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Coeur d'Alene, ID Real Estate News

By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
A sign of the times for sure.  Tough times aren't just for the little guys.  The high end developers are struggling too, and here's a good example.  But it's also a good example of not retreating during the downturn, but instead using a creative and realistic approach to marketing.  I wish them well, and hope that they sell enough units to keep their project moving along, because it is truely a beautiful asset to the community. COEUR D'ALENE'S VILLAGE AT RIVERSTONE ENTICES AUCTION BIDDERS WITH HUGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS ON 36 LUXURIOUS CONDOS  COEUR D'ALENE, ID. - Excitement over Coeur d'Alene's first major condo auction is reaching its peak! Beverly Hills-based Kennedy Wilson gears up for a highly anticipated inventory closeout auction of 36 prime condominium residences at the Village at R...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
On May 14, I and my associates in Coeurd'Alene will pause from our usual daily activities of selling homes to join 74,000 Keller Williams agents around the country in service to our communities.  Come join us in making a difference on RED Day!  Renew / Energize / Donate Whether or not you join up in an organized activity on 5.14.2009, you can make a difference where you live.    Each of us can make our little part of the world better for our having passed through it. 101 Ways to Make a Difference 1.  Repair a home 2. Plant trees 3. Visit a children's hospital 4. Host a recycling fair 5. Clean up local parks 6. Help a youth organization 7. Become a Big Brother 8. Adopt a cat in need 9. Volunteer at a disabled adult facility 10. Donate materials to build a home 11. Send letters to the tro...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
What a nice headline to be smiling up at me when I opened the paper this morning.  According to the American Lung Association, Coeur d'Alene Idaho's air quality is about as squeaky clean as it gets! In the 10th Annual State of the Air Report, Coeur d'Alene tied with several other cities as having the cleanest air in the U.S. for ozone air pollution, commonly known as the dreaded SMOG! Now, this isn't exactly a news flash to me.  I didn't need a official study to tell me that I am breathing wonderful, fresh, CLEAN air.  But it is always nice to be recognized as leading the country in something, again! The report found that 60% of Americans live in areas where air pollution levels are dirty enough to endanger lives! Now THAT is a startling news flash!  Give me a call if you would like to ...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
Photo taken by my brother-in-law Kerry Park on an early morning walk last weekend.  Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho. No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence.  Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you! Janna Rankin Scharf, AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS  208.651.9700  NorthIdahoJanna@gmail.com  
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
A few weeks ago I wrote about my frustration trying to track down a seller so my client could pay cash for her property.  It actually took THREE WEEKS, but finally we were under contract.  Geesh!  I was astonished that someone with a property listed for sale would be so hard to contact.  My buyer, a young guy with big plans, as well as CASH, was pressed for time.  But we persevered.  We needed a quick close so he could get on with his business, which involved this purchase.  Now comes the news from our fabulous escrow officer, Heidi Simon at Pioneer Title, that the seller doesn't actually have clear title.  Let's see if I can follow this.  Ms. Seller has a quit claim deed from her mom, who received the property from her step-dad after he died, except that there is no record of it being ...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
This morning I noticed an ad in the newspaper that caught my eye.  I'd like to give a shout out to a local small business that is offering a great deal, GreenTec Lawn & Tree Care.           FERT. + WEED + AERATION        $65.95 + tax An Amazing Spring Package Up to 5000 Sq. Ft. Satisfaction Guaranteed Call for Free Estimate       Call by 5/1 to Schedule If you are planning to sell your home this selling season, one of the best returns on your investment of time and resources in getting it ready will be what you do to increase CURB APPEAL.  Often, home sellers will focus inside, and neglect the outside of the home.  Don't make this mistake.  We've all heard the old saying, "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression."  This is never more true than when it comes to att...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
One of the great things about being associated with Keller Williams Realty is the culture of caring and giving back to the community.  I would like to extend an invitation to my friends and clients to participate with us in our annual blood drive.  For over 60 years, The Inland Northwest Blood Center has been the Inland Northwest's only independent, not-for-profit blood provider. What started out as a small community blood bank has since evolved into a full service center providing blood and related services to a region consisting of nearly one million residents! Keller Williams RealtyBlood DriveFriday, April 24, 20099:00 am - 11:30 am Location: Keller Williams Realty, 1044 Northwest Blvd, Coeur d'Alene Give the Gift of Life ~ Donate BLOOD! To schedule an appointment, you can call me di...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
April 2009 - Calendar of Events - Coeur d'Alene, ID The snow is mostly gone and Spring is finally here.  Get up and get going to the many local events and happenings in our community.  There is lots to do and see in Coeur d' Alene this month!   MARCH APRIL Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 29 Quilting Bee at B&B's 30 Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award Winning Wines 31 Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award Winning Wines 1 Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award Winning Wines Working Women's Wednesdays at The Barrel Room No. 6 2 Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award Winning Wines 3 Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award Winning Wines 4 Tropical Daze at Schweitzer Mtn Coeur d'Alene Cellars Wine Tasting of Six Award W...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
The cat has been out of the bag for a while now, but the latest endorsement of The Lake City as a spectacular place is made in April's Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine.  The April edition of the famous cook's national magazine features Coeur d'Alene in a photo essay and highlights a few businesses that give some funky character to the town.  My good friend John Hough, who with his wife Tina own the historical Roosevelt Inn Bed & Breakfast, sums it up. "What is there not to like about Coeur d'Alene?  I've been all around the world," he said, "But the lake keeps calling me back."  That's a sentiment echoed by most all of us lucky enough to call North Idaho home. This is just the latest in a string of national headlines singing our praises.  Coeur d'Alene was recently named 2nd best perf...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
I thought it was interesting to find that Coeur d'Alene has a forest of "street trees" managed by the Urban Forestry department of the Parks Department.  Did you know that it is the responsibility of every property owner to assist in the care of our city's trees?Coeur d'Alene's Urban Forestry ordinance sets tree care standards and gives guidelines for the care and maintenance of all public trees and shrubs. Public trees include all those growing in the city rights of way such as the grassy area between the sidewalk and curb.  On those streets without a sidewalk, the city could own a right of way of 4 to over 20 feet inside your property.  the Urban Forestry department can check your address if you aren't sure where there easement ends.  The city doesn't have tree crews so it relies on a...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Another National Magazine Lauds Coeur d'Alene, ID This piece was done to highlight travel destinations for tourists looking to find getaways off the beaten path.    The famous cook Rachel Ray praised Coeur d'Alene, ID  in the April edition of her 'Every Day' magazine for its beauty and charm in a one-page photograph essay.  Coeur d'Alene's page features a silhouette of a kayaker, plus pictures of Bella Rose Cafe, ROW Adventures and the Roosevelt Inn Bed and Breakfast. This article puts Coeur d'Alene back in national headlines along with the recent pieces in USA Today. Ray's monthly magazine has a circulation of about 1.5 million, and most say the publicity can't do anything but help Coeur d'Alene's economy.   Rachel Ray may not be an Oprah but she has a very large following that will de...
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By Janna Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene)
Here is some great, up-to-date information on the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho real estate market.  I pay to have these Total Market Overview Reports compiled weekly, although I don't post them to my blog each week.  If you would like the most current, up-to-date report, just give me a call.  I will gladly email you any reports that would be helpful to you.  I am also happy to help you interperet the data and how it can help you.  Knowledge is power!  As a buyer, this information will help insure that you don't overpay for a home.  As a seller, the information will help us determine the correct listing price and a selling strategy for success.
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By Kevin & Maryellen Garasky, KMG Mortgage Group - ID & WA
(KMG Mortgage Group - Kevin & Maryellen, Idaho & Washington)
GOOD NEWS: A side-project of mine makes it to the front page! For those of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that an organization named Community Roots is close to my heart.  Besides just being started by my sister-in-law and a friend of hers, Community Roots is a non-profit group here in Coeur d'Alene that takes fresh produce and delivers it to local food banks, soup kitchens, and other emergency assistance facilities. In the past 2 years, Community Roots has delivered over 7,000 POUNDS OF FOOD to people who need it. Well, this past Saturday, a side project of mine, one that will partner with Community Roots to feed those in need, made it to the front page of the Local Section of the Coeur d'Alene Press. Coeur d'Alene is going to have a community garden...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Top 10 Tips for Keeping Your Computer Running Smoothly - Computer Maintenance I constantly have friends, colleagues and family members begging me to help them with their computers.  More often than not, the problems they have come from improper regular maintenance, not cleaning out their Cash or defraging, defunct Anti-Virus and Firewall Blocker programs, improperly shutting down, power surges, etc.... Following these simple tips should help prevent most of those annoying and avoidable computer problems.  ALSO, I want to emphasize two of the biggest "Tear Jerkers" .... BACK-UP, BACK-UP, BACK-UP (see #3) and DO NOT LOOSE or THROW OUT your SOFTWARE DISCS (especially the ones that came with your computer).... Keep them safe and dry.  You WILL need them at some point in time (see #10)!!! 1....
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By Kevin & Maryellen Garasky, KMG Mortgage Group - ID & WA
(KMG Mortgage Group - Kevin & Maryellen, Idaho & Washington)
GOOD NEWS: Royal Family Kids Camp in North Idaho Like many of you, I am tired of the constant bombardment of the network media about how bad life is right now.  So, I am doing something about it and I would like to encourage you to do the same.  I am blogging for 30 days about POSITIVE things I see going on in my community.  So far, I have been faithful to my calling and this is my 4th installment in the series. But now, I'd like to introduce you to... Royal Family Kids Camps "Every year in our area, hundreds of children are removed from their homes and placed in the foster care system because of severe abuse and neglect, or even abandonment. For most of these children, they will lose hope, and feel as if their life has come to a deadend, even before it has begun. A national organizatio...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Be sure to attend the "Wine for the Trail" Benefit - Benefiting the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation! All about the Trail:  The North Idaho Centennial Trail is a NON-MOTORIZED, multi-use recreational trail, which meanders for 24 miles from the state line at the Idaho/Washington border to beautiful Higgens Point, six miles east of Coeur d'Alene. This scenic trail runs along the Spokane River to Post Falls where it runs through neighborhoods and eventually to wooded areas leading to Coeur d'Alene. At the west end of Coeur d'Alene the trail again meets the Spokane River and follows it to the pristine Lake Coeur d'Alene. The trail then follows the lake shoreline to Higgens Point, an Idaho State Park, which draws throngs of spectators in the late fall and early winter to view the annu...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Coeur d'Alene - Residential Sales Report - Past 60 days January 1 through February 28, 2009 Todays date: 3/5/2009Price Range: 0 to 999,999,999,999 There are currently 684 Active Listings.  In the past 60 days, 65 Listings have Sold/Closed Escrow and 90 listings are currently under contract.   Therefore, in just the past 2-months - Durring our "Slow Market" season - we have put under contract a total of 155 Residential Listings. Property Type: Residential Area: 0001 MLS Total Current Active Listings   Number 684 List Price Volume 304,381,379 List Price Average 445,002 Average Days on Market 119 Total Sold   Number 65 List Price Volume 11,255,790 List Price Average 173,166 Sale Price volume 10,887,972 Sale Price Average 167,507 Average Days on Market 118 Under Contract Listings   Number ...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Daylight Savings Time is March 8th, 2009 at 2:00 A.M Did you know that Daylight Savings time starts on March 8th?  Please move your Clocks FORWARD 1-Hour at 2:00 a.m.  This change will be in effect until November 1st, 2009.  Here are some helpfull tips on how to adjust to the time change: Move bed time forward 5-15 minutes a night for several nights leading up to the change so it doesn't have to be all at once.   This may also be a good time to adjust your child's sleep schedule. If you have a baby that has been waking up too early (like 6 am and you prefer 7 am) you could put them to bed at a later bedtime and they would be on a new schedule.   Expose your yourself and kids to daylight early on in the day. Experts say this resets your internal clock and helps your body readjust. Open b...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
Don't Let Your Pet Kill You in an Accident  -  30,000+/-  Accidents a year are caused by dogs in the front seats." The Laws of Physics don't stop. In a 35 mph crash 60 a pound pet becomes about 2,700 pounds of force (about the same as two full grown, male grizzly bears). Many people allow their pets to scoot around, unrestrained, in the back seat of the car or in the bed of a truck. It's safer for everyone in the vehicle if a dog or cat is restrained. A recent American Automobile Association (AAA) survey found, "A large number of accidents, something like 30,000 a year, are caused by dogs in the front seats."  Buckle up your pets in a car or truck to protect you, your pet and your passengers. If you have an accident, your pet can become a projectile. According to the Bark Buckle UP Web ...
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By Pam Jank, Your Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho Real Estate Pro
(Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty)
-Winter views of Boat Slips and Lake  from Club House (The Red Boat is the "Fire Boat") - Dear HLCC Members: See you at the Hayden Lake Country Club this weekend! Why? We can once again enjoy those incredible dinners prepared by Chef Brett Fontana.   He has posted the weekend menu and additional ala carte selections on our web page.  We are now open on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. (I'll let you know when that gets extended to all week).   Call 762-1708 for reservations. It is with regret that I inform you that our Banquet and Events Coordinator, Barb Bonnough has submitted her resignation so that she can spend more time with her family.  We wish Barb well and will miss her Canadian sense of humor. The Club has hired a new Banquets and Events Coordinator, Rebecca ...
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