Coeur d'Alene Idaho Metro area is growing - fast fast fast!

I just wrote a few articles on my North Idaho Real Estate Blog about the Coeur d'Alene Idaho Metropolitan area - specifically that we are still growing.

So here’s the deal - the Coeur d’Alene Idaho metropolitan area was the 29th fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation.  Coeur d’Alene competed against every single county with a population of 50,000 or more.   That is 363 Metro areas.  Kootenai County grew faster than  334 other counties.

This is exactly why our housing prices haven’t taken a dive.  People still want to live here.  People are still moving here.

This is a huge factor supporting the strength of our real estate marketing.  House prices simply aren't dropping drastically here - we are in our an historical plateau for the North Idaho area.

Corporate growth: 

Despite recent layoffs and a downturn in its sales, Coldwater Creek Inc. is proceeding with an expansion project that includes a $9 million, four-floor office building and a $2 million addition to its call center in northwest Coeur d’Alene.

Development growth:

Two big-box anchors that will be in the back of the development, complementary businesses such as restaurants, banks and gas stations that will front Highway 41 and mid-sized boxes that will be in front of the railroad tracks. The center is part of the Prairie Crossing development.

It's all here - come on over and take a gander. . . 

Sunshine Meadows Homeowners - This is important - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

There will be a special Sunshine Meadows Homeowners Association Meeting on April 3rd in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  If you own a home in Sunshine Meadows, this is a very important meeting and will directly affect the future value of your property.

For more information on this meeting, including place, time and agenda, please visit our North Idaho Real Estate Blog.

GOOD NIGHT - how many 'year in review' posts are going to be featured???

Bleck - blah - poo.  I'm tired of scrolling down the 'featured' list to see ONLY 'year in review' posts featured.  Yes it's the end of the year but come on, a variety of content would be much enjoyed by probably the majority of the world.

I have specifically stayed away from the 'affected need to write a year in review post' and surprisingly, it's been rather easy to stay away.  I prefer none of my posts be an affectation :)

Have I irritated anyone yet? ;) 

Substantial significance in less than 3 months | The fast way to build a website presence.

Ok - I started out an AR about 18 months ago.  I love it here.  About 6 months ago I knew that I needed my own platform, my own presence, my own blog.  A blog branded for my business.

I researched everything - from 'the Tomato' to 'RSS Pieces' to various others.  I researched free platforms, etc.  Finally I just said to heck with this, I need to go for it.

So I did.

I chose the free WordPress platform.  Picked a template and put my 'touch' on it and got it going.  That was all less than 3 months ago.  In fact, it was about 60 days ago that I started 'my own' blog (which is why I've been rather inactive around AR).

Anyway, here is the benefit -

1. I have a page rank of 4 in less then 3 months. 
   
2. Every single post I write shows up in google alerts for various keywords.
   
3. Posts (and the site) are starting to rank on the 1st and 2nd page of google.
4. Google crawls my blog every single day

I didn't pay for any services, I didn't use any designers or SEO experts.  I don't stuff my posts full of links and keyword rich content - I just write them. 

In other words, it doesn't take money or huge amounts of time or even 'experts' in order to get yourself solidly on the web, producing viable leads for your real estate business.

As an added benefit, I've been getting 'google juice' from my AR blog now for many months. 

Now, I have to figure out how to 'balance' myself and write just a bit more here on AR without sacrificing the incoming producing blog I now have.

You can take a look at what an amateur has done and go for it yourself.  Check out our North Idaho Real Estate Blog here. 

Have I given up blogging ???

Nope.  I've just graduated.  I'm using a new platform that will soon be integrated on our servers - allowing me full customizable capability.

I've also (finally) overcome my addiction to points!!  I found that points weren't building my business and I needed to focus on building the business.

Don't get me wrong, I love (adore) AR, but my focus is now our blogsite.  The thing is, AR has some awesome google juice that I'm still reaping the benefits of, so I'll post every so often just to keep life active around here.

North Idaho Real Estate Blog 

Just how many agents are "really" working for you?

Oh really.

I’ve been working in real estate a long time. Dad’s been doing it even longer. We’ve been with a couple of different companies over the years and frankly, I can’t remember a time that anyone else in our brokerage was ‘working for our sellers’ other than ourselves. So how is it that a local brokerage is trying to claim that when you list your home with one of their agents, all of the agents are working for you?

Honestly, it’s a game of semantics, which means nothing for the consumer. Semantics because technically, all listings are “owned” by the broker and typically, the broker is the owner of the brokerage. The agents are simply ’sales agents’ of the broker. So, “technically” when you list your home with a sales agent of any brokerage, the broker can “claim” that “all” of his agents are working for you.

Smoke and mirrors really.

The truth and reality?

Read more on our North Idaho Real Estate Blog. 

Fieldstone Market Report - 3rd Quarter, 2007 - Post Falls Idaho

We are seeing a strong, healthy sales market in Fieldstone Post Falls, Idaho.  There are several reasons for this.  One, it's a newer community in an excellent location.  Two, the homes are well priced and within the price ranges that always sell, no matter what type of perceived market is out there.

We are sitting at a 3.5 month supply of home inventory with average sales prices around $214,000. 

A more in depth analysis can be found on our North Idaho Real Estate blog here.

Full report in adobe reader format available by emailing us and requesting the Fieldstone Q2 Market Report. 

Real Estate Agents are monkeys - Here's why.

I know agents get frustrated with the publics perception of real estate agents.  Our profession sits precariously perched just above used car salesmen.  There are obvious reasons why and until these change, we will always be considered 'monkeys' and not taken seriously, no matter how hard we rant and rave.

First and foremost - take a look at entry into the business.  How can anyone think that taking 90 hours of education makes you ready to handle the largest financial transaction in most peoples lives?  In California (until just recently) all it took was a 45 hour class and you were 'provisional' and could still help people with these transactions.  No wonder 1:50 people in California are licensed agents.  What a laughing stock.  What a joke. 

What should it be?  At minimum, we should have to go through 1000 hours of education.  After all, in order for that Super cuts or Great Clips person to even cut your hair, they had to go through 1000+ hours of education and apprenticeship.  How ridiculous is it that they go through more training and practice than someone handling hundreds of thousands of dollars of someone else's money?? 

I also feel that we should be required to go through an apprenticeship program - with specifically licensed trainers - for a certain number of transactions.  For some people, they could get this done in just a few months.  For others, it make take them longer.  There should be a time limit set.  If the apprenticeship is not completed within 12-18 months, you've failed and have to start over or you do not qualify for your license. 

Secondly, our continuing education requirements.  As it currently stands in the state of Idaho, 16 credits plus a 3-4 credit CORE are required every 2 years.  Our licenses renew every 2 years.  I feel continuing education requirements should be a minimum of 40 yours per year.  There is no earthly reason why this shouldn't be increased.  Of course, experience counts for something.  For each year you are in the business and for each transaction that you have under your belt, concessions should be made.  It's infinitely clear that someone in the business 15 years and averaging 120 transactions a year has more training simply from experience than someone who's been in the business 3 years and averages 4 transactions a year.  But, those concessions should be based on a minimum number of transactions per year and go up from there.  For example, if you are not averaging at least 12 transactions a year, you are required to go through the entire 40 hours.  Break downs could be something along the lines of 24 transactions a year drops to 32 hours of CE, etc.

Thirdly, the costs of entry and renewal.  I just renewed my license.  It cost me a whole $160 for a 2 year renewal.  When my MLS/CAR renewal comes up in December, that will run me just under $500.  These costs should be higher.  It should be costs that make us take a second look before even entering the profession.  Truly making it sink in that this is a business and we should treat it as such.  How much higher?  How about in the thousands?  $1000 per year just for your license and another $3000-$5000 for MLS/CAR.  I'm tired of the 'part-timers' and 'hobbiest's' that  make our professional look like a cake walk and that we are all monkeys.  

We can squawk and balk and rant and rave all we want.  Until these basic things are changed, we will forever be seen as monkeys in an easy to enter "exclusive" society out only to 'steal' away a % of the sale of someone's home.

Coeur d'Alene is global - and it's not 'just' because of our potatoes . . .

There was an interesting article in the Coeur d'Alene Press today that brought to light just how global Coeur d'Alene really is.  It's interesting that we have cuisine that is desired by other cultures.  I wrote a bit more on our blog here.

Taiwan to get a taste of Idaho . . . Resort executive chef heads overseas to promote Idaho agriculture . . .

While there, Jessick will be involved in three seminars, will judge an iron chef competition and visit restaurants that will participate in the menu promotion -- meat and potatoes as he called it.

"My main job is to teach these people how to cook these dishes, because they're not used to it," Jessick said. "They're used to preparing Asian dishes, and suddenly you say pork prime rib, and they say 'what am I going to do with that?'"

OFHEO News Release