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Most the homes for sale I see in Spokane and the outskirts, that are real homes, stick built, over 1800 or 2000 sq ft, with at least a half acre, and semi newish, 0 to 20 yrs old, are running around the 275k to well over 300k range...the homes there I thought would be more in line with Indiana or Kentucky prices, given Spokane's reputation and lack of a robust economy,.. I was surprised to see so many old, unattractive homes going for so much in and around Spokane, imo. Some pretty unattractive looking inventory there for anything under 250k, with a nice sized yard.
I work in Newport and live about 20 miles north in the central part of the county. As a refugee from Western Washington I find Newport and Pend Oreille County refreshing. The area is clean, there is low crime (if you the ignore kids running around at night in Newport and the occasional bank robbery & murder), and the people are friendly (not the murderers). This place is not without its drug problems which contributes to many theft issues in the county. There is an occasional bum that sits in front of the McDonald's, but I don't feel too bad about not giving him anything because he is too good to accept food.
The area has a very stereotypical small town feel. There are many opportunities to get involved in politics and volunteer activities(the majority of people are conservative). There is a local democratic party, but all the local candidates that want to get elected belong the republican party.
There are many opportunities to attend Christian churches in the area and there is a Buddhist Monastery south of Newport.
Housing is priced similar to north Spokane and there are some real good deals. (The local relators like to keep the prices jacked up). There are few large houses that are for sale. Some the high end neighborhoods are Diamond Lake (a relatively wealthy area between Newport and Spokane), the Pend Oreille River, and Sacheen Lake. Many people that move here build a new house because they find the selection is not very good.
The worst part of this place is the winter which can start in October and can end in June. The last few years have been mild, but it is not unusual to get 3 feet of snow during a winter. Although the roads are kept plowed very well, any car that you use on the winter roads will deteriorate pretty fast due to the road chemicals.
Hunting season is a holiday for many people (I'm serious). Snowmobiling and four wheeling are popular and the county recently passed an ordinance that allows ATVs to be driven on county roads if brought up to specs.
The best paying jobs are in the local government (county, schools, state, PUD) and Newport is close enough to commute to Spokane, Sandpoint, and Coeur D Alene.
I can't tell you much about the schools since my child hasn't started yet. The Newport School District has the best quality education in the county, but some of my colleagues have chosen to move to Spokane for better educational opportunities. Many people home school around here.
The AVERAGE snowfall in Newport is close to 60 inches. After 14 years here, I haven't yet seen winter extend past April at the latest.
Purchased property (5 ac) and we are developing it slowly. we have the Well drilled, septic in, and this year, electricity.
Planning on making it a campground until closer to retirement, or when the company I work for has a position there.
We liked the area so much we picked up another 5 ac just down the street.
The roads, especially US2 are well kept and plowed. even side roads like we are on get plowed.
the trip to Mead, which is where the business start as you get closer to Spokane is not very far, maybe ½ hr.
When we visit the area we have been staying in Blanchard, ID at the Stone Ridge resort, which is only 15 - 20 minutes from our property and is an easy commute. there are hotels in Newport, but the one in Priest River is better IMHO.
The lower Pend Oreille county has gotten fiber optics, and even on some side streets there is fiber available.
The property we own has fiber and power underground across the street, which was a big selling point when we looked at it.
I believe there are 3 companies for fiber service, including soon to be tv over fiber.
Frontier is the LEC for wire phone service, and Cell service is ok for verizon and ATT.
Power is Pend Oreille PUD. They are easy to work with, and when we spoke with the folks there, they reported a lot of folks are in our boat, where we purchase property and slowly develop it.
The soil, at least at our property south of Diamond Lake is stone free, mineral soil with a bit of topsoil. will need to add compost or such to have a good garden, but shouldn't be a problem.
This is some great info, Bone Ed, that will help others to make the decision to move to the area. That's really good news about the fiber optics. I just returned yesterday from a fast trip to the area to get the general lay of it all, and may have changed my mind about moving there. Granted, I wasn't there long enough to really scope things out fully, but I'd studied it online as far as I could go and needed to see how it was for myself. This is going to sound harsh and I apologize for anyone I might offend, but I intend to tell my reasons for deciding against the area just as data for others looking to move.
My not so happy feelings started with that horrid freeway (??) that I had been warned about going through downtown Spokane at 35 mph. I was happy to see that Spokane really did have any kind of chain store your heart might desire, but to me the town lacked a feeling of culture beyond chains. Having lived in the PNW for thirty years, I was more accustomed to an infusion of art or at least little ma and pa businesses (Portland used to be 75 percent independent businesses). It was just wall to wall buildings and cars all the way. But, as I said, I didn't get around so I can't judge the whole city by one street. It did make an impact, though, at least as an indicator of the thinking processes of the city designers.
We escaped (finally) from that and found ourselves on Hwy 2. I was surprised and pleased. As Bone Ed said, the road was in great condition. From google earth I couldn't tell how large it was, but it was a heavily traveled, four lane highway. More traffic goes through the region than I had guessed at, on a constant stream.
There was NO snow. I had been a little concerned taking a winter trip up, as I've read so much about the 4-6 feet of snow, floods, etc. in the area in prior years, but it seemed to be in drought (as was the entire Northern US I had to travel through: Idaho, Montana, Wa.) No snow anywhere. Scary drought conditions. A waitress in the restaurant we stopped at for lunch on the outskirts of Newport ($33 for lunch for two--"real" cooking that turned out to be not so real) expressed concern about it.
Prior to Elk (which was one of my my main destinations), we passed a couple of bulging mobile home parks. The first one looked run down but tolerable, but the second one looked like it was running for the winning ticket in the worst park in America. Siding rusted and torn down, debris and broken pieces of indistinguishable junk all over yards, roofs caving in, etc. and fully visible from the highway. I regretted not taking a photo as it was truly something beyond description and lent to the already pervading feeling of "yuck" that was left over from leaving Spokane. I love trees and thought nothing could detract from their beauty, but this did.
In addition to Pend Oreille County, I'd been looking at some properties in Elk, so we turned into the area. Here we found some lovely and well-cared for homes. However, they were mixed among some places that had the vibe and junkiness of the aforementioned trailer park. I kept trying to look past it, but there were so many. Seriously, like fifty percent or more. Usually, you might have one or two in a neighborhood, but I was left with the feeling that most residents really didn't care. I began feeling sorry for those that did care, as you could see their efforts being swallowed up.
Newport was the same. Some businesses were clearly striving to elevate the town with their efforts to neaten up, but many just looked rundown and junky. I'd looked up the motels before setting out and read the reviews, so was expecting to find small and simple places. But what I found were two places that I was literally repulsed from staying at. In front of one of them (we drove through the parking lot) a huge pile (about five-feet high) of non-descript debris had been left in front of the office. A man was out there kicking at it the second time we drove by, figuring we were being harsh and needed to change our perspective or have nowhere to stay. Nope. I'd planned on staying the night (we'd been driving 12 hours) and studying the area more the next day, but we were not inclined to stay in either place and pushed onward toward Sand Point.
Immediately, as we crossed the tracks into Old Town, the entire energy changed. Things looked and felt cleaner. I realize that a lot of what I experienced was just subjective, but I was truly put off by the filth and degradation of the area. I kept trying to see it as a place that had experienced a harsh winter or something, but Old Town, right next door, seemed so much better.
Anyway, after studying the place for nearly two years, I'm glad I went to see it. I didn't do it full justice, as I could see gorgeous properties back off 2 up the roads, and I'm sure there are many wonderful people living there. But for me, it just wouldn't work.
Wow, that sounds pretty bad. Sorry you had such a yucky trip! I have only driven through the area once, so can't comment on it. But, I'm wondering, are you deciding to stay in AZ now, or looking elsewhere? What made you want to leave AZ? Have had thoughts of leaving AZ too...
Hi Bigbug. No, I'm out of AZ for good. It was a real culture shock moving there from the Pac NW several years ago and I hadn't done my homework. I just couldn't take the heat, the politics, and I didn't fit in well with the culture. The desert has its own beauty, but I prefer trees and water, which is why I was drawn back to the NW. I've started from scratch again, and am looking at Bend and Durango, which have some similar attributes. I used to vacation in Bend every year, but it's changed a lot over the years, so I dunno. Right now I'm treading water while I locate "home."
Filth and degradation? (rolling eyes). Try small rural town in the middle of winter. It might not be the most beautiful town in the world but it's certainly not filthy and degradation?
The mobile home parks you are speaking of were hit by a terrible storm last year and 40 families lost their homes and nearly their lives. Too bad they aren't getting cleaned up quickly enough to suit your finicky sensibilities. It seems you might be better off staying in the 'burbs rather than real, working, rural towns.
Last edited by mistyriver; 02-25-2015 at 06:04 PM..
mistyriver says: The mobile home parks you are speaking of were hit by a terrible storm last year and 40 families lost their homes and nearly their lives.
Sorry to hear that. I didn't know. It explains a lot.
Too bad they aren't getting cleaned up quickly enough to suit your finicky sensibilities.
Wow. So I earn a personal snark attack after saying my impressions were subjective? I'm supposed to know the trashy-looking part was due to a tragedy and not a lifestyle choice? You don't know me and your words do not lend any elegance to the area.
It seems you might be better off staying in the 'burbs rather than real, working, rural towns.
Well that's an odd thing to think about me, considering I've never lived in the "burbs." But I guess attackers don't care if what they say has any merit. When I lived in Portland, I lived in the NW hills (in the country), and on Sauvie Island. Farming area. At least a couple of us were real, working people.
I wish people on this site would only put items that might be of interest to others researching the area and not just use the research of others to start these kinds of attacks.
Grow up. When you describe an area that many people live in or near as being full of "filth and degradation" and being "repulsed" you're going to get some irate responses. You sound like a drama queen.
The motel you were describing recently changed hands and the pile of non-descript debris was the result of them doing a complete remodel. It was there for only a few days before it was hauled away.
Also, comparing Sauvie Island and the NW hills to a timber town trying to recover from a recession far outside of any major metropolitan area and the resulting infusion of cash into the local economy is just silly. You're calling areas barely 10 miles outside of Portland...country? Maybe by your definition.
Can anyone tell me about Newport's public library? It looks fairly active from their website. I am still interested in seeing Newport for myself and I appreciate hearing different views. Of course every individual will have unique impressions and feelings about an area and sometimes first impressions change...sometimes they don't.
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Make the move.
