Relocating to N. Idaho... pros and cons of cities (Sandpoint: for sale by owner, rent)

[Dangerous Dave]

Hello all,
I live in the northern Rockies and am looking at relocating to the panhandle in the next year or so. My wife and I have experience with the area as we've visited many times during the summer and a few times during the winter (we're not worried about the winter temps, you guys are warmer than us in the winter).

We're looking at Rathdrum and Spirit Lake, and possibly Sandpoint, but somewhere with reliable high speed internet as we both telework. We have three kids, and would like to live somewhere that I can rent a boat slip nearby for the summer. Our price range for a home will be $250k but we can go higher if the conditions warrant it. We are also open to building (anyone have experience with Adair Homes?).

Are there any other communities we should be looking at? Pros and cons on Sandpoint/Spirit Lake/Rathdrum? I would need to report to an office at least 1-2 days a week, either in Sandpoint or CdA. I also need to fly about once a month on average, so the distance to GEG/Spokane is also a factor although not a deal breaker. I would just need to be able to safely travel there in the winter.

Other considerations:

Home costs
Property Taxes
Schools
Services/shopping (we're used to driving two hours in bad road conditions to do any shopping besides Walmart, so a half hour drive to Costco won't bother us)

Distance to medical facilities
Things for kids to do

Also, are there any local publications for FSBO homes, maybe a Facebook group? Any help appreciated. Thanks!

[Cnynrat]

Up in the Sandpoint area there is good Internet in town (cable, DSL), but in the surrounding area it's very dependent on exactly where your house is located. There are microwave services that are good if you have line of sight to one of their towers, but in many rural areas you will be limited to satellite or 4G wireless. I don't know for sure about Rathdrum or Spirit Lake, but I would guess there are good Internet options in Rathdrum.

Obviously, it's about twice the drive to GEG from Sandpoint vs. Rathdrum, but most of that is on 95 which is well maintained.

There are more shopping options in the CdA area, and you can find most of the big box stores there. That said, I think you will find most of your routine shopping needs can be handled in Sandpoint. There isn't a Costco in Sandpoint though, so if that's important you'd be driving to CdA for that.

There is a small hospital in Sandpoint (Bonner General), but the largest medical facility in north Idaho is Kootenai Regional Medical center in CdA. I think routine medical needs can be handled in Sandpoint, along with straightforward emergency care. In the event of a more serious health issue you may be traveling to Kootenai Regional.

If your kids like outdoor activities there are many options all over north Idaho. I'm not sure that would push you to one location or another unless there is something specific that you really wanted to be near.

Dave

[Shaner]

What type of property do you want? If you want acreage and a home, your not going to have the best internet. If you want to move in a little closer (Rathdrum) you will be able to get cable.

The more rural you go, the more bang for the buck, but Rathdrum isnt bad, neither is hauser which is closer to state line but next to rathdrum.

Property taxes are pretty close across the board, little deviations.

Everything else Cnynrat commented on it true.

No group for fsbo, they are not super popular here, but if you want a portal with homes in the areas you want, shoot me a pm and I would be glad to help you.

Good Luck!

[javatom]

I design homes. If you go the path of building, I can answer some questions for you. It will be a different experience in Spirit Lake/Rathdrum than in Sandpoint. They are in different counties.

[Dangerous Dave]

Thanks for the info, everyone. Hopefully this happens ,ore sooner than later!

[Heidi60]

Here are some For Sale By Owner listings:

All Property Listings

Just as a matter of curiosity, where do the trains run in NID, or maybe the question is, will gas be transported through the area by train? Watching the politics abou the gas pipeline makes one need to think.

[Cnynrat]

If you look on Google maps you can find where the train tracks run. There is a major line that comes into Idaho along the Clark Fork, and another along the Kootenai river. They pass near/through Sandpoint, and one route continues west along the Pend Oreille river, and the other continues south more or less following 95.

There are a number of trains that haul crude oil, but I am not aware of any carrying gasoline. Both are obviously flammable liquids, but gasoline is much more volatile than crude oil.

Dave

[Heidi60]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your response, I'll take a look.

After the gas explosion near San Francisco, I will be more cautious about where I buy my next home as pipes are getting older. Anyway, this is the U.S. map for gas lines:

https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/Publi.../composite.jsf

I just don't like things that go pop!

[Sagle Sam]

Based on your criteria, I would say Rathdrum/Hauser and Spirit Lake are good candidates and values. Sagle would be another option but internet is much more hit and miss I think and farther from GEG.

[Shaner]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

Here are some For Sale By Owner listings:

All Property Listings

Just as a matter of curiosity, where do the trains run in NID, or maybe the question is, will gas be transported through the area by train? Watching the politics abou the gas pipeline makes one need to think.

Just so you know, I found 4 homes on that list that are listed. Thats why I never trust those sites. Not trying to dig, just wanted to share.