CONGRATULATIONS!  Coeur d'Alene School District has earned, for the 14th consecutive year, the designation of "What Parents Want" from SchoolMatch®.Just 12 of Idaho's 115 school districts made this year's SchoolMatch® list.  Natinwide, 2,407 out of 15,571 of the nation's schools made the list.  SchoolMatch® is an independent service that maintains a database of information on every school district in the nation.  They assist families in finding schools that match the needs of their children.SchoolMatch® reports that last year seven million parents and homebuyers across the country accessed information through a variety of websites which include real estate firms, multiple listing services, economic development offices and chambers of commerce.  From their website:  SchoolMatch®, an inde... 06/21/2010

Part of what makes Coeur d'Alene such a wonderful place to live are the many varied community events. Rev up your weekend at Car d'Lane! I had the good fortune to grow up at 9th and Sherman, back in the day when cruising Sherman was an art form!  If I wasn't cruisin', I was sitting on the big front porch of my turn of the century stately Victorian house with bunches of friends, waving at the cruisers who honked as they passed.  The yellow car in the photo below was taken from my porch vantage point of yesteryear at last year's Car d'Lane! Popular Car d'Lane, a two day cruise and car show, celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend, beginning tonight with a Cruise on Sherman Avenue of pre-1972 cars.  Tomorrow is Show & Shine from 8 to 4 on Sherman and Lakeside Avenues. If two days of o... 06/18/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate  - The Towers at RidgePointe For the past few years an upscale condo development has been taking shape in the Sanders Beach area of Coeur d"Alene, adjacent to the world famous Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course.  Known as The Towers at RidgePointe, it has slowly risen above Coeur d'Alene Lake, perched on dramatic natural rock outcroppings. Originally, The Towers at RidgePointe was approved as a planned unit development (PUD) allowing for the construction of 3 buildings, each containing 24 to 25 units, for a total of 74 units, located on an 11 acre site, with a portion of the 11 acres remaing in a natural state.  The Towers at RidgePointe was designed by local firm, Miller Stauffer Architects PA, for The Edge Development Group, LLC of Be... 06/15/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf - Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource SpecialistCoeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Opportunities Some of the absolute best deals to be had in Coeur d'Alene real estate right now are short sale opportunities.  Yes, short sales can be complicated.  Yes, short sales can drag out.  But that isn't always the case.  There are a lot of variables and a good agent experienced working with short sales will be able to determine up front what the odds are of getting a reasonably quick response to your offer. Short sale opportunities in the Coeur d'Alene multiple listing service are plentiful right now, with 250 active short sale listings and 51 pending short sales.  The listing prices range from $59,900 to $1,500,000, with an average of $250,498.  The 51 pending Coeur d'Alene ... 06/14/2010

Opportunity is running out, with less than 1000 of the 5000 raffle tickets remaining for the North Idaho College foundation's 17th annual Really BIG Raffle on July 14th. For $100, you can purchase a ticket to win the 2010 Green-built raffle home valued at $265,000.  The home is located at 2880 Marcelle Drive in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  This annual event sells out every year. This Sunday, June 13, is the last weekend Open House where you can go preview the home prior to the raffle.  Open House attendees who hold a raffle ticket, or purchase one at the Open House, are eligible to enter a drawing for a FREE raffle ticket. For more information about the Really BIG Raffle and North Idaho College Foundation, visit North Idaho College's webiste by clicking this link. 06/11/2010

Thursday at noon, meet at the Office...We are going out to look at Coeur d'Alene Houses for Sale   A small group of agents in the office go out on Thursday afternoons to preview properties for sale in the area. We have open invitations to Realtors from other offices, too! There were 7 of us today from 2 different Brokerages. We have done this almost every week for the past 2 years with a rotating group of 5-8 Realtors.   We take turns setting up the "Tours" and making appointments, sharing the workload, so most days all you need to do is show up and preview properties. Unless it is your turn to set up that week's tour.   It's always an education! We look at properties in a small geographic area We look at properties in a narrow price range We preview for Buyers, so as not to waste their... 06/10/2010

I had to chuckle when I saw this email subject line from the escrow officer on my latest transaction: Hallelujah and praise GOD ALMIGHTY - I got the wire!  That was the perfect way to sum up the most difficult real estate transaction I have had as a buyer's agent.  It was an ordeal of monumental proportions, like the perfect storm of challenging conditions: a short sale, a looming deadline for the $8000 tax credit, an irrational seller, and out of control tenants.  What a journey we had! We submitted our offer back in January.  Mike and Katie had lost out in competitive bidding situations with two other homes before finding this one.  Love at first sight, the home was PERFECT!  Every short sale situation is different, but after checking the facts on this one, I believed it would work ou... 06/07/2010

This memorial day dawns soggy and gray in beautiful North Idaho.  You can shake the doldrums if you take the opportunity to pay your respect to those in our armed services who devoted themselves to the protection and preservation or our liberties, and the liberty of countless others around the world. My sister Kerri is an accomplished photographer as well as award winning writer of local newspaper print and online columns.  Her columns are rich with glimpses into the lives and faces of our local neighbors.  She posted an alblum to Facebook this weekend full of her snapshots of local veterans throughout the years.  It brought tears to my eyes as I scrolled through the photos.  A beautiful collection of the faces and colors of Kootenai County veterans and memorial services can be found at... 05/31/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CLHMS, SFR - Coeur d'Alene Lake Waterfront Homes for Sale 2010 Market ReportClick here to see all waterfront homes for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake. Spring is here and waterfront listings are blooming along with the lilacs all around Coeur d'Alene lake.  I decided to do an activity report of waterfront homes for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake.  This report gives us a snapshot of how the Coeur d'Alene Lake waterfront market has performed between January 1, 2010 and April 30, 2010.A statistical analysis shows that in the 4 month period ending April 30th there were:62  Active listings 3  Pending listings 4  Closed listings 23 Expired listings 4 Canceled listings 1 Withdrawn listing A look at the four waterfront homes that sold during this period show that they ranged in... 05/08/2010

 WIN A HOUSE...CAR, BOAT and More!  Grand Prize Home is being built at 2880 Marceille Drive, Coeur d'Alene This year's theme is GREEN! The 2010 raffle home will be ENERGY STAR® qualified and a certified Green Home! The home showcases construction methods and green materials that support energy efficiency and sustainability.  The house is really taking shape! The first open house is scheduled for next weekend.  Click here for the open house schedule and directions to the Really BIG Raffle house. May 31 is the Early Bird Prize deadline. Don't forget to buy your ticket on or before May 31st to automatically qualify for two more prizes: $500 in groceries or a weekend Bed & Breakfast get-away! For tons of information on the raffle, the house, and the NIC Foundation which sponsors the annual ... 05/07/2010

I just entered this listing into the MLS last night, remotely, from Colorado where I am pulling grandma duty with the two most darling tiny girls that ever there was! Soon as I uploaded all the info, I sent out an email blast that said they better hurry, this is a GOOD one!  Today I took the rug rats to Chick-fil-A for lunch and a romp on their play structure.  With all the other paraphernalia I was lugging along, I managed to leave my phone behind.  When we got home for a diaper change and naps (yeah, right!) I had a message that I have an offer in my box!  There are several other showings happening this afternoon and I am anticipating a multiple offer situation. I didn't even get a chance to blog about this lovely little house! But this is a perfect example of how competitive the mark... 05/07/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CLHMS, SFR ~ Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate I have written a few times in the past about how lately there seems to be a happy side of the closing table, and a not so happy side of the closing table.  Sometimes, usually when representing a distressed seller, I find myself representing clients not really in a celebratory mood on closing day.  Other times, usually when representing a buyer who has scored big time with a screaming deal, I am on the happy side of the closing table. This time, for the first time in a long time, EVERYBODY on both sides of the table was happy!  Patty was able to find a lovely home in time to qualify for the repeat buyer tax credit.  It is such an honor to have a part in helping clients bring their hopes and dreams to reality.  Congrat... 05/05/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CLHMS, SFR - Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate I had an opportunity to attend a Real Estate auction on a beautiful home at Kidd Island Bay.  This unique home looks remarkably like a big red barn.  Although unusual in appearance, it is a lovely home near the lake with pretty, filtered views of Kidd Island Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene.  It was built in 1998 with 1800 square feet on 1.3 acres. Listed for sale with several different brokerages, on and off since 1995, at a peak price of $529,000, the home had finally been lost to foreclosure.  The assessed value is now $275,766.  It was listed as an REO for $165,000.  A previous attempt to auction the home a few months ago was unsuccessful.  Although this was a beautiful home with wonderful amenities in a great location,... 04/25/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf ~ Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Success Story It's been a long and winding road for my dear client who has been trying to sell her home for more than two years.  A few years back she decided to move out onto a large acreage in the country with room her horses.  She never dreamed she would have any difficulty selling her first home. Her darling little home backed to the sixth fairway of beautiful Avondale Golf Course.  It was well kept, convenient and had some really great features.  But as time went on, the feedback from prospective buyers was always the same.  As great as the house was, no one wanted a front entrance that came right into the kitchen!  Betsy kept the home and grounds well maintained as it sat vacant for an extended period of time.  We strategized a... 04/20/2010

Fernan Lake Village is a quaint enclave located on the northwest shore of Fernan Lake.  Downtown Coeur d'Alene's main street, Sherman Avenue, begins at the City Beach of Lake Coeur d'Alene on the west, and runs right into Fernan Lake Village at it's eastern end, just a couple of miles away. Fernan Lake Village is a small residential neighborhood of about 70 households.  It is interesting to note that although homes in Fernan Lake Village have a Coeur d'Alene mailing address, the village is an incorporated town and not part of the city of Coeur d'Alene.  It elects its own mayor and city council.The lakeside neighborhood of Fernan Lake Village was developed in the 1950's.  The homes along the waterfront are valued in the million dollar range.  The neighborhood has a pleasant mix of homes,... 04/18/2010

Thursday afternoon I set out from my office to meet up with some clients.  We were meeting at a house out along the lake and it was a beautiful spring day.  Well, it seemed llike a spring day.  The route from my office takes me right through our pleasant little touristy downtown.  I was driving with the flow of cars putting along at 25 MPH, in happy anticipation of my scenic drive along Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive.  Suddenly out of nowhere I saw a dog blast from behind a parked car.  Before I had even a split second to react, he plowed right into the passenger side of my car! The impact was awful, and he immediately began howling in pain.  Oh my gosh!  I found a place to park, grabbed my phone and jumped out of my car.  By then, a group of young men had scooped up the dog and were walking ... 02/20/2010

An article in this morning's Coeur d'Alene Press stated what we already knew.  The rate of foreclosures is up, and rising.  According to newly-released data from First American CoreLogic on foreclosures for the Coeur d'Alene area, the rate of foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans is 2.35 percent for the month of December, an increase of 1.27 percentage points compared to December of 2008 when the rate was 1.08 percent. Foreclosure activity in Coeur d'Alene is lower than the national foreclosure rate which was 3.16 percent for December 2009, representing a 0.81 percentage point difference.In Coeur d'Alene, the mortgage delinquency rate has increased. For December 2009, 6.02 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared to 2.74 percent for the same period last... 02/07/2010

When I had initially written the entry "Creative Calisthenics for the Nerd in Me," I wasn't sure if I'd be able to procure one of the 20 spots for the writer's workshop (in its first year) that accompanies this year's Coeur d'Alene Local Writers Competition (in its 22nd year).  However, I'm happy to announce that my name is on the list and I'll be putting some polish to my prose. I want to thank all those who have been following ilovecda.com on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.  You guys are the greatest and I'm having so much fun, I can hardly believe it! As of the posting of this entry, there are only two spots left in the workshop.  If you're interested, call the Coeur d'Alene Public Library at 208-769-2315. I hope to see you there! 02/01/2010

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and ... Dodge! As if a bunch of kids running around their grammar school gym ducking dodgeballs and trying to avoid bloody noses wasn't enough, the City of Coeur d'Alene is going to be offering an Adult Co-ed Dodgeball League.  Yahoo!  Can you tell I'm just a little excited? This local fascination began a few months ago when the City of Post Falls offered a tournament and the turnout was stellar to say the least.  Yours truly participated in said tournament and I didn't know it was actually legal for grown adults to have this much fun. Since that time, however, I have joined a league with the Lovely Husband (on right in this photo) and it has become a family affair - my parents watch the Lovely Daughter on the sidelines and my baby girl (who will be four years ol... 02/01/2010

Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CSP, CLMS - Kootenai County Building Permit Statistis for 2009 This morning's Coeur d'Alene Press reported the expectation that the steady decline in home building and commercial construction will continue through 2010.  According to Associated General Contractors of America, nearly 9 out of 10 builders expect there will be no recovery this year. The story did state that North Idaho, in general, is faring better than the rest of the country The number of Kootenai county building permits being issued has declined drastically in the past few years.  In Coeur d'Alene, December 2009 saw a slight increase over December 2008, but the overall valuation of permits has declined. For a good snapshot of building permit activity throughout Kootenai County, read the complet... 01/24/2010