Most Idaho estates I've featured have a bit of a log cabin look so this contemporary home on the Spokane River in Post Falls, Idaho brought me up short. It's the kind of angular, marble-laden contemporary that you would usually find in Miami. This home is on around ten acres of property with 420 feet of river frontage. The modern creation is around 8,500 square feet and has a huge open two-story entrance that includes double staircases to the second level. The large open space on the main floor is dominated by lighting fixtures hanging down from the ceiling and a 15-foot glass waterfall fixture above the marble hearth of the gas fireplace. The second level offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The main floor has the master suite plus another bedroom/office. The lower level "daylight" basement has another bedroom, rec. room and kitchen. Outside there is a infinity-edged pool and outdoor kitchen and a cabana with bed, bath and kitchen. In addition there are also two three-car garages and a three-bedroom guest house. This home is listed at $8.5 million.

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The town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is known for its pricey vacation homes but because of the economy it has been slow going selling the condos at one pricey development. The condominiums at The Terraces in Coeur d'Alene are priced from $3.5 million and come with amenities like a two-car garage, covered boat slip, memberships to the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course and limo service from the airport. The Spokane Statesman-Review reports that the Hagadone Corp. the developer of the project, has decided not to drop prices on the 30-unit development. It opened two years ago and so far eight condos remain unsold, listed for prices between $3.5 million to $5.9 million, prices that could also get you a luxury home in the area. But many people use these condos as vacation homes and appreciate the ease of use. They can even opt for units which are furnished and decorated to save time for enjoying the summer on the lake.

There is some hope in the air with regards to condo sales in this scenic destination. Discovery Land Company recently opened a 28-unit condo building at Arrow Point on the lake with units running from $1.7 million to $4.5 million. So far six condos have sold and nine more units have sales contracts according to Discovery spokeswoman Erin Dixon said.

Last July, we first heard about trouble at the Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, Idaho, now the luxury resort is officially closed. Tamarack was welcomed with acclaim when it was announced in 2003 and buyers committed more than $500 million for condos, houses and building sites bringing a big rush of Aspen-style prosperity to the area. Tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were attached to building a luxury hotel complex, the Fairmont Tamarack Local stores and restaurants flourished, jobs abounded and rents rose. Former President George W. Bush visited the resort for a summer hike in 2005. But a year ago, building slowed, the ski town's lifts still ran but tourism fell and unemployment rose.

Things started to go south over a year ago when the investor who had already put up money for the Fairmont Tamarack decided not to put up any more money for the project. This led the developers to slow construction. Combine this with the nationwide real estate droop and you have a recipe for a boom town gone bust. Tamarack went into default on its loan payments to the Credit Suisse bank and business entities involved in the project have filed for bankruptcy. Credit Suisse then followed with a foreclosure suit. An AP report reveals that the resort has lost $2.8 million since October when a California-based receiver began running it. The receiver has told a state judge that his company will use $1.7 million in new funding "to mothball the place."

Tamarack has seven ski lifts but of 2,100 planned residences just 250 are completed and other structures including residences, a mountain lodge and a village plaza remain partly finished. A small group of homeowners at Tamarack is trying to find a way to keep at least part of the resort open such as the health club. The homeowners association will keep the area open for owners. Some are angry about buying into a development which is, for the foreseeable future, a bit of a ghost town. Others think its just a matter of time before the economy rebounds and a developer with money to spend gets excited about Tamarack and finishes the project.

Earlier this week I brought you Lindsay Davenport's Ventura, California home but she's not the only tennis player looking to sell some real estate. Last June, the Wall Street Journal's "Private Properties" column reported that tennis champion Mats Wilander and his wife Sonya had listed their 81-acre property in Sun Valley, Idaho. The home was then listed at $8.5 million. A new price reduction put it back on my radar.

Cove Meadow features a 10,532-square-foot main house built in 1999. The home's main living area has a snuggle-inducing tall stone fireplace and a wood beamed ceiling. The stainless steel and wood kitchen strikes an interesting note somewhere between clinical and cozy. Other features include an exercise room and a soundproofed music room. On the property there is also a guest house, caretaker's residence, stone-surrounded lap pool and a hot tub. The land is crossed by creeks that offer fishing opportunities and it is bordered by federal lands and private holdings for added privacy. Cove Meadow is now listed at $7.9 million.

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UPDATE: This home is now listed at $5.95 million.

Pend d'Oreille Winery in northern Idaho has come up with a unique way to go green, they are selling their Bistro Rouge wines in refillable 1.5L bottles. Local customers can bring their bottle back and receive reduce cost refills as often as they like. Winemaker Steve Meyer told Wines & Vines that the program, which started off with 300 bottles has sold 250 of them and many people have brought back their bottles multiple times. The 1.5 liter bottles contain at least 50 percent recycled glass and have a permanent silk-screened label that you can put your name on with a marker. The first bottle is $25 and is closed with a synthetic stopper from Supreme Corq and a tamper-proof seal. Subsequent refills are $16 and the owner gets a cork stopper for future refills. It's an intriguing concept although it loses its carbon-saving punch if you have to drive far to the winery but for locals it seems like a good idea.

Today's home in the scenic mountainous area of Sun Valley, Idaho has a bit of celebrity provenance, it was once owned by Brooke Shields. The six-bedroom home has large windows to embrace the views and a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and wood beams add a rustic touch. The pitched ceilings and open floorplan enhance the scale of the over 7,000 square foot home. There are two master suites with fireplaces that add additional warmth and a Jacuzzi tub is ideally situated for soaking by scenery. This home sits on 2.4 acres and is listed at $6.15 million.

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The price was the reason I decided to cover this home. I've seen some expensive homes in the Sun Valley, Idaho area. After all, it is a popular place for the wealthy to get away from it all, but a $22 million price tag strains even the large budget. The home does come with 77 acres of land which includes almost a mile of Big Wood River frontage. The property has a barn, greenhouse and four separate fenced and irrigated pastures around a central pond. Privacy is assured and the main home is accessed via a private bridge. The home itself has three bedrooms and is around 4,000 square feet. It's a charming country home with beamed ceilings and brick fireplaces on pristine land but $22 million still seems a bit steep.

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Just a year ago I was writing about booming sales at the Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, Idaho. Now a Wall Street Journal article reports that the luxury ski resort is in big trouble now that financing for the project has dried up.

Tamarack was welcomed with acclaim when it was announced in 2003 and so far buyers have committed more than $500 million for condos, houses and building sites bringing a big rush of Aspen-style prosperity to the area. Tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were attached to building a luxury hotel complex, the Fairmont Tamarack Local stores and restaurants flourished, jobs abounded and rents rose. But last winter the building slowed. The ski town's lifts still ran but tourism fell and unemployment rose.

Things started to go south around a year ago when the investor who had already put up money for the Fairmont Tamarack decided not to put up any more money for the project. This led the developers to slow construction. Combine this with the nationwide real estate droop and you have a recipe for a boom town gone bust. Tamarack went into default on its loan payments to the Credit Suisse bank and business entities involved in the project have filed for bankruptcy. Credit Suisse then followed with a foreclosure suit and is now looking to take over Tamarack's majority-ownership stake. The town, which was once a timber town and was hoping for an economic resurgence is now grappling with seeing tourism cut in half and the eyesore of an unfinished base village for the ski resort. The resort still expects to run lifts over the winter but the dream of a new prosperous winter resort town in Idaho is dead for the moment.

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up today, 83353 . This zip code includes Sun Valley, Idaho, a popular resort community for hiking, skiing and other nature activities. This zip code has a median price of $1,630,000 with an appreciation rate of 266% since 1990. The area is a popular spot for second homes, especially for those on the West Coast. The area gets its fair share of celebrity attention and casino mogul Steve Wynn, John Kerry, Demi Moore and self-help guru Tony Robbins have all spent time here. Ernest Hemingway was a part time resident in the area for many years.

Today's home has some of the rustic touches such as rough hewn logs that often mark the luxury homes in the area. This Sun Valley lodge has four bedrooms and the master bedroom/office is located on the main level. There is a separate guest/children's wing. This isn't the most expensive home in the area by a long shot but it earns points for combining Western style with contemporary design (although the lady-painted bathroom is a bit off-putting) It's a lot more character than some other homes I've seen in the area.. This home is listed at $4,875,000.

I know, I know, another Tuscan villa in a completely inappropriate location but the shots of this home in Bellevue, Idaho glowing warmly from snow-covered mountains won me over. The five-bedroom home sits on nearly 22 acres that include gardens, ponds and pastures. The kitchen island does double duty as a handsome table and its sort of nice to see one not done in granite or another type of stone. The outdoor covered space with is brick vaulted ceiling and heavy wooden bench is particularly winning. Exposed wood beams, tiled floors and plenty of fireplaces add to the studied charm. The current owner has filled the home with rather heavy-looking paintings which add to the home's pretensions of age. It is listed at $6.5 million.

The name is the Almost Idaho Ranch for obvious reasons, it is right near the Washington/Idaho border (although it is in Washington). The home offers your own private 49-acre lake which is surrounded by mountains. There are 497 acres total which border the Kaniksu National Forest. The ranch has three homes including the 6634 sq. ft. main home. There is also a log guest home, an outdoor entertainment porch, a miner's cabin, barns, corrals, sheds and more. It is listed at $10.8 million. After the jump,your own private lake, it makes you feel tranquil just looking at it.

Last fall we wrote about Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf's partnership to build a luxury resort at Fairmont Tamarack. The initial sales certainly indicate that it is a success. The first 125 pre-construction units were released last weekend and sold out in fewer than seven hours. Fairmont Tamarack will offer a second release in late summer before breaking ground toward the end of this year. The Fairmont Tamarack is scheduled to be completed in 2010, making it Idaho's first five-star property.

The headline for this estate in Ketchum, Idaho is that it is "not your ordinary mountain home" and they are right. The style of the house is more Californian than the usual log cabin deluxe homes with massive stone fireplaces that we usually see in the warmer climates. The home is located on a private cul-de-sac in Lake Creek Canyon and sits on four acres. The six-bedroom home has large kitchen, massive great room with balconies, guest quarters and an exercise room that looks like it belongs in a gym. It is listed at $7.75 million. After the jump, the House and Garden money shot on the terrace.

Choice Hotels has found an interesting way to promote their new Cambria Suites business hotels. They have created a pop-up suite at Boise International Airport. The full-size guest suite includes two working flat-panel televisions, in-room CD/DVD players and a large bathroom. The suite is open for tours and reps hand out mints and water. The suite opened in December to promote the Cambria Suites opening in Boise in March. The suite remains in Boise until January 19 and will then travel around to other airports and locations. Rooms in the new hotels will cost $149 to $249 and the plan is to eventually have 100 hotels nationwide.

Today's estate takes us to Ketchum, Idaho, the much-prized Sun Valley, a place so monied that people are willing to snap-up condos just to have convenient parking spaces. This seven-bedroom home is located in the Bigwood Subdivision. Rich in luxury this home includes a media room, jacuzzi, pools and a wet bar. It's a definitely not a cozy home, aiming instead for high gloss but the fireplace in the gourmet kitchen is a nice touch. It is listed at $9,660,850. After the jump, a surfeit of marble and columns.