Utility Costs in CDA Area? (Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls: sales, hazard insurance, vacation home)

[Movinin08]

I was wondering if someone might be able to give me an idea of what people spend on the various utility bills in the CDA, Post Falls, and Hayden area. We are probably looking to live closer to town, my wife would prefer to keep the basic needs (groceries, gas, social activities, etc) a bit closer to home.

Such things as gas, electric, water, etc. I have been working on comparing cost as the family would love to relocate. Also what about insurances?

Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

I would be interested also.
Right now where I live in Southern CA. our summer electric bill will easily reach $400 month. Water, trash, sewer, probably around $200, natural gas $60/100 depending on season.

[IdahoEagle]

It depends on where you live wether or not your electricity is Avista utilities or Kooetenai Electric. We live in Dalton Gardens (between Cd'A and Hayden) and our combined gas an electric bill averages about $140 a month for a 2,000 sq foot home. The highest I have ever seen it is $180 a month.

I think our garbage pick up is about $13 a month.

We have irrigation water and it is $10 a month.

Our land line phone is Verizon and it is about $25 a month. Our DSL is about $45 per month.

If you live in the city of Coeur d'Alene they combine water, sewer and Garbage, but I don't remember what it is.

I just got the registration for my 1983 beater truck and it was $31.50 for a year. The registrations for our newer vehicles aren't much higher if at all.

A drivers license for 8 years is $45.

In Idaho you also own your license plate so when you sell your car you take the plate with you.

There are a lot of big grocery stores here and if you comparison shop you can keep your grocery bill to a reasonable amount.

[jimgui]

I live in Northern Ca, and these numbers for CDA are dreamy... Here my summer rundown for 3,000sf home on 7 acres:
Electricity - $450 / month, Propane $300/month, Garbage $30/month, Registration - about $500/year per vehicle, Home insurance $280/month (no earthquake coverage...), Auto Insurance $300/month (no tickets). There's more but if you're wondering why we're running north...this should be a clue...

[IdahoEagle]

Ouch. There is enough monthly cost differences to pay a mortgage....

We are selling our house and trying to buy another one. I just looked at the closing docs and the taxes are $1,700 for a home that assess for $354,000. It says the yearly Hazard insurance is $531.

They raised the homeowners tax exemption to $75,000.

Full coverage insurance for our 2001 Chevy extendo cab truck is $440 and for our 2000 pontiac Grand Am is $360 PER YEAR!

[quadracer111]

Hmmm, I will try and chime in a little I guess...
I live in Dalton also. My home is 3600sq ft. My utilities are 235(average a year). water, sewer garbage like IdahoEagle said is combined and I think I pay 95 a month. I dont remember what my insurance is on the home but its not bad because we just have it with out morgage. Gas is about 2.79 a gallon for the 87 and 91 octane is 2.99. Diesel is 2.99 p/gallon also. SAles tax is 5%. People are pretty friendly. BUT DO CONSIDER THAT AS OF THURSDAY THERE ARE 4117 HOMES ON THE MARKET( mine being one of them), in our county!!!! So it is a buyers market!

Town to me is close. IdahoEagle and I we are both about 2 minutes away from 2 major grocery stores. there are more than 10 banks with in 1 mile. Largest Bank in out area is B of A. Costco is about 6 minutes away. Down town is about 10-12 minutes just depends on witch raod you take to get down there. Total turist town!!! Watch for the idiots on the first snow fall.

[Green Starved]

Just found this site. It's great. I just purchased a home in CDA and was wondering what the utilities would run. I am coming from Canyon Lake, CA which is so dry and brown and the traffic is so horrible that I have become hermit. I work from home and dread leaving the community because of the traffic. I crave the green in Idaho. Looking forward to my move. I am going bring my 2 horses with me, so if anyone has any suggestions about riding trails or manure management I would be great.

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by Green Starved

Just found this site. It's great. I just purchased a home in CDA and was wondering what the utilities would run. I am coming from Canyon Lake, CA which is so dry and brown and the traffic is so horrible that I have become hermit. I work from home and dread leaving the community because of the traffic. I crave the green in Idaho. Looking forward to my move. I am going bring my 2 horses with me, so if anyone has any suggestions about riding trails or manure management I would be great.

Wow...you won't believe the difference year in and year out....

I lived in Canyon Lake in the mid-90's...sort of across the water from Holiday Harbor park. Great place back then, but hotter than hell in the summer....we always thought it would be nice to have a vacation home there for the spring/fall seasons....

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by Green Starved

Just found this site. It's great. I just purchased a home in CDA and was wondering what the utilities would run. I am coming from Canyon Lake, CA which is so dry and brown and the traffic is so horrible that I have become hermit. I work from home and dread leaving the community because of the traffic. I crave the green in Idaho. Looking forward to my move. I am going bring my 2 horses with me, so if anyone has any suggestions about riding trails or manure management I would be great.

First off I will tell you, that you will fall in love with how green it is there ...as you probably already know since you purchased a house Traffic is nothing there, compared with where you and I are from here (the dreaded I-15 & 91).

It's interesting that there are lots of things to do here (CA), but who wants to sit in traffic for hours on end, and pay a fortune (parking) to do them. I noticed for instance, that there are boat launch areas in some places up there in ID, and they don't even charge you to use them!!
Like you, I am somewhat of a hermit here as well. All I do is go to work (metrolink train) and come home. Weekend traffic here is worse than during the week


Couldn't tell you an exact amount on utility cost since I don't live there, but if you are on So Cal Edison, like we are here, I am sure your utiliy cost will be half as much or better.
We got our electric bill yesterday, and it was $200. And we were on vacation in northern CA, and Northern ID for 9 days during that billing cycle, plus it has been cooler here than usual. Generally our electric bill is closer to $400 month during the summer.
And then if that wasn't enough our power went off yesterday afternoon at about 4:30, and wasn't back on till 6 this morning They had to replace a trasnformer.

Our water trash and sewer here run $150 month. $60 of that is for the horse manure bin

I would also be interested to know how horse waste is handled there Do most folks just compost it. I see many horses out in pastures, and find it hard to believe they pick up the horse poop. I guess it doesn't leach into the water table?

[Green Starved]

Thank you Sage of Sagle and You Can't Eat Scenery

This is truly a small world. I live on Loch Lomond around the corner from Holiday Harbor. Its a great place, but no green and the traffic is horrid. They are building 2200 new homes at the corner of Goetz and Railroad Canyon -Audie Murphy development and there simply not the roads to support them. As You Can't Eat Scenery can attest to, the I15 is now backed up going south starting at Main Street on the 91 all the way to the Lake Elisnore Outlet.

As for it being a great place for the winter, your right. I think if all goes well we will be keeping Canyon Lake just for that reason. I am truly excited about living in CDA, but I have much to learn and this site is great. I have spend at least 4 hours perusing the threads and the wealth of info is invaluable.

In reference to "Poop", I found out from the gentleman at BLM, that most horse owners contract with a Farmer, Gardner or Feed Store to collect or deliver to or they compost it and use on their own land. I guess I will have to cross the bridge.

Regards

Green Starved