[jorian]

I have a place in N ID. I spend a couple of weeks there in the summer and love it. My place is on Lake Pend O'Reille, one of the prettiest lakes I've ever been on. Usually go in August, sometimes as early as the first week of July. Aside from the obvious attraction of the lake, there is a lot to do if you like the outdoors.

Sandpoint to the north is a great little town that is a little oasis of culture surrounded by a more redneck vibe. Great restaurants and micro-brews along with some galleries and antique places. Just outside of town is Schweitzer ski resort. Skiing a is good from what I hear and it has a great mountain biking/hiking scene in the summer. I never really venture further south than Hayden (20 mins) because the traffic can be brutal.

Spokane is about an hour and 15 minutes away and has some beautiful areas as well. My neighbour on the lake is a Dr in Spokane who commutes from the lake place to his office in the summer.

At the risk of sounding elitist, I haven't made too many North Idaho friends. A bit too much right wing flag waving for my tastes. It's a pretty homogenous community that welcomes opinions as long as they are the "right" ones. We usually bring friends along and keep to ourselves. The locals I do know are generous, kind and hardworking types. Values in the area have fluctuated wildly from the time I bought 16 years ago and I don't count on making a profit or even coming out flat on my investment there. It's always difficult to get there (8 hour drive) but I am always sorry to pack up and go home. The economy is depressed so it would be cheap to build

As others have said, it would be a good idea to try before you buy and keep a shack somewhere where the sun shines in the winter.