I sat in today and hosted Speak Up North Idaho for Barbara Carpenter on the North Idaho Talk Radio Network. First up was Kate McCallister, head of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce. Kate began by telling us about the Sandpoint Scenic Half Marathon coming up September 17th from 2-6:30pm. The deadline for early bird entry is Friday and the course runs from City Beach, across the Long Bridge and into Sagle. Kate McAllister and Paula Marcinko We talked about Sandpoint being named in the Rand McNally poll as the Most Beautiful Small Town in America the entire show. We both marveled at the influx of wonderful Canadians, mostly from the province of Alberta, spending their hard-earned Loonies and being generally a welcome addition to our summer tourist scene. I will post the notes from ... 09/01/2011

First up on my show was Jupiter Jane. Jupiter Jane is a mobile eatery in a converted school bus put together by Laura Calvert Peitz and Maria Corsini and friends. I first got to know Laura when she owned the Coit House many years ago. More recently, she was the owner of Dish Home Cooking. I managed the restaurant for them, and after closing Laura was looking for her next venture. Jupiter Jane has some of the same menu ideas Dish had: gourmet vegan, gluten-free, and fresh foods. We talked about how Joel’s got started: Sandpoint’s most popular lunch Mexican restaurant. Joel would go around town in a van selling his burritos, etc. Then he was in one of the lunch shacks that used to be on Fourth, finally making enough to build a brick and mortar location that is packed daily. Jupiter Jane h... 09/01/2011

Hard to beileve I was carrying five mortgages just a couple of years ago. My real estate business had slowed down to a trickle, I was getting divorced after 20 years of marriage, and bankruptcy was on the horizon. Losing everything, I put into motion a plan to become solvent and get my business back on track. First, I had to get my real estate business going stronger. I already had one of the most viewed websites in our area: www.SandpointID.net. I had been using YouTube a bit, and was on all the typical sites such as Linkdin and Hot Frog. I began using videos in a different way. For instance, this morning, I finished a video for a couple from Canada on a waterfront condo that we wrote an offer on Tuesday. The video will help with the rest of the family to get a sense of ownership and ... 09/01/2011

This is the official story of a day that I will never forget, because of what I discovered about myself out in the middle of deep, cold Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho.It was a beautiful, sunshiny day in north Idaho.  The lake was relatively calm and there wasn't a cloud to be found in the bright blue sky.  It was the dawning of the day of the Long Bridge Swim, and I was going to be jumping into that lake to fulfill a challenge I had given myself back in February.In February, I envisioned myself much thinner and fit by now.  It seemed like a good goal to challenge myself with - swim the 1.76 miles along the Long Bridge from the south to the north shore of Lake Pend Oreille.  Forget that I hadn't been in a lake since about 1981, and had more than 100 pounds to lose.  As part of my ... 08/10/2011

On my North Idaho Business radio show today we had a string of great events talked about. First, the Festival at Sandpoint continues with headliners such as Josh Ritter, Michael Franti, and Randy Crowell. Let's not forget the finale with a free wine tasting with over 30 area wineries represented. Also, Sally Dennison appeared with a couple of her cohort artists to talk about the Artists' Studio Tour taking place this weekend and next. Learn more about this self-guided tour at www.ArtTourDrive.org   Next we had the 6th Annual Fly In taking place this Saturday at the Sandpoint Airport. http://www.eaa.org/calendar/eventdetail.aspx?id=9647 This includes live music by Ray Allen and one of my favs: Not Quite Punk. Speaking of Ray, he stopped in to goof off and tell us about what he will be pl... 08/09/2011

The winds were calm on Kootenai Bay.  The Sandpoint air was still... with just a hint of chill in the air.  It was the perfect night for a bonfire and the never ending quest for inspiration.  I was inspired enough to grab my camera and document the moment.  We wait all winter for the inevitable perfect summer evenings...can't let these moments pass us by! 07/31/2011

Janna Rankin Scharf - Coeur d'Alene Idaho Homes for Sale Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. That's the tagline on the email signature belonging to a client of mine.  He contacted me from out of state to sell two investment homes here.  It's big and bold and impossible to miss there at the bottom of his emails. As we emailed back and forth, there was that tagline in every "conversation." Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. I have to admit, it kept me on my toes!  When I was scrambling and being pulled in so many different directions, with fires to put out and people that needed me NOW - in the back of my mind was that I said I would have those listing contracts to him TODAY.  And that I had better do what I said I will do, when I said I would ... 07/24/2011

Well, this is worth a blog!  USA Today/Rand McNally spent several weeks on the road with the goal of discovering the most spectacular towns in America.  (Click here to see the article).  The results are not all that surprising.  Sandpoint took the honor of MOST BEAUTIFUL!   (Below is a photo of the "Starbuck's dock" located in the center of town.  There is just something kind of special about arriving at Starbucks by boat in the morning.) The great thing about Sandpoint is that it keeps getting better!  The DSBA (Downtown Sandpoint Business Association), along with the Chamber, Sandpoint Rotary and the many groups committed to the mystique and beauty of Sandpoint are all working in unison to insure this little town never loses its charm.  ...and it is working! I was living in Aspen, Col... 07/21/2011

Sandpoint, Idaho: Voted the 'Most Beautiful' Town in America in Rand McNally's Best Small Towns in American - Best of the Road Rally Sandpoint, Idaho was once again featured on the national scene in the Rand McNally's announcement on July 21, 2011 for being the 'Most Beautiful' town in America. Narrowed down from more than 600 submissions, 30 top towns in five categories — Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun, and Best for Food — were selected for review during the inaugural Best of the Road Rally. I was very proud of being prominently interviewed in Where to Retire magazine in their five page article on Sandpoint. The Sandpoint real estate market is stronger than other areas, and it makes sense. Idaho was named the nation's 8th healthiest and 14th happiest state. Schwe... 07/21/2011

Gary - My iPhone passed away yesterday. Old gurl was almost three years old (that's 120 in cell phone years). She had been running slower lately, and been showing signs of her age. Her screen is now a white background with a group of straight lines on one side. I will miss you gurl. RIP. Cathy - My sincere condolences... however, a new girl will come along soon and, while you'll never forget your first, it will ease the pain. Gary - I know, but she was such a hard worker, multi-tasking, surfing the web with me, and...let's be honest. She was sexy. The most beautiful figure, beautiful curves. I know a lot of people want younger and sexier. I will move on, but you're right Cathy, I will never forget her. Tony - Unfortunately, that puts you back in the market. Times have change since the ... 07/20/2011

May 5, 2011, Sandpoint, Idaho...Bonners Ferry, Idaho artist Diana Moses Botkin has been selected to create the original artwork for the 2011 Festival at Sandpoint fine art poster.  Known for her oil paintings of landscapes and the human form, Moses Botkin was chosen by a committee made up of the Festival's past poster artists, and the announcement was made last Friday night at the Festival's Annual Wine Tasting, Dinner & Auction.      "What a wonderful surprise to get the call from Festival Director, Dyno Wahl, telling me I'd been chosen as Festival poster artist for 2011," says Diana Moses Botkin."I feel very blessed to have been picked by my fellow artists and am honored to able to contribute in this way to the Festival and our community."     Diana is an award-winning painter, speci... 07/14/2011

Back in high school I remember performing Hanson's Song of Democracy. It was our bicentennial celebration. The Vietnam War had just ended, and we had been a nation for 200 years! Joining the Army shortly after that, I have to admit the esprit de corps was lacking. The demise of our national pride after the debacle in Southeast Asia and Jimmy Carter all seemed to have a negative effect on the country, and especially us as young soldiers. Still, I joined because I loved my country. Part of that pride came from performing so many patriotic works for that Bicentennial Celebration. Declaration of Independence by Turnbull I also recall that Walt Whitman supplied the words to many of those songs. So let us remember the Founding Fathers on this day after the 4th of July. Let us remember the fal... 07/05/2011

At Yoke's Fresh Market in Ponderay near Sandpoint there is a sense of pride in being the top regional wine-selling store. Admittedly, it is only my part-time job, but the wines carried are stellar. One of those is the Nicholas Cole GraEagle. This wine has a special story. In December, Nicholas Cole Cellars founder/owner Mike Neuffer sent out a brief message explaining that due to pressing family issues, he would be "placing an indefinite hiatus on winemaking and future vintages of Nicholas Cole and GraEagle wines." Neuffer moved to Walla Walla a decade ago to pursue a winemaking dream. He planted a vineyard, partnered with Michael Corliss, and began making wines in 2004. "It's something I always wanted to do," Neuffer explained when we first met a few years ago. "It just basically was f... 06/29/2011

On Friday at Yoke's Fresh Market in Ponderay near Sandpoint, Idaho, Dustin Lewis will be sampling some of our best value wines: Cycles Gladiator. The time is 12:30 to 3:30pm. Cycles Gladiator scores consistently in the mid-to-high 80s, and garners Best Buy ratings from the major players. Here is a bit of their bios: Cycles Gladiator Winery Cycles Gladiator is part of the Hahn Family Wine Group, which includes Hahn Family Wines and Smith & Hook. The wines are made at the Hahn Winery in Monterey, CA. Nicky and Gaby Hahn started the Hahn Winery in the late 1980's. The Cycles Gladiator brand of wines weren't released until the early 2000's. Cycles Gladiator symbolizes a celebration of the freedom and happiness that pervaded Europe in the late 19th century-during an era known as the Belle Ep... 06/23/2011

Last night my girlfriend called me to tell me she was on a call. She is part of Northside Fire Department and the call was a breached large gas line. An excavation crew had punctured the large pipe in spite of having a map. Maps are only so accurate. O'Hally is a super hero, but so are all the firefighters in her crew. She told me the gas was coming out so intensely it blew hair back. While talking to her on the phone, the best description of the sound I can come up with is 'screaming.' They had been on scene for hours and she told me they were hungry, so I brought them a couple dozen tacos. Here are the pics:   My girl O'Hally at Forty-One South when we went to lunch earlier in the day 06/21/2011

In the $500,000 to $1,000,000 range of homes on Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho, I'm not doin' too bad. In October I closed a home on Sunnyside for a very nice couple from Virginia. The home was originally listed for $1,200,000. Through negotiations, we saved that couple almost a half million. Then, just yesterday, I closed a transaction for a home in Ponder Point on the lake for another couple from Virginia. Nope, they don't know each other, but soon will. I'll be introducing them to one and other in just a couple of weeks. Same story with this home. Significant savings. It is great to help wonderful families find million dollar homes for way under that price. Lake Pend Oreille, as the second largest natural freshwater lake in the West is pristine and perfect for this kind of fam... 06/21/2011

At last I've broken the 100,000 point mark. I promise much more to come. Gary Lirette and his love O'Hally enjoying life 06/20/2011

I was at a closing for a waterfront home today I was attending for my client. While I am very happy to be one of the few selling waterfront homes, I couldn't help but note how lovely the old building was. I listed a new waterfront home Thursday for $779,000 on Bryce, soon to be on the MLS. Anyway, the building houses First American Title Co. in Sandpoint and used to be our Public Library. So, not only did I have the good luck that comes with hard work in closing a great home for my clients, but was able to enjoy the nostalgia of a beautiful Sandpoint Landmark. Here are the pics: 06/20/2011

As I was driving through Sandpoint the other day, I couldn't help but note that Chuck's Slough is in full bloom. Pretty beautiful. What do you think? 06/20/2011

Living in Sandpoint definitely has its rewards.  Being a Coldwell Banker Realtor® on Schweitzer Mountain is reward enough...no doubt, but coaching the Sandpoint High School tennis team takes "rewards" to a whole new level. It's all about the kids and these kids are amazing!  This Spring, Sandpoint won the District championship for the 3rd straight year and qualified a record 12 players for State!  The Sandpoint girls not only won Conference & District championships but also won the Idaho State Academic Championship with a cumulative GPA of 3.87!  The boys team suffered an "anemic" 3.5 cumulative GPA.  In other words, not only are these athletes skilled at the game of tennis but they are true scholars, as well! It has been my pleasure, once again, to coach these kids...I'm sure I've lear... 06/05/2011