Neighborhood of the week: Crimson King

A nice little tucked-in neighborhood. That's the consensus on Crimson King, one of Post Falls' newer neighborhoods. Snuggled up against the hills northeast of town, Crimson King feels like it's a world away from the hustle and bustle of Post Falls.

"You don't feel like you're in town," says Jim Fox, a Realtor with Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty. "You get the feeling that you're tucked away, with the hill and the trees."

The development was originally started during the real estate boom. Two homes were built before the boom went bust and most of the lots went back to the bank. It sat idle until the market began to strengthen again, when Monarch Homes recognized the value in the location and purchased a number of the lots. (There are two builders in Crimson King: Monarch Custom Homes and Timberland Construction.)

It's a peaceful spot, tucked up against the hillside. There isn't much traffic, as there are no through streets; the only cars you'll see belong to homeowners or their guests.

You truly are in the center of everything, even if it doesn't feel like it. You're two minutes from the Highlands Golf Course, and two minutes to Interstate 90. You can easily walk to a wide variety of services including banks, restaurants, and shopping.

Crimson King residents are 50/50 families and retired folks/empty nesters who are downsizing, Fox says. They want a larger lot and something that's a step up from an entry-level home.

Monarch Homes offers a number of standard features in their houses at Crimson King. Kitchens include knotty alder cabinets and trim, recessed lighting, laminate wood flooring, and stainless steel appliances. There is also laminate wood flooring in the dining room and entry, craftsman trim packages, three- and four-car garages, and high-efficiency furnaces.

Walk through the houses and you'll find wider hallways, vaulted ceilings, expansive windows, and wood trimmed-out windowsills. Some of the floor plans are split bedroom - the master suite is separated from the guest suite by the living area, for more privacy.

The master bathroom features a double vanity; the walk-in closet can open onto either the master bedroom or the master bath, depending on the homeowners' desires.

Monarch Homes usually places the living area in the rear of the house so it looks onto the best part of a lot in town: the backyard. Houses are built on either full basements or crawl spaces and front yards are landscaped, which includes installing sprinkler systems.

"There are some options with the front yard landscaping," Fox says. "We have a great landscaper that homeowners can work with, so everyone's house looks a little bit different."

Floor plans range in size from 1,320 to more than 3,000 square feet. Clients can select a stock plan and modify it, or Monarch Homes is happy to custom design a plan to suit their clients' needs.

It isn't just the house that the homeowners can design. "They get to pick everything," Fox says. Monarch Homes has a design team that clients can work with on the interior as well as the exterior of their new home.

If you want to add a shop to store your RV or boat, you can. "It's an active lifestyle for the people who are here," he says. "They need places to put their stuff." Lots range in size from 1/4 to more than 1/3 of an acre, so there's plenty of room for those "toys."

Homes are priced from $190,000 to $320,000. There are only five lots left for sale of the original 30, so this subdivision is nearing completion. That means residents won't have to put up with the noise of construction for years to come. It takes about three months from start to finish, from purchasing your lot to moving into your new home.

HOA fees are $300/year, which covers maintenance of the landscaping in and around the development, as well as shoveling the walkways in the winter. The neighborhood is completely fenced, so the fees also include maintaining the fence. The streets are city-dedicated, so are plowed and maintained by the city.

"We promised the original residents that we'd build a quality neighborhood around them," Fox said, "and I think we've done a good job with that."

For more information on tucking yourself into Crimson King, contact Jim Fox at (208) 704-1723 or his partner Bret Minzghor at (208) 704-2310.