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When I was little and I thought of the state of Idaho, I thought of potatoes, and that was about all. Thinking back, I was heavily influenced by the new Pringles potato chip commercials that had a girl sitting on a tractor out in the middle of an Idaho potato field boasting that Pringles were only made by the best Idaho potatoes! But after I grew up and married someone from Sandpoint, Idaho, I realized that there was a huge difference between north and south Idaho. As a matter of fact, if you ask someone from the northern part of the State where they are from, the will often say North Idaho as if it were a separate state. The central and northern parts of the state of Idaho are known more for large wilderness areas, mountains and lakes: for shear breath taking beauty. Idaho has more designated wilderness than any of the other lower 48 States, and if you flattened out all of the mountains in Idaho, the state would be larger than Texas! Well, we lived in Sandpoint for many years, but moved away about 10 years ago. We still qualify as living in North Idaho, but about 2 hours south of Sandpoint. Recently we have been toying with the idea of moving back, so we started looking around at Sandpoint Idaho real estate, and were pleased with what we found. One of the best things about living in that part of the country is the great diversity in the types of real estate that is available. If you like living in town, Sandpoint is perfect. The town itself has a population of just over 8000, and you can easily get around by bike. There are some wonderful older neighborhoods with real character, as well as newer, more modern homes in recently developed neighborhoods. If you don’t want to be in town, but still want quick access, there are plenty of options in Sandpoint Idaho real estate. You can easily live within 10 minutes of town, but be out in the country. There are plenty of homes and parcels available that feature 2 – 5 acres of land, so you get country living and quick town access. Perhaps you want to live real remote. There is definitely a lot of remote land available around Sandpoint! Depending upon the roads (many would be dirt), access to town could take 45 – 60 minutes. Winter access may be very difficult, and 4x wheel drive is a must. When you are in town, you know who lives remote and has come to town for their weekly (or monthly!) grocery shopping trip. They are out in the parking lot packing the cooler to keep things cold on the trip home. But remote Sandpoint Idaho real estate offers a lot of peace and quiet and communion with nature. It appeals to the mountain man and naturalist in all of us, but for how long? Of course, the type of Sandpoint Idaho real estate that appeals to most people is lake side property. Sandpoint is right on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, which has 111 miles of shore line, so a lot of real estate, though much of it also qualifies as remote living. The lake’s deepest part it 1158 feet (at one time used by the US Navy for submarine acoustical testing), and cold since it is fed from high mountain lakes. But most people don’t care. Especially those who grow up in the area and think that 60?F water is normal. My kids and in-laws will stay in the lake for hours without giving it a second thought. Personally, I wouldn’t mind having my home on a piece of property like my husbands grandparents, and that is a home with a lake view. I could sit in their living room for hours and watch the weather roll over the lake, spot moose and cranes and all sorts of wild life and not get bored. There is plenty available when it comes to lake view Sandpoint Idaho real estate. Some property is quite close to the lake, others are miles away, but up high enough to see the lake and also enjoy the beauty of nature immediately around you. Yes, Sandpoint has a lot to offer in real estate. If you like small town country living, the area has a lot to offer, whether you prefer living in town, out of town or out in the boondocks. Though the one thing that you might be surprised to discover is that most of the grocery stores in North Idaho, sell Washington potatoes!
Category : Sandpoint Articles
Perhaps one of the best things about growing up as a Sandpoint Idaho native is being able to appreciate the beauty of the land and surroundings of such a wonderful place. The Sandpoint Idaho real estate I grew up around inspires and calms. Over the years, whenever I’ve lived away, I always long to return. It is home. There are: big beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and creeks, evergreen trees and birch stands, wide vistas, hunting and fishing, and of course boating, swimming, and skiing. I remember lots of times crossing the long bridge, as I drove into town, seeing the sky for the first time; again. Recreation is never far and the communities are friendly and approachable. All in all, a nice combination of people and places makes Sandpoint Idaho real estate highly desirable. Sandpoint sits quietly at the base of Schweitzer ski resort, and on the shores of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. It is a small town of almost seven thousand, with thousands more in the county. It wasn’t that many years ago when there were no street lights and all the roads in town were two-way. Now there’s one-way traffic and several traffic lights installed just to remind us that we do live in the modern world. Of course, Walmart, McDonalds, and other national chain stores have discovered the place and have become part of the landscape there. But that’s progress, right? At least now, families don’t have to travel to Spokane for all their shopping like we used to do if we wanted more than just the basics. But all this comes with a price; high to some, reasonable to others. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who works in the Sandpoint Idaho real estate market, and was wondering how affordable the housing and land are now. Of course, affordability is a relative term. To some who have moved into the area from more lucrative parts of the country, the Sandpoint Idaho real estate market has been a plum to be picked. When you can sell an average house somewhere else for $500K or more and move to Sandpoint and buy a huge piece of property with a lake view or better for half that, life is pretty good, and the deals are a plenty. That has changed just a bit over the past decade or so as prices have dramatically risen. The common working folk continue to live more simply and find their joy and satisfaction in life outside the commercial Sandpoint Idaho real estate market. They still enjoy the beach, picnics, art walks, the county fair, and other community events. Not everyone is caught up in the pursuit of riches, or judges the success of their life based on how much of the Sandpoint Idaho real estate market they own. I guess I’m in that category. I love Sandpoint for what it gives to me and my family more than for what I can take from it. And while Sandpoint Idaho real estate remains a desirable thing to purchase and own, for those who can, it also remains a desirable thing to appreciate and love even for those who can’t. Sandpoint Idaho real estate truly does offer something for everyone.
Category : Sandpoint Articles
I’m 3rd gen. So Cal and Ron(husband)is from W VA, well he’s been in CA since 2 yrs old, but definitely W VA guy We’ve been married 35 yrs and Ron was VERY lucky cause he retired 1/1/07 with full benefits at 57 yrs old!! We are actually young enough to enjoy this! We’re very much in love and we’re best friends. I’ll be happy anywhere as long as I’m with Ron. We looked for 12 yrs in/around Idaho and found our land 2 yrs ago! I spent much of my childhood in Lake Arrowhead, CA & Clark Fork, ID is way like that 40 yrs ago. Even tho it’s a done deal, I’d love any and all pros & cons you all have about northern ID – Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Spirit Lake or any other town you know of. I would like to know all I can about my new ‘home town’ before the fact. I’d like to thank you in advance for any help you may give me. We’ve lived in OC in the same home for 33+ yrs….but packing is a totally different question….lol!
Category : Sandpoint Questions
please tell me good and bad things
Category : Sandpoint Questions
There’s the ski resort.
Even in the summer, there’s a lift that runs so as to allow bikers, etc. to get to the top of the mountain.
There’s a dam nearby, but it’s not very exciting.
Not too far away is Silverwood Theme Park – it’s both an amusement park and a water park:http://www.silverwoodthemepark.com/
Otherwise, it’s a small town with typical small town things to do.
Visit these websites and they’ll give you lots more info, including a calendar of special events for whenever you are planning on being there. The second one has a place where you can submit specific questions to be answered online.http://www.sandpointonline.com/http://www.sandpoint.com/
Category : Sandpoint Questions
Schweitzer
Sunnyside
Trestle Creek Slide
Choosing a contractor by competitive bidding
House of the Month August 2010
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