Natural spaces and riverside living in St. Maries
Venture beyond the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene corridor and into the woods (to grandmother’s house!), and you might just fall in love with small town North Idaho living. One such charming locale is St. Maries, located about an hour south of Coeur d’Alene. It’s located right along the St. Joe River, which flows into the southern end of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
If you grew up spending summers on Lake Coeur d’Alene (like I did), then you might have taken a trip up the shadowy St. Joe at some point. Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises have a long-standing six-hour tour that residents and vacationers love. More personally, I remember my parents dragging me on a few adventures along the St. Joe when I was way too young to appreciate the natural beauty. I just wanted to play Sega Genesis and watch “Jurassic Park,” and I’m still OK with those choices.
Anyway, St. Maries has a myriad of outdoor activity options for a town that tops out at only about 2,400 residents, though surrounding communities obviously take advantage of the fishing, boating, camping and hiking opportunities in the area.
Many also head down to St. Maries for the Paul Bunyan Days celebration on Labor Day weekend each year, which features logging competitions, a parade, fireworks, vendors races and much more. The community also holds “Race the Joe” jet boat races, with the last competition taking place this past May.
Fun fact-ers will also note St. Maries as the birthplace of Tom Mueller, co-founder of SpaceX. Thanks, Wikipedia!
While St. Maries is a great place to visit, those looking to settle down for a quieter way of life will find the necessary amenities in town. If you don’t believe me, then check out all the information available at www.StMariesChamber.org. It’ll make you want to move there.
And IF you want to move there, then you’ve got quite a few affordable options, from existing homes to lots where you can build a dream mountain home. Land options in the area begin as low as $9,500, with numerous options going up from there depending on acreage, topography and location. On the higher end, one prime lot in the heart of town is listed at $75,000.
There are a smattering of inexpensive homes in the area too, though some, admittedly, come with a need for some TLC. Still, there are some move-in ready options on the cheap too, including a recently remodeled two-bedroom, 1,200-plus-square-foot home listed for just under $130,000 (down about six grand from an October price cut). Some solid three-bedroom options on some expansive lots come clocking in around $180,000.
Curiously, there are currently no active listings within the city limits in the $200,000s price range, but the top of the market includes a couple of nice properties priced in the $350-370,000 range. One is a three-bedroom home with more than 2,100 square feet that sits on four city lots and includes a large shop structure on the property. The other is a beautifully-remodeled four-bedroom home with almost 1,800 square feet.
You’ll find other property options outside the official city limits, including some older homes located just off the St. Maries River. If interested in the area, it might be worth a Sunday drive before the winter weather strikes.
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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.