Ringin & Singin with Mark Don McInnes
Having lived in many areas of the USA over the years, I've had the opportunity to create business and personal relationships with people from sea to shining sea. In fact, I know at least one person in most states, and up until today, Idaho was an exception. I decided to change that by giving Mark Don McInnes a call. Mark is somewhat new to ActiveRain, and he hit the ground running here in the rain, writing some great blogs about the North Idaho market he serves in the Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry markets.
From his blog posts, I gathered Mark is serious about business, knowledgeable and passionate about his market, and offers up a great sense of humor - from our conversation, what I gathered was correct. We talked about many of topics, from business to life, good times and bad, and got to know each other over about an hour that seemed to fly by! We had a laugh about my geographical ineptitude - I was unfamiliar with his area and didn't have a computer in front of me to look at a map - I acted as if a lightbulb went off when he said "about 60 miles from the Canadian border". Oh, I know right where that is...yes, Canada...I'm familiar with the area! : )
I was surprised to learn that Mark has spent a lot of time living nearby my current location, having spent time in Newport Beach, the Pasadena area, and Lake Tahoe as well - we both share a love of the outdoors, and when Mark moved to Idaho 8 years ago, he made sure his new home was close to the water so he could still enjoy boarding and kayaking. Although he doesn't miss the southern California traffic, he does miss being so close to the ocean. The smell, sights, and aura of being seaside is something that you have to experience to really understand, and Mark certainly never took it for granted. It's something I have extreme gratitude for as well.
I also got a lesson on the weather of Northern Idaho - being in similar latitudes to the great lakes region, I anticipated that Mark's neck of the woods would be a giant snowfield this time of year, but he said he was used to far more snow and bigger storms back in his Lake tahoe days. He filled me in on the microclimates present in Idaho that I had no idea existed. I love learning so it was fascinating to hear about an area I previously had no knowledge of.
Mark has been in the real estate business for 8 years and in that time has gotten to know his marketplace well. There are various types of homes in the area and a great variance in price ranges. Residents enjoy large plots of land and attempts by developers to create 'cookie cutter' homes on an acre of land haven't worked out so well - seeing these types of developments taking over so many other markets in the country, this was great to hear! There are many homes in the area that are used as second homes and investment properties as people enjoy the area both as a place to get away, and a place to enjoy many of the nearby recreational opportunities. Mark's passion for his work shined through when he explained the happiness he feels in helping a buyer get a home, realizing the dream of home ownership when sometimes they may have felt it out of reach.
This was the first, but definitely not the last, time I'll be talking with Mark, and I hope I'll get the chance to meet up with him in person next time he makes a return trip to southern California. I would strongly recommend his real estate services to anyone in the North Idaho market, especially in his backyard of Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry area. If you want a great example of how to blog effectively, or if you just want to meet an outstanding individual, I'd suggest you stop by Mark's blog and say hello. You'll be glad you did.
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