(COEUR d’ALENE) During a REALTOR® Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday Feb. 19, Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) will honor 14 North Idaho REALTORs who helped homebuyers utilize its IdaMortgage home loan program in 2008. These REALTORs represented 108 buyers who purchased their homes with IdaMortgage home loans—for a collective total of more than $18 million in loan reservations.

“Realtors play a key role in providing information about the IdaMortgage loan program,” says Sue Semba, Director of Homeownership Lending at IHFA. “I commend these recipients for their hard work and dedication to their field.”

Since IHFA first began issuing home loans in 1978, the association has invested more than $4.6 billion in loans for more than 63,000 Idaho families. In the Coeur d’Alene area alone, more than 9,900 families have received IdaMortgage loans through IHFA, an investment of over $822 million.

The following REALTORs will receive “Your Key to Housing Opportunities” Awards during a luncheon to be held Thursday at noon in The Cedars Floating Restaurant. The awards presentation is slated to begin at 12:50 p.m.

Gold Award
     Sam Inman, Windermere Real Estate
Sam has obtained both her Associate Broker’s license and her GRI designation during her four year career in real estate. She also achieved the Circle of Excellence Award three years running and was the top producer at Windermere in Coeur d’Alene for 2008. Sam, who earned her degree in social work, uses the IdaMortgage loan program to help people find good deals, get into homes and gain equity.

Silver Award
     Josie Krahn, Tomlinson, Mueller, Meyer, Inc.
Josie has lived in the Coeur d’Alene area for nearly four decades, and in her 13-year career in real estate, she achieved the Circle of Excellence Sales Award and the Presidents’ Club Production Award for 12 years running. Recently, Josie utilized the IdaMortage program to help a legally-blind mother of two get into a home of her own.

Bronze Award
     Joel Pearl, Century 21 Beutler & Associates
Joel became a REALTOR four years ago, and has been an award-winning top selling agent for the length of his career. In 2008, with $19 million in sales volume, he became the number one selling agent for his firm and ranked 35th in sales for Century 21 worldwide. Joel sells everything from multi-million dollar estates to entry-level homes. For first-time buyers, he turns to IdaMortgage to help him walk clients through potential monthly payments and the possibility of down payment assistance.

Certificates of Appreciation
These REALTORs will be recognized for representing at least six IdaMortgage home loan buyers: Bonnie Beaulieu, Treaty Rock Realty, Inc.; Scott Carr, Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller; John Claybaugh, CDARE Group, LLC; Mike Fitzgerald, Hallmark Homes; Brian Knoll, Tomlinson Black North Idaho; Leslie Langley, Century 21 Beutler and Associates; Jan Leaf, Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller; Richard Neve, Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller; and Brad Richmond, Tomlinson Black North Idaho.

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Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a financial services and housing business organization, provides funding for affordable housing in Idaho communities where it is most needed and when it is economically feasible. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ihfa.org.