New year, new goals
In many ways, 2018 blew by in a flash. My youngest son went from cuddly baby to insane toddler seemingly overnight. Meanwhile, it feels like warm weather has been gone for an eternity, even though it’s only been winter for about a week now.
As for the local real estate market, it’s been a consistently positive story all year long — or at least from the perspective of folks in the industry. I talked to quite a few Realtors over the course of the year, and most everyone offered a good report — with numbers to back their claims. Of course, I assume a few of them probably lied to me, but at the very least they seemed like good liars.
Neighborhood of the Week reported on plenty of new construction in 2018. Much of that was focused on Post Falls and Rathdrum, but even Coeur d’Alene somehow made room for brand-new homes and pop-up developments. If you don’t like growth in the area, then I suppose 2018 wasn’t so positive, but hey, people need to live somewhere.
There’s always some uncertainty in the housing market. This fall, the Spokane-area saw prices and home sales level off, and the Seattle-area reported signs of a cool-off as well. Combine that with rising interest rates and a volatile end to the year on the stock market, and, well, it can’t always be sunshine and rainbows, can it?
In any case, anybody who lives here knows the Inland Northwest remains a terrific place to be, and through Neighborhood of the Week, I’m always encouraged by the variety and volume of quality living options out there. I’d love to keep doing it, but I need a little help from you out there.
Yes, it’s that time of year in which I ask, ‘What do you want to see from Neighborhood of the Week?’ For one, I’d like to look at a few more rural areas in North Idaho outside city limits. We did it a little this year, but I’m always in the mood to drive a little farther and take a few pictures in places I don’t usually frequent.
Just for some variety, I tossed in a few more column-style pieces this year on home decor, maintenance and even new home gift ideas. Good? Bad? Lazy? What about more information on the agents themselves?
And now comes the time I ask for more out of our local real estate agents. Neighborhood of the Week is a free opportunity to showcase neighborhoods in which you have listed properties. Yes, we have some rules, but it’s basically free advertising. I should be hearing from you all the time! Where are you? Do you not like me? (I get it, but still).
As for those rules, here they go:
We try not to repeat specific areas within a year of previously covering them, but you can always write in and offer reasons for covering them again. Yes, I know Dover Bay has gotten monthly coverage in this space — that’s because it’s sponsored advertising content.
We try not to feature individual Realtors more than once or twice a year, but there are plenty of reasonable exceptions. If you have been featured recently, perhaps you know a colleague with an inside track on a new development or noteworthy neighborhood. Help that colleague out and suggest they reach out to me.
We don’t feature specific properties in a neighborhood, but we try to provide a spectrum of prices and the types of homes available. This means we’ll likely be talking about your listing in an indirect way, so that’s basically advertising the property, right?
The article will include the featured real estate agent’s contact information, including phone number, email address and website. See? Free advertising!
So reach out. Readers, share your ideas. Realtors, share your expertise. And here’s to a happy and successful 2019. May the warm weather get here soon.
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Let us know about more standout neighborhoods and developments that we may feature in an upcoming Neighborhood of the Week. Contact Tyler Wilson at twilson@cdapress.com.
Real Estate Agents, take advantage of Neighborhood of the Week by sending in your suggestions for featured areas, including sites outside the normal confines of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden.