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December 2011: Free Carriage Rides in Downtown Coeur d’Alene!
We just LOVE this part of living in North Idaho! The STCU is sponsoring FREE Carriage Rides again this year!
Here’s all the info, direct from the STCU Website:Holiday magic
It begins with a free STCU horse-drawn carriage ride.
[November 1, 2011]
Enjoy the winter holidays with a free ride on a horse-drawn carriage through the streets of downtown Spokane or Coeur d’Alene.
The fun begins the day after Thanksgiving in Spokane and December 3 in Coeur d’Alene. Reservations are not necessary. Bring a warm friend and a cozy jacket… or a cozy friend with a warm jacket.
Don’t miss your ride! Check the schedule for holiday magic below:
Downtown Spokane schedule
November 25 – December 24
- 3 to 8 p.m. Fridays
- Noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- Noon to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve
- Meet at Wall Street and Main Avenue.
Break times
- 5 to 6 p.m. Fridays
- 2 to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Your free carriage ride is a holiday present from STCU and Downtown Spokane.
Downtown Coeur d’Alene schedule
December 3 – December 24
- Noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays
- Noon to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve
- Meet at First Street and Sherman Avenue.
Your free carriage ride is a holiday present from STCU and the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association.
Who owns the horse?
Where do the horses and carriage come from? Our thanks to Spencer’s Carriages and Rocking K Ranch for another great season of STCU-sponsored carriage rides!
http://realestatebrowser.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/free-carriage-…coeur-dalene-2
We Have Real Estate Buyers: December 7 List
Thinking of Selling?
We Have Buyers, looking to purchase properties like these:
Post Falls—Home with shop, home size is not an issue, but must be in pretty good condition—up to $159,000
Downtown CDA—2bed/2bath condo—under $200,000
Post Falls/CDA/Hayden—rancher on large lot, 3bed/2bath, 1500+SF, room for shop and/or park RV/ boat—up to $200,000
CDA/Post Falls—single story, private, treed, 2000SF, 3bed/2bath home–$300,000
From I 90 to downtown—3bed/2bath, min 1500SF, older look, nice neighborhood–$250,000
Hayden/CDA—4bed/3bath, min 3000SF, lake view, gourmet kitchen, and privacy–$875,000
CDA/Rathdrum/Hayden/Post Falls—main floor living, 1800SF, 3bed–$180,000
North Idaho—3bed/2bath with room for horses–$180,000
CDA/Hayden—single level /all main floor living, 2+bed/2bath, larger lot at least .25 acre with large trees—up to $160,000
CDA/Post Falls/Rathdrum—one level condo, 2+bed/1bath, attached garage—less than $135,000
Post Falls/Hayden/CDA—2400-3200SF, 3bed/2bath, 3 car garage, would like to be close to lake or golf course–$250,000-$400,000
Call Us Today!
Randy & Christy Oetken
208-660-0506
Oetken@RealEstate-Browser.com
WE CAN HELP: Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge
Challenging Idaho Communities to Help Bring Families off the Street this Winter
Many are at risk of being left out in the cold this winter.
The Home Partnership Foundation, brought to you by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA), is challenging Idahoans to help bring families off the street by donating to a housing-related nonprofit of their choice online through the Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge.
“Because of the economic downturn, the number of people on the brink of homelessness is increasing,” said Gerald Hunter, IHFA president and executive director and Home Partnership Foundation president. “The Foundation’s work is intended to unite efforts to help enhance funding for housing-related nonprofit partners through donations. If you care about preventing homelessness in your area, this is a great opportunity to help.”
The Challenge will run from Nov. 14 to Dec. 31 and allows donors to select which nonprofit in Idaho to donate to and, by doing so, they increase the chances for the nonprofit of their choice to earn a portion of the $25,000 in challenge grants from the Foundation.
Make your gift today by logging onto www.avenuesforhope.org.
Please share this opportunity with friends to help bring families off the street in our community. Follow us on Twitter
(@avenuesforhope) and like us on Facebook.
Maria Ortega
Media Relations Officer
Idaho Housing and Finance Association
208-331-4858
Good News: Existing Home Sales Jump
As you wander through life,
whatever be your goal,
keep your eye on the donut
and not on the hole!
-Sign in the Mayflower Coffee Shop, Chicago
This quote came to us through our Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty newsletter this week, and we thought you would appreciate it.
It’s also a great introduction to the Market News that we want to pass along to you today. It’s GOOD NEWS, especially in the context of the news of recent years.
Daily Real Estate News | January 20, 2011
REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-December Existing-Home Sales JumpExisting-home sales rose sharply in December, when sales increased for the fifth time in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 12.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million in December from an upwardly revised 4.70 million in November, but remain 2.9 percent below the 5.44 million pace in December 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said sales are on an uptrend. “December was a good finish to 2010, when sales fluctuate more than normal. The pattern over the past six months is clearly showing a recovery,” he said. “The December pace is near the volume we’re expecting for 2011, so the market is getting much closer to an adequate, sustainable level. The recovery will likely continue as job growth gains momentum and rising rents encourage more renters into ownership while exceptional affordability conditions remain.”
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $168,800 in December, which is 1.0 percent below December 2009. Distressed homes rose to a 36 percent market share in December from 33 percent in November, and 32 percent in December 2009.
“The modest rise in distressed sales, which typically are discounted 10 to 15 percent relative to traditional homes, dampened the median price in December, but the flat price trend continues,” Yun explained.
We’ve been focusing on the donut instead of the hole – and we’ve already closed several transactions in 2011!
We have strategies that WORK! We can help you buy or sell real estate this year. Call us Today!
Randy or Christy Oetken
208-660-0506
Browser’s Friends in Cougar Gulch
Browser wants to give a “Howl-Out” to our new friends in Cougar Gulch area. We sold them this property last year, and we were so pleased to receive their Christmas Card last month. Here are the pictures of their beautiful family enjoying Christmas in their new home!
We would LOVE to help you find your dream home! With low interest rates, abundant choices, and low prices, now is a great time to buy.
Let us help you Own The Lifestyle.
Visit Browser’s Photo Gallery of all his Friends on his Facebook Fan Page “Browser’s BFF’s“
We’re giving away FREE TURKEYS: Do you know someone in need?
Turkeys to Give Away
A recent Windermere food drive produced such overwhelming community response that the Food Bank has approximately 100 turkeys that need to be given away as soon as possible.
If you know of someone who might need a free turkey, please call like a turkey:
- Please respond by 4pm TODAY (Tuesday)
- Pick it up from the CDA Windermere office, (TOMORROW) Wednesday the 22nd by 10AM
· Please remember to come pick it up on Wednesday morning because we do not have a space to store the turkey for you.
Please call or e-mail us by 4PM Today!
208-660-0506
We Have What Santa Wants!
Here’s What Santa Likes, According to the National Association of Realtors and Zillow.com. But we’ve posted a few suggestions (after the Realtor.org Mag article…) that Santa should add to his Christmas Wish List! Daily Real Estate News | December 16, 2010 |
Rooftop Deliveries: Santa Rates the CitiesZillow.com crunched the numbers and determined the 20 top cities on Santa’s list.
According to Zillow, what makes Santa happy is:
· Percentage of homes with a fireplace (If there are fireplaces, there should be chimneys).
· Percentage of single-story homes (This presumes that Santa would prefer single-story homes so there’s less likelihood of a workplace injury).
· Weather (Snow and clear days are desirable, and rainy days are undesirable).
· Percent of homes with children (Santa enjoys spreading cheer to all the good girls and boys).
·
Vintage 4620′ 4/3 Craftsman in Prestigious Historical Fort Grounds. Grace, Beauty, & Charm… all necessary ingredients in this creation. Architectually restored to preserve yesteryear’s beauty with all of today’s amenities.. Relax on the front porch & feel the tranquility as you gaze into the beautifully manicured grounds. Guest Quarters, shop & plenty of parking. Lake, park & downtown nearby. http://www.realestate-browser.com/viewdetails.php?nid=77398&mls=10-6537
Lot size (A bigger lot often means a bigger roof and more room for Santa to land all those reindeer).
The top 10 Santa-pleasing cities were:
1. Colorado Springs, Colo.
2. Wichita, Kansas
3. Los Angeles
4. Dallas
5. Oklahoma City
6. El Paso, Texas
7. Minneapolis
8. Phoenix
9. Albuquerque
10. Denver
Source: Zillow.com, Whitney Tyner (12/14/2010)
BUT DOES SANTA KNOW THIS:
Bing rated Coeur d’Alene as one of the nation’s 50 best vacation spots in July 2010- Where To Retire listed Coeur d’Alene as one of the 8 Lake and Mountain Bargains!
Hey, Santa! Come visit us when you’re done this year. We’ll help YOU “Own The Lifestyle“!
Browser Says: Don’t Forget the Pup This Christmas!
“Browser” is howling to all his Peeps: Don’t forget the Doggie this year!
And just ’cause he’s such a great guy, he’s found a great recipe site for you to sniff out. Lots of really yummy “looking” things for your favorite four-legged friend. They’d probably smell great, too!
He’d also like to do a little growling. His life has been “no treat” for the past year. Literally. A year ago, he was hospitalized for pancreatitis. (We were really concerned about him for a couple of weeks, but he pulled through.) Poor boy! Now his diet is very restricted. No more puppy treats for him…
Sometimes it just puts him in a “down-tail” mood. If it weren’t for his Friends …and Going Outside…and Snow-Mobiling…his life would be so dull!
So bake up a batch of one of these Doggie Treats for someone you love. (We’ve included a recipe below.)
And, some time soon, will you stop by our office to cheer up our old boy?
Cluck-A-Doodle-Doggie Treats
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
1 cup cooked chicken livers, chopped
Instructions
Combine flour and cornmeal in a bowl. In a large bowl add the egg, oil and broth and mix. Add the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time and mix well between additions. Add chopped chicken livers until well incorporated into a stiff dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and kneed for about 1 minute. Roll out to a thickness of about 1/2″. Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake treats for about 15 minutes or until firm.
Storing Dog Treats
In general you should store dog treats the same way you would homemade people cookies. That being said, there are two main variables that determine storage time – the amount and type of fat in the recipe and your local weather conditions. If your recipe uses fats such as butter, or meat bits or juices then it will be more prone to rancidity than a recipe that uses some vegetable oil or shortening. Your treats may mold or spoil much faster in humid or very hot climates.
Refrigeration and Freezing – Refrigeration will prolong the life of more fragile dog treats. Make sure to store in a tightly sealed container or zip lock bag. You can also freeze most treats in zip lock freezer bags. Allow to thaw completely before use.
Welcome to our Home…at Christmas
Especially during Christmas, our hearts long for the simpler days when a holiday was antipated not so highly for the piles of gifts, but simply for the chance to spend time with friends and loved ones.
Historians often tell of a bygone era, when Christmas was a day to receive visitors into our homes. Hosts would “lay out” an abundance of sweets and savories, ready to welcome their guests, and Townsfolk would promenade from house to house, greeting one and all, enjoying the food and the companionship of their friends and neighbors.
We’ve come a long way since those days. And while we’re a bit sad about the passing of such a warm tradition, we wondered if you might enjoy a tour of our home at Christmas?
We would offer you a cookie or a warm cup of Christmas Cheer if we could, but we do hope you’ll find yourself “at home” in our photo tour – as well as in our hearts – this holiday season.
Welcome to our home. May the blessings of this Christmas Season be yours!
REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-No Foreclosures Over the Holidays
Daily Real Estate News | December 6, 2010 |
No Foreclosures Over the Holidays
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are freezing all foreclosure evictions on the mortgage loans they own or back from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3.
“If the property is occupied, our foreclosure attorneys will suspend the eviction to provide a greater measure of certainty to families during the holidays,” says Anthony Renzi, executive vice president of single family portfolio management at Freddie Mac.
Most of the large banks, including Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, already observe a moratorium through the New Year, unless the foreclosure involves an investor who chooses not to observe the holiday policy.
Source: CNNMoney, Les Christie (12/03/2010)
