Tips for House Hunting in Moscow Idaho!     Our market place in Moscow Idaho continues to be relatively active.  Folks are still moving within Moscow, and new folks are coming to Moscow as well. As summer is in full swing, it can be hot when looking at homes.  Here are a few tips that might be helpful for you if you are going out to tour homes.  Let's break them down into two categories, before you look and the actual big day!       Before We  Look ~   Do your homework before we look.  I know, we all hate homework, but really we need to do it for our own benefit!. Here are two things you can do to ease the process.     Contact your lender ~  That pre-approval letter is so very important.  It tells us what price range we need to focusing on. I want to show you homes that fit your needs! ... 07/28/2010

About Lori Cofer Find my Moscow dream home What is my home worth? Help me relocate! Contact Lori Cofer   Courtesy of Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ "Your Moscow Idaho Real Estate Connection"     Moscow Idaho is home to the University of Idaho, and is situated between beautiful Moscow Mountain and the rolling hills of the Palouse.   The university provides a broad cultural base, and the beautiful countryside a variety of indoor & outdoor activities.   So if you love wide open spaces and a friendly community, Moscow, Idaho is a great place for you. I would love to answer any questions you may have.     ~Market Snap Shot of Moscow Idaho Single Family Homes ~Year to Date (July 12, 2010) ~ We have 173 MOSCOW HOMES ACTIVE ON THE MARKET WITH 18 OF THOSE HOMES CONTINGENT. WE have 4 MOSCOW HOMES PENDING... 07/13/2010

This is a picture taken by my son on a trip to Dworshak Dam.  He took this lovely shot of the reservoir of the dam.  This reservoir is a man-made lake that according to wikipedia "stretches 86.2 kilometres (54 mi) upstream, and has 295 kilometres (183 mi) of steep shoreline. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 194 meters, with an average depth of 56 meters."   It's just a beautiful lake ... my son had a wonderful time visiting there!!!!     06/27/2010

About Lori Cofer Find my Moscow dream home What is my home worth? Help me relocate! Contact Lori Cofer Courtesy of Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ "Your Moscow Idaho Connection"     Moscow Idaho is home to the University of Idaho, and is situated between beautiful Moscow Mountain and the rolling hills of the Palouse.   The university provides a broad cultural base, and the beautiful countryside a variety of indoor & outdoor activities.   So if you love wide open spaces and a friendly community, Moscow, Idaho is a great place for you. I would love to answer any questions you may have.     ~Market Snap Shot of Moscow Idaho Single Family Homes ~Year to Date (June 12, 2010) ~ We have 171 MOSCOW HOMES ACTIVE ON THE MARKET WITH 19 OF THOSE HOMES CONTINGENT. WE have 6 MOSCOW HOMES PENDING WE have SOLD ... 06/12/2010

Here's a shot of Friendship Square in Downtown Moscow Idaho where I used to live in the early 1990's while I attended University of Idaho before transferring to Eastern Washington.  Every time I first get into town I can't wait to leap out of the car and walk around Main Street where these pictures were taken. The banner talks about the Moscow Farmer's Market opening up soon.   School is already out so it's unusually quiet with the students away for break. BookPeople is my favorite book store in the world.  I mean I enjoy Powell's in Portland, and love the Tattered Cover in Denver, but BookPeople is unique.  Bob the owner is usually there and friendly as always.  He carries books that the big conglomerates don't carry.  Bob recommended more than a few of my favorite reads of all time! ... 06/01/2010

  About Lori Cofer Find my Moscow dream home What is my home worth? Help me relocate! Contact Lori Cofer   05/26/2010

About Lori Cofer Find my Moscow dream home What is my home worth? Help me relocate! Contact Lori Cofer     Moscow Idaho Real Estate: Top Five Real Estate Mistakes         Here's a great video from HGTV I'd like to share with you exploring the top five real estate mistakes that many buyers and sellers often make. Here's quick recap:   1. Not staging or showcasing your home. 2. Setting an unrealistic selling price. 3. Buying more than you can afford. 4. Thinking your mortgage payment is your only expense. 5. Not getting an inspection.   If you have any questions about Moscow or the Moscow Idaho Real Estate Market I am here to help!  Feel free to use my Moscow ID MLS search.     05/21/2010

Courtesy of Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ "Your Moscow Idaho Connection"     Moscow Idaho is home to the University of Idaho, and is situated between beautiful Moscow Mountain and the rolling hills of the Palouse.    The university provides a broad cultural base, and the beautiful countryside a variety of indoor & outdoor activities.    So if you love wide open spaces and a friendly community, Moscow, Idaho is a great place for you.  I would love to answer any questions you may have.     ~Market Snap Shot of Moscow Idaho Single Family Homes ~Year to Date (May 14, 2010) ~ We have 179  MOSCOW HOMES ACTIVE ON THE MARKET WITH 33 OF THOSE HOMES CONTINGENT. WE have 3 MOSCOW HOMES PENDING WE have SOLD 53 HOMES Our AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET FOR THE LAST 365 DAYS  FOR MOSCOW SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE is 161 ... 05/14/2010

Courtesy of Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ "Your Moscow Idaho Connection"     Moscow Idaho is home to the University of Idaho, and is situated between beautiful Moscow Mountain and the rolling hills of the Palouse.    The university provides a broad cultural base, and the beautiful countryside a variety of indoor & outdoor activities.    February 24-27 the Kibbie Dome at the University of Idaho will host the internationally famous Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. This event brings students to our university for some great Jazz and great competitons too!   So if you love wide open spaces and a friendly community, Moscow is a great place for you.  I would love to answer any questions you may have.     ~Market Snap Shot of Moscow Idaho Single Family Homes ~Year to Date (February  23, 2010) ~ We have 8... 02/23/2010

Relocating to a new area is both exciting and challenging. There are so many components to a move and certainly finding a house to call home is crucial in the process.  I specialize in helping you  find that one house that says Welcome Home! Feel free to browse the homes that are currently listed on the MLS.  This is a great place to start!  You will get a feel for the prices and homes available.  You can also begin to acquaint yourself with the area.   You are also welcome to check out my local blog which includes market reports, great localism pieces and just plain fun posts so you can get to know me better. After you find a few potential candidates, we can begin right from where you are!  I would be happy to send you additional information on the homes as well as begin an ongoing con... 12/26/2009

The Tax Credit and  Buying Your Moscow Idaho Home By Lori Cofer, "Your Moscow Real Estate Connection"   As a  REALTOR that is licensed in both Washington and Idaho, I can help ease your process of buying your Moscow Idaho or Pullman Washington Home.       In our area, most agents are licensed in one state or the other causing the client to have to work with two different agents. That means you have to train two different agents as to what you are looking for.     In order to better serve my clients, I hold licenses in both Washington & Idaho to better serve my clients.     Let me help you  simplify your home search by helping you  look at homes on both sides of the border.    As a member of both the Washington Association of Realtors and the Idaho Association of Realtors I  have lots of... 12/12/2009

Buyer Tips On Finding Your Moscow Idaho Home by Lori Cofer, "Your Moscow Real Estate Connection" My name is Lori Cofer of Beasley Realty and I am licensed in both WA & ID serving Whitman and Latah Counties.  I enjoy helping clients find the house that says home.  Here are a few tips you might find helpful as you begin your journey to buying your new home.                                GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER Credit scores, your overall income, and your debt are all important factors in determining whether or not you will qualify for a loan and what the terms of your loan will be.  Don't be afraid to shop around.    But do shop for mortgage rates all at once.  Rates change daily, so make sure you are comparing apples to apples. It is true that too many credit card applications can lo... 12/12/2009

Courtesy of Lori Cofer, REALTOR ~ "Your Moscow Idaho Connection"     Moscow Idaho is home to the University of Idaho, and is situated between beautiful Moscow Mountain and the rolling hills of the Palouse.    The university provides a broad cultural base, and the beautiful countryside a variety of outdoor activities.  If you love wide open spaces and a friendly community, Moscow is a great place for you.  I would love to answer any questions you may have.   The above beautiful picture is one of my personal favorites.  It was taken of the Arboretum on the University of Idaho Campus and is courtesy of Rod Schwartz.     ~Market Snap Shot of Moscow Idaho Single Family Homes, Townhouses & Condos  ~Year to Date (December  12, 2009) ~ We have 100  HOMES ACTIVE ON THE MARKET WITH 19 of those HO... 12/12/2009

 A devotion to the arts is a signature quality of Moscow, Idaho.  The city is divided between the more liberal university students and professors and the somewhat conservative farming community but one area of agreement is the appreciation of myriad forms of art.  The local paper, the Moscow Pullman Daily News, had this article of one of our local artists. The rural life: Local artist inspired by life in small southern Idaho town Forrest Gilchrist usually starts a piece of art without knowing what the final product will look like. "It all has a human element, but there is no predetermined idea," he said. "It's open to interpretation." The Moscow artist has delved into a variety of art forms over the years, but for his show at Above the Rim Gallery in Moscow, he put together 100 collages... 02/10/2009

If you're a jazz fan, Moscow ID has a treat that you really should indulge in at least once, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.  I know - Idaho.  Not where you would expect to find a hotbed of jazz.  but there is a long jazz tradition The University of Idaho sponsors the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival every year. The Festival is a major regional highlight.  Imagine an environment that has world class jazz musicians sharing the stage with elementary, junior high and high school students.    I've had several childern participate in the competition.  The level of commitment that even the youngest bands bring is impressive.  Some of the talent that appears among the high schoolers is just awe-inspiring. But it isn't just a kid's festival.  It would be wonderful if it were - but t... 02/09/2009

Quoting the webpage for the Appaloosa Museum, The Appaloosa Museum is a non-profit organization established in 1975 to collect, preserve, study, and exhibit objects and information that illustrate the history of the Appaloosa horse. The Appaloosa is a breed of horse  known for its spotted coat pattern and other distinctive physical characteristics. The Nez Perce people of the American Pacific Northwest are credited with developing the breed. They were once referred to by white settlers as the "Palouse horse", possibly after the Palouse River, which ran through the heart of Nez Perce country. Gradually, the name evolved into "Appaloosa". The Museum has annouced that the State of Idaho will be offerring a license plate to celebrate this uniquesly American breed.  The Appaloosa plate is th... 02/03/2009

I have agents ask me whether they should have a new home inspected. We're a little more trusting out here - everybody knows everybody else and new homes are supposed to be "inspected" by the local building departments.  I always tell them yes and tell them the story of a home that I did the forensics on - this one is still in litigation.   Now this is a bit extreme - I don't normally cut into walls to see what's happening but in this case, the homeowner was paying to have the structural components checked so we were intrusive. This picture with the wood studs is indicative of what we found.  There was supposed to be a steel post in the corner supporting the beam.  In all, 4 steel posts were replace with wood.  Two steel beams were replaced.  the client even asked the contractor if he co... 02/01/2009

            If you live in a hot climate, you've probably spent a significant amount of energy fighting the effects of the sun.  In some parts of the country, air conditioning is as essential as water during the summer months, sucking the humidity out of the air and cooling things down enough so that you actually feel like moving around.  Isn't it about time you started taking advantage of the sun's rays instead of feeling like one of their prime targets?             Solar power is a technology which has come way down in price over the past decade or so.  This type of system uses the sun's energy to generate electricity that can power your home, heat your hot water or even be sold back to the local electrical utility.  How does it work?  In the simplest system, a solar panel is mounted ... 01/29/2009

With the cold weather and low inside humidity at my house, my kids and wife have been having a problem with dry skin. If you have sensitive skin like my duaghters do and need to know what goes into your laundry detergent, now you can make your own. Costs are low and the process takes no more than 15 minutes.  Obligatory Cautions: Don't mix any of the ingredients with ammonia derivatives (surfactants) or chlorine. Always use appropriate eye protection, a mask, and gloves if necessary. In addition, do not eat the detergent, poke it in your eye, or stick it up your nose. Any substance can be harmful if handled inappropriately.  Most homemade detergent recipes recommend the use of washing soda (available in grocery stores or from pool cleaning companies), but baking soda will work in a pinc... 01/27/2009

Whenever I think of company towns, I think of the Jimmy Stewart classic "It's a Wonderful Life",  of Bedford Falls and the evil Mr. Potter.  That is the usual image - big bad company taking advantage of the little worker.  And there were far too many instances where this actually occurred. But I also think of a town like Moscow ID.  The largest employer is the University of Idaho (with the quite excellent Gritman Medical Center and the local school district as the next largest).  When the University facing cutbacks, the whole town is substantially impacted.  In a diverse economy, a downturn in one or even several segments can be offset with activity in others.  That is not the case currently in Moscow. The city has recognized this and is focusing on the necessity of widening the employm... 01/26/2009