Coeur d’Alene Condo in the Village
2011 Windermere Market Review
Our Annual Windermere Report (see link below) is an overview of last year’s real estate market and a forecast of the trends, opportunities, and challenges we can expect in the coming months.
Forecasting the future is always a risky business. However, we continue to remain optimistic about the future of our local real estate market. Why? Because families and retiring baby boomers will continue to seek out healthy communities that offer recreational opportunities, excellent schools and quality health care. And here in Kootenai County, we have these in abundance!
Are you interested in learning how all of this relates to the value of your property in today’s market? Whether you are evaluating investment strategies, tax or estate planning, or perhaps considering a change of address, we are here to help you! We would be happy to prepare a market value report for you, compiled on activity in your local neighborhood and specific to your property.
If you would like a custom market value report, or if you know of someone who needs professional advice regarding real estate, please don’t hesitate to call us.
In the meantime, we hope you find the “Windermere Report” informative. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Sincerely,
2011 Windermere Market Review
Homeowners Exemption Information for 2011
2011 HOMEOWNERS EXEMPTION INFORMATION
Kootenai County Assessor’s Office
Administration Building
451 Government Way
Coeur d’Alene, ID
WHAT IS THE HOMEOWNER’S EXEMPTION?
The Homeowners Exemption is an exemption provided by state law that saves the property owner money on their property taxes. This happens because the exemption deducts 1/2 of the assessed value of the buildings & the one acre home site, up to a maximum of
$92,040 or 50%, whichever is less.
This rate may be adjusted annually.
WHO QUALIFIES?
A property owner who occupies the home as their primary residence and is an Idaho resident.
HOW DO YOU QUALIFY?
- A valid Idaho drivers license (if you drive)
- Vehicle is licensed in Idaho (if you own a vehicle)
- If the property is in a trust, bring the entire trust with you
- Registered Idaho voter (if you vote)
- If you file income tax; at the appropriate time the property owner
- Would file a full year Idaho resident income tax return
- You reside in Idaho for a majority of the year
WHEN DO I FILE?
- On new construction the owner must apply within thirty (30) days of purchase.
- On existing homes the deadline for applying is April 15th of the year that you occupied the home.
WHERE DO I FILE?
The Homeowners Exemption Applications are available, and must be filed in the Assessor’s Office. The Assessor’s Office is located at 451 Government Way on the main floor of the Administration building, next to the information desk.
FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE ~
Call the Assessor’s Office at (208) 446-1513
E-mail bwilliams@kcgov.us
Revised
Thank you, Pioneer Title Company for this timely information!
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“
ON THE LEVEL: Save Money on Utility Bills This Winter
Here’s some more great stuff from our friends at Hibbard Construction.
Our summer tans have long since faded, the patio furniture and BBQ grill have been stored and the first winter snowfall has already hit the Treasure Valley. It is safe to say winter has officially arrived and for many so have enormous heating costs.
The television and web are full of great ideas on how to save money on energy costs, but more often than not it takes money to save money. Over the course of building homes for the last 40 years, Hibbard Construction employs building practices to ensure the energy efficiency of our homes.
In 2009, we conducted a survey of our past clients from the last 15 years and inquired about the energy costs of their “Hibbard Home”. We were delighted to learn that our homes are still some of the most energy efficient homes built and that our customer’s energy costs are still well below the average cost of most homeowners with similar sized homes.
For many, making the initial investment on an energy efficient new home or on major home improvement projects to make a home more energy efficient just isn’t in the cards this year.
But, that doesn’t mean you are out of options. There are some simple things you can do to cut your heating costs. Below you will find nine tips on how to save money on energy bills without breaking the bank. Each tip should cost from nothing to very little. With a little ingenuity you can reduce your heating bills this winter.
1. Bundle up! Running around with shorts and a tank top in the middle of winter just doesn’t make much sense. Winter is winter because it is cold, so act like it even if you’re just sitting around the house. Put on a sweater or sweatshirt; wear socks and fuzzy slippers (who isn’t more comfortable in their favorite sweats anyways?). Place a soft, comfy blanket on the couch to cuddle up in while watching TV, reading or chatting with friends. Put throw rugs on hardwood and tile floors to eliminate the shock of the ice-cold surfaces. It doesn’t cost anything to wear warmer clothes inside and by doing so you can keep the temperature inside the house a few degrees cooler and save big.
2. Not all doors and windows are created equal and not all are used in the winter, so plastic up the windows and doors that are going to go unused. There are window kits for sale for about $5 per window. These can help to eliminate drafts to keep in the heat!
3. Turn the heat down at night and when no one is home. This doesn’t mean turn the heat to 40 degrees, but turning it down to 60 overnight or while you’re away can make a big difference. Think about it; why keep it 70 degrees when you’re either sleeping (add an extra blanket to your bed) or out of the house for more than 12 hours a day? You can adjust the thermostat manually for free, but if you want to spend a few bucks a programmable thermostat is a great investment.
4. After baking cookies or making dinner in the oven, leave the door open a crack. There’s a lot of heat in that oven, so letting it escape puts the heat to good use by warming up the kitchen and surrounding rooms. This means the furnace has to run a little bit less.
5. Use a space heater only in the current room you are occupying (remember to use caution with space heaters, as they are a very common source of home fires). This will take the nip out of the air to make you feel more comfortable without heating all of the other rooms in the house and wasting energy.
6. Use silicone to fill any cracks in doors, windows, etc, including the basement floor and walls. You would be surprised at how much heat is lost through cracks that seem insignificant. A tube of caulk or silicone will only run you a few dollars and, it’s an easy weekend project.
7. Close any vents going to rooms that are not used regularly. That guest room that sits empty when you don’t have any guests? Close the door and the vents. Doing so, can easily cut 100-200 square feet off of your energy footprint.
8. Put weather stripping around windows and doors. Weather stripping helps quite a bit, especially in older homes. You’d be surprised how the seals around your doors and windows can deteriorate over time.
9. Cover up the attic entry with plastic, pieces of insulation, old blankets, weather stripping, saran wrap, painter drop cloth, or even a few old shirts. Any of it will help to slow, if not, stop, the drafts and warm air from floating away through your roof. Heat rises and may be getting pulled right up through the attic so you may not notice a cold draft even though your expensive hot air is floating away.
These tips won’t save you thousands like installing all new energy efficient windows would. But they will help you to save as much as possible and make a noticeable difference on your heating bill and take but a few minutes and maybe a few dollars to implement.
We would look forward to hearing from you regarding questions you may have or discussing ideas and developing a plan that would fit your budget if you are looking to make energy efficient improvements to save more money in the long run.