Neighborhood of the Week: Looking forward to 2018

Another year gone and an opportunity to reflect.

For anyone new to reading this space, Neighborhood of the Week serves to highlight what’s special about living in North Idaho. Tourists get a taste of our attractions and beautiful landscapes, sure, but living here is something else entirely, and the variety of neighborhoods, home styles and price points allows for people of all demographics to settle here.

Just the fact that Neighborhood of the Week exists speaks to the area’s versatility. Yes, we’ve written about a few neighborhoods more than once, but I’m sure we’ve missed quite a few excellent areas as well (tell us!).

As 2018 looms, we want to know what you want to see in this space. What neighborhoods and areas should we highlight? What kind of real estate coverage do you want to see? Do readers want to know about commercial properties, new construction, or the hottest deals on the market?

From time to time we’ve had columns on general home buying or home maintenance tips (“Tales from the Trenches”). Should there be more detailed pieces on specific aspects in the home buying process? Should we answer reader questions or check in more regularly with some of the bigger real estate outlets in the area?

Write in.

Realtors… I especially want to hear from you. For years now, Neighborhood of the Week has been an opportunity to showcase the neighborhoods that house your represented properties. Being featured in the column is totally free, and while we don’t like to repeat areas soon after writing about them, you can always write in and offer reasons for covering them again.

We also don’t generally feature individual Realtors more than once a year, but perhaps you have a friend or colleague with an inside track on a new development or hidden treasure in the area. Help each other out and suggest that person write in.

Remember also that we don’t feature specific properties in a neighborhood, but we do try to provide a spectrum of pricing and the types of homes and lots available, which basically means we’re talking about your properties indirectly.

I mention all this because, well, I don’t hear from many of you that often. People say I’m a nice guy, but still, my inbox isn’t filled as often as I like. Reach out. Write in.

A note on good neighborhoods

Speaking of my inbox, I was pleased to see a note from a reader in Coeur d’Alene regarding last week’s feature on being a good neighbor and finding places to live that feel like communities. Here are her thoughts on the subject:

“My husband and I moved to Coeur d’Alene and into a new subdivision a few years back. We were one of the ‘first’ couples to buy on that street. We didn’t know anyone who continued to buy the homes that were being built, and one day, I realized we needed to know our neighbors.

So I wrote a letter inviting 20 homes to a coffee at my house that Saturday to get acquainted and come together as a community to support one another in order to have a safe upstanding neighborhood. I was surprised but happy that 13 ladies showed up and it was great to get acquainted!

Today, we have established a weekly Pinochle card game, have a monthly dinner, and we are confident that our neighborhood is safe and secure because we look out for each other.”

The reader didn’t want to specifically mention the neighborhood, but as I’ve learned from speaking to Realtors and residents in the area, many neighborhoods have a similar feeling of community. Maybe not everyone gets together to play cards, but people look out for each other. I think that’s something to linger on as we enter a new year.

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Write in. Send coverage ideas and tips on great places to live in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum and all the other communities in our stretch of the world. Email twilson@cdapress.com.