Seeking a new family home in Idaho/Montana. Help us choose. (Boise: spring break, employment)
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Seeking:
*mountain views
*home not in a subdivision- unless it has an acre +
*a variety of places to shop (groceries, household needs)….a cute downtown/other area with coffee shops, bakeries and other shopping desired but not essential.
*variety of good restaurants
* plentiful parks (with play equipment for kids)
* good schools - Test scores are important but so is the quality of teachers, educational tools and involvement with families.
*within 30 mins of healthcare ( including hospitals, naturopaths, massage therapists and chiropractors)
*no more than an hour or so from cultural attractions and fun activities for kids.
*an airport nearby (within 2 hours) would be great.
1. Mountain views are plentiful, but some of them at at the end of a 1+ mile private driveway, and it will be your job to plow it in winter. And it may be steep, and full of potholes. (Such as beautiful view properties we looked at in the Upper Pack River area NE of Sandpoint, and on Mt Katka in Bonners Ferry)
2. If you are beyond the city limit, the acreage will most likely be at least 3, maybe 5 as a minimum, regardless of whether it is a subdivision. Our place is in a subdivision, but with only 5 or 6 lots, at 5 or 10 acres. So definitions of "subdivisions" vary greatly.
3. Variety of places to shop, restaurants, several cute communities with downtown areas, cultural attractions, etc.: I hate to say it, but you are spoiled (so are we, in SoCal). If we want a Trader Joe's, we have about 6 downtown areas in different communities to choose from that we can reach within 30 minutes. In North Idaho you have to drive to Spokane for that, 90 minutes from Sandpoint. in Sandpoint there is a cute downtown, several really good restaurants, cultural activities,etc--but the only other communities nearby with such activities would be Bonners Ferry (smaller), Coeur d'Alene (bigger, but further away), Troy and Libby in Montana, and Trout Creek, also Montana. That is enough variety for us, but it may not be for you.
4. Hospitals and health care within 30 minutes: Sandpoint has a hospital, and several urgent care clinics, but for major issues you'd have to go to Coeur d'Alene or Spokane. That's more than 30 minutes.
5. An airport nearby: Spokane International Airport is about 90 minutes from Sandpoint.
But above all: Come for a visit In January, and in the summer, before deciding!
Country living is always a big trade-off. Every single thing that makes it desirable always has an element in it that will be found undesirable.
And example: Building a home on a 5 acre lot that is set way back from the county road will be so expensive to pave that most owners will leave it dirt and gravel it. During the summer, any dirt road will turn to dust with normal back and forth traffic on it, and the house will always be dusty. Whenever it rains, mud will always be tracked into the house.
When it's snowy, a dirt road has to be scraped very carefully to keep the gravel on it. Over time, scraping deepens the road track, so when it becomes wet, water will tend to flow down the roadway and degrade it.
Fencing 5 acres with any kind of privacy fence is very expensive too, as is running all the necessary utility lines. Above ground, those lines have to be quite sturdy, and below ground makes for a longer and more expensive repair cost if anything ever needs fixing.
Repair work of any kind that has to be hired is always more expensive in the country and is quite often a hassle to arrange for.
County services grow scarcer and less frequent the farther away a place is as well.
The most troublesome thing a lot of city folks have with life out and far away is the isolation. It's always welcome at first, but new friendships are harder to make and harder to keep when the closest neighbor is a long way away, and may not be someone who's very friendly.
The same is true with all of nature's critters. Birds like swallows may be beautiful to watch, but swallows can really make a mess of a porch if they decide to nest underneath the eaves. Breaking up their mud nests often only increases the mess, as the birds can be very hard to chase away.
Mice and other rodents can be a problem. So can snakes. A warm spot under or inside a house in the winter will always attract critters.
Just this year, our ranch's log cabin, which is only occupied 3 seasons of the year with occasional stays durning the winter, became infested with bats sometime last winter.
If the little buggers can find a hole big enough to stick their little heads through, their body will fit through the hole too, we learned.
Since bats are a valuable species as huge insect control, they can't be killed to exterminate them by Idaho law.
We had to find an extermination company to go up and stun the bats with bright lights and noise, then collect them by hand w/ nets. The bats were then transported about 8 miles away to a good spot for them to find a new roost.
The closest extermination company we could find that had bat experience was 100 miles away in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Then the cabin was sealed tight and fumigated with a poison gas to kill all the bacteria in the place from their droppings. The company came in wearing hazmat suits and cleaned up all the bat mess, then sealed everything back up and re-fumigated with a chemical that neutralized the poison gas.
And then the entire exterior was inspected closely and all the tiny little holes between the logs were plugged up. A 3rd fumigation followed w/ some harmless smoky aerosol to spot any missed holes.
Guess how much that cost?
We actually got a lucky break. That company only worked on a contract basis. The only other company we could find worked on a per/hour basis. Our cost was only in 4 figures. The other bid was in 5 figures.
There's a lot of things to really like about living remotely for sure. But it comes with a lot of make-do, a lot of constant preventative repair, and can be hell for expensive when there's something an owner cannot fix by themselves.
It's also a strenuous life, physically and mentally, and one that requires great patience. Nothing about it ever grows easier over time; it only becomes more familiar.
It's also a strenuous life, physically and mentally, and one that requires great patience. Nothing about it ever grows easier over time; it only becomes more familiar.
I can speak to quite a few of the areas you are talking about. I lived many years in Great Falls, MT and visited regularly or drove through Missoula and Northern Idaho on my way to NE Oregon, also spent time/nights in Bozeman. I now drive through Bozeman often each year and have a niece going to college there. I now live outside of Boise. I'm guessing your are moving from either SF, Portland or Seattle area?
Anyway, all your selected areas will have a much more severe winter than you are used to. Not necessarily lots of snow every year, but some snow sticking on the roads likely from early October to late May. Think of your kids wearing long-johns under their baseball or soccer uniforms in the spring or fall. Anyway, Bozeman is a great town with all the amenities and items on your list. It would be a great fit. It's a fun town, but pretty liberal now as it's been a destination for Kevin Costner and his crowd for many years (an alternative to Jackson, WY or Sun Valley, ID). It is also a university town that also brings a bit of liberalism along. Missoula is in the same vein, but with more snow in town and around it, thus more natural trees immediately around town than around Bozeman. Both have regional airports that will get you connections to SLC, Seattle, Denver or Minneapolis. Medical and education will be great in both towns, and likely in small surrounding towns within a hours drive or so. Both towns are pretty much at the bottom of their respective valleys, so there are passes to climb in all directions. If money were no concern I'd probably pick Bozeman or nearby Livingston or Big Timber, but as others have said your starting home price will be at least $850K and far up from there.
It's been a while since I've been in Northern Idaho, as there is no easy drive from Boise to say Sandpoint. It is a stunningly beautiful area. Depending on the town you pick it is also a fairly easy drive down I-90 into Spokane for bigger shopping, events, hospitals, and the airport. Most likely you won't have to drive over a mountain pass to get there. Still, plenty of snow most years since most of northern Idaho is on the western face of the Rocky Mts. The snow dumps there before it hits Missoula and the rest of Montana. From what I've read on this website and others, the population has boomed in the area, and the home/property prices have gone up with the demand.
All these areas generally have some of the most beautiful summer weather nation-wide from mid June to mid Sept. There certainly is a good chance for some days/weeks of wildfire smoke, from wildfires locally or from other western states. The further outside of towns the more likely you will have local fire chances that will affect your own property, but I'd say the chances are pretty minimal. I'd buy a few acres outside of town and not worry too much about wildfires. Internet might be another issue you'll have to face. Satellite might be it. Often cell phones won't connect on property only a few miles outside of town. Forget about 5g for years to come if ever, and 4g likely will be spotty after just a few miles up any valley from any of these towns.
All these areas are fabulous places to live, hence why so many are moving there. Think about what you do with your free time. Do you need access to a bigger metro area like Spokane? It might be doable for a weekend trip from Missoula, but not from Bozeman, where a fight to Denver is your best bet for a big city visit. Do you need access to lakes for boating? Mostly rivers around Missoula and Bozeman (think fishing and whitewater rafting), but Northern Idaho is known for its lakes. All will have good to great skiing in the area too, plus local summer and winter events in the communities.
I can speak to quite a few of the areas you are talking about. I lived many years in Great Falls, MT and visited regularly or drove through Missoula and Northern Idaho on my way to NE Oregon, also spent time/nights in Bozeman. I now drive through Bozeman often each year and have a niece going to college there. I now live outside of Boise. I'm guessing your are moving from either SF, Portland or Seattle area?
Anyway, all your selected areas will have a much more severe winter than you are used to. Not necessarily lots of snow every year, but some snow sticking on the roads likely from early October to late May. Think of your kids wearing long-johns under their baseball or soccer uniforms in the spring or fall. Anyway, Bozeman is a great town with all the amenities and items on your list. It would be a great fit. It's a fun town, but pretty liberal now as it's been a destination for Kevin Costner and his crowd for many years (an alternative to Jackson, WY or Sun Valley, ID). It is also a university town that also brings a bit of liberalism along. Missoula is in the same vein, but with more snow in town and around it, thus more natural trees immediately around town than around Bozeman. Both have regional airports that will get you connections to SLC, Seattle, Denver or Minneapolis. Medical and education will be great in both towns, and likely in small surrounding towns within a hours drive or so. Both towns are pretty much at the bottom of their respective valleys, so there are passes to climb in all directions. If money were no concern I'd probably pick Bozeman or nearby Livingston or Big Timber, but as others have said your starting home price will be at least $850K and far up from there.
It's been a while since I've been in Northern Idaho, as there is no easy drive from Boise to say Sandpoint. It is a stunningly beautiful area. Depending on the town you pick it is also a fairly easy drive down I-90 into Spokane for bigger shopping, events, hospitals, and the airport. Most likely you won't have to drive over a mountain pass to get there. Still, plenty of snow most years since most of northern Idaho is on the western face of the Rocky Mts. The snow dumps there before it hits Missoula and the rest of Montana. From what I've read on this website and others, the population has boomed in the area, and the home/property prices have gone up with the demand.
All these areas generally have some of the most beautiful summer weather nation-wide from mid June to mid Sept. There certainly is a good chance for some days/weeks of wildfire smoke, from wildfires locally or from other western states. The further outside of towns the more likely you will have local fire chances that will affect your own property, but I'd say the chances are pretty minimal. I'd buy a few acres outside of town and not worry too much about wildfires. Internet might be another issue you'll have to face. Satellite might be it. Often cell phones won't connect on property only a few miles outside of town. Forget about 5g for years to come if ever, and 4g likely will be spotty after just a few miles up any valley from any of these towns.
All these areas are fabulous places to live, hence why so many are moving there. Think about what you do with your free time. Do you need access to a bigger metro area like Spokane? It might be doable for a weekend trip from Missoula, but not from Bozeman, where a fight to Denver is your best bet for a big city visit. Do you need access to lakes for boating? Mostly rivers around Missoula and Bozeman (think fishing and whitewater rafting), but Northern Idaho is known for its lakes. All will have good to great skiing in the area too, plus local summer and winter events in the communities.
Country living is always a big trade-off. Every single thing that makes it desirable always has an element in it that will be found undesirable.
And example: Building a home on a 5 acre lot that is set way back from the county road will be so expensive to pave that most owners will leave it dirt and gravel it. During the summer, any dirt road will turn to dust with normal back and forth traffic on it, and the house will always be dusty. Whenever it rains, mud will always be tracked into the house.
When it's snowy, a dirt road has to be scraped very carefully to keep the gravel on it. Over time, scraping deepens the road track, so when it becomes wet, water will tend to flow down the roadway and degrade it.
Fencing 5 acres with any kind of privacy fence is very expensive too, as is running all the necessary utility lines. Above ground, those lines have to be quite sturdy, and below ground makes for a longer and more expensive repair cost if anything ever needs fixing.
Repair work of any kind that has to be hired is always more expensive in the country and is quite often a hassle to arrange for.
County services grow scarcer and less frequent the farther away a place is as well.
The most troublesome thing a lot of city folks have with life out and far away is the isolation. It's always welcome at first, but new friendships are harder to make and harder to keep when the closest neighbor is a long way away, and may not be someone who's very friendly.
The same is true with all of nature's critters. Birds like swallows may be beautiful to watch, but swallows can really make a mess of a porch if they decide to nest underneath the eaves. Breaking up their mud nests often only increases the mess, as the birds can be very hard to chase away.
Mice and other rodents can be a problem. So can snakes. A warm spot under or inside a house in the winter will always attract critters.
Just this year, our ranch's log cabin, which is only occupied 3 seasons of the year with occasional stays durning the winter, became infested with bats sometime last winter.
If the little buggers can find a hole big enough to stick their little heads through, their body will fit through the hole too, we learned.
Since bats are a valuable species as huge insect control, they can't be killed to exterminate them by Idaho law.
We had to find an extermination company to go up and stun the bats with bright lights and noise, then collect them by hand w/ nets. The bats were then transported about 8 miles away to a good spot for them to find a new roost.
The closest extermination company we could find that had bat experience was 100 miles away in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Then the cabin was sealed tight and fumigated with a poison gas to kill all the bacteria in the place from their droppings. The company came in wearing hazmat suits and cleaned up all the bat mess, then sealed everything back up and re-fumigated with a chemical that neutralized the poison gas.
And then the entire exterior was inspected closely and all the tiny little holes between the logs were plugged up. A 3rd fumigation followed w/ some harmless smoky aerosol to spot any missed holes.
Guess how much that cost?
We actually got a lucky break. That company only worked on a contract basis. The only other company we could find worked on a per/hour basis. Our cost was only in 4 figures. The other bid was in 5 figures.
There's a lot of things to really like about living remotely for sure. But it comes with a lot of make-do, a lot of constant preventative repair, and can be hell for expensive when there's something an owner cannot fix by themselves.
It's also a strenuous life, physically and mentally, and one that requires great patience. Nothing about it ever grows easier over time; it only becomes more familiar.
And the OP needs the most important thing of all…very good internet which I’m guessing is hard to find… Is Elon Musk’s satellite internet used in general, or what do you/others use?
Starling has less than han 200,000 users worldwide right now. So very few actual users. Fiber is spreading regularly, and is likely in areas of the OP's interest; that needs to be researched in every area of interest. Our tiny town in WY, Dubious, 75 miles from the next town, is getting fiber in some areas. So you just can't make general statements, as internet service is changing so quickly.
Days/ weeks? Or maybe a couple of months of wildfire smoke in the summer.
I guess I was trying to be optimistic. Next summer might be good since California, Oregon and Washington are getting so much moisture this year. Let hope the rains/snows continue into May or June so the fire season stays short.
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