05/27/2026
A client story I want to share because I see this exact scenario play out way too often.
A couple from out of state called me last fall. They had found a piece of land online. 22 acres in Bonner County. Listed at $310,000. Beautiful views, gravel access, partial woods. They were ready to make a full-price offer that weekend.
I asked if I could go walk it with them first. They flew in. We spent two hours on the property.
Here is what we found that the listing photos did not show:
The road to the build site was steeper than it looked in photos. Their driveway alone (grading, gravel, drainage, culverts) was going to run about $30,000.
The closest power pole was 800 feet from where they wanted to build. The utility company quoted them roughly $24,000 to extend service.
The soils on the buildable area required a mound septic system. That added about $18,000 over a standard system.
A standard well in that area runs $20,000 to $30,000. We budgeted $28,000 for theirs.
Then add permits, surveys, soil testing, and engineering for the slope. Another $8,000 to $12,000.
Total infrastructure cost to make the land buildable: roughly $112,000 on top of the $310,000 list price.
Was the property still worth it? Maybe. For some buyers, absolutely. For these clients, the math changed the decision. They passed on this one and we found a different piece. ( flatter, closer to utilities, easier septic) that worked for their actual budget.
The point of this story isn’t to scare people away from buying land in North Idaho. It is incredible land and there’s a reason people are moving here.
The point is that the sale price is the start of the math, not the end. And if your agent doesn’t help you understand the full cost of getting from raw land to buildable home, you can find yourself $100,000 deep in surprise expenses with no way out.
If you’re looking at land in Kootenai, Bonner, Shoshone, or Benewah, let’s walk the property together before you write an offer. My job is to get you answers.
— Mike Drake
eXp Realty | North Idaho
