Robb Report: Cd'A one of Top 5 Places in USA to buy NOW!
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Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is certainly gaining a reputation as THE place to be! Just hitting the stands, the October/November of Robb Report Vacation Homes has named our neck of the woods one of the top five best US based locations where the time to buy a second home is right now. We're in good company - Las Vegas, Miami, Aspen, Maui and Coeur d'Alene! We've come a long way, baby! Rounding out the top ten list are the international destinations of Abu Dhabi, Belize, Croatia, Curacao, St. Kitts & Nevis. I have to admit, it does seem a little strange to see Coeur d'Alene on that exotic list. Our little town? I spent my childhood summers barefoot and sunburned on the log booms, running amok on Tubbs Hill and cruising Playland Pier and the dike road. Our town was tiny then, undiscovered and undeveloped. But it still is and always will be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The Robb Report research pointed to three distinct sectors within the real estate market: places that are perennially strong; those that have yet to peak and are seemingly undiscovered; and those that offer investment opportunities because their values have dropped," according to Robb Report Vacation Homes Senior Editor Samantha Brooks in a press release. As I read those three areas, I checked them off in my head. Yep; yep; yep, that's Coeur d'Alene, all right. One big clue that Coeur d'Alene has grown up are the common celebrity sightings around town. With several years' supply of higher end homes on the market in Kootenai County, local Sellers should be bolstered by this latest bit of international notoriety in The Robb Report. I fully expect to see this report directly result in a little surge in Vacation Home sales here in beautiful North Idaho.
Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CSP, CLHMS
Associate Broker
Toll Free (208) 829-2555 X1387 |
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Coeur d'Alene Named 2nd Best Performing Small City in USA
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 It's no surprise to those of us who love living here that the Coeur d'Alene metro-statistical area ~ Kootenai County, including Post Falls and Hayden ~ placed 2nd on the Milken Institute's Best Performing Small Cities list for 2008, up four points from last year's 6th place finish. "Coeur d'alene is not a secret anymore. We're well known on both the East and West coasts," said Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus, Inc., the Coeur d'Alene area economic development organization. The index ranks U.S. metro areas to reveal where jobs and prosperity are being created based on economic growth, long- and short-termed measurements of employment, salary increases and high-tech output.
The cat has been creeping out of the bag for some time now. Locals and tourists have long known that North Idaho is a treasure. But Coeur d'Alene, the jewel of North Idaho, has landed on the world wide radar screen of spectacular places to live ~ or own a vacation home. Recent articles sang our praises in USA Today as well as the current Robb Report Vacation Homes, which ranked Coeur d'Alene as one of the top 5 great places in the country where the time is right to buy NOW.
Considering the current grim home sale statistics in Kootenai County ~ August saw only 39 home sales as compared to 119 last year ~ sellers should be welcoming these latest reports and the buyers they will surely attract.
Here is the verbiage from the Milken Report:
"Placing 2nd among the 124 smallest cities in 2008 is Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Despite the housing downturn, overall job and wage growth in this region outperformed the national average. Our five-year indicators, which encompass the period fom 2002 to 2007, show that employment and wages in Coeur d'Alene grew 18.8 and 21.8 percent over the national average, respectively.
The area's fast-growing tourism industry has recently been a major engine of growth, adding 1,800 new jobs in 2007 alone. This sector now accounts for 3.1 percent of total jobs in the metro area. Coeur d'Alene has also emerged as a regional health-care hub; hospitals and health-care services accounted for 51.7 percent of job growth from 2006 to 2007."
For the full Milken Report, go to www.milkeninstitute.org. |
And Here We Have Idaho, Winning Her Way to Fame
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While living AWAY from my home state of Idaho for a while, I realized that EVERYONE who attended 4th grade Idaho History back in the olden days, anywhere in the state, can still remember word for word the state song! I learned at the old Central School at 8th & Garden in Coeur d'Alene. With Mrs. Hopperstad at the classroom piano, we would belt it out regularly at the top of our lungs.
I was at a friend's for dinner in Colorado when it came up in conversation that Craig grew up in southern Idaho. I mentioned that I grew up in Northern Idaho and asked if he could still sing Here We Have Idaho. We simultaneously burst into song to the amazement of the other guests. It was too funny! A short while later, at a social function, someone there was sharing that story, when a lady in the group announced that she, too, had grown up in Idaho and started singing it out. A few other Idahoans in the group joined in, again leaving the others looking on in stunned amazement!
Considering that it had been over 40 years since any of us had been in the 4th grade, it really WAS amazing!
Here We Have Idaho
Written by McKinley Helm & Albert J. Tompkins
Composed by Sallie Hume-Douglas
You've heard of the wonders our land does possess,
It's beautiful valleys and hills,
The majestic forests where nature abounds,
We love every nook and rill.
chorus
And here we have Idaho
Winning her way to fame.
Silver and gold in the sunlight blaze,
and romance lies in her name.
Singing, we're singing of you,
Ah, proudly too,
All our lives thru, we'll go
Singing, singing of you,
Singing of Idaho.
There's truly one state in this great land of ours
Where ideals can be realized.
The pioneers made it so for you and me,
A legacy we'll always prize.
chorus |
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Things to Do in North Idaho
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I have recently had several people outside of our area ask me to describe what there is do do here in Coeur d'Alene and North Idaho. So here it is, Things to Do in Coeur d'Alene. Where do I start?
In Kootenai County alone there are 87 parks and campgrounds, biking and hiking trails, swimming, fishing, golfing, hunting, tennis, horseback riding, softball, ski resorts, amusement parks and, always, magnificent scenery everywhere you turn.
Dining & Shopping
There is lots of great shopping variety in Coeur d'Alene. The Silver Lake Mall, four large antique malls, the Coeur d'Alene Resort Plaza Shops, a vibrant downtown shopping area, the new Riverstone District and numerous national retailers provide shoppers with anything they could be looking for.
Area menus boasts everything from award winning chefs to sidewalk hot dog vendors. Regional fare might include huckleberry pancakes, Idaho potato pizza, Idaho trout or Priest river buffalo steak. Cap your day with a Northwest microbrew, a selection from a world renowned wine cellar or a visit to one of our many charming coffee shops.
 Arts & Culture
Performing and visual arts add to the texture of our community tapestry. Coeur d'Alene is home to three theaters that provide community productions and professional troupe performances. Thousands of visitors turn out for annual events such as Art Walk, Art from the Heart, mARTi Gras, Julyamsh Pow Wow, concerts in City Park and Riverstone. Artists and galleries present the finest in sculpture, blown glass, painting, jewelry and hand-crafted furniture.
The Coeur d'Alene Arts and Culture Alliance works with non-profit, volunteers,and professional arts organizations to create an artistic lifestyle in North Idaho.
Snowboarding & Skiing
There are three ski resorts in the area. You can head north to Schweitzer Mountain resort. Stella is the name of Schweitzer's 6-passenger high-speed chair lift that will transport you across 2,500 acres and 58 runs. Also an easy drive is Silver Mountain in Kellogg, to the East. It has two peaks, 50 runs and 2,200 feet of vertical fun. It also features the world's longest, single staged gondola. Lookout Pass Ski Area area in Mullan is nearby with 23 named runs on 540 skiable acres and a vertical drop of 1,150 feet. It also contains two glade areas and acres of tree skiing.
The Lake
Lake Coeur d'Alene has earned the reputation as one of the world's most beautiful lakes. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere of City Beach, Sanders Beach or along the river at the dike road behind North Idaho College. Plunge into water activities like waterskiing, fishing, jet skiing, kayaking, boat cruises, river floating, parasailing, boat cruises and seaplane rides!
 Golf
The spectacular scenery of North Idaho golf courses rivals that found anywhere in the world. There are 18 regional courses in gorgeous settings that accommodate any skill level. Coeur d'Alene lake features the world's only floating green. In a recent Golf Digest, three North Idaho golf courses were named to the list of top courses in the state.
Amusement Parks
Silverwood, the Northwest's largest theme park, lies just 15 minutes north of Coeur d'Alene. It contains over 60 rides and attractions, three roller coasters, boulder Beach waterpark, river raft ride, and a steam locomotive. There are activities for kids of all ages. There are also several family fun centers around the area for adventure, including Wild Waters, North Idaho's premiere water slide theme park, and Triple Play & Raptor Reef Indoor Water Park, the northwest's newest and largest family fun center.
Outdoor Activities
 North Idaho's plentiful waterways offer great canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and power boating opportunities. With over 50 boater access sites there are lots of places to get on the water. Bicyclists of all skills and abilities will find trails to ride. The maintained and scenic Centennial Trail will take you all the way from the Washington border to the east end of Lake Coeur d'alene. Other maintained trails are the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, and the Route of Hiawatha. Area ski resorts have incorporated rugged mountain biking trails.
The outdoor adventure has access to world-class fishing and hunting. the St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene Rivers provide outstanding fishing opportunities for native cutthroat trout, and the lakes yeild everything from pan fish to tryphy bass, trout and salmon. Trophy elk, deer and other big game abound in North Idaho. Outfitters are available to take you hunting or fishing, or explore thousands of acres of lakes, streams and National Forests on your own. Avid wildlife watchers can see the scores of migrating bald eagles that flock to Lake Coeur d'Alene to feed on Kokanee salmon each spring.
Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CSP, CLHMS
Associate Broker
(208)651-9700 |
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