Four years ago I had the Garden Show appear on North Idaho Business. It was the first year the show was to be at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Sean Gavin of Mountain View Construction was on that show, and he appeared again with John Knowles, Construction President of the Panhandle Building Contractors Association. The PBCA puts on the show. Prior to that the Garden Show had been at the Bonner Mall, and while it was a good show, it was limited by space. Moving to the Fairgrounds offered not only more space, but the ability to build on site, do substantial landscaping displays, as well as other displays that the multi-use outdoor/indoor space allows. In the last couple of years, students have built on-site, there is BBQ and beer, and it is as much like a fair as it is a building fest. T... 03/29/2011

Various pictures along the Pend Oreille River, through the Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage Scenic Byway, near Priest River, Idaho. Pend Oreille River near Priest River, Idaho Pend Oreille River near Priest River, Idaho Pend Oreille River between Sandpoint and Priest River, Idaho The Priest River near the town of the same name The Priest River Sunset on the Pend Orelle River near Priest River, Idaho Pend Oreille River nearing Priest River, Idaho Priest River, Idaho along the shores of the Pend Oreille Lumber trucks crossing the Merrit Brothers Bridge in Priest River Pend Oreille River in Priest River, Idaho Downtown Priest River, Idaho The Priest River Waterskiing on the Pend Oreille River near Priest River, Idaho Pend Oreille River Looking at Priest River from the Pend Oreille Priest ... 03/29/2011

We all have learned about social media and YouTube. Are you using these new tools. I have used them in minor efforts for seven years. I am stepping up my game and trying to post videos, blogs, messages, and use things like Activerain and Facebook on a daily basis. Here is a little video tour of Sandpoint I just posted on YouTube. That makes 15 videos I have posted this month. Will it work? We have to keep trying and so far, I have gotten two new clients since I started my serious efforts three months ago. Sandpoint Idaho Video Tour on YouTube Gary Lirette, featured in Where To Retire magazine and host of the Tuesday noon local radio shows: North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts. E-mail Gary or call 208-610-1384Read Gary's Blogs   Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Rea... 03/23/2011

sIn our weekly meeting at Tomlinson Sotheby's International Realty, Merry Brown-Hayes, Associate Broker, just related a meeting she had with US Bank yesterday. Land loans have been very difficult to get lately. Certainly, in our resort area, we have seen a lot of owner-carry and cash buys. US Bank is offering land loans for the following criteria: Must be zoned Suburban or Recreational, in other words Residential. Must have a credit score of 720 or higher. 20% Down. There are certainly other hurdles borrowers must jump, and this information is not verified, but anecdotally, this is very good news. Stay tuned for more updates. Gary Lirette, featured in Where To Retire magazine and host of the Tuesday noon local radio shows: North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts. E-mail Gary or... 03/23/2011

On St. Patrick's Day I went around town a few spots a to see what was happening in Sandpoint, Idaho. Here are a few pics, and check out the link below for the video: MicDuff's on St. Patrick's Day in Sandpoint, Idaho Forty-one South Restaurant on the south end of the Long Bridge in Sandpoint The Long Bridge at dusk in Sandpoint, Idaho Sunset on Lake Pend Oreille at Forty-one South Dusk on Lake Pend Oreille as seen from Forty-one South Trinity at City Beach in Sandpoint, Idaho Moonrise over Eichardt's Pub in Sandpoint, Idaho Gary Lirette, featured in Where To Retire magazine and host of the Tuesday noon local radio shows: North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts. E-mail Gary or call 208-610-1384Read Gary's Blogs   Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty 200 Main Street... 03/18/2011

This last two weeks Sandpoint, Idaho had lots going on. The Follies wowed audiences, like usual. I had the good fortune to perform a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis with Lars Larson. (See the video here, and understand, it is not for the easily offended.) The event raises close to $25,000 for local charities. Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters had an event at the roastery last Saturday. My friend Ray Allen performed at the Pend d'Oreille Winery, Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort had fresh powder, and town was kickin'. My company, Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty, had its annual meeting, and by all accounts things are picking up, both for local business and in real estate. Gary Peitz, former owner of the Coit House and Dish is opening the Dover Bay Cafe ... 03/15/2011

In a quick search for St. Patrick's Day parades on the www.st-patricks-day.com website, I noted that there were none in North Idaho. What! I may not be remembering my history well, but don't the Irish have this thing for potatoes? Where are the best potatoes from? It just seems a natural that with both places beginning with the letter "I" and having this potato connection, seems we in Idaho should have something going on for St. Paddy's Day. So, okay, there are some things going on down south in Boise and Treasure Valley, and the Idaho potato commission has some recipes (www.idahopotato.com/st_patrick). About the closest we get is Twin Falls which has a parade and run. Last weekend there was a parade in Coeur d'Alene, but c'mon, nothing this weekend? I don't get it. Anecdotally we have... 03/14/2011

A great website for Idaho is the Visit North Idaho website. While there are plenty of resources, such as events, interactive maps, and loads of ideas for things to do in North Idaho, I particularly enjoy this new feature of videos about different areas of interest. I will post all of them, but in our neck of the woods, two are most relevant: Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Here are the two videos: North Idaho TravelCast - Sandpoint, Idaho Click here to go to the Sandpoint video North Idaho TravelCast - Sandpoint, Idaho Click here to go to the Bonners Ferry video Gary Lirette, featured in Where To Retire magazine and host of the Tuesday noon local radio shows: North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts. E-mail Gary or call 208-610-1384Read Gary's Blogs   Tomlinson Sandpoint Sot... 03/13/2011

In the Five to Watch segment of the March 2011 issue of REALTOR magazine, the report showed how banks are getting ready for lower credit score buyers to buy this new, lower-priced inventory. In the story Wells Fargo Says Credit Score of 500 OK, WF announced that with a downpayment of 10%, borrowers with scores as low as 500 will be able to get FHA loans. A score of 600 can get away with as little as 3.5% down. According to Lending Tree, FHA mortgages are not as critical about credit scores, though they still are a factor: It's important to understand what an FHA mortgage is. Contrary to some people's belief, the Federal Housing Administration is not a lender. It is a federal government agency that guarantees loans by private lenders, making mortgages available to people who may have a d... 03/10/2011

Over the last few weeks we have been deliberating about many things that could affect the real estate market over the coming year(s). One is the shadow inventory. Weakonomics explains: What is Shadow Inventory?Before we talk about shadow inventory, we have to first figure out what inventory is. Inventory in this case in the number of homes currently for sale in the US. Inventory can be measured in a couple of ways. The National Association of Realtors likes to express it in months of inventory, so there is an 8.4 month supply of inventory of existing home (it excludes new ones). Generally speaking, an ideal supply is closer to 6 months; this means that if no new homes went on sale, the existing supply would run out in 6 months. The shadow inventory is the inventory of homes that are pro... 03/10/2011

If you want a better night's sleep, remember American Mattress Center in Sandpoint, Idaho On Tuesday's North Idaho Business radio show, I interviewed Rick Bishop of American Mattress Center. It is encouraging to hear, in this sluggish economy, that a business is growing. AMC just opened their new location in Post Falls on the corner of Seltice Way and Corbin, and their 4800 square foot showroom in Sandpoint is humming along nicely. Small wonder business is good. In addition to carrying premium brands like Serta and Paul Dean's superior offerings, they have the expertise to help in that all-important facet of our lives: sleep. We talked about many things related to sleep, and not just about mattresses. For instance, Rick pointed out that not only is it not so good for your sleep acumen t... 03/10/2011

I like to cover some of the best news stories on my two radio shows. Here is what we went over this week. A Concern About Wetlands in North Idaho: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog I received an inquiry from some folks looking for property and they had a concern about wetlands in our area. The link above is how I responed. So, posted on Sunday, March 6, 2011 10:00 am in the Bonner County Daily Bee, this article tells the next tile in the story: Priest Lake couple takes EPA challenge to high court By Keith Kinnaird News editor Bonner County Daily Bee SANDPOINT - A determined Bonner County couple who contends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is unfairly interfering with their right to develop a homesite at Priest Lake is taking their fight to the nation's high court... Chamber Welcomes A... 03/08/2011

Joe Auto Body Posted in the Bonner County Daily Bee: Friday, February 11, 2011 11:00 am  Co-owners Joe Muldoon and Stan Kraly stand outside the Joe's Auto Body building, located at 1621 Baldy Mountain Road and reachable at 208-255-2777. (Photo CAMERON RASMUSSON) Today I learned an interesting fact on my radio show: North Idaho Business on KSPT/KBFI. Paints used on cars are solvent-based. This is bad, very bad, for the environment. We'll get back to this in a moment. I was interviewing Joe Muldoon of Joe's Auto Body, and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I need all the Irish in my life I can muster. I asked Joe why we need another auto body shop in Sandpoint? First, Joe pointed to his very nicely done brochure to the line that read: Our Commitment - providing professional repairs everyti... 03/08/2011

I received an inquiry from some folks looking for property and they had a concern about wetlands in our area. Here is part of what I sent them in response: In response to this article that you forwarded to me - http://www.cdfe.org/cdfe-action-fund/epas-new-form-of-land-seizure/ - here is a bit of information. The EPA and other governmental agencies that deal with arbitrary, subjective decisions can be incredibly capricious and, at times unreasonable. In the case up at Priest Lake, because the area is surrounded by federal lands, this can be especially true. Officials and environmental groups, while very active in all of North Idaho are even more so around Priest Lake. Here is the link to the page for the long-awaited update to the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan: http://www.co.bonner.i... 03/06/2011

I hear comparisons of Sandpoint with Alaska over & over.  In fact, there are many former Alaskans living here in North Idaho as they try to come close to duplicating their experience in the 49th state without the inconvenience of living so far away from the rest of us down here in the "48 contiguous".  The constant invasion of moose in our local neighborhoods help make our Alaskan friends feel right at home. We never get tired of our gangly moose buddies!  Trivia...Alaska became our 49th state on January 3, 1959.  (Don't say you don't learn anything on my blog) Thank you to Steve Kirby for his photos this morning!       03/05/2011

In like a lion, out like a lamb, March can be a crazy month. Spring is in the air, and in North Idaho, we look forward to the snow melting and a bit of warmth. In 2007 and 2008, two of the biggest snow years on record, March was frosty and the snow stuck around like Thanksgiving leftovers. Winter 2009/2010 had snow mainly on the mountains, and the valleys were gentle and warm, if at times brisk. Right now as I write this, big flakes of snow are falling and we have had about 10 inches in the valleys over the last day or so. Big, fluffy snow. On Schweitzer Mountain in the village the snow was up to the knees, and mid-thigh in some places. Anyway, trying to remember what March was like last year, I looked at these pics of March 2010:  View of Sandpoint, Idaho and the Longbridge Close up of... 02/28/2011

This last week we had our rehearsal at the event center for the Follies. See pictures of our antics below. The Follies is one of several events put on by Angels Over Sandpoint. The Angels Over Sandpoint is a non-profit (501c3) organization that helps needy Bonner County individuals. The Angels provide backpacks and school supplies to over 800 children annually. Other events include The Follies (a racy live variety show), Spring Mud Fling Dance, and the New Year's Eve Dance and Auction (because raising money should be fun!). According to their website this event is loads of fun and a little bit naughty. "It's time for your favorite Angels' event guaranteed to chase away the Winter blahs. Get in line for THE FOLLIES, a locally produced comedy review held for the 9th year at the Panida The... 02/28/2011

I went to a concert at Di Luna's last night featuring one of the most amazing guitarists I have ever seen. What I mean by purposely saying 'seen' instead of 'listened to' was pointed out by the artist during his show. He asked, "How many of you in the audience are guitarists?" Many raised their hands including myself and my friend Steve. He made the point that guitarists come to his shows and watch his chord structures and hand movements. Chris Proctor is the U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion and his abilities are jaw-dropping. Critics call his guitar playing "breathtaking," "haunting," and "rich." Guitar magazines describe his compositions as "spectacular," "elegant," and "exquisite," and praise his twelve-string work as "revelatory." Media reviewers trace the roots of his styl... 02/27/2011

Sandpoint Upcoming Events - This Week in Sandpoint from the Sandpoint Chamber Coeur d'Alene Upcoming Events - from the CdA Chamber Check out all daily Sandpoint Events in the Bonner Daily Bee Bonner Mall Cinema Movie Schedule - click here! March 1: Sandpoint - Tuesdays with Mike www.trinityatcitybeach.com Bartender extraordinaire Yuri Simon introduces Tuesdays with Mike. Every Tuesday from 5-8 pm Mike Strain plays live acoustic music and is joined my local special musical guests. 208-255-7558 Check out Yuri's video intro here on Facebook March 1: Sandpoint - Mickduff's host Trivia Tuesday 312  N. 1st  7 - 9pm. Teams of up to eight or by yourself. Come early to make sure your team gets a table, it fills up fast! Prizes and bragging rights to the winning team. Test your useless knowledge ... 02/26/2011

With fresh powder from the last snow and a sunny day beckoning, I took a leisurely drive up to Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort and snapped these shots along the way: Road up to Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort Entering Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort View of Lake Pend Oreille from Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort Gary Lirette, featured in Where To Retire magazine and host of the Tuesday noon local radio shows: North Idaho Business as well as North Idaho Arts. E-mail Gary or call 208-610-1384Read Gary's Blogs   Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty 200 Main StreetSandpoint, Idaho 208-255-3474 www.SandpointID.net - To learn all about Sandpoint and North Idaho www.RealtySandpoint.com - For Sandpoint Realty www.SkiSchweitzer.net - To visit Schweitzer Mo... 02/25/2011