North Idaho Real Estate Blog Keeping the “invisible” property owners of Kootenai County in-the-know, as if you were here on a daily basis. 208.769.9464 * dreamteam @ nidt . com * Author: Christina Ethridge, REALTOR(R)

This is an interesting read - combining history of the growth of the area with “what’s going to happen now” scenarios.

As a surge of traveling motorists teemed across the U.S. in the decade after World War II, roadside motels sprouted up along the east end of Coeur d’Alene’s Sherman Avenue, which then carried U.S. 10, a main east-west artery.

In 1964, work began on Interstate 90, constructed through Coeur d’Alene over a period of 24 years, and the federal highway system and its flood of traffic left east Sherman behind in its rear-view mirror.

Some of Sherman’s ’50s era motels, including the Flamingo, the State, and the Bates, still survive, while others have gone the way of the chrome-laden gas guzzler.

Read more.

Posted under About the Area

This is an interesting read - combining history of the growth of the area with “what’s going to happen now” scenarios.

As a surge of traveling motorists teemed across the U.S. in the decade after World War II, roadside motels sprouted up along the east end of Coeur d’Alene’s Sherman Avenue, which then carried U.S. 10, a main east-west artery.

In 1964, work began on Interstate 90, constructed through Coeur d’Alene over a period of 24 years, and the federal highway system and its flood of traffic left east Sherman behind in its rear-view mirror.

Some of Sherman’s ’50s era motels, including the Flamingo, the State, and the Bates, still survive, while others have gone the way of the chrome-laden gas guzzler.

Read more.

Posted under About the Area

For all of you LinkedIn fans, I’m on linkedin.  Connect with me - I’d love to ‘meet’ you!

Posted under What the heck!?

The strong real estate market is holding, with leaders in the industry still growing:

The top three Inland Northwest builders of single-family homes—Viking Construct­ion Inc., Sullivan Homes Inc., and Green­stone Corp.—all saw their total building-permit values rise last year, compared with 2006, says an annual list compiled by Cedar City, Utah-based Construction Monitor Inc. The combined value of permits obtained by the area’s top 10 builders last year was $177.8 million, down from $180.7 million the year before.

Another company growing and expanding, creating more jobs in the area:

Magnuson Hotels, a 5-year-old Spokane-based company that markets and provides reservation management services to independent hotels, says its business has soared since it launched a branding campaign last September.

About 100 hotels across the country currently are in various stages of changing their identities to the Magnuson Hotel brand, says Tom Magnuson, CEO of the company, which portrays itself as a low-cost alternative to expensive franchise chains. Another 500 hotels are affiliated with Magnuson Hotels, but aren’t using its brand name, he says.

Manufacturing is increasing slowly but surely:

A Rathdrum Prairie company that makes foam insulation and packaging materials is expanding its manufacturing complex considerably and plans to hire five to six additional workers once the expansion is completed.

The company, FMI-EPS LLC, which formerly was known as Foam Molders Inc., is having a 31,000-square-foot plant built for it just east of its current, 45,000-square-foot facility at 9456 McGuire Road, which is just south of Hayden Avenue and north of the city of Post Falls. The total cost of the project, including a $900,000 piece of equipment that will be installed in the new building, is about $3.4 million, says Gary Bremer, who co-owns FMI-EPS with his wife, Glenda.

Posted under Economics of North Idaho

The strong real estate market is holding, with leaders in the industry still growing:

The top three Inland Northwest builders of single-family homes—Viking Construct­ion Inc., Sullivan Homes Inc., and Green­stone Corp.—all saw their total building-permit values rise last year, compared with 2006, says an annual list compiled by Cedar City, Utah-based Construction Monitor Inc. The combined value of permits obtained by the area’s top 10 builders last year was $177.8 million, down from $180.7 million the year before.

Another company growing and expanding, creating more jobs in the area:

Magnuson Hotels, a 5-year-old Spokane-based company that markets and provides reservation management services to independent hotels, says its business has soared since it launched a branding campaign last September.

About 100 hotels across the country currently are in various stages of changing their identities to the Magnuson Hotel brand, says Tom Magnuson, CEO of the company, which portrays itself as a low-cost alternative to expensive franchise chains. Another 500 hotels are affiliated with Magnuson Hotels, but aren’t using its brand name, he says.

Manufacturing is increasing slowly but surely:

A Rathdrum Prairie company that makes foam insulation and packaging materials is expanding its manufacturing complex considerably and plans to hire five to six additional workers once the expansion is completed.

The company, FMI-EPS LLC, which formerly was known as Foam Molders Inc., is having a 31,000-square-foot plant built for it just east of its current, 45,000-square-foot facility at 9456 McGuire Road, which is just south of Hayden Avenue and north of the city of Post Falls. The total cost of the project, including a $900,000 piece of equipment that will be installed in the new building, is about $3.4 million, says Gary Bremer, who co-owns FMI-EPS with his wife, Glenda.

Posted under Economics of North Idaho

“Virgle’s goal is simple: the establishment of a permanent human settlement on Mars. Larry Page, Sergey Brin and I feel strongly that contemporary technology is sufficiently advanced to make such an effort both successful and economical, and that it’s high time that humanity moved beyond Earth and began our great, long journey to explore the stars and establish our first lasting foothold on another world.”

Amazing!

Posted under General Real Estate, What the heck!?

F. Lewis Clark was born in Bangor, Maine, June 21, 1861. In 1884 he established the C. & O. Mill and elevator, the largest flouring mill in the Pacific Northwest. In 1910 Clark built a 15,000 sq. ft. mansion as a summer home in Hayden Lake, Idaho with his wife Winifred. The “Honeysuckle Lodge” was the most expensive home in Idaho at the time.In 1914 Clark mysteriously disappeared and was never heard from again. His wife tried to manage the estate but by 1922 she was forced to sell all of her possessions. In 1989, Monty Danner bought and restored the property. It is now a country inn known as The Clark House.

I found this info by stumbling. Try it, it’s fun!

Google Satellite Map & Streetview

Posted under About the Area, What the heck!?

F. Lewis Clark was born in Bangor, Maine, June 21, 1861. In 1884 he established the C. & O. Mill and elevator, the largest flouring mill in the Pacific Northwest. In 1910 Clark built a 15,000 sq. ft. mansion as a summer home in Hayden Lake, Idaho with his wife Winifred. The “Honeysuckle Lodge” was the most expensive home in Idaho at the time.In 1914 Clark mysteriously disappeared and was never heard from again. His wife tried to manage the estate but by 1922 she was forced to sell all of her possessions. In 1989, Monty Danner bought and restored the property. It is now a country inn known as The Clark House.

I found this info by stumbling. Try it, it’s fun!

Google Satellite Map & Streetview

Posted under About the Area, What the heck!?

Coeur d’Alene Visitors Bureau Reports Winter Lodging Sales
This year’s lodging numbers are up significantly from last year. Year to date (Idaho Tourism fiscal year), Kootenai County is up 19.1% from last year. We continue to experience significant increases in North Idaho as our area increases in popularity to visitors. We expect to see an increase in weekend visits for the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) through additionally marketing efforts of the CVB.  For more information about tourism and the CVB, contact Dani at 415-0114.

Posted under Economics of North Idaho

Coeur d’Alene Visitors Bureau Reports Winter Lodging Sales
This year’s lodging numbers are up significantly from last year. Year to date (Idaho Tourism fiscal year), Kootenai County is up 19.1% from last year. We continue to experience significant increases in North Idaho as our area increases in popularity to visitors. We expect to see an increase in weekend visits for the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) through additionally marketing efforts of the CVB.  For more information about tourism and the CVB, contact Dani at 415-0114.

Posted under Economics of North Idaho