This is the house I grew up in, at 9th and Sherman, in Coeur d'Alene.   Built around 1905, obviously this photo was taken before my childhhood years!  The home is no longer there, but my memories of the good times in that grand old house remain intact! 08/19/2009

Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CLHMS - Click here to see ALL Coeur d'Alene Area Waterfront Homes for Sale ~  Coeur d'Alene LakeThis is part one of a series of market reports of our area's spectacular waterfront homes for sale. You can take a look at all of the active listings for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake in our MLS by clicking the link above.  For those looking to realize their dream of lakefront living, right now there are more homes to choose from than anyone can ever remember.  As of today, 8/14/2009, there are  98 homes for sale, ranging in price from $193,500 to $7,500,000. $193,500 will get you a couple of float houses with 1000 sq. ft. on 14 acres in the Hidden Lake area of Harrison.  That property is only accessible by boat.On the other end of the spectrum, $7,500,000 will get a we... 08/14/2009

Wordless Wednesday- Silverwood Theme Park, Coeur d Alene Idaho     08/12/2009

Voted Best Pizza 2009 in Coeur d'Alene by 7000 true-blue pizza lovers, Valentino's is an eatery you just HAVE to experience!  A real mom & pop operation, Candy Taranto is mom and Charlie Taranto is pop.  They have operated Valentino's locally with a Tuscan cafe theme for the past six years, on the pad in front of Target between Government Way and I-95.  Candy and Charlie started Valentino's Pizza in Santa Barbara, California in 1981.  They operated 4 award winning restaurants there, and were the pioneers of the take & bake pizza concept in Southern California.  When they relocated and opened Valentino's Pizza in Coeur d'Alene, they added hot baked pizza, and pizza by the slice to their long-time featured take & bake variety.  A new twist for them, they also added a full smoothie operati... 08/11/2009

If you have a chance to stop by and say hello, I would love to see you!    Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho. No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence.  Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you! Janna Rankin Scharf, AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS  208.651.9700  08/10/2009

Absolute Condo Auction - Owner/Agent THROWS IN THE TOWEL! Here's an opportunity to pick up a beautiful condo in Canfield Commons at a short sale price!  You better hurry, the auction is Friday, August 7 at 1:00. Call me if I can be of assistance to you in any way, Seller is offering to pay a Buyer's Agent fee!  Five units are available from the owner/agent who has thrown in the towel. Find the CAP rates, appraisal, CC&R's and all the auction info here. 5 - 1,140 sq ft. Two bedroom 1 1/2 bath Condo units with one cargarage offered individually and in combination. Buy one or all five remaining units.  Units will be offered individually and in combination. Luxurious Appointments in Affordably Priced Canfield Commons Townhouse Condo Units Centrally located for your convenience; these beauti... 08/06/2009

On my way home from work I decided to make a stop at MJ's Fresh Market.  I wasn't feeling well, and some farm fresh fruit sounded like just what the doctor ordered. Proprietor Mary Jo Poteet was as friendly as you would imagine the person who operates a seasonal fruit stand to be.  She chatted about her fruit, her business and her fondness for her wonderful parents who have a fruit stand further north in town.  Mary Jo brings her produce from the Yakima and Columbia Valleys in Washington State.  I perused the offerings.  A week of heat approaching 100' made for some bargains on boxes of fresh peaches.  I would have snapped up a couple boxes to can if I could have foreseen a block of time this coming week to devote to that project.  I did score some apricots, nectarines, baby red potatoe... 08/04/2009

Historic Roosevelt Inn Bed & Breakfast in Downtown Coeur d'Alene My childhood friend, John Hough, has siezed an opportunity that few of us will ever have.  To live, and work, in his former elementary school!  The Roosevelt is Coeur d'Alene's oldest remaining schoolhouse.  It's listed on The National Register of Historical Places and is recognized as an Historic Inn of America. John, along with his wife Tina, are the innkeepers at The Roosevelt Inn.  (And yes, they are Aunt and Uncle to Dancing with the Stars' Julianne and Derek Hough.) It's located just a hop, skip and a jump from Downtown Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene City Park and Coeur d'Alene City Beach. Ten years ago John and Tina set out on their adventure and haven't looked back.  They are passionate about their inn, their guests,... 07/31/2009

From LA Times to the Lake City - LA Times Spotlights Coeur d'Alene in Sunday's Travel Section This past Sunday there was a wonderful write-up in the Los Angeles Times about the wonders of Coeur d'Alene as a vacation destination.  Reporter Christopher Reynolds spent some time in town and wrote a delightful feature on our little part of the world.  I loved his introduction - "Say yes to huckleberries, yes to lazy days by the lake, yes to fast bikes on long trails. Say no to fancy French pronunciation. Say no, also, to white supremacy. And say no, thank you, to the Rocky Mountain oysters at the Snake Pit restaurant east of town, unless you like bull testicles. Follow this simple advice, and you'll probably do just fine here in the middle of the Idaho panhandle, where the lakeside city of C... 07/28/2009

Coeur d'Alene's Roger's Ice Cream ReOpens - A Blast From the Past! I'm not sure how long Roger's Ice Cream sat closed and for sale, except that it has been the entire time since I moved back to Coeur d'Alene last August.  Back in the early '70s, about 1972, it was where I earned my spending money after school at the newly increased minimum wage of $1.60 an hour.  At that time, it was Dari Delite. My first job, at the now non-existent Green Dolphin Floating Restaurant on the east end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, paid a measly $1.40.  $1.60 was SO MUCH MORE! Last month, a buyer surfaced, paid $350,000 and a few weeks ago Roger's Ice Cream opened again.  Click here for the MLS information sheet.  My husband and I stopped by for a closer look and to sample their menu.  No more DD Bars or Big D bu... 07/23/2009

I had a chance to cruise across Lake Coeur d'Alene aboard the Osprey, one of the cruise boats out of the Coeur d'Alene Resort.  The destination was Campfire USA Inland Northwest Council's beautiful Camp Sweyolaken.  Camp Sweyolakan sits on nearly 300 beautiful wooded acres on the shores of Mica Bay. One of the oldest resident camps in the country, Camp Sweyolakan has been a summer haven for generations of young people for over 85 years.  The camp is reaching out for community support for Operation Royal Flush, a project to replace the 50 year old bathroom facilities.  Yes, the toilets and showers are FIFTY YEARS OLD! You may find more modern bathroom facilities at other camps, but you could search the world over and not find a more lovely and serene camp setting. It was a beautiful, sun... 07/21/2009

As a Coeur d'Alene Realtor involved in Short Sales I wasn't too surprised to find this question in my Email inbox this week: What does a Realtor do in cases of short sales?  I have been thinking about this for a while and was hoping you might be able to shed some light on the subject.  A little advice would go a long way right now.  Thank you for your help.  Thank you, Julie My guess is that Julie was Googling short sales looking for some answers and turned up a post I had just made to my North Idaho Janna Blog, The Joy of Short Sales!  Or perhaps an earlier one, A day in the Life of a Realtor involved in Short Sales.  I thought I would share my response to Julie in case it might help someone else who is wondering about short sales and whether or not it would be an option in their parti... 07/18/2009

I received notification in my email today that the auction of luxury condos in the upscale Riverstone development has been postponed for a second time, and pushed back from this weekend to August 1.  They state that the reasopn is to allow the seller more time to find favorable financing for potential buyers.  Hmmmm.  If you would like more information, here's a link to the auction website.  Please call me if you would like the assistance of a skilled Buyers Agent, at no cost to you! Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho. No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams ... 07/10/2009

There has been a lot of buzz around town about the big auction of luxury condos at the beautiful Riverstone  development.  Last month I posted the first press release about the auction.  The original date set for earlier this month was pushed back, and I just received a email flyer that announced the starting bids have been drastically reduced.  If you or someone you know would like a great investment property at fire sale prices, please give me a call.  This is an unfortunate sign of the times, and of bad timing and over-building.  Nevertheless, Riverstone is a class development in a stellar location and A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!    06/26/2009

I would like to put a shout out for North Idaho College's Really BIG Raffle.  I blogged  about this great charitable event several months ago.  With just a few days remaining to purchase tickets, they are about 600 short of selling out their 5000 tickets.     Here's a YouTube Video For just $100 you can have a 1 in 5000 chance to win a beautiful new home, while making a donation to a great cause!  There are other fabulous prizes as well, which, among other things, include a new car and a new boat! Check out the website  for more information about the house, the prizes and the NIC Charitable Foundation.         Really BIG Raffle DrawingJuly 8, 20097 p.m.NIC Campus - Ft. Sherman Park  The drawing for the 16th annual Really BIG Raffle takes place outdoors on the lawn of the Ft. Sherman par... 06/26/2009

WOW!  I set out this morning around 6:00 am to watch the swimmers take off from City Beach.  Of course, roads were blocked, closed, traffic diverted, throngs of people...  By the time I found somewhere to park, walked for several blocks, went under barricades, I got to Independence Point after the last of the swimmers had taken the plunge. The skies were gloomy and it was chilly.  But there was excitement in the air.  And, what's that in the air, too? At least there were no crowds blocking my view straight UP! I was finally able to infiltrate the crowd on the banks of the lake to catch a glimpse of the last wave of swimmers as they headed out.  Pretty awesome sight.  Then then the announcer announced that the first pro swimmer was just about to finish.  He is the guy in a charcoal color... 06/21/2009

Last night's Car d'Lane cruise was spectacular!  Click on the link for the full story in today's paper.  It's another magnificent day in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, and the fun continues with a classic car show and other activities downtown from 8:00 to 4:00.  Good times!   Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho. No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence.  Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you! Janna Rankin Scharf, AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS  208.651.9700  NorthIdahoJanna@gmail.com    06/13/2009

Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho. No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence.  Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you! Janna Rankin Scharf, AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS  208.651.9700  NorthIdahoJanna@gmail.com   06/11/2009

MLS Summary Statistics - for Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens, UrbanFrom 1/1/2009 to 6/1/2009 Search Parameters: Property type: Residential Status of: 'Active', 'Closed'; Sold Date: between '1/1/2009' and '6/8/2009'; Area of: '01 - Cd'A Urban/Dalton'.     Total Total List Volume Median List Price Average List Price DOM Total Sold Volume Median Sold Price Average Sold Price SP/LP SP/OLP Sold 247 $49,074,230 $165,600 $198,681 116 $47,212,691 $162,400 $191,144 96.21 91.56 List/Sold 82 $19,177,825 $169,000 $233,875 127 $18,384,929 $160,000 $224,206 95.87 89.92 Co-Broker 165 $29,896,405 $165,000 $181,190 110 $28,827,762 $163,900 $174,713 96.43 92.64 New 803 $280,450,664 $217,900 $349,253 69           Pending 220 $43,240,097 $166,000 $196,545 87           Withdrawn 2 $2,500,000 $1,250,000 $1,25... 06/08/2009

As I slowly make my way up the ladder in my home state of Idaho, I like to read both the profiles and blogs by my competitors. It makes for some good reading and I have found that most of the top people in each state are pretty accomplished in their lives. I am a home builder and not an agent so I am kind of an anomaly on AR. Most of my top competitors are real estate agents. One of the agents who is moving up on me very quickly is Janna Rankin Scharf. She is one of the best agents in Northern Idaho and at the rate she is gaining on me, she will quickly be at the top in our state. For any agents out there who are looking for an agent in Northern Idaho, please consider her. Here is a link to her site on AR: http://activerain.com/jscharf.   05/21/2009