Road trip to Northern ID to find and buy a home next week. (Bonners Ferry: motel, motorhome)

[volosong]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Farragut State park has several campgrounds and at least one has full rv hook-ups. The campsites are beartiful and roomy. Some areas are dog restricted but i was allowed to have my dogs in the campground.

Normally reservations get filled up, but this is not a normal year, so worth a try.

Did not know that about dogs. I'm up there once or twice a week, specifically to walk my pups on the trails. Of course, they are supposed to be leashed, but once you get away from the roads, I let them run free. Only time I'll restrain them is if there is a horse nearby or when bikers pass. I do watch them closely because I did spot a coyote once, (they did not spy him). Almost lost them one day when they spotted some whitetail. They were gone so fast! Came back in a few minutes.

Last time I was there was last Saturday and I was very surprised to not see a soul on the trails. Any of them. No bikes. No horses. No hikers. Nobody. It was warm, (mid 80's). Seems that everyone was headed to the lake and its beaches, but the trails were deserted. Since it's been so long since it has rained, some of the trails are pretty dusty.

Yes, this year is different. There are a lot of camp openings, especially during the week. Main reason is that the border is closed. Usually, during a summer, our Canadian neighbors book Farragut solid because camping in the states is so much less expensive than doing so within Canada. This year? They have had to cancel their reservations, which open them up for us Yankees. Weekends seem to be full, mostly because of Washingtonians. Washington is buttoned up tight, and they are all coming over here to Idaho to recreate. Week days, it is probably possible to just drop in to the visitor center and get a spot, (but don't take my word for it. It's only what I've observed).

Gilmore is the new full-hookup camp, or at least the eastern half. That part just opened last spring/summer. Camp Ward is completely dry camping. Very disbursed and usually spots available there. And, everything in between.

I love that place and it alone is a reason to move to the area.

Free hint: They sell a trail map in the visitor's center for a buck. The same map is also available for download as a PDF file. I did that, then printed out several pages at a larger scale and keep them in a notebook sheet-protector sleeve. That way, when I get there, I decide where to hike with the pups and put the appropriate sheet on top, then head out from the trailhead. The trail system is extensive enough that even after three years, I have not memorized all of them. With my maps and GPS, I won't get lost, (not yet anyway).

I also printed out the full map and had it laminated at Staples. Never to rip or get water damaged.

The secret to the trail map is that the intersections of trails are numbered on a little post. Below the intersection number are one or more additional numbers with little red arrows pointing down a trail to the direction of that numbered intersection. The trails themselves do not have names or numbers, (except for a few of the loop trails). I always wondered how I would tell someone that I was hurt and needed help, (yes, there is pretty decent cell coverage in the park). Best thing I can think of is to tell them that I'm on the trail between marker 27 and 31.

[Shaner]

Originally Posted by luvmyveteran

Thanks for the warm welcome and info everyone.
I am trying to figure out how to subscribe to this thread and reply to each post, but am a bit tech challenged
.
Shaner, I thought about posting more specific info on what we are looking for, but that changes frequently while looking at properties.
In our price range we can afford a view and a smaller house/lot, or some acreage and larger home where we can have a similar lifestyle to what we have now.
We currently live on 111 acres in an old farm house, very private, but we have had to downsize the workload, animals, ect, due to the heat, but I also have to keep in mind, we aren't going to get younger, lol

Ha I have a lot of clients in the same boat. Just remember you also have winter snow to tend too so if you get something big and have to manage, that may be too much for you. Food for thought!

[luvmyveteran]

Shaner, I thought I replied to your post but now see it didn't show up. Thanks for the reminder about the internet, we have had satellite for many yrs now, of course now that we are planning to move, they are laying fiber optic cables out our way.

We have decided to pick an area to start our search which is Bonner's Ferry and Sand Point. My head spins looking at so many different appealing areas, so trying to "narrow" it down.

I keep getting stressed at how fast properties are going under contract in all the areas, we'd thought we could have a list to look at when we get there, but inventory seems limited in our price range, a home I saved yesterday was pending this morning.
I do not want to have to sell our place here until spending a winter in NID, so it limits what we can spend to 300K.
Just watched a bunch of videos that realtor's and locals took of the areas between CDA and Bonners Ferry. The scenery is amazing! So excited to get out there!
One of the videos taught us the meaning of road signs, green means public/county, blue means private. Good info to watch for, but we don't mind paying for private road upkeep if we find a place we like.

[NW Crow]

I'd probably focus on Bonners Ferry area if you aren't a need a bigger / fancier town a lot type (Sandpoint). Took a quick look at real estate around Naples and saw some fairly pricey modular homes in your price range that I'd pass on as bad values. Bonners Ferry seemed much cheaper.

[redwood66]

Hi OP. I'd like to recommend two RV parks.

The Hemlocks on US2 outside Moyie Springs. Excellent people and nice place, not sure if they are still running the restaurant on the weekends but food was excellent.

https://hemlockslodging.com/

And Blue Lake RV on US95 south of Sandpoint. Also a nice place but a bit busier.

[luvmyveteran]

NW Crow, we aren't fancy people, and wouldn't feel comfortable living in a subdivision, even some neighborhoods. We aren't ghetto by any stretch, but we've lived on a rural farm for years, and dressing up to me is wearing a shirt without bleach stains, or rips from our animals, lol.
I realized last night I HAVE to adjust to winter weather in ID, I can no longer tolerate the humidity/heat physically, and Idaho seems like one of the only states left not run by liberals. We saw a nice property in Harrison, but we are looking blind since we have no idea of the areas, thus the long road trip with high hopes of finding a new home. Thanks for your reply.

[luvmyveteran]

Redwood66, thank you so much for the info on the rv parks, our grandson will be staying here on the farm to care for our animals,
I will call ahead to see if space available and for other info.

My head keeps having to adjust that this is no longer the trip to ID that we had planned, no taking our sweet time to stop to visit old friends on our way across the country due to the virus, nor planning great places to eat, ect. Am mad and sad both.
Am so grateful we have the motor home or I wouldn't even attempt the trip during this crazy time, so it is
odd to pack the rv up in order to avoid going to stores.
We live so rural that I actually enjoyed going to "real" stores on our last trip, we get the basics, but not the selection, so that was fun, and I avoid shopping whenever able, lol.
We have been very isolated here, so am trying to use caution to avoid bringing more cooties to your great state.

[luvmyveteran]

Redwood66, I contacted the Walkers at The Hemlocks, JW said they are open, but have closed the kitchen until next spring.
We talked for awhile, he told me the campground is staying full with people from Calif, WA, and OR looking to buy! We've been watching the market for months, still is disheartening to hear.

We left Calif for a reason, took OR and WA off our lists of places to retire to back in 04 for the same reason everyone is leaving now.
JW said they are scared of the riots, and liberal governments, and are buying everything up they can find.
Hope they leave that crap where ever they arrive from.

Argh, gonna kick ourselves for not coming out there last September!
Thanks again for the referral, they have room for us, but said they have been full most of the time.

He also mentioned another park, Twin feathers I think? Says they closed and may not reopen, I think he told me it was near a casino?

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by luvmyveteran

Shaner, I thought I replied to your post but now see it didn't show up. Thanks for the reminder about the internet, we have had satellite for many yrs now, of course now that we are planning to move, they are laying fiber optic cables out our way.

We have decided to pick an area to start our search which is Bonner's Ferry and Sand Point. My head spins looking at so many different appealing areas, so trying to "narrow" it down.

I keep getting stressed at how fast properties are going under contract in all the areas, we'd thought we could have a list to look at when we get there, but inventory seems limited in our price range, a home I saved yesterday was pending this morning.
I do not want to have to sell our place here until spending a winter in NID, so it limits what we can spend to 300K.
Just watched a bunch of videos that realtor's and locals took of the areas between CDA and Bonners Ferry. The scenery is amazing! So excited to get out there!
One of the videos taught us the meaning of road signs, green means public/county, blue means private. Good info to watch for, but we don't mind paying for private road upkeep if we find a place we like.

I took a look at Realtor.com, and I was shocked to see that 2/3 (or more) of all the listings of homes are pending. I looked at listings from Bonners and Moyie Springs to Sagle and Cocolalla, and over to Hope and Clark Fork. But there are also a lot of new listings, so hopefully you can find a place that's just right for you. Best of luck!

[banjomike]

I think we are seeing the second wave of virus refugees.

The first wave came early because many already had homes here. But. these newbies didn't, and some may have not even planned on moving last spring.

But now that it is August, moving now may be the last time it could happen. School is starting soon, and the weather is still good. everything would become harder as winter approaches, so it could be a choice moving now or riding out the virus all winter where they now live.

Get the house now and get out of town. Worry about all the stuff left behind for later, when we can move it.

I mistaken, of course. I'd sure like to know where these folks are coming from. I also wonder if other states are seeing a lot of immigration this month.

Since the census was just taken, a big sudden shift. in population could throw the census figures way out of whack coming so soon afterward. That could under-fund a receiving state like Idaho and over-fund the sending states the people are leaving if the movement was large.