Kent Anderson

The Cottage On The Lake is a craftsman's masterpiece...a unique combination of native North Idaho stone hand placed to create 18 inch thick walls with authentic, doweled timber-frame infrastructure. This is a one-of-kind family enclave that exudes warmth and security in every room. The entire home is interwoven with organic shapes and finely detailed timber framing with dramatic metal connections and strappings.

The Cottage is nestled in coveted Kootenai Bay just three miles from Sandpoint and can be seen from the top of Schweitzer Mountain.

The Cottage On The Lake in Sandpoint, Idaho, offers main level living for two plus the option to share three levels of high-end amenities with hundreds of guests. This is TRULY a one-of-a-kind 8,000 plus square foot haven. Features include:

"The Cottages" HOA dues are $500 per year and include use of community tennis court plus a three acre park immaculately maintained. The views of Schweitzer Mountain Resort are only rivaled by the spectacular view across Lake Pend Oreille of the Monarch Mountains. Walk through the grass from the covered , stone terrace to the shore! High-end amenties are found throughout this amazing waterfront home! ...and only minutes from Sandpoint via boat or car. This is a true gem in Idaho - "The Gem State".

My email is ski7b@coldwellbanker.com. I welcome any and all inquiries about this listing.

"Bulldog Tennis isn’t Rebuilding, it’s Reloading!

When I came in this year as the new head coach for varsity tennis, I really didn’t know what to expect. I was familiar with the top players I inherited going into the season, but there is so much more to “Team Tennis” than the talent level of the top players. I needed to discover the personalities of the players…who plays well with whom, who are the “fighters” (the players who refuse to lose), who has team spirit, who is the most coach-able, who are the “projects”, etc. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised!

What a great group of athletes. I can’t wait for practice to hit with the team. We are carrying 22 varsity players…11 boys and 11 girls. Only 18 can play matches on any given day, but they all have been able to gain valuable match experience over the course of the season. We will have a strong base going into next year.

This is the year, however, that could go down in Bulldog history. Former head coach, Jane Rockwell, supplied me with a great foundation to work with. I had an elite group of players to build around. Dustin Pierce, Mikka Nostdahl, Abby Helander, Piper Wahlin and Justine Clawson have the ability to win at any level. Add to them two newcomers, Ben Hardy and Kevin Kirby, and Sandpoint suddenly can compete with anyone. I just needed to find a compliment to this group to round out a powerful team…maybe even a State Champion.

I wasn’t disappointed. Even though we spent the first half of the season practicing in the gym (thanks to the great North Idaho Spring weather this year), I could see the potential of this team while we practiced hours and hours of volley drills at the net. By the end of the “Gym Season” we had some of the quickest hands in the state. The team has put their volleying talent to good use over the course of the season and have won many matches because of their quickness at the net.

With the season nearing its completion, it will be fun to watch how far we can progress at the State level. I expect great things. I know our top players will do well, but it is the balance of the team that will determine our fate and I do have faith in them! Meranda Carter, Susan Williams, Sophia Meulenberg and Jesse Cobb have been workhorses for us. They have played and won through injury, rain and cold. Crystal Clark, Brittany Claffey, Kyenna Jensen, Roxanne Imeson and Azumi Smith have all posted big wins during the season.

On the boys side, Rob Carne and Jackson Bussard have been a great compliment to our top 4 players. These two have been almost unbeatable. Steve Gavin, Ryan Novak, Mike Berg and Nik Thorell have all had big, consistent wins and battle each other every practice to gain spots on the final District roster. Add to these players Dash Kamp (who got a late start due to his National Snowboard competitions) and we are very tough to beat.

The State Championship is May 15-16 in Boise and I predict Sandpoint will be well represented!"

I woke up this morning and the weatherman graced Sandpoint, Idaho with 6 fresh inches of snow. I was in my office at Schweitzer Mountain Resort and on AR by 7:30 a.m. By 8:45, I had my mocha at Mojo Coyote Coffee and was in the lift line (a total of 6 people) waiting fresh tracks on top of chair 1.

My excited anticipation was well founded. The very first run down the headwall below the chair greeted me with stashes of untracked powder at least 14" deep. The powder was smashing against my knees...and untracked top to bottom!

If you are a skier, hopefully you know the feeling. Skiing all alone with an ear to ear grin and not fighting the urge to scream my lungs out all the way down. There really is nothing like it!

By 9:30 my group met me at the Outback Inn on the back side of the mountain...there were, maybe, 10 people there...no where near enough skiers to track up the slopes. This was our own "Private Idaho". What a fun group it was! Steve, my buddy who is part of the lending team I work with here in Sandpoint (plus my #1 tennis partner), his wife Carla who can really rip up the powder and their son Kevin, who is one of the top players on the Sandpoint High School tennis team that I coach. This was quite the athletic group and we showed the mountain no mercy!

Here is the beauty...I finished skiing by 12:00 and I am sitting in my office at Schweitzer just waiting for endorphine-rich tourists to walk in anxious to buy a condo...old fashioned real estate...I don't need to do anything creative to round up clients. It just doesn't seem fair.

Schweitzer Mountain and Sandpoint, Idaho are a magical place. I am very fortunate to have carved a niche here and I "count my blessings" every day.

(Later today I have to go to the dump to recycle some cardboard. Even that chore is exhilerating. The Dump in Selle Valley has one of the most spectacular views of the Colburn side of Schweitzer you could ever imagine. Is this place for real?)

The good news? I finally closed on a condo up here at Schweitzer Mountain! It's a GREAT condo, spectacular views and priced perfectly. My buyer put some equity in his pocket and he and his wife are absolutely thrilled! Below is the view from their front door.

Getting a condo closed in this market in no small chore. If the complex is not over 50% occupied (which was the case in this purchase since it is new construction) and/or, if there has been ANY rental history in the complex, major banks will not consider traditional financing of any kind. It is a long story how we finally put together financing, but that is for another post. This post is about the "closing gift" that I was so anxious to give...

The closing finally ended in the afternoon. I GLADLY offered my services to help clear out their storage unit and load their Budget moving van. Furthermore, I was happy to drive with them up the mountain and help unload the van. The problem?...by the time we had finally finished loading the van, we had experienced a fairly sizable rain shower in town (beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho...but not quite so beautiful today) and I, with all of my "mountain experience", failed to consider what a "sizable rain shower in town" translated to on the mountain. Furthermore, their condo was located at the top village on the mountain and it was now 8:30 at night...details ...they were just so EXCITED!

Anyway, off we went and, of course, with all of my "mountain experience", they asked me to drive. The drive was great all the way through switchback # 6. It got a little hairy after that, but we were still chugging along without incident through the last switchback (#9). Unfortunately, switchback #9 is near Schweitzer Village but still a good 1.5 miles from the top of The Ridge where their condo was awaiting our arrival. Why I felt the last 1.5 miles was navigatable is beyond me, but that was the thinking process.

To make a long story short, I made the 1.5 mile steep and winding journey and got to within 30 yards of the turn-off to The Ridge before the ice and (the now massive) blizzard brought our excursion to a halt. The icy, steep road had made it impossible to continue. We sat in the van for awhile contemplating our options when the van began sliding backwards. Pumping the brakes did nothing and the speed was picking up. It was pitch black up there and I was running out of time to make a decision. After a 50 yard slide, we somehow slowed to safety in the ditch along the road. My vision of going over the side and sliding down the mountain was unfounded, thank God.

We finally made it to a safe flat area about a 1/4 mile from the condo (11:00 p.m. by this time). The next 2 days were spent transporting their belongings via a borrowed pick-up from the van to their new home. That was my closing gift. It worked out... my clients were thrilled, the memories will last forever and I'm thinking I'll be their realtor for a long time. ...and, it only cost me a few years of my life.

(By the way, real estate is picking up here and I'm not just saying that!)

YOU GOTTA' LOVE THE MOUNTAINS!

You know, the economy is tough on everyone. The stimulus plan is questionable. Almost 10% of America is officially unemployed. Life is a downer. NOT!

Guess what? Life goes on and we can defeat the pessimissim. What really matters is what goes on in our heads. I just finished a day of phenominal skiing at Schweitzer Mountain and there is no way life can get any better. It's not just about skiing...skiing is just MY motivational tool. Find that tool and use it!

Skiing does take a financial commitment, but the benefits far outweigh the expense. ...but it is not just about skiing for a day. Right now, the opportunities to own your own place on the mountain can be a reality to those who never could entertain the concept. The current bad economy may be the only open window certain buyers will see for awhile. I have no idea how long these great prices and rates will last, but I do know they are here now.

Buying a vacation ski home, obviously, is not for everyone...I'm talking expendable income here. ...but I'm not talking about the type of income required two years ago for the same investment. You "ski-bums" out there who never thought this was attainable, please, take another look! This is a fleeting window and the time is now.

It is the people with a little money, a secure job and with good credit who can get remarkable deals RIGHT NOW! They will improve their investment portfolios and help stimulate the economy at the same time.

Why is it that some people pounce on these opportunites while most people, who could, don't? I guess I'm just taking on the responsibility of "getting it out there". We need to all save money and build up the economy, but when prices are like this, saving via the the vehicle of a strong "real estate investment" is a very good way to go.

Plus, I'm coming off an endorphine skiers' high, so thanks for bearing with me. Totally natural, that's me. Oh, and one more plug...take a look at www.salishanpoint.com Here in Sandpoint, Idaho, your investment opportunity does not end at Schweitzer Mountain. We've got a lake "to die for".