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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Home Show Will Be Held At Five Mile Prairie Site

Bruce Krasnow Staff Writer

FOR THE RECORD: June 1, 1996: Correction: Some of the Five Mile Prairie homes featured in the 1996 Home Show next month are still for sale. A Thursday article indicated otherwise.

North Side Voice, page N23, June 6, 1996: CORRECTION The Spokane Home Show on Five Mile Prairie opens on June 14. Four of the seven homes in the show are still for sale. An article in last week’s North Side Voice contained errors regarding both the start date and the number of homes for sale.

It may not be Bloomsday, but more than 20,000 people are expected to visit Five Mile Prairie for the 1996 Home Show next month.

The show opens at 6 p.m. on June 13 and runs until 6 p.m. on June 23. Directional signs will line the prairie and an open field will be used for parking.

This show is a departure from the last two where new homes have been scattered around Spokane County. The single-site show with seven homes also will allow the Spokane Home Builders Association a chance to strut its stuff.

All the builders will be on hand one day, architects on another. A Father’s Day celebration is planned with a Wild West theme. The Planet Lounge Orchestra is set to play June 15. On June 22, the music will go until 10:30 p.m. so visitors can enjoy the city lights with a rhythm and blues band.

Bob West, co-chair of the home show for the Spokane Association of Home Builders, said more affordable homes were showcased in previous years. Five Mile lots allow more luxury.

Three of the show homes are under $300,000, two sell for under $400,000 and two for more than $450,000. One approaches $1 million.

“Shows featuring affordable housing in the past, it hasn’t worked,” said West. “When people go, they want to see their dream homes, they don’t want to see what they already live in.”

But don’t expect to latch onto one; the homes already are sold.

Buyers like show homes because they can get more for their money. Because of the exposure, builders can strike deals with designers for the best interiors. And because each home is judged, quality is ensured. Buyers are assured, too, that homes will be finished on time - often with landscaping. West also expects the exposure to help the sale of other lots in nearby developments. Some 30 lots are available at a cost from $35,000 to $110,000.

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