real estate: Ever think: "There but for the Grace of God go I?"
- 04/28/14 05:21 AM
As the world began to fall apart a few years ago, many of us found ourselves in the same position: desperate. Nothing was selling, our savings and funds depleted, our marriages failing. Some quit the business. I experienced what many of my customers were going through. Some were filing Chapter 13 or 7; I filed Chapter 11 Reorganization. Though I didn't have a home foreclosed or repossed, I divorced and my ex went through the experience. Many, like me, altered how they worked in real estate. I became an investor, developer for projects, a bird dog of sorts for businesses, and … (1 comments)
real estate: Seasons of Sandpoint, Idaho - A Photographic Journal: January 2012, First Edition
- 02/21/12 02:32 AM
This series of blog entries features the various seasons in and aroundSandpoint, Idaho.Sandpoint, North Idaho, Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, and Lake Pend Oreille have been featured in the national news repeatedly over the last several years. Autumn of 2011 found Sandpoint, Idaho being voted America's Most Beautiful Small Town by Rand McNally, and in the winter of 2011/2012 Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort was named the Best Ski Resort of the Season by USA Today/Rand McNally. Real Estate in Sandpoint has been on the rise approximately 7% a year for three years, much in part due to the decrease in pricing. That … (1 comments)
real estate: More pics of downtown Sandpoint for Country Living Magazine: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 03/27/10 10:50 AM
So, as I wrote in my previous blog, besides being featured in a 6-page article in Where to Retire magazine, Country Living has asked me for photos of Sandpoint. They specifically wanted Main Street, but I let them know our main place of happenings is First Avenue. So, I took these pics this morning and sent them in to their New York headquarters. You get a sneak peek at them first.
Cedar Street Bridge on First and Cedar
Farmin Park at Main and Oak in Sandpoint, Idaho
First Avenue in Sandpoint, Idaho
Historic Panida Theater on First … (2 comments)
real estate: Country Living has a new article on Sandpoint and they asked for my photos
- 03/27/10 08:39 AM
Pretty cool huh! Country Living spent a couple of days here last fall, and we have been looking for the article ever since. They kind of headquartered themselves at Dish Home Cooking during their stay, and though I never came into contact with them, I received an e-mail Friday from the magazine asking me for pics. They had some specifics they needed, but I also sent them the photographs below. It'll be interesting to see if they use any of them. Anyway, after being featured pretty prominently in the December issue of Where to Retire, a magazine with 2,900,000 subscribers, it … (0 comments)
real estate: God bless Canada: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/12/10 02:15 PM
While watching Tom Brockaw's tribute to Canada for the Winter Olympics I felt a kinship and the pang of family pride with my Canadian cousins to the north. In the 1640s, my first ancestor was among the explorers of Canada, and for generations, my French forebears were among the first to visit this continent. To learn more about my family's origins in America, please visit http://www.angelfire.com/tx/cajunmae/ We were not rich, and unlike many of the boastful in New Enland, my family has been serving the wealthy and prominent for centuries. The word 'Chauvinism' comes from one of my ancestors, who followed Napoleon so … (1 comments)
real estate: Is it getting harder to be a Sandpoint real estate agent, or is it just me? Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/11/10 08:29 AM
For years, I was one of the few REALTORS that did REO in my area. There is only one REO specializing company, and I started locally with them. Short sales, bank repos, it all took a bit more skill than the rest of the agents in our market, and I finally decided to stop doing them. Still, every year about 25% of my sales were REO. Then the world fell apart. My friends Cindy Bond and Merry Brown Hayes have both related this is the hardest they have ever worked in real estate. I am not complaining. I had sales, was ranked … (23 comments)
real estate: Relay for Life: the Mardi Gras Kickoff Party sponsored by the American Cancer Society - Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/11/10 07:06 AM
Cancer is still the scourge of our planet, with most forms having no known cure. Our own Sandpoint Mardi Gras culminates with the kickoff on Fat Tuesday of the Relay for Life Mardi Gras Kickoff Party, sponsored and hosted by our own local volunteers. Come and learn how you can get involved with this year's American Cancer Society's event which will be held in June..."It's a celebration"... Put it on your calendar for Fat Tuesday, February 16th at the Masonic Lodge in Sandpoint. Festivities start at 5:30 pm and appetizers, wine, and beer tastings will be provided by Pend d'Oreille Winery … (0 comments)
real estate: Sandpoint is a manufacturing town and Smart Plugs is our newest green, high-tech manufacturer: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/11/10 06:31 AM
People think of Sandpoint as a tourist town, and that is true. However, tourism ranks way below the other main employers. In order, our biggest employment sectors are manufacturing, government, education, and then tourism. So, while tourism provides a healthy boost to our economy, without producers such as Coldwater Creek, Quest Aircraft, Airtow, Lignetics, Thorne Research, Unicep Packaging, and Litehouse Foods, we would have far fewer high-paying jobs. Our most recent addition is Smart Plugs: a green technology company that manufactures high-tech, cleaner burning spark plugs, and a combination catalytic converter/smart spark plug. This new technology helps not only our cars … (1 comments)
real estate: Lot's more to do outdoors this winter than skiing: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/06/10 02:33 AM
Last Tuesday, on my North Idaho Business talk radio show, I had the pleasure of interviewing two upcoming events. The first is the Moyie Springs Sno Cross. This event has Trophy Class snowbike racing and snowmobile races. Up there, past Bonners Ferry and north of Sandpoint is the Moyie Springs Sports Park. The races have the qualifiers Saturday and the Finals Sunday. Looks to be a pretty cool event. Here are the vitals: MOYIE SPRINGS SNO CROSS February 13th & 14thSaturday 10am - 4pmSunday 10am - 2pm For more info, contact Arron Dabbs (208) 277-5413 or inyourfacemotorsports@gmail.com Also coming up is … (1 comments)
real estate: Madcap Mardi Gras takes over Sandpoint, Idaho: Sandpoint Real Estate Blog
- 02/06/10 02:14 AM
The first year I came to Sandpoint I was invited to putt-putt at the Downtown Golf Scramble. We had a blast. You golf on tiny courses set up at various businesses, several of which serve you cocktails, then end up at a restaurant where prizes for best round and such are handed out. It was a cold February day, and we finished at Ivano's. My team won 'Worst Dressed.' Another year my restaurant, Wigleys, was one of the vendors for the Mardi Gras Ball. I love the event. After all, I am from New Orleans. There are events that take place … (2 comments)
If you want a REALTOR that works for you 24/7, and is community minded, give me a call at 208-610-1384. To learn all about Sandpoint and North Idaho, visit www.SandpointID.net
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real estate: Real Estate Blog: www.SandpointID.net receiving awards and success: Gary Lirette, REALTOR
- 01/27/10 04:20 AM
This morning, my website that I provide for my business as well as a community resource, received an award on www.Garden-Planters.com Here is the link for their awards page. While it may not seem that this is something a gardening site would consider, we have the only Farm & Foods Guide for our part of North Idaho. Our website gets over 12,000 hits a month, and informs on hundreds of varying subjects, providing, again, hundreds of pages, thousands of photos, videos, graphs, information, and more. The site promotes our town and North Idaho, and it is easy to navigate. Plus, it … (0 comments)
real estate: People ask me if I am busy. Well, yes I am. The crazy life of radio host and REALTOR® Gary Lirette
- 01/05/10 10:57 PM
So, what's up in my life? Lack of time. Who knew when I moved to North Idaho that I would wear so many hats. Let's see, here's my life: Host of two radio shows - North Idaho Business and North Idaho Arts & Adventure. REALTOR® for Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty. Had two closings in the last two weeks. Just finishing organizing the Sandpoint Winter Carnival. Among the different tasks for the Carnival has been organizing the Winter ArtTrek: over 80 artists at 17 locations, including map, website, and advertising. See this year's schedule at www.SandpointWinterCarnival.com and check out last year's … (3 comments)
real estate: Christmas season a success for North Idaho businesses
- 01/05/10 10:39 PM
Okay, so I don't have any hard data, but I am working with dozens of local businesses right now, so I believe i have the skinny. For the last several weeks I have been organizing the Sandpoint Winter Carnival. Part of that is putting together the Winter ArtTrek: 80 North Idaho artists displaying art at 17 locations in Sandpoint, Idaho as part of the Winter Carnival. Also, we have been putting together the new event called Shop Around Sandpoint. Add to that working closely with 15 restaurants for Dine Around Sandpoint (www.DineAroundSandpoint.com). I manage one of those restaurants every weekend - … (2 comments)
real estate: Volunteers, seminars, and a new way to quit smoking on my radio show: North Idaho Business
- 12/29/09 10:10 AM
Today is Decmeber 28, 2009, and we had four guests on the North Idaho Business radio show on KSPT and KBFI. Today's guests were Ryan Bliss from the new store at Bonner Mall: The Vapor Depot, Kyle Mercer from the Garden Company, Chief Robert Tyler of the Sandpoint Fire Department, and my old friend Pat Fecik of Captured Image Video Productions. The Vapor Depot is a smoking alternative product that uses electronic cigarettes. No smoke, a great way to quit or at least get rid of the cancerous parts of cigarettes and cigars, and is very cool. They started as an … (2 comments)
real estate: Sandpoint, Idaho: A great place to live
- 12/21/09 10:04 PM
The Story of Sandpoint, North Idaho Sandpoint, North Idaho, Schweitzer Ski Resort, and Lake Pend Oreille gets a lot of attention, with a new article about to come out in Country Living magazine, and me, Gary Lirette, and Sandpoint recently featured in Where to Retire magazine. Now you want to know the inside story. In the last few years we have had literally dozens of articles, television shows, news reports, etc., that have touted our area as the paradise of the West. Sure, we have some of the same issues that most communities our size have to tackle, but the good far outpaces the bad. Tourism … (2 comments)
real estate: Idaho ranked as 14th Happiest State in study published in the journal Science
- 12/17/09 01:11 PM
In a study just published by the UK's University of Warwick and Hamilton College Idaho was ranked the 14th happiest state in the US. The researchers used the happiness levels of a million individual US citizens to discover which are the best and worst states in which to live in the United States. The study found a quantifiable correlation between objective quality of life factors such as air quality and congestion and the subjective opinions of those that live in the subject states. This correlation was made possible by a study by Stuart Gabriel and colleagues from UCLA published in 2003 … (0 comments)
real estate: Sandpoint Winter Carnival - Schedule of Events - Sandpoint and Schweitzer Mountain Winter Bliss
- 12/17/09 02:34 AM
Sandpoint Winter Carnival is a great way to celebrate the winter, with bonfires, rail jam, fireworks, great food, and so much more. Schweitzer Mountain puts on quite the show, and 2010 looks to be a fantastic repeat of the great fun and success Winter Carnival had in 2009. To see everything that happened last year, check out Sandpoint Winter Carnival-A look back on 2009.
This year there are some new additions. One is Dine Around Sandpoint, offering discounts and other fun events like wine tastings and beer tastings, at some of Sandpoints finest dining establishments. There are prizes and … (0 comments)
real estate: Market Commentary from Chris Basset of MetLife Home Loans in Sandpoint, Idaho
- 12/02/09 05:30 AM
Fannie Mae's shares are still falling, and they in turn tightening their lending requirements all together. One change is to get rid of all loans <80%LTV and no FICO's below 620. This will mean a continued increase in volume for FHA loans that require a 620 FICO but only 3.5% down. If you are selling a house that is in good condition, a good option is USDA Guaranteed. No money down, and the income limit for a family of four is $73,600. Condo approvals are available for Fannie and Freddie directly through MetLife. We will have direct approvals for FHA … (0 comments)
real estate: Mission Statement for Gary Lirette: REALTOR® for Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty
- 12/02/09 02:49 AM
My promise to my community and clients Commitment, service, and community are words bandied easily it seems these days, but not seen often. This is my promise. I promise to work diligently for my clients, friends, and family: to be a man of integrity, learning the newest methods, becoming not only proficient at cutting edge technologies and practices, but to become an expert for their benefit. I am committed to being their advocate, to helping improve their lives, both professionally and personally, in all ways I am able. I honor service: service to my home of North Idaho, service to my … (1 comments)
Sandpoint, Spokane, and Coeur d'Alene Guide and Blog by Author Gary Lirette - Greater Spokane Incorporated Ambassador, Author of Passion for Wine, and host of the North Idaho Business radio show.
As the world began to fall apart a few years ago, many of us found ourselves in the same position: desperate.
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