Gonzaga and the Home to Cinderella
What a great time of the year! We are nearing Spring and the re-birth of so many things including baseball. But if you’re like me, this time of year is reserved for one thing only…March Madness! And we enter this special time with Gonzaga, a school of 4800, hidden away in Spokane, WA as the #1 team in college basketball. You might already know the story. Eighteen years ago, Gonzaga crashed the NCAA party and starting in 1999 began a string of 14 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They were once a school everyone rooted for. Today, they are the hunted at the top of the heap.
What a great time of the year! We are nearing Spring and the re-birth of so many things including baseball. But if you’re like me, this time of year is reserved for one thing only…March Madness!
And we enter this special time with Gonzaga, a school of 4800, hidden away in Spokane, WA as the #1 team in college basketball. You might already know the story. Eighteen years ago, Gonzaga crashed the NCAA party and starting in 1999 began a string of 14 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They were once a school everyone rooted for. Today, they are the hunted at the top of the heap.
And the media coverage of the Zags is now off the charts! But part of the story is Spokane itself, a relatively unknown gem tucked away in Eastern Washington less than 20 miles from the Idaho border. I’ve been lucky enough to visit (bought some Zags gear) and marveled at the small town feel of the 210,000-resident city, the beauty of the area and the flat-out niceness of the people.
Spokane has so much to offer including a four-season lifestyle that has plenty of outdoor life, including water and winter sports within minutes of downtown. And, who knew, golf is huge in Spokane with the links playable from March-October.
And when it comes to home affordability, according to the recent Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report, a 4-bed/2 bath home averages $168,810.
Here’s a look at some of the great homes in the Spokane area:
12811 S Fairway Ridge Ln, Spokane, WA – $795,000
1804 E 24th Ave, Spokane, WA – $695,900
5414 S Quail Ridge Cir, Spokane, WA – $999,900
Athena Snow
Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.
