idaho

Luxury Condos Go Up For Auction In Sun Valley

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

Idaho's Sun Valley is a popular second home location. You can pick up yours at a grand reopening auction for 11 condominium residences at Chilali, a luxury development comprised of one- and two-story homes in Ketchum, Idaho.

Accelerated Marketing Partners (AMP), is expecting bidders to come from areas across the country. The auction will be held on February 19 at Sun Valley Resort, with minimum bids ranging from $295,000 to $825,000, up to 66 percent below previous asking prices of nearly $2.2 million.

Tags: idaho, idaho real estate, ketchum idaho, sun valley

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New Buyer Steps Forward For The Tamarack Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

There's a new twist in the case of the the Tamarack Resort with another potential new buyer set to step up to the plate. In May 2009, the resort in Donnelly, Idaho officially closed. The resort has remained in bankruptcy court and the current owners still owe $300 million to a syndicate of lenders led by Credit Suisse Group, as well as facing unpaid bills from builders, contractors and suppliers who worked on the project.

The new candidate is Matthew Hutcheson who is behind Green Valley Holdings, a group based out of Eagle, Idaho. The group called a press conference to announce a $40 million cash offer to purchase the resort and have submitted a letter of intent to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court overseeing Tamarack's bankruptcy. They say that they have hired a team of professionals with expertise in real estate and resort management but one thing hasn't been stated, where the money is coming from. The terms also require Tamarack to close by March 15th, 2011. Back in August we heard of another offer but that one seems to have disappeared.

Tags: credit suisse, Credit Suisse Group, idaho, tamarack resort

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Orvis Presents North America's Finest Hunting Lodges

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Books

Last spring we reported that legendary Vermont-based sporting outfitters Orvis had published a great new book on fly fishing's finest destinations. Now the company has come out with an equally compelling companion volume on hunting game birds. Great Hunting Lodges of North America: Wingshooting's Finest Destinations (Rizzoli) is a lavishly illustrated look at the very best upland and waterfowl hunting destinations around. Profiles of almost 20 featured Orvis destinations celebrate the great American sporting tradition and include detailed information on the local game species and wildlife, the lodge and the surrounding countryside, along with in-depth sidebars on key game birds and sporting dogs. Even if you're merely an armchair adventurer who's never fired a shotgun the great outdoor photography is worth the price of admission in its own right. Featured lodges include the Eagle Nest Lodge in Montana, Flying B Ranch in Idaho, Greystone Castle in Texas, The High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado, Mexico's Rancho Caracol, Deer Creek Lodge in Kentucky, Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve in South Carolina and Pine Hill Plantation in Georgia. Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Great Hunting Lodges of North America

Tags: books, coffee table books, Colorado, dogs, fishing, fly fishing, Georgia, guns, hunting, hunting lodge, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Orvis, Rancho Caracol, shotgun, sporting, sports, Texas, Vermont, wildlife

New Hope For Tamarack Resort?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

In May 2009, Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, Idaho officially closed but now there is potential hope for a new buyer. A Salt Lake City real estate investment company, Pelorus Group, has expressed interest in buying the resort which was closed mid-construction amid massive debt. The resort has remained in bankruptcy court and the current owners still owe $300 million to a syndicate of lenders led by Credit Suisse Group, as well as facing unpaid bills from builders, contractors and suppliers who worked on the project.

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 around the time of the start of the global recession in 2008 building slowed and eventually 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.

Tags: credit suisse, donnelly idaho, idaho, pelorus group, Tamarack

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Glamping and Rafting on the Salmon River

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Glamping, the combination of glamour and camping, is really catching on and for good reason: who wouldn't enjoy all the adventure and fun of camping without the 'roughing it' factor?

Far and Away Adventures specializes in high-end luxury wilderness vacations along Idaho's Salmon River and they're offering a customizable glamping and whitewater rafting package called American Safari that includes stand-up tents with interior tent rugs, comfy elevated beds, exterior solar lights, steamed hand towels and showers. Dining is organic, gourmet, and done by candlelight on white tablecloths and fine china by the riverside complete with a personal wine sommelier. Other available amenities include riverside massage therapy, personal concierge service, and your pick of activities and adventures. The American Safari packages run for 6 days and 5 nights and are meant invoke feelings of old-time African safari expeditions, with rates dependent on how you personalize your trip. Get more info/book your adventure here.

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Tags: camping, far and away, glamping, idaho, rafting, safari, summer vacation, summer vacation ideas

Should Idaho Sell The French Fry King's Mansion?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In 2005 french fry king J. R. Simplot donated his home to the state of Idaho with the hopes that the luxury home on a hill with a view of Boise, Idaho, and 40 acres of grounds could serve as the governor's mansion. But five years later, Simplot has shuffled off this mortal coil (he died in 2008) and no one has moved into the house. The NY Times reports that there is a possibility that the home could now be sold because as it is it remains a drain on the state budget, costing $125,000 last year to maintain with $72,000 of that to water the Kentucky bluegrass lawns. The home was not donated furnished. A $3 million fund-raising drive to renovate the house only raised around $400,000 which was enough to fancy up a few main rooms for public functions.

Why doesn't the current Governor, Butch Otter live in the house? Otter, who was elected in 2006, has opted to stay on his ranch in Star, Idaho around 20 miles away. Some speculate that the reason he has decided not to move in is because he is already a little too familiar with the house, he was once married to the Simplots daughter Gay. Others say that Butch Otter happens to be an outdoorsman who prefers his expansive ranch where he can ride horses. He received a $4,500 monthly housing stipend until last March when the Simplot house was decided to finally be inhabitable by the state's governor.

Tags: boise, french fry king, FrenchFryKing, idaho, JR Simplot, JrSimplot

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Post Falls Contemporary, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

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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Gallery: Post Falls, Idaho

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, idaho

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The Terraces, Luxury Condos At Coeur d'Alene

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

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.

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Tags: coeur dalene, CoeurDalene, idaho, second homes, SecondHomes, the terraces, TheTerraces

Tamarack Resort Shuts Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

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.

Gallery: Towers in Trouble

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Tags: idaho, recession watch, RecessionWatch, resort, tamarack

Mats Wilander in Sun Valley, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

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.

Gallery: Cove Meadow

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Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, cove meadow, CoveMeadow, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, idaho, mats wilander, MatsWilander, sports celebrity real estate, SportsCelebrityRealEstate, sun valley, SunValley

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Idaho Winery Offers Refills

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Green

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.

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Tags: drink green, DrinkGreen, green, idaho, red wine, RedWine, refillable wine, RefillableWine, wine

Sun Valley, Idaho, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

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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Gallery: Sun Valley, Idaho

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Tags: brooke sheilds, BrookeSheilds, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, idaho, sun valley, SunValley

Mid-Valley, Idaho, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

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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Gallery: Mid-Valley Idaho

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, idaho, sun valley, SunValley

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The Trouble in Tamarack

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

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.

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Tags: idaho, ski resort, SkiResort, tamarack

Most Expensive Zip Codes: 83353, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

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.

Gallery: Most Expensive Zip Codes,83353, Sun Valley, ID