Is This A Good Time To Build?

It seems that all you hear these days is bad news about the economy. While it is definitely a tough business climate right now, there are also opportunities to take advantage of bargains, especially in the housing sector. If you have been considering building, this is an excellent time to get the most for your money by seizing opportunities that present themselves in a down economy.

Real Estate Prices Are Low:

There are plenty of great mountain and lakefront properties available now, and prices are more reasonable then they have been in the recent past. Existing home prices are also down, so it may make sense to buy an undervalued home in a great location and have us help you transform it into your dream home.

Contractors Are Competing For Projects:

Because of the slowdown in building, contractors are forced to be more competitive to win projects. This means you are likely to get the best value for your construction dollar, and you may be able to get that contractor who is normally booked for years in advance.

Building Costs Are Low:

Because of increased competition between material suppliers and a surplus in materials, now is a good time to get building supplies at good prices. Gas prices are currently as low as they have been in years, so delivery and excavation costs are a bargain compared to a year ago.

Now Is A Good Time To Start Design:

If you are considering doing a remodel or building a new home next spring or summer, now is the time to get the design process started. It is a good time to build, and we would love to talk to you about the great opportunities available today.

Consider Remodeling:

If current economic conditions are preventing you from building now, it might make sense to improve your current home to increase its resale value or help it sell quicker. We can help you make your home stand out from the rest.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect, NCARB

Tom Russell, Project Manager, LEED AP

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain Architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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Spokane Mountain Home Contractors

As an architect, one of the most important aspects of my job is lining up homeowners with the right general contractor.  Each project is different, so finding the right fit will vary.  There are roughly 200 builders listed in the Spokane area.  Following are builders in Spokane who I believe have the capability to do a good job on a mountain home with the right plans.  Some are better quality than others, and there are some I would only recommend on certain projects, depending on an owner’s desired quality, style, type of construction, scope and budget.

If you want more information on these contractors, or want to know who might be a good fit for your project, please feel free to contact me.  I am including their contact information and any websites if you would rather contact them directly.

There may still be some diamonds in the rough that I’m not familiar with.  If there is a contractor out there who feels you should be included on this list, please contact me.  I would love to see projects you’ve completed and are currently working on, along with references.

Doric, Inc. (509) 951-4022

Eaglepointe Construction (509) 363-0009

Ramey General Contractors (509) 483-9000

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John Hendricks, AIA, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture

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Coeur d’Alene Contractors

As an architect, one of the most important aspects of my job is lining up homeowners with the right general contractor.  Each project is different, so finding the right fit will vary.  There are roughly 200 builders listed in the Coeur d’Alene area, but only a certain number that I would feel comfortable recommending at such high end neighborhoods as Black Rock and Gozzer Ranch.  Following are builders in Coeur d’Alene who I believe have the capability to do a good job on a mountain home with the right plans.  Some are better quality than others, and there are some I would only recommend on certain projects, depending on an owner’s desired quality, style, type of construction, scope and budget.

If you want more information on these contractors, or want to know who might be a good fit for your project, please feel free to contact me.  I am including their contact information and any websites if you would rather contact them directly.

Campbell & Campbell (208) 660-5416

Edwards Smith Construction (formerly Edwards Construction) (208) 765-8602

Gunder Homes (208) 667-7398

Idaho Builders (208) 691-7500

M.B. Builders (208) 772-2799

Sierra Builders (208) 667-0584

Stewart Construction (208) 772-8366

There may still be some diamonds in the rough that I’m not familiar with.  If there is a contractor out there who feels you should be included on this list, please contact me and show me projects you’ve completed and are currently working on, along with references.

John Hendricks, AIA, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture

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Sandpoint Contractors

As an architect, one of the most important aspects of my job is lining up homeowners with the right general contractor.  Each project is different, so finding the right fit will vary.  There are currently 65+ builders listed in the Sandpoint area, a hot bed for mountain home construction.  Following are builders in Sandpoint who I believe have the minimum standards to do a decent job on a mountain home with the right plans.  Some are better quality than others, and there are some I would only recommend on certain projects, depending on an owner’s desired quality, style, type of construction, scope and budget.  I would also only recommend certain ones for building at Schweitzer Ski Resort, with it’s more rugged climate.

If you want more information on these contractors, or want to know who might be a good fit for your project, please feel free to contact me.  I am including their contact information and any websites if you would rather contact them directly.

Baker Construction (208) 263-9550

R.W. Bianco Construction (208) 263-5794

Dan Fogerty Custom Builder (208) 263-5546

Henry & Sons (208) 263-5778

Hope Builders (208) 264-5125

Legacy Construction (208) 266-1622

McMahon & Easterbrook (208) 264-6700

Mountain View Construction (208)263-1058

Pacific Construction Company (208) 264-5564

Pucci Construction (208) 263-7424

Sandpoint Builders (208) 263-7315

Frank Wakeley Construction (208) 263-0952

Western Luxury Homes (208) 290-3490

Brian Wood (208) 755-9677

Dvonne Yoder (208) 255-6696

There may be some diamonds in the rough who I’m not familiar with.  If there is a contractor out there who feels you should be included on this list, please let me know.  I would love to see projects you’ve completed and are currently working on.

John Hendricks, AIA, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain Architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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Priest Lake

Being an architect in Sandpoint, one of my local favorite places to visit is Priest Lake, a large alpine lake in the northern panhandle of Idaho.  Known as the “crown jewel” of Idaho, Priest Lake is located roughly 75 minutes northwest of Sandpoint, and about 90 minutes northeast of Spokane, Washington.  It is 19 miles long and 4.4 miles wide at its largest points, with a maximum depth of 369 feet, and a surface elevation of 2,439 feet.

There is an abundance of wildlife at Priest Lake, including deer, black bear and moose.  The lake also has the distinction of having the United States’ largest lake trout caught on record, at 57 pounds 8 ounces.

Priest Lake

Priest Lake is as a summer recreation hot spot for various water sports, including canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, and sailing.  There are numerous hiking, cycling and backpacking trails located around the lake.  Rock climbing, river running and golf are also popular.  There are several camp grounds located around the lake, including some designated boat-in camp sites on various islands.

For those not caring to rough it, there are several resorts located around the lake including Hill’s Resort and Elkins Resort.  One of my favorite places to eat dinner is Cavanaugh Bay Resort.   It’s fun and casual, and the deck overlooking the bay has beautiful views up towards the north end of the lake.

Sunset from Cavanaugh Bay Resort at Priest Lake

There are roughly 600 cabins located on the shores of Priest Lake.  Many have been in families for generations.  While approximately 100 of these have been rebuilt, there are still approximately 300 more that are in need of being rebuilt.   In the Priest Lake basin, between Priest River to the south, Canada to the north, Washington to the West, and the Selkirk crest to the east, there are approximately 7,500 cabins.

What little real estate there is left on the water is usually gobbled up quickly.  Dick Bockemuehl is a Realtor who specializes in these waterfront properties.  Timothy Ventress is another Realtor (and fire chief) who also is a great source of information on finding these lakefront lots.  Besides the single lots that open up, some of the higher end developments in the area include Huckleberry,  Steamboat Bay, and Kaniksu Sands.  Canoe Point, an exclusive development north of Huckleberry on the upper east side of the lake, has five acre waterfront lots.

The architecture at Priest Lake is generally the rustic rocky mountain style, though it ranges from log cabins to modern mountain contemporary.  Mike Sandau of Sandau Builders is one of the top builders at Priest Lake, if not the best, and understands the rugged terrain better than anybody.  He’s been building quality custom homes and cabins at Priest Lake since 1978.

For more information on Priest Lake,  see the Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce website. For more mountain biking information see our post on Mountain Biking around Sandpoint.

Hendricks Architecture in Sandpoint specializes in the design of luxury mountain style homes and cabins.  While it is not the only type of work we design, most of the homes we’ve completed are in mountain resort areas similar to Priest Lake.  Most of our clients are looking for mountain style homes, often fairly rustic, and other times more contemporary. If you are interested in having us design you a mountain home, or if you have any other inquiries, please contact us.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture, Sandpoint, Idaho mountain architects

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Testimonial

As an architect, designing custom mountain homes for individuals and their families is a passion of mine.  Capturing each homeowner’s ideas and tastes, and molding them into alluring structures is very gratifying to me.  I may not be changing the world, but hopefully I’m at least making their lives a little more functional and pleasing.  I cherish the relationships with our clients, and many have become good friends.

Dale Scott is one of those cherished clients, and he was  kind enough to provide the following testimonial for a home that was recently completed near Sandpoint.

My wife and I retained John to design our retirement home for us. This was a very challenging task as we presented John with a variety of design and budget constraints. John proved more then up to the job. John is an excellent listener and incorporated our desires and dreams into his creative concepts. The end result was a home that is ideally suited to our lifestyle and yet carries the unique qualities that John brought to the process. While a modest home in all regards, it never the less was chosen as the featured residence in several magazines. At least one of our friends who have visited our home has contacted John about designing a home for them.

We found John to be very creative and knowledgeable, yet equally personable. I have worked with three other architects prior to my experience with John and our experience with John was by far the best. I can highly recommend John, and if you are thinking of having a home or remodel designed, I would suggest you visit John’s website and seriously consider retaining his services.  If you have any questions about working with John please do not hesitate to contact me at dale@leapfrogleadership.com

Sincerely,

Dale Scott

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Sandpoint

n 2004, while living in Seattle, I saw an article describing Sandpoint, Idaho; a beautiful lower elevation resort community surrounded by mountains and a huge lake. I became intrigued, as my wife Annie and I had wanted to get away from the big city.  We both grew up in rural areas and wanted to have that for our three children as well. I also wanted to be more centrally located in a mountain community as I specialize in more rugged mountain style architecture than most Seattleites care for.

I searched for Sandpoint on the internet and found Schweitzer Ski Resort.  I had heard of Schweitzer, but never realized it was in Sandpoint.  I requested some information, and Jennifer Fortune, a realtor at Evergreen Realty at the time, sent me several brochures.

Lake Pend Oreille from Schweitzer Mountain Resort

I was busy with several projects, and it went to the back of my mind. A year later, I noticed an advertisement for Dover Bay, a new community just west of Sandpoint. I called up the Owner, Ralph Sletager, who invited me to come out. I made the six hour drive from Seattle. My first impression of Sandpoint was the Long Bridge, a two mile bridge dividing Lake Pend Oreille from the Pend Oreille River, leading you into Sandpoint. It was late afternoon on a cold December day, and I must say I was quite impressed. Mountains stretched everywhere over huge expanses of water.

The next morning, I met with Ralph, and then Tom Mehler, a realtor at the time at Dover Bay Real Estate. Tom showed me around Dover Bay and gave me the whole run down on Sandpoint. That afternoon I met Jennifer at Schweitzer and had lunch at the Chimney Rock Grill. She then drove me all around the Schweitzer neighborhoods. It really is beautiful up there, especially the lots with views of the lake.

I was able to get a small project in the area, and came to Sandpoint a couple more times, the second time bringing the family. One morning on that trip I met with Dick Villelli, the owner of Hidden Lakes Golf Resort. He told me he was selling the property, and invited me and the family to meet the new owner that evening. We showed up and Dick was serving some great margaritas. He introduced me to Chuck Reeves and his family. Chuck was to be the new owner of what would soon be called The Idaho Club. Chuck was very excited about the new development and Dwight DeMay, the planner from Hart Howerton was there briefing me as well on the Jack Nicholas designed course and Hart Howerton designed community. Unfortunately, our youngest child was not a happy camper so we had to leave early.

Nevertheless, Annie was impressed with Sandpoint, so the next visit Luke Webster from Evergreen Realty showed us some properties (Jennifer was on vacation in Spain), and we moved out a few months later.

So far we’ve really enjoyed Sandpoint. Our two older children are enrolled in Sagle Elementary and are very happy there. They are also involved in soccer in a town that surprisingly is one of the most active soccer communities in the country. Annie is active as a PTA co-president, while I have been busy with work and various organizations. I’ve been asked to participate in various career fairs for students which is always fun (though nothing beats the time I was asked to show second graders how to draw Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles).

Sandpoint has just about every restaurant imaginable. The best meal I’ve ever had was the seasonal elk tenderloin, cooked rare/medium rare at The Sand Creek Grill. MickDuff’s is my favorite spot for lunch during March Madness.

There is one movie theater at the Bonner Mall, and there is also the beautiful Panida Theater. The Panida offers theater productions, movies, and music, along with various other events. The Panida has been around since 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

My favorite event in the summer is The Festival at Sandpoint. This is a fun, casual two week event that holds evening outdoor concerts. You can bring in your own coolers and sit on the grass or on the stands.There is also plenty inside to eat and drink from various local establishments. The last two nights I was there I saw The Los Lonely Boys, along with 70′s night with The Marshall Tucker Band, Pure Prairie League, and The Richie Furay Band (formerly of Poco and Buffalo Springfield). Other recent artists have been Wynonna, The Bodeans, Ziggy Marley, David Gray and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  This year’s lineup includes Blues Traveler, Boz Scaggs, Michelle Shocked and Clint Black.

The Festival at Sandpoint 2009

Sandpoint is located on Lake Pend Oreille, between the Selkirk Mountains and Cabinet Mountains, which are part of the Rocky Mountain Range (although in Canada the Selkirks are designated as part of the Columbia Mountain Range).  Lake Pend Oreille is the biggest lake in the Northwest, and the biggest in “lake country” consisting of other behemoths Lake Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lake. These lakes produce the biggest trout in the country, along with some big Kokanee. Several of my friends have made the trip up here and prefer the gamey shoreline fishing for bass, perch, pike and bluegill. There’s plenty of wildlife here as well. On my trail runs I’ve met up with several white tailed deer, elk, moose and black bears. There are some grizzly bears in the Cabinet Mountains to the northeast of the lake, but I’ve never seen one.

For other things to do in Sandpoint, here is a website with loads of Sandpoint activities.  Rick Evans, a Realtor in Sandpoint, has another blog with some great North Idaho information.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain Architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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John Hendricks, AIA Architect • Architecture, Planning, Construction Management
418 Pine St, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 • T 208.265.4001 F 208-265-4009 • john@hendricksarch.com