Positive signs

Prices mostly up, total sales up for real estate locally

The local real estate market continues to show signs of recovery, realtors say.

U.S. consumer spending up 0.2 percent in October

Marty and Max: A lesson in DEI

In the last 12 months, according to MLS data, there have been 4,370 homes sold in the Coeur d’Alene market. The rural east side, which includes the 83833 zip code, accounted for a mere 45 homes sold or about 1%.

Hunting passports give young hunters a chance to bag game

Kids as young as 8 years old can participate in turkey hunts beginning next week.

Not enough homes to sell? Then build some

The owners of Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty are building three Kootenai County neighborhoods.

Continued improvement seen locally

Far from a speeding train metaphor, yet the local real estate market continues to show improvement. Staff at the Coeur d'Alene Multiple Listing Service has completed the year-to-date statistical analysis and we are maintaining the 4 percent increase we first saw months ago.

More market improvement seen

Last week we reported some market stability locally and some decent appreciation in the residential market that is the combined cities of Coeur d'Alene and Dalton Gardens. Other markets across the nation are also experiencing positive real estate movement, but certainly not all. As we have opined here before, it will be a long slow climb out of the housing recession. In fact, those markets showing improvement represent about half of the markets surveyed by the National Association of Realtors, yet it does indicate the market may be beginning to stabilize.

Remembering the important, costly Battle of Iwo Jima

Exchange started with bang, now just a whisper

BOISE (AP) — To start the 2012 Legislature, many predicted an Idaho insurance exchange would be a key issue to be resolved before lawmakers left Boise.

This job can be dangerous

September was Realtor Safety Month. During the month we received several reports of members feeling “uncomfortable” with prospects and classes at the Association office on how to be prepared for dangerous encounters.

Rates may exacerbate the inventory problem

By now you all know the Fed has increased the interest rates it charges banks to borrow. That increase has already impacted mortgage loans, but there is another impact that is sure to perplex would-be homebuyers. As rates near 4.5 percent, monthly payments will increase slightly over the payments at 4.25 percent. The difference on a 30-year loan of $250,000 with a 3 percent down payment will be about $36 — or about six lattes a month. Although some young people are perceiving the rate as unusually high — which it is if they started looking for homes a year ago — and finding it compelling to accelerate their search, they may find even fewer homes to choose from.

New homes are becoming a bad deal in weak markets

Median price of new home now 48 percent higher than home being resold

WASHINGTON - A new home, the dream of many would-be buyers, makes less and less financial sense in many places.

Could insulin pills prevent diabetes? Big study seeks answer

No headline

Charmaine Powell

Cd'A schools take key first steps

The Coeur d’Alene School District’s recent report card — produced for $50,000 by an Iowa company that evaluates schools from top to bottom — highlighted a number of areas that need improvement.

Sports Briefs April 26, 2010

Jason Bohn won the Zurich Classic for his second PGA Tour title, birdieing three of the final four holes Sunday at TPC Louisiana for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke victory over Jeff Overton in Avondale, La.

Step up for prevention

Recently, a dear friend of our family had another reoccurrence with a type of women's cancer where she had to have some more of her lymph nodes removed. We were in town visiting and I thought I would get her set up with some compression wraps, compression shorts and stockings. Little did I know how complicated it would be to do such a thing in a different area of the country.

Pump prices should last

AAA: 46.3 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving

Local motorists can give some thanks for gas prices being lower than a month and a year ago.

Fentanyl trafficking sentence bill heads to House

Bill would impose mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking the drug

A bill that would impose mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of trafficking fentanyl is heading to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives for a vote, where it already has the support to pass.

Real estate recovery continues locally

As you no doubt have heard, parts of the country are experiencing growth in the housing market. The same holds true here although, like the nation, our recovering areas are in pockets within our local geography.