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As a buyer, you are entitled to know exactly what you are getting. Don’t take for granted what you see and what the seller or the listing agent tells you. A professional home inspection is something you MUST do, whether you are buying an existing home or a new one. An inspection is an opportunity to have an expert look closely at the property you are considering purchasing and getting both an oral and written opinion as to its condition.

Beforehand, make sure the report will be done by a professional organization, such as a local trade organization or a national trade organization such as ASHI (American Society of Home Inspection). Not only should you never skip an inspection, but also you should go along with the inspector during inspection. This gives you a chance to ask questions about the property and get answers that are not biased. In addition, the oral comments are typically more revealing and detailed than what you will find on the written report. Once the inspection is complete, review the inspection report carefully.

You have to demand an inspection when you present your offer. It must be written in as a contingency; if you do not approve the inspection report, then you don’t buy. Most real estate contracts automatically provide an inspection contingency.

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Finding the best home for you and your family can be a challenge. One thing you can do that can help you choose a home is to know how much you can afford in a monthly basis. You can find out this information by going to a bank and seeing how much they a willing to lend you for a mortgage. It is recommended that if you do go to a bank to find this information out that you get a good faith estimate. A good faith estimate is the amount the bank assess the closing cost will come up to. A bank can offer you low interest rate but if the closing cost is too high you might not be able to afford the mortgage.

Another thing you can do that can help you choose a home is to look at as many homes as you possibly can. The more homes you look at the more likely you will find the kind of home you are looking for. One place you can look is your local newspaper. Another place you can look is online. The good thing about online is some sites have good pictures of homes. With pictures you can have an idea of how the house looks like before you see it in person. When it comes to online it tends to have more information about a property than the local newspapers.

One last thing you can do that can help you choose a home is to make a list of what you think is the most important things you want in a home. By doing this it will give you something to focus on. It is recommended that you make copies of the list and bring it with you when looking at a house. You can use this list to check off all the things you see in a house that is on it. This will help you when it is time to make the big decision. Finding the best home for you and your family may not be an easy thing to do. If you use some of the information you read here the process of finding the right home can become a bit easier.

Real Estate by Rain!  See Rain Silverhawk for homes in the Northern Idaho area of Sandpoint, Sagle, Clark Fork, Hope, Bonners Ferry, Preist Lake

1. Create valuable content

When I build websites for people I can figure that if they have an interest in the subject, chances are good other people will to. No matter what it is you are interested in there is a site on the net about it. When I want to know something I turn to the internet. My high school son has to research things on a daily basis, while he loves to read books, most of the research is done and credited to websites. We have a very valuable tool at our fingertips. So with this in mind the very first thing that you need to concentrate on to get people to your site is to have good content. Notice I said people. You don’t want nameless traffic that sees your site for 20 seconds and moves on. You want people who come to your site and stay until they have seen ever little bit. I love it when I get comments like I came to your site and stayed for 5 hours. Or I had 3 people tell me that your site was the best place to come. Remember that the purpose of content is to provide value to others. Word of mouth is the key, so you have to give them something to talk about.

2. Create original content.

All to often I find people who want a site just like so in so. They want the graphics, the text, and the success. It’s hard to compete with an original content site. Search engines are pretty good about finding the original to promote. Nothing is worse than finding the same article on 5 different sites. If you don’t feel passionate enough to find your own way, why should anyone seek you out. Be original!

3. Write for human beings first, computers second

You will find hundreds of ideas about how long a post should be, what it should include, what the keyword density should be. etc I tend to ignore this because my audience is real and alive. While algorthyms may change each month, people are still people and that is who accounts for the real traffic of a website. Of course you want to be high in the search engines, but think about what happens when google dumps all the well ranked sites. People all over the world get upset and start complaining that google is destroying their business. I believe in many eggs in many baskets. I figure that if a site is well ranked in the search engines and the search engines account for 20 percent of their traffic, then this is a healthy site. It means there are more people linking to a site because they want to refer to it. I have been dumped off the front page of google many times and it has never had a staggering affect on my sites traffic because the majority were coming in from other websites. Write for the people and they will come.

4. Make it easy for people to link to you.

Offer link exchange programs or give them the code to link to you. Set up accounts at places like Digg, Delicious, Netscape, Stumbleupon, Yahoo MyWeb, Reddit, Furl, Newsvine, Lookmarks, Blinklist, RealEstateVoices Network with other people!

Sandpoint is located on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille, and is blessed with a true four season climate. Usually, there are only a few sub-zero days each winter while summer has equally few days on which the temperature rises above 90 degrees. The fall colors rival New England and the summers are perfect for getting out doors and enjoying all that this scenic area has to offer. Many people define Sandpoint as an artists town because of the high number of very talented people who call this home. Paintings, artwork, fine wood carvings, log furniture, antler chandeliers, makers, musicians, jewelry designers are just a few treats in store for you right here in Sandpoint.

When coming in from Montana, Clark Fork Idaho is the port of entry to the Selkirk Loop via the gorgeous Pend Oreille Scenic Byway along Highway 200.
Established when the Northern Pacific pushed its main line through Northern Idaho in the 1880s. Located at the northeast end of Lake Pend Oreille on the Clark Fork River, this small but active community hosts a full range of outdoor activities, along with gift shops, restaurants, and lodging. In the background are the Cabinet range of the Rocky Mountains. The Cabinet Gorge dam is just upstream and supplies power to the area. Also upstream is the Cabinet Gorge fish hatchery, designed to handle 20 million Kokanee salmon annually. Clark Fork was named in honor of William Clark who along with Meriweather Lewis headed the expedition to the west in 1804.
Great fishing, wildlife and bird watching, Mountain Biking, Miles of National Forest Service Trails. As most of you know this is where I decided to make my home. I bought some of the most beautiful acreage I have ever seen near the Clark Fork River with the help of Realtor Nancy Ferguson of Sandpoint Real Estate

1 Festival of Trees Holiday Luncheon. The Kinderhaven Angel of the Year Awards will be presented during this luncheon at the Sandpoint Airport in a hangar; follow the balloons from Great Northern Road, from noon to 1:30 p.m. This annual Kinderhaven fund-raiser includes a silent auction and raffle. Tickets are $25 and include lunch. 208-263-4429

2 Clark Fork Christmas Bazaar. The women of Clark Fork Methodist Church, Lutheran Church, and Church of Latter-Day Saints put on this annual event with homemade crafts, second-hand treasures perfect for gifts, and other Christmas goodies from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Beginning at 11 a.m., lunches of homemade soup, pie and beverages are available for $4 each. All proceeds go toward efforts to make Christmas brighter for those in need. The event is held at the Methodist Church located at 12 W. Second Street in Clark Fork. 208-266-1541

2 Christmas Tree Lighting. Schweitzer rings in the holiday season with the traditional lighting of the Christmas Tree. See Schweitzer.com. 208-263-9555

2 Festival of Trees. Gala event with loud auction, silent auction and hors d’oeuvre dinner at the Sandpoint Airport in a hangar; follow the balloons from Great Northern Road, at 6 p.m. Bid on beautifully decorated Christmas Trees in this annual Kinderhaven fund-raiser. Tickets are $40. 208-263-4429

3 Blues & Jazz. Bruce Bishop plays smooth blues and jazz every Sunday at the Hope Market Cafe from noon until 2:30 p.m. Hope Market Cafe carries an extensive array of artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, fine wines and ales, with outdoor seating overlooking the lake. No cover charge. 208-264-0506

4-6 Sip & Shop for Charity. Throughout Pend d’Oreille Winery’s annual Sip & Shop program, ten percent of all sales between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on select nights goes to different organizations in the community. The event benefits Pend Oreille Arts Council Dec. 4, Bonner General Hospital Auxiliary Dec. 5, and Festival at Sandpoint Dec. 6. The program continues Dec. 11. See POWine.com. 208-265-8545

4 Monday Night Blues Jam. The Blues Jam, hosted by Truck Mills, has been an ongoing Sandpoint music tradition for more than 12 years. Weekly at Eichardt’s, 212 Cedar Street. The pub and grill also features an extensive variety of microbrews, an upstairs game room, wine list and complete lunch and dinner menu. Starts at 8 p.m., no cover charge. 208-263-4005

6 Open Mic Night. Weekly open mic for poets, songwriters, comics and performers of all kinds at Downtown Crossing, starts around 9 p.m. 208-265-5080

7 Open DeeJay Nite. Spin tunes at Synergy during Open DeeJay Nite every Thursday. Bring and play anything you please, beginning at 8 p.m. Any music mediums accepted. Live beat matching not required. Open to those 21 and older. No cover charge. 208-255-4412

9 Bruce Innis Concert. Concert featuring classical pianist with Beth Pederson, 8 p.m. at the Panida. Fund-raiser for Cinde Borup Memorial Music scholarship. 208-263-9191

10 Blues & Jazz. Bruce Bishop plays smooth blues and jazz every Sunday at the Hope Market Cafe from noon until 2:30 p.m. Hope Market Cafe carries an extensive array of artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, fine wines and ales, with outdoor seating overlooking the lake. No cover charge. 208-264-0506

11-13 Sip & Shop for Charity. Throughout Pend d’Oreille Winery’s annual Sip & Shop program, ten percent of all sales between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on select nights goes to different organizations in the community. The event benefits Friends of West Bonner County Library District Dec. 11, Dec. 12 is open, and Panida Theater Dec. 13. See POWine.com. 208-265-8545

11 Monday Night Blues Jam. The Blues Jam, hosted by Truck Mills, has been an ongoing Sandpoint music tradition for more than 12 years. Weekly at Eichardt’s, 212 Cedar Street. The pub and grill also features an extensive variety of microbrews, an upstairs game room, wine list and complete lunch and dinner menu. Starts at 8 p.m., no cover charge. 208-263-4005

13 Open Mic Night. Weekly open mic for poets, songwriters, comics and performers of all kinds at Downtown Crossing, starts around 9 p.m. 208-265-5080

13 KPND Ski & Board Party. Radio deejay Jonny Knight and Mike Deprez co-host this series of ever-popular parties with thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes and music, 5 p.m. at Slate’s Restaurant & Sports Lounge. 208-263-1381

14-15 A Christmas Memory. In this nostalgic one-man play, writer Truman Capote warmly remembers “fruitcake weather” from his childhood days, when he and his odd family would bake for all their far-away friends and partake in other Christmas-time rituals. Robert Shampain, an LA-based actor at the top of his game, directs and stars in this Flat Hat production, set in the rural South during the Depression. Founder of Flat Hat Productions, Rob Kincaid, and his wife, Amy Craven, each with an extensive musical education behind them, perform music in the play, held at First Lutheran Church at 7:30 p.m. See FlatHatProductions.com for tickets and other info. 208-263-3504

14 Open DeeJay Nite. Spin tunes at Synergy during Open DeeJay Nite every Thursday. Bring and play anything you please, beginning at 8 p.m. Any music mediums accepted. Live beat matching not required. Open to those 21 and older. No cover charge. 208-255-4412

16 Family Shopping Day. Downtown merchants cater to family holiday shoppers with contests, gift wrapping and other activities for this fun day downtown, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by Downtown Sandpoint. 208-255-1876

16 The Jazzy Nutcracker. Studio One Dance Academy presents this annual dance performance by students, 7 p.m. at the Panida. 208-263-9191

17 Blues & Jazz. Bruce Bishop plays smooth blues and jazz every Sunday at the Hope Market Cafe from noon until 2:30 p.m. Hope Market Cafe carries an extensive array of artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, fine wines and ales, with outdoor seating overlooking the lake. No cover charge. 208-264-0506

18 Monday Night Blues Jam. The Blues Jam, hosted by Truck Mills, has been an ongoing Sandpoint music tradition for more than 12 years. Weekly at Eichardt’s, 212 Cedar Street. The pub and grill also features an extensive variety of microbrews, an upstairs game room, wine list and complete lunch and dinner menu. Starts at 8 p.m., no cover charge. 208-263-4005

19 Danceworks’ Christmas Show. Annual dance performance by Danceworks students, 7 p.m. at the Panida. 208-263-9191

20 Men’s Night. Downtown merchants cater to men for holiday shopping, with special help in picking out gifts, refreshments and gift wrapping in the evening hours. Sponsored by Downtown Sandpoint. 208-255-1876

20 Open Mic Night. Weekly open mic for poets, songwriters, comics and performers of all kinds at Downtown Crossing, starts around 9 p.m. 208-265-5080

21 Open DeeJay Nite. Spin tunes at Synergy during Open DeeJay Nite every Thursday. Bring and play anything you please, beginning at 8 p.m. Any music mediums accepted. Live beat matching not required. Open to those 21 and older. No cover charge. 208-255-4412

22 Rail Jam. Schweitzer hosts the first in a series of four night-time rail jams in Village. See Schweitzer.com. 208-263-9555

23 No Cover Concert. Local rock group performs in concert at 8 p.m. at the Panida. 208-263-9191

24 Santa’s Traditional Schweitzer Visit. Santa hits the slopes, then makes a special visit to the Selkirk Lodge. See Schweitzer.com. 208-263-9555

24 Blues & Jazz. Bruce Bishop plays smooth blues and jazz every Sunday at the Hope Market Cafe from noon until 2:30 p.m. Hope Market Cafe carries an extensive array of artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, fine wines and ales, with outdoor seating overlooking the lake. No cover charge. 208-264-0506

25 Monday Night Blues Jam. The Blues Jam, hosted by Truck Mills, has been an ongoing Sandpoint music tradition for more than 12 years. Weekly at Eichardt’s, 212 Cedar Street. The pub and grill also features an extensive variety of microbrews, an upstairs game room, wine list and complete lunch and dinner menu. Starts at 8 p.m., no cover charge. 208-263-4005

27 KPND Ski & Board Party. Radio deejay Jonny Knight and Mike Deprez co-host this series of ever-popular parties with thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes and music, 5 p.m. at Hooties at the Elks. 208-255-7494

27 Open Mic Night. Weekly open mic for poets, songwriters, comics and performers of all kinds at Downtown Crossing, starts around 9 p.m. 208-265-5080

28 Open DeeJay Nite. Spin tunes at Synergy during Open DeeJay Nite every Thursday. Bring and play anything you please, beginning at 8 p.m. Any music mediums accepted. Live beat matching not required. Open to those 21 and older. No cover charge. 208-255-4412

31 Blues & Jazz. Bruce Bishop plays smooth blues and jazz every Sunday at the Hope Market Cafe from noon until 2:30 p.m. Hope Market Cafe carries an extensive array of artisan cheeses, gourmet foods, fine wines and ales, with outdoor seating overlooking the lake. No cover charge. 208-264-0506

31 New Year’s Eve. Parties at Schweitzer inside Taps and Chimney Rock Grill. See Schweitzer.com. 208-263-9555

How Sagle Idaho, got it’s name. When the village first got a Post Office, the postmaster submitted the name Eagle, Idaho, to the Postal Department. Eagle was already taken so he merely replaced the “E” with an “S” and Sagle was born.

Located just five miles South of Sandpoint, Sagle is the gateway to the communities of Bottle Bay and Garfield Bay. With its tree lined roads and beautiful scenery Sagle has become one of the areas prime locations to reside. Sagle school has been a long time favorite for the community and remains a centerpiece for family and community activities.

Picture perfect sunsets and expansive lake views dotted with islands, is how most people remember Hope. Just 12 miles from Sandpoint, n the North shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Hope was once a bustling railroad hub, which has since settled into two unique cities, Hope and East Hope and let not forget Beyond Hope on the David Thompson Game preserve on the Hope peninsula. Also found on the peninsula is the Sam Owen Campground, a highly prized area to camp. With over 80 campsites, a wonderful beach, and boat ramp, Sam Owen ranks as one of North Idaho’s finest settingsYou will always see herds of whitetail deer grazing. In the fall and winter Bald Eagles can often be seen resting in the trees along the shoreline.