & North Idaho
Sandpoint Area Golf Courses

Well, the thought of golf in North Idaho may not occur to the avid golf enthusiast, but lovers of the links are finding out why so many are making the Idaho Panhandle a golfing destination. Most recently, Jack Nicklaus bought award-winning Hidden Lakes in Sandpoint, designing the course himself. Apparently, though Jack Nicklaus companies owns many golf courses, he only has designed a handful personally. So, this course should be something really special. Unfortunately, the beautiful clubhouse (shown below) burned down winter 2008. Rumors abound that Arnold Palmer has been looking for a spot to build another of his challenging courses in the same area. Coeur d'Alene has another world-famous, award-winning golf course at CdA Resort, with perhaps one of the most recognizable greens in the world with their floating green (below), and in nearby Priest River, Settlement Golf course is underway.

But golf alone is not the only thing to attract putters from around the globe. Sure, golfers want great fairways, but the area has so much more that it becomes the destination of choice for individuals and families alike. When not teeing off, the golf-oriented can go boating or fishing on any one of our many mountain lakes. These are not tiny lakes either. Lake Pend Oreille is the 2nd largest in the west with 111 miles of shoreline, and Lake Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, and Lake Cocolalla are no small matters either. Great hunting, hiking, biking, and swimming are also around in great abundance. You can parasail, water ski, jet ski, or white water within minutes of virtually every hole.

For family fun there is also great art colonies with galleries galore, and the restaurants are known for every kind of cuisine. There is Silverwood Theme Park, water parks, and museums. We are one of the nation's greatest rail watching areas, and if all of this isn't enough, during parts of the season, you can even go snow skiing at many, many ski resorts.

So, golf ain't bad, and it's getting better. But throw in the rest of it, and you have a golf vacation and place to live that is truly spectacular.

Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

200 Main Street
Sandpoint, Idaho
208-610-1384
800-282-6880

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® & host of the radio shows North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts on KSPT & KBFI in Sandpoint & Bonners Ferry. When you need your real estate questions answered...

E-mail Gary or call 208-610-1384

As usual, my promise is to work 24/7 for my clients, and always be available, not only in areas of real estate, but in mentoring new businesses, finding the right schools, and helping with your job search in this place, your new home.

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

208-610-1384
800-282-6880
gary.lirette@sothebysrealty.com

To learn more about our area, visit one of our 50 websites:

www.SandpointID.net

www.RealEstateSandpoint.net

www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com

www.SkiSchweitzer.net

www.RealtySandpoint.com

Many know in our current market there is a lot of inventory available, and we have had a real slowdown in home sales. In the old market, people could just put a sign up, list on the MLS, and in no time, everything was selling. In order to sell houses these days it takes special effort. We do things differently. We produce top-quality media, the absolute best web presence, and have a three man team. We do much more than that to sell homes, and we have listed that later on this page.

The Right Ideas to Market Your Homes and Properties to buying consumers!

Our Qualifications: First, we always answer our phones, night and day.

• Jed and Gary are local businessmen and Real Estate Investors.

• Gary worked in commercial real estate for seven years, selling hotels and restaurants.

• He owned Walker Donuts and Wigleys Café and Bakery in Sandpoint.

• Jed owns the largest daycare in the county: Advance Child Care.

• Gary also has two radio shows for which he interviews several community leaders and business people every month: North Idaho Business and North Idaho Arts & Adventure.

• We own several of our own properties, homes, and rentals, and have an intricate understanding of our market. Plus, we are marketing pros. In fact, we just finished a spec house that went on the market this month.

• Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty is the premier real estate company in the Sandpoint, and our sixty+ websites are among of the most viewed in our area.

• We are parts of several charities and events, and have ties with the Bonner Healing Garden, the Hospice, Lost in the 50s, the Festival, and many others. We mentor young businesses, and have created numerous websites gratis, and mentor several new businesses and young business people.

• We support the arts, and for our last big art show we not only sponsored the event, but financed it completely: the Sandpoint Art Break, as part of the Lakedance International Film Festival.

There are many more ways that we cater to and are parts of our community, but more important, we do the advertising and what it takes to get the job done. Just this week, we had three accepted offers. This is a down market. Compare that to any Realtors in the market.

Most important in our group of ideas: Both Hope and Clark Fork have not been selling as well as areas closer to Sandpoint. Certainly the downturn has had greater effect in Priest River and Bonners Ferry. None of these areas are promoted well in any way. We go to extra lengths at getting waterfront buyers. We provide the most viewed website listing docks and marinas in North Idaho. We host the website(s) www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com and others specifically geared towards finding that specific buyer. We are the exclusive REALTORS® for Homes.com, and appear on literally hundreds of pages.

I am particularly proud of my internet presence. Google the name Gary Lirette, and you will see over 4,000,000 results. We use the internet like no other REALTORS®, and still believe that the personal touch and conversation is what makes the sale.

Second, we don't want to reinvent the wheel, we just want to supercharge the vehicle. We will continue to use the tried and true methods available to us such as the MLS, fliers, and handouts that are part-and-parcel to real estate in Bonner County. Not everyone reacts well to new media and methods, so it is very important to continue using these avenues to reach a complete target buying populace.

Third, we take extra care with the photos and presentation of your property on every venue. If a buyer is surfing the traditional sites or looking at print material, and your house doesn't shine, then they simply pass over it and go to the next one. The house has to look outstanding from a very small, distended pixel image. We have the expertise to make your house look good even in this limited presentation. Just view how we present our featured properties in any of our materials or websites and you will see that this important factor is not overlooked.

Next, we choose which homes we solicit very carefully. While it may be politically incorrect to be this selective with our fellow man, it makes perfect sense with marketing homes. We believe if we only have higher quality, exclusive styled homes to market, when a potential customer calls, they are more interested in the home we are selling than having us show them even more homes in the hope we will sell them something. Our goal is not to land the client by having a teaser home on the MLS. Our goal is to sell the house we have in our portfolio. Having top homes means that happens more often than not.

Web Site Specifically Designed for Your Property - As a Flash Animator, Gary has put together dozens of websites for various businesses, organizations, and enterprises. Marketing property is much the same, with the exception that the average consumer still does not use the MLS as actively as the region's real estate professionals. We propose putting together animated, colorful websites for your unique and one-of-a-kind property:

www.123YourStreet.com This attracts the attention of the qualified buyer, as well as getting the pros' attention also. In your site, we will have very large and more detailed pictures of the properties. A distinct drawback to the web is that people really do not get the image the seller wants to portray. Therefore, larger pics, brochure style layout, and marketing wording take the site to the next level. Once the site is finished, all advertising will point to visiting these sites, further reinforcing the ad being utilized. We will also create a video tour, and the whole thing operates as a virtual tour. After we create the video tour, we automatically upload the video to www.YouTube.com More importantly, while web sites devoted to individual offerings are clever and polished, we intend on making larger web pages that are truly unique and spectacular. While many web sites exist for a multitude of enterprises in North Idaho, most are forgotten as quickly as the viewer can surf away. By using music, action, and animation, we will create a site that once seen, will not be forgotten. A prime example of our first fully Flash Animated web site is www.SandpointID.net

We take extra care for advertising utilizing keyword advertising on Google. In fact, we have #1 page placement on Google with dozens of search keywords for real estate in our area. See the attached Web Stats. We also pay for this kind of page placement with many, many kinds of web ads and sites. If you use crucial keywords, such as ‘Realty Sandpoint,' RealtySandpoint.com is right there at the top of the page. So if you are trying to learn more about the area in Denver or San Diego, and you put the keywords Sandpoint Information or North Idaho Properties, our ad is one of the first ones that appears on the screen. We will then hang laminated Flyers as well as posting paper flyers strategically with www.456YourStreet.com on telephone posts and in areas of public congregation. This all combines to create the best coverage for your home.

Feature Properties on several Internet Sources including our own site: SandpointCentral.com - named one of the North Idaho's Top Four Community web sites by Sandpoint Magazine. Though new, it is getting 1,800 hits a week. We will feature your property as one of our featured homes on the front page until sold. Your property will also get National Exposure on several websites including www.Realtor.com, www.HomeGain.com, eNeighborhood.com, and RealtyTrac.com. We will also feature the properties on our other website covering our key areas of Washington and Idaho: www.Sothebys.com Finally, we will have your property able to be searched for in two area databases: the Flex MLS covering Kootenai and Spokane, the Selkirk MLS for Bonner and Boundary.

Specific Market Directed Advertising - As funding permits, advertise in areas that are specific to our buying segment. This of course means our local real estate magazines, as well as regularly advertising in the Daily Bee. In addition to creating local marketing material, have directional advertising. These ads could take the form of splash pages in regional versions of MySpace.com and Craig's List. There are virtually no other real estate companies currently using these resources. Craig's List and MySpace allows us to target every market demographic, as well as directly market in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, L.A., Spokane, Montana, and many other areas. This alone will give us approximately 100,000 views a month. We are also using YouTube.com, recently purchased by Google for 1.6 billion dollars. The same video tour that we will advertise on YouTube will be featured prominently as one of our ‘Featured Properties' on our own websites.

Direct Mail - While our population is low enough that Direct Mail may be the least of all good ideas, it is still viable for special events. While we can disseminate to the companies about you properties, we plan on mailing special brochures out to the top producers in each real estate company. This will target only those that sell. As they say, five percent of the salespeople make ninety-five percent of the sales.

Direct E-Mail - There are several sources available to reach out to target markets. We will tap our personal and corporate e-mail lists and mail out info to each contact. This will allow us to immediately use an E-mail Blitz to get the word out to Realtors about the property. Included is a copy of one of the splash e-mails we recently sent out to every Realtor in Bonner, Boundary, Shoshone, and Kootenai Counties.

Wine and Cheese Private Showings - While we don't do these with every listing, they are a tool we employ. We immediately correspond to the previously listed efforts with a Private Showing for Realtors using a Wine & Cheese Party as incentive. Then follow the next day with an Open House for the general public. This needs to be advertised the week before. When the Realtors see the property in the right light with the right glass of wine, then the next day they will be more compelled to bring their clients to show the house.

Follow Themes - All advertising components - print, internet, and other media - would follow a general look or theme. This would give prospective buyers the same feel, no matter the format. Therefore the internet site would, in general, have the look of the brochure(s), and the logo of the video following the same. The internet site would have on demand print capability, using PDF and/or Word Document forms to enable prospective buyers the option of printing our brochures, regardless of their location.

Radio - Gary hosts three radio shows on KSPT and KBFI. As part of his trade, he is allowed to market through his shows. His shows are North Idaho Business, North Idaho Arts and Adventure, and Gourmet to Go. From his shows, he interviews several business and community leaders every month. This can be a great resource in selling your properties. Plus, this summer we began our series of ads running on all the major radio stations. We are the only REALTORS® currently using radio advertising.

Newspaper Advertising - Advertise in the local newspapers such as the Daily Bee, the Spokesman Review, and the Coeur d'Alene Press. This tried-and-true method has worked so often for us, yet few use it. We market homes to sell quickly. In the boom market we had, many did not take the extra effort or expense. We always did and continue to find this is a great way to sell house in our market. We also will advertise in the Seattle Times and the Post-Intelligencer and the San Francisco Chronicle at different stages of the campaign. When the time is right, we will advertise in the print Wall Street Journal, as well as the Realty Journal. Included are a couple examples of print ads we have run recently.

Print Collateral - So many other types of material can be printed in-house besides the traditional brochures, i.e. promotional bookmarks, calenders, posters, (meanining more of the artistic sort that could easily hang in a business, home, or office) Even though beautiful tri-fold brochures would make a much better impact than simple copied pages, real estate pros typically make little effort at improving what the market sees. We promise to make professional, beautiful brochures for your properties. Included are examples of the kind of media we will have available for the buyer to take, rather than the laissez faire typical cheap paper flyers that are usually available. (Examples are in this packet.) Send out this Media to key players, such as bankers, mortgage brokers, appraisers, & Realtors.

Options - With the kinds of advertising we intend, this step may not be needed, but it would be helpful. This step would be to offer a cash incentive to the Realtor that brings in the buyer who makes the actual purchase. Realtors are commission based, and a $2,500 or $5,000 extra incentive will bring buyers.

There are many things that we do to constantly improve our plans and getting the word out about your property. The one constant is that we believe in cutting edge marketing. We think that the internet is a fantastic way of advertising. We cultivate every possible local avenue for our business.

Finally, we think that if we had a local business that grossed $200,000 or $500,000 in one year, that this would be a respectable enterprise. There are many people that advertise with significant dollars and work long hours to take in that kind of gross. Selling your home is like a small business. We will work as though it is our business, and make selling your home as important as running our own enterprise. We promise to answer the phones, send the e-mails, and otherwise work as hard as you would, because we know that is what you would do.

Your own Internet Site: www.123YourStreet.com

As usual, my promise is to work 24/7 for my clients, and always be available, not only in areas of real estate, but in mentoring new businesses, finding the right schools, and helping with your job search in this place, your new home.

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

208-610-1384
800-282-6880
gary.lirette@sothebysrealty.com

To learn more about our area, visit one of our 50 websites:

www.SandpointID.net

www.RealEstateSandpoint.net

www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com

www.SkiSchweitzer.net

www.RealtySandpoint.com

To search for Realty, click the MLS Search Button

Gary Lirette
e-mail
208-610-1384


Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's
International Realty

Contact Gary for all your Real Estate needs

First, the combination of Tomlinson, with our local expertise, and Sotheby's with it international reach, bring a unique philosophy, programs and services that are designed to serve homebuyers and sellers. We also offer training and resources to our market. Browse the categories below to discover what has made us the leading real estate company in the customer service in the world. Sandpoint is a small town that has relished its personal interaction and service with the community. This is in keeping with our philosophy. Hire only the best and top producers and become an integral part of the community. While the company is growing, our top flight resources can give the kind of time and personal service that Jed and Gary believe in. Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty specializes in investment properties, resort homes, and the boutique market of elite homes in the North Idaho area. We have a full inventory in all price ranges, but by being a company that has expertise in selling and finding the very best homes, that translates into every one of our clients, friends, and customers getting the kind of service that warrants the very best.

Gary is tied into the community in special ways. He has his radio shows, and owned Walker Donuts and Wigley's Cafe. 200 to 300 people visited these establishments every day, more than any other restaurants in town. He learned about the community in a very personal way.

We have the connections that can help you to turn a distressed property at a bargain price to a diamond in the rough.

We are able to put your house on the market in very special ways, with Internet savvy and desktop publishing that brings cutting edge techniques and technology to the real estate market.

We use GPS to find the out-of-the-way properties that many could never find otherwise.

We research the county records every week for buys that aren't necessarily on the MLS.

We often find pre-foreclosure properties and willing sellers that must close soon.

We look for the best buy. This is a big one. A main business focus of the Inland Boys is to service our investor(s) and investor groups. While those who are just starting out, and those who are recovering from financial downturns want to save money, investors make it an absolute requirement. We think that the best price isn't always negotiated, it is discovered.

We have the professionalism to evaluate properties beyond the norm. Our company has the highest level of experience in the area. Jed and Gary worked for a company that specialized in evaluating homes for banks. Also, as a builder and renovator of older homes, Gary has experience in this area that makes him an ideal agent for his client.

We are honest. We will tell you how much you really can sell your home for. We will guide you to buying properties that will appreciate in value. We are not there to be yes men. If we don't think we can help you with honesty, then we will gladly suggest another agent. We want a good, honest, working relationship with our clients, one that will continue for years and decades to come.

What should you expect from your Sandpoint REALTOR®?

These days, as bankers commit acts that many believe should be criminal, and mortgage brokers make loans that are questionable at best, it seems that expectations have been lowered to an all-time low.

As Americans we should expect more.

So, what should you expect from your Sandpoint real estate agent?

Certainly you should have a knowledgeable REALTOR®.

What kind of knowledge should your agent have? College educated? A builder? An interior designer? Someone who renovates homes? Knowledge of the area?

• Here is what I offer for a base of knowledge:

• College educated.

• Investor and owner of several homes locally.

• Renovated and built several houses doing much of the work myself. This helps you in that knowledge helps you make informed decisions.

• As the host of two radio shows - North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts & Adventure, I have interviewed hundreds of business leaders, local government officials, and personalities from all over North Idaho. Add to that the research I have done to prepare for the interviews and you can see how this has helped me to gain intimate knowledge of our area.

• With over 60 articles about North Idaho and Sandpoint published on the web, the Bonner County Daily Bee, and other rags like the Sandpoint Reader, I put that knowledge on paper every week.

• Currently I am an editor for this area on City-Data.com, Topix, a major contributor on ActiveRain, and an expert author on Ezine. I also write for Idaho Cuisine magazine.

• Interviewing businesses has given me the inside scoop on helping dozens of people find jobs .

• One of the most important things I do is to do the research and write the articles about our local economy and other community pertinent data.

Should your agent be involved with the community?

• Having done the radio shows for the last six years as a community service is one way I am part of our wonderful North Idaho paradise. However, I also owned two restaurants in town: Walker Donuts and Wigleys Café and Bakery, and served hundreds of people a day.

• We have many, many events and charities that take place in North Idaho each and every month. So, every year both my business associate Jed Sigman and I volunteer for dozens of happenings, including the Festival at Sandpoint, Lakedance Film Festival, and many more. We just finished as part of a small team that organized the most successful Sandpoint Winter Carnival in a decade.

• In the last five years, our contributions, and the money we have raised for these charities and events have totaled over $50,000.

• We have sponsored and paid for completely from our own pockets twenty Artist Open House events, culminating with the Midwinter Art Fest that had hundreds and hundreds in attendance to see the art of over forty North Idaho artists.

• Mentored over a dozen young businesses, designing and donating their websites for the first year of business.

• Designed and run some of the most viewed community websites in North Idaho, free of charge, with no advertising, including www.SandpointID.net, www.SandpointCentral.com, www.SkiSchweitzer.net, and www.Sandpoint-Idaho.org.

Should your agent help you with more than just buying and selling property?

• By finding gainful employment for many, we have helped our clients, friends, and family make the transition to living a better quality of life in Sandpoint and North Idaho.

• On my wall in my office are posted a couple of dozen thank you notes from people we have helped to build their own barns, grade their roads, prepare an LLC on the state website, and many other endeavors.

• Bottom line is it is our responsibility to help buyers and sellers in every way. That is why we work so hard at learning not only about real estate, but all about our community, so that when you need a plumber, or where to apply for a hunting license, or the nearest oncologist, we can get you the information you need.

What kind of professionalism should your REALTOR® have?

• First and foremost, real estate agents have chosen a life that is different than other professions. People look for properties in the evenings and weekends. A REALTOR® should expect to work when people are ready to do business.

• Just as important, your agent should be sensitive to what you need. All too often sales people talk, talk, talk. Most important thing is to listen. Once we find out what your goals and needs are, we are best able to accomplish the task.

• A REALTOR® should always answer their phones. Since I dislike not being able to get in touch with an agent, my bet is that customers don't like it either.

• Your REALTOR® should stay informed about the newest technologies that can help you buy or sell.

• Your REALTOR® should be informed about county rules and regulations, and info that will help you make smart and informed decisions.

• Your REALTOR® should always be taking courses to stay apprised of the business and the market.

• Finally, if your Sandpoint Real Estate agent doesn't know the answer, they should have the resources to find out.

• We are a small community, so when new folks move up here, we don't just look at them as clients, they become friends. You can't hardly take a drive here without someone waiving at you, whether they know you or not. That is the way of our place: friendly people who work hard and play hard. We expect people to be friendly and polite here.

• You have your own expectations. We believe you should expect more from your REALTOR®.

Here are some more tips

What should you do if you're stuck between two homes: one you can't sell and one you've contracted to buy?
Sometimes this means putting both properties on the market to see which sells first. Sometimes this means cutting the price of the first property and taking your losses right away.

How can homeowners sell their homes quickly?
Price it right and get it "staged." Price them low, very close to the bottom line. When there's a lot of inventory, price is essential. Of course, having the home in "show shape"-decluttered and clean for any showings-is putting your best foot forward.

What does staging involve?
If the home is vacant, we'll bring furniture in. We hire stagers and offer that service to sellers. The stager I work with charges less than $100 an hour and typically works for two to four hours. Another rents furniture by the room for $350 a room.

What kinds of repairs are worth making before selling?
The kitchen and the master bath are the hot spots for buyers in today's market. The midrange fix-ups are ones that are the most worthwhile. Don't go crazy and put in granite and high-end appliances. Paint the cabinets, spruce them up with new hardware, replace the lighting with up-to-date fixtures. Buy new carpeting.

Is it so bad if a house sits on the market for a long time?
It has been said that the first six weeks of a listing is the "hottest" time for a sale, and we want to make sure it shows the best right away.

Where can buyers go to make sure they are seeing everything in their price range?
Over 98 percent of what's available can be viewed on realtor.com, including listings from discount brokers.

How should potential buyers approach the market?
This is a great time for buyers to get into the marketplace. Interest rates are low and there is wonderful selection for buyers in all price ranges. But these conditions might not last.

As usual, my promise is to work 24/7 for my clients, and always be available, not only in areas of real estate, but in mentoring new businesses, finding the right schools, and helping with your job search in this place, your new home.

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

208-610-1384
800-282-6880
gary.lirette@sothebysrealty.com

To learn more about our area, visit one of our 50 websites:

www.SandpointID.net

www.RealEstateSandpoint.net

www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com

www.SkiSchweitzer.net

www.RealtySandpoint.com

My team has always believed in strong advertising. While it is wonderful that people blog, and have a cool website, one cool website, it is not enough. Our clients deserve more. Plus, our community deserves our best efforts, and promoting and growing our team's business is very important, both on a local scale, and nationally.

Here are our initial summer ads and efforts:

• We have taken out a full page ad in the Real Estate Book for the next six months.
• We have bought the full page inside cover of the Sandpoint Guide: Relocation Guide.
• We have one-minute ads running during drive times on KPND, K102, and KSPT Talk Radio for the summer.
• We are the exclusive REALTORS® for Homes.com, including page 1 placement for over 150 keyword placements, including the terms "Sandpoint Real Estate," "Sandpoint," "Sandpoint Idaho," and many, many others. This is bringing in about two-three leads a week and more. You will see the ads as Homes.com/SandpointID on the right side of the first page of any search term.
• Our websites are appearing as follows:

Keyword Website Page Placement

Sandpoint Real Estate www.SandpointID.net 2
Sandpoint Realty www.SandpointID.net 1
Sandpoint Realty www.RealtySandpoint.com 1
Sandpoint Realty www.RealEstateSandpoint.net 2
Realty Sandpoint www.RealtySandpoint.com 1
Real Estate Sandpoint www.RealEstateSandpoint.net 2
Sandpoint MLS www.SandpointMLS.net 1
Sandpoint Realtor Top of page, bottom of page and www.SandpointRealtor.com on page 1
Sandpoint Realtors Top of the page, and www.SandpointRealtors.com on page 1
Sandpoint Homes www.RealEstateSandpoint.net 2
Sandpoint Waterfront My ActiveRain Real Estate Blog 1
(By the way, according to ActiveRain, I am the fifth highest ranked REALTOR in Bonner, and Rick is #2, and am 48^th in the state)
Sandpoint Waterfront www.SandpointID.netN.Idaho-Waterfront-Blog.html 2
Sandpoint Waterfront www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com 2
North Idaho Waterfront www.SandpointID.netN.Idaho-Waterfront-Blog.html 1
North Idaho Waterfront www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com 2

• We have nine scheduled open house events, wine tastings, and several charities for each weekend day this month, plus my regular radio shows, and are getting great page placement for over sixty other keyword terms.
• As the author of Passion for Wine published by Hastings House in 1997, one of my accolades is that I have a bit of wine knowledge. Using that, I have purchased some elite wines for two wine tastings by invitation only for showcasing two of our best homes, one on the water, the other a grand in-town listing.

These are our efforts on how we are promoting our business, and helping to make our Sandpoint Real Estate market grow.

As usual, my promise is to work 24/7 for my clients, and always be available, not only in areas of real estate, but in mentoring new businesses, finding the right schools, and helping with your job search in this place, your new home.

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

208-610-1384
800-282-6880
gary.lirette@sothebysrealty.com

To learn more about our area, visit one of our 50 websites:

www.SandpointID.net

www.RealEstateSandpoint.net

www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com

www.SkiSchweitzer.net

www.RealtySandpoint.com

This Sandpoint real estate agent believes knowing your community is the most important thing, & as host for many years of the N Idaho Business & N Idaho Arts radio shows, I have that knowledge.

About Me:

Sandpoint real estate professional and avid community supporter. As the host of two radio shows - North Idaho Business and North Idaho Arts and Adventure for many years - the position of interviewing hundreds of native Idahoans and transplants has given me a unique perspective. Having owned several homes and properties here gives me a view from your side, as a home owner and buyer. I owned two restaurants in town, and work with over a dozen charities. Certainly real estate is my job, but if you really want to have a guide for your life in North Idaho, with my experience, I hope you find me a resource for you and your family for life.

While certainly one can lament that this fantastic place has changed over the years, it is still a quaint, high quality of life small North Idaho town with a population under 10,000. Year after year the national media has awarded great accolades to Sandpoint: Best Small Town in the West, Top 10 Resort Towns, America's Dream Town, Top 10 Adventure Town. The NY Times, USA Today, Sunset Magazine, AOL Travel, National Geographic and many, many more all have touted this place as a dream town, undiscovered and hidden from the rest of the world. Right above the city of Sandpoint is Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, and similarly, over the last few years, Schweitzer has also garnered national attention, being named for the first time in 2008 to Skiing Magazine's Top 25 Ski Resorts, and #3 for Tree Skiing. Lake Pend Oreille, gargantuan with its 111 miles of coastline sandwiches Sandpoint on one side, with Schweitzer on the other. Manufacturer and national businesses have made the area home, with companies such as Coldwater Creek, Litehouse Foods, Quest Aircraft, Encoder Products, Thorne Research, and many more finding great employees and a quality of life few other places can offer.

With growth has come growing pains, yet the essence of this part of the North Idaho Panhandle has remained. It is a great place to live, raise a family, and enjoy what nature offers. Festivals and events pepper each season, and the people are friendly to a fault. Certainly if one looks, we find issues that are troubling, such as the cost of living, traffic, and attitudes the newcomers bring that differ with the local populace. Many believe, however, that these are comparatively minor aberrations; our slice of North Idaho heaven is still better than most of the places any of us have been before.

Our economy is suffering much like the rest of the nation, yet we still have good unemployment figures, optimistic future job growth, and are tackling our issues with fervent community involvement.

We are so, so proud of our little community, and while we worry about growth, we are also proud, and welcome more than we turn away.

Sandpoint is truly what they say about us. Perhaps Cabin Life, Cabin Living said it best calling our community "the quintessential Western outdoor lover's town."

Areas of Expertise

After spending several years in commercial real estate, I found selling waterfront and view homes in Sandpoint to be my forte.

Neighborhood knowledge and my participation interviewing hundreds of people and businesses over the last several years has given me a unique insight to the inside scoop in North Idaho.

I also speak fluent German, and basic French and Spanish, and work with many Europeans every year. As one of the most successful agents in Hope and Priest River, as well as with intrinsic knowledge of Sandpoint and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort gives buyers and sellers the confidence to make the right decisions.

My promise is to work 24/7 for my clients, and always be available, not only in areas of real estate, but in mentoring new businesses, finding the right schools, and helping with your job search in this place, your new home.

Gary Lirette, REALTOR® Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty

208-610-1384
800-282-6880
gary.lirette@sothebysrealty.com

To learn more about our area, visit one of our 50 websites:

www.SandpointID.net

www.RealEstateSandpoint.net

www.WaterfrontHomesSandpoint.com

www.SkiSchweitzer.net

www.RealtySandpoint.com