Builder Recomendation-SANDPOINT

[Greybear]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

Glad you're considering all options. The small lots would probably be within Sandpoint city limits. Where we are (ar at least where our cabin is), in Clark Fork, the minimum acreage (outside of town itself) is 5 acres, with only one single family dwelling allowed per lot, so we're not exactly crowding each other. Clark Fork is 25 miles east of Sandpoint. In terms of location, what are you looking for? Easy access to a county maintained road? Lake view? Mountain view?

We would like to be within 10 or 15 minutes to Sandpoint. We need internet for sure as I work from home, except for 1 day per week or so I go to Spokane, but my wife goes into Sandpoint. If I could convince my wife to be further away I'm ok with it since I work from home. We also have a young child to consider who will be starting school next year. Being close to a county maintained road is important since we have work and school commuting to do all year. Im also trying to avoid being next to a train crossing out of fear of how I will react to the whistling. I have no idea what to expect for train nuisance though, so have just been avoiding places that are too close to error on the side of caution.


Clark Fork looks like a great place, I have a boat and heard the fishing is good around there. I LOVE the idea that the zoning is 5 acres per dwelling. I hear Sagle is similar. I have to be honest though, so far several locals have advised us to stay north of the bridge if we can swing it. They reference the difficulty of traffic on 95 as the primary reason. Seems homes are cheaper in Sagle though. Seems there will be a sacrifice in no matter what we do.


How do you feel about the north Hope area? There are a few houses and lots for sale near that golf course that is in our price range, and the commute doesn't seem to bad either.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Greybear

We would like to be within 10 or 15 minutes to Sandpoint. We need internet for sure as I work from home, except for 1 day per week or so I go to Spokane, but my wife goes into Sandpoint. If I could convince my wife to be further away I'm ok with it since I work from home. We also have a young child to consider who will be starting school next year. Being close to a county maintained road is important since we have work and school commuting to do all year. Im also trying to avoid being next to a train crossing out of fear of how I will react to the whistling. I have no idea what to expect for train nuisance though, so have just been avoiding places that are too close to error on the side of caution.

Clark Fork looks like a great place, I have a boat and heard the fishing is good around there. I LOVE the idea that the zoning is 5 acres per dwelling. I hear Sagle is similar. I have to be honest though, so far several locals have advised us to stay north of the bridge if we can swing it. They reference the difficulty of traffic on 95 as the primary reason. Seems homes are cheaper in Sagle though. Seems there will be a sacrifice in no matter what we do.


How do you feel about the north Hope area? There are a few houses and lots for sale near that golf course that is in our price range, and the commute doesn't seem to bad either.

I would agree that if you have daily business in Sandpoint, you don't want to be south of the bridge. And you don't want to be further away that Laclede on 2, Samuels on 95, and maybe Hope on 200, but that's pushing it. You just have to find the right balance between your wishes and your wife's needs. Between 10 and 15 minutes cuts down on the options. I don't know where you are now, but if you are not out West, you may not be familiar with typical driving distances. 10 minutes from Downtown Sandpoint will not put you much further away than Kootenai to the NE and Dover to the SW, especially in bad weather. If you want to be rural, but close to town, you may want to look in the area between/along Colburn Culver Road, Samuels Road, and 95. That's an easy driving distance to Sandpoint, and it is a really pretty area, very green. But the area is nestled between two railroad lines, so there will be some noise.

North Hope has to be up the mountain! That may present a problem in winter. But the view of the lake is out of this world. I haven't even heard anybody refer to a "North Hope" area, but I assume it is along Ridgewood or Winteridge. I didn't know there was a golf course in Hope, and it doesn't show up on my maps. Hope is a charming little strip of a town without any real town center along Highway 200, with an access road going into an older neighborhood. It will take you about 20 minutes to drive to Sandpoint in good weather, along a winding road that offers some of the best lake views in the entire NW. Clark Fork will be too far away for you, a good 30 minutes' drive from Sandpoint, and more in winter, but CF does have a few stores, restaurants, two gas stations, a lodge, and a guest ranch. The fishing around CF is legendary, and Hope has two marinas, each with its seasonal restaurant.

As much as I'd like to recommend Hope, I think it will feel too remote for your wife, but don't take my word for it. Come out and see for yourself if you can.

About the train whistles: Yes, there are multiple trains on multiple tracks all over the area. Personally, the whistles don't bother me as long as they're about a mile away. If you don't want any whistles at all, you'll have to go over maps of the area and figure at least 2-3 miles away from any tracks, and that's hard. You can imagine that anywhere there is a lake shore or a river, there will be tracks, because that was the easiest access when there were no roads, so there are railroad tracks in Hope.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Where I am right now, I am three miles from train tracks and three miles in the other direction from a different track. At three miles separation from the road crossings, I can hear the train whistles. On a clear night, if I am paying attention, I can hear the clackity clack.

You aren't getting away from train sounds. But train whistle in the distance is a fine sound and it doesn't take long for you to tune it out, so you won't hear it unless you are paying attention.

The most train noise is at the railroad crossings where the whistle is blown, so watch for the location of the crossings and not so much for just the tracks. If you are fairly close to a very long stretch of track with no road crossings, the only noise will be the clackity clack, which is easy to tune out and not startling.

[countryboy73]

OP, I spent ten years living less than 300 feet from a track, and less than 500 feet from a crossing. I am a light sleeper. After six months there, the only train that woke me was the guys who thought it amusing to lay on the horn from one end of town to the other at 3 AM. Your mind will eventually classify it under “normal noises” and it will likely fade into the background after a bit and not be a bother. Just my take on it, yours may vary. Maybe look at a VRBO stay located fairly near the track/ crossing and see what you can personally tolerate, if that’s possible.

[Cnynrat]

Each of us will have a different opinion about where to live in north Idaho.

If you want to be 10-15 minutes from Sandpoint (an understandable objective BTW), and be in an area with a rural feeling, then your options become quite limited. North of the long bridge you'll either be in the Selle valley, or somewhere on the outskirts of Sandpoint or Ponderay. These aren't necessarily ideal locations to find moderately priced homes, but with patience they can be found.

South of the long bridge you would need to be careful about how far away from US 95 you lived. South of the long bridge and close to 95 often means close to the train tracks, so that's another consideration.

Sagle and Selle valley are quite different IMO. Selle valley is flatter, and has much fewer forested areas. It's the prime area for agriculture in Bonner county. Sagle had a few peaks (Gold Hill, Blacktail Mt.), and much of it is rolling hills. There are open areas of meadows/ pastures, but there are a lot more trees compared to Selle valley. I think there are more recreational opportunities in Sagle - smaller lakes, hiking trails, public access to Lake Pend Oreille, etc.

We are in eastern Sagle, and my wife drives into town every day. She doesn't find the long bridge to be a significant issue on her drive. 10-12 times per year there may be an accident on the bridge that impedes traffic for a while. In about 2 1/2 years in making the drive that's affected her commute maybe 3 or 4 times. Yes, given the commute, and all other things being equal, it would be better to be north of the bridge. But in my experience buying property it's rare that all other things are equal. I wouldn't cross Sagle off your list just yet.

To give you another perspective on how far train noise can travel, we are 10 miles from the tracks along 95, and 5 miles from the tracks across the lake near Hope. We hear trains at quiet times when outside. We don't hear them in the house, even with the windows open. At the level we hear them it's a pleasant sound, but I have to say we were surprised how far the sound can travel.

My Dad lives in rural NJ about half mile from a grade level crossing. The trains don't bother him, but when I'm there every train wakes me up at night. I'm not sure how long it took him to get used to the noise.

Really, you need to visit and spend some time exploring to get a better idea of what areas appeal to you.

Dave