Baltimore to Sandpoint, Idaho...Viable Option? (Coeur d'Alene, Blackfoot: appointed, ski resort, real estate)

[toadmama]

My hubby and I are considering a move out West. MD is far to crowded for us. We both love the West and want to experience it before we die!

Sandpoint, Idaho is one of the cities we are looking at. I work from home, so jobs/commute time are not factors. My hubby wants to buy, revamp, and sell real estate.

Is Sandpoint a good or bad option for us? We're looking for gorgeous mountain scenery, wildlife (like seeing moose on a somewhat regular basis), clean living (I'm tired of the Baltimore "hood"), nice people, etc.

toadmama

[RodFarlee]

Sandpoint has all the attributes you mention, except that I'm not at all certain that it offers opportunities for flipping homes. Prices on even quite modest older homes there have gotten so high (by Idaho standards) that it's not clear that one could get enough margin out of it to be competitive with new construction.

A more promising area to investigate for this is Kellogg/Wallace. Huge new development of Silver Mountain ski resort condos and shops
http://realestate.silvermt.com/
with much more planned, only part of it shown here
http://realestate.silvermt.com/Real-Estate/PhaseII.aspx (broken link)
and new Walmart etc etc have already led to quite a runup in valley real estate, but there at least might be room for more opportunities to be found, both residential and commercial. Especially commercial; if you look at this valley, it's got quite a shortage of quality, well-located retail and service space, and there ought to be real opportunities there that others haven't already recognized. It is not as attractive an area as Sandpoint, though.

In this valley, I'd start at Kellogg and nearby Smelterville and Pinehurst. Then one could look further east (Osburn etc) or west (Kingston, North Fork Coeur d'Alene River). By the way, there have for a couple years been local rumors of land deals on the North Fork for possible retirement/resort development... it sure has potential, but be darned careful you know where the flood plain is!

Anyway, that whole valley is changing real fast right now, and change always presents opportunity, if you're in the right place/right time, ready, and able.

If you do look into Sandpoint, which is gorgeous, perhaps you'll find the opportunities others somehow missed. But I'd think many areas that have had less attention in ID MT WY would offer more fertile opportunities. That's just my 2 cents worth, anyway. Best wishes!

[toadmama]

Thanks RodFarlee.

I didn't think about Wallace. We were actually through there a few years ago. We flew in to SPokane en route to Glacier and just HAD to stop in Wallce 'cause I a a big fan of disaster flicks and Dante's Peak is right there.

On our last day in the area, we were driving around (heading east) and came across a very interesting road. We were staying in Coeur d'Alene and decided to take a ride. It ran roughly parallel to the interstate. We stayed on it for awhile, arrived in a seriously small podunk, then decided to cut across the mountains instead of going back the way we had come. So we ended up on a dirt road that went through old tunnels that looked like they had been hand-chiseled out of the rock. We were on that dirt road for about 30-odd miles. It put us out smack in the middle of Wallace.

Anyway, it's beautiful country. I'll certainly take a look at the other areas you mentioned.

toadmama

[Sage of Sagle]

Personally I think if you visit Sandpoint, you'll never want to leave. Seriously. It's that type of place...

There are homes that could use remodeling for sure, but I would doubt it's a flipper's paradise. What we found was that for our needs (family of 6, wanting acreage, etc) the choices in 2500-3500sf homes meant either pretty pricey new stuff (a lot of it in Sagle or Oden Bay areas), or older small homes which are abundant in Sandpoint city and Kootenai.

So we're building in Sagle and getting exactly what we want to raise our family. Sagle is across the LPO river (over the long bridge) from Sandpoint. My point is, there seems to be a lack of 5-20 year old homes to flip like in an area with more recently suburban sprawl, but there seemed to be several older homes that could use some serious sprucing up. We passed up an awful lot of existing homes since we just didn't want to get into some place and then spend 5 years remodeling (we're not all that efficient as you can probably tell)

If you have more specific questions, feel free to send me a PM.

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by toadmama

My hubby and I are considering a move out West. MD is far to crowded for us. We both love the West and want to experience it before we die!

Sandpoint, Idaho is one of the cities we are looking at. I work from home, so jobs/commute time are not factors. My hubby wants to buy, revamp, and sell real estate.

Is Sandpoint a good or bad option for us? We're looking for gorgeous mountain scenery, wildlife (like seeing moose on a somewhat regular basis), clean living (I'm tired of the Baltimore "hood"), nice people, etc.

toadmama

Oh, and you'll most definitely see wildlife. Seeing Moose isn't as common as elk, deer, and bears. But they're around too. Mostly you'll see about a bazillion deer. You'll also see wild turkeys running around on occasion. A heightened awareness of living with wildlife is important, but there is so much wild game for mountain lions that you're not at risk of attack or anything.

It was also refreshing to see kids with their caps on straight and their pants around their waists, and not have to hear 13 year old girls swearing like sailors. You will see girls walking alone after dark (gasp!) and cars parked at night with their windows rolled down in summertime in the city areas. Real different from where I grew up (South Orange County, California).

Also, I hear a lot of talk about Californians being resented. What I found was that when people I met understood that we're moving a family and business to the area to contribute to the community, everyone we met was immediately very accepting of us. But you hear talk about the rich yuppies...

[toadmama]

Sage to Sagle,

Thanks a bunch. I was really disheartened after the last post sent me looking at real estate in Kellogg/Wallace. Those areas are nice, but not exactly what we want. Besides, we have a list of about 20 towns in 5 states that we are considering and I am not "allowed" to add new spots.

Sandpoint does look amazing. We were through there briefly a few years back and were very impressed. Although initially disappointed with that part of Idaho because we never did see any potato fields! And here we thougth that's all Idahoans ate. (-:

Good luck on your house build. I just may have to hit you up provately for more details.

toadmama

[Idaho]

Concurring with Rodfarlee on the Silver Valley exploration: and here's a sidenote adding to his 'well-you-should-heed' warning of the valley's flood plain dilemma . . .
Nuchols Gulch, just off Osburn is one example of "if you own a home there, you better own a good pump, because you'll be pumping out the basement pretty much every spring."

Nine Mile has always been a favorite of mine, as are the little residential areas like Elizabeth Park and Silverton. Mullan is quickest access to Lookout Ski Mtn. on the ID/MT border and it might have potential. My little two cents for what it's worth. Wishing you all the best!

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by toadmama

Sage to Sagle,

Thanks a bunch. I was really disheartened after the last post sent me looking at real estate in Kellogg/Wallace. Those areas are nice, but not exactly what we want. Besides, we have a list of about 20 towns in 5 states that we are considering and I am not "allowed" to add new spots.

Sandpoint does look amazing. We were through there briefly a few years back and were very impressed. Although initially disappointed with that part of Idaho because we never did see any potato fields! And here we thougth that's all Idahoans ate. (-:

Good luck on your house build. I just may have to hit you up provately for more details.

toadmama

The potatoes are great...it's like having salmon straight from a river in Alaska for we potato aficionados. When you come to Sandpoint, be sure to hit Spuds (right on the city marina). So far it's my favorite place for a baked potato. But I have yet to be served a bad one here in town...I think it's a municipal code or something.

[pimit2]

Hi Toadmama!

I moved to Sandpoint (actually 10 miles east of Sandpoint) 3 years ago from Las Vegas, a city I lived in for 35 years. When we moved to Las Vegas, the entire valley had a population of about 80,000. When I moved to Idaho, the count was fast approaching 2 million. The pace (and many other features) had become suspiciously Southern California-like. (My wife passed away 3 years before the move).

We were addicted to Idaho and spent a lot of time searching for that perfect retirement spot we all dream about. We "crawled" all over this state for 30 years, looking for a place we were comfortable in. That is a simple criteria, and we kept liking the Sandpoint area more and more. It isn't perfect, but it felt good! Comfortable!

I, too, work at home. I'm a webmaster and, in fact, have a website on Idaho. I chose "the country" instead of the city for added seclusion. I have 10 acres of seclusion for me, my dogs and cats, my horses and visiting deer, elk, moose, smaller wild critters, and the occasional bear. My home is a manufactured home. Suitable....and comfortable!

No hubbub here. Everything is slowed to a reasonable pace. Sandpoint is a tourist town. Heavy tourism year-round. Skiers and other winter sport enthusiasts in the winter, and folks who come to enjoy Lake Pend Oreille and the beauty of the area in spring, summer and fall.

The people are warm and friendly. Locals are simple people. Not complex, uncaring people you find in larger towns. The crime rate is low.

Sandpoint is growing. New home construction at the higher end value is spiraling, but there are many older homes. Remodeling and upgrading is at a fever pitch.

Sandpoint has one major drawback. Two major highways cut through the heart of the downtown area. Vehicular traffic, including over-the-road trucks, pass through the town center. There has been a "push" for years to
build a bypass, but the merchants downtown who thrive on the tourists won't hear of it. Standoff!

I hope that was helpful. I'm happy with the decision. Nothing I found any where else in Idaho could hold a candle to this area.

Good luck with your decision.

pimit2

[mybuttbiters]

We moved from Bel Air (30 miles north of B'more) to Blackfoot, and then to Cascade. Next month, we are moving BACK to Bel Air. Not b/c we don't like it here, we love it. It's isolated (not too hard to get used to) and incredibly beautiful! A bear came right up to the emergency room door of the hospital I work at....COOL!

Since moving here, my 3 year old daughter has been diagnosed with diabetes and celiac disease. Childcare in our town is non-existent, which factors into our decision. Also, my husband was just laid off from the only job he has had since moving to Idaho 1.5 years ago. It's very hard to find jobs that pay enough to put 4 kids in daycare. Shoot, it's hard to find jobs just to support a family, period!

Sorry for the sob story. I just wanted you to know that another Marylander made the move to ID, and liked it very much here! Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new place!