On The House Upscale Post Falls Home, Built By Nic Students, To Be Raffled Off

If this were the house that Jack built, he would’ve had to have shared his hammer.

A dozen student carpenters have worked on the Post Falls home that the North Idaho College Foundation will raffle off in two weeks.

“It’s tough to keep 12 guys busy on a house,” said NIC instructor Dave McRae, who has supervised the small army of worker bees since September. “You have to work to make sure everyone gets to do everything.”

For philanthropic gamblers in the community, the annual Really BIG Raffle provides excitement. They have a 1-in-4,000 shot at winning an upscale house.

For NIC carpentry students, however, the project offers a pretty sure bet: job skills.

Scott Schroeder, 22, will work for a company that builds apartments. On Monday, the Coeur d’Alene man was helping McRae install glass bricks in the wall of the master bath.

It was one of the last chores before the carpet-layers arrive.

Schroeder had done some remodeling work after high school and had found it satisfying.

“I like being able to see what I’ve done at the end of the day,” Schroeder said.

But the remodeling didn’t pay much. Schroeder knew that getting a certificate from NIC’s 10-month carpentry program would help him earn a higher wage.

“Just about everybody around knows about the program,” he said.

Sid Brown enrolled in the program with no more experience than he got in high school shop class. He discovered that when it comes to building, “there’s a trick to everything.”

Brown is from Tensed, Idaho. His neighbors know he has been working on the NIC house.

“Half of my community bought tickets,” he said.

The $200,000 house at 5020 Inverness is down the street from the Highlands Golf and Country Club.

Its first floor covers 2,222 square feet, and there’s an equal amount of space in the partially finished daylight basement.

There are two decks, three bedrooms, a jetted tub, fireplace, three-car garage and other fancy stuff. Lots of hopeful would-be winners have stopped by to check out the place, McRae said.

The NIC Foundation plans to sell 4,000 raffle tickets before the July 2 drawing.

“Actually, your chances are better than in a lot of other raffles,” McRae said.

About 850 tickets remain, said foundation Associate Director Rayelle Anderson.

There also are three other prizes: $20,000 for a car or boat, a $3,500 travel package and a $2,000 shopping spree.

Proceeds will be used for scholarships and various college projects.

Tickets are available at Tom Addis Lake City Ford, By the Lake Travel, Stein’s IGA stores, Super 1 Foods stores, Tidyman’s stores, Windermere/Cd’A Realty, Annie’s Main Street Bakery (Sandpoint) and Riverside Chevrolet (Bonners Ferry).

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