While we finished up day 3 of house hunting with a couple potentials, I wasn’t getting that excited feeling. Today we headed south of Coeur d’Alene to look at 3 properties. The first two were in Worley, population 257. A quick 20-minute drive from CDA and we were in a valley of gently rolling fields surrounded by ridges covered in pine.
House #1 – 14995 W Frost Road, Worley, ID
The front of the 18-acre property is covered in long grass with a few trees and the drive gently slopes up to a house with huge windows and a deck overlooking the valley. The main floor of the house has a nice open floor plan with the kitchen, living and dining room facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. The master bedroom and bath are on the main floor too with doors leading to the deck. There is a daylight walkout basement with a sitting room, bathroom, and 3 more rooms. Unlike many of the house we’ve looked at, this one has a two-car attached garage. I would think that living in a place with snow you’d definitely want an attached garage. This property also has a large workshop. The back half of the property is covered with trees. We hiked through the trees while Tony pointed out various signs of turkeys, geese, deer, and elk. This property is well stocked with protein for the long winter.
House #2 – 5187 W Sunny Slopes, Worley, ID
Another house in the rolling hills backing up to the forest. This property is 40 acres. The house is newer and very well kept with a master suite on each end of the house separated by a large kitchen and family room. The large shop/garage was even equipped with a bathroom. While there was absolutely nothing wrong with this house, it lacked personality.
House #3 – 48323 S Highway 3, St. Maries, ID
The winding drive up to this house pretty much ruled it out before we even saw it, but once we got here we had to take a look. This log home has tons of personality. The owner came out to greet us and said they were on their way out but his wife had injured her foot and was moving a bit slowly. We felt guilty for disturbing them and told him to stay, but he was using our arrival as an excuse to take the Mercedes into town for pizza. Along two sides of the house, there is an enclosed porch used as a greenhouse and laundry line. Inside the kitchen and baths have been updated with granite counters. Looking into the huge cold storage area, you can tell these people are set to survive a long winter. With wood on the walls, floor, and ceiling, the house is very dark. The garage/shop building has a small apartment above that is surprisingly light and airy compared to the house. They have a nice garden and orchard, and as we drove up two white-tailed deer were looking for fallen apples. This would make a great vacation home, but I can’t see myself living in a log cabin.
After four days in two states with two realtors looking at 17 properties, I think we may have found the one that we are willing to call home. Stay tuned…