COEUR d'ALENE - As the weather is heating up, so are some high-end real estate sales in the Coeur d'Alene area.

According to Tom Fisher of Century 21 Beutler & Associates, high-end condo sales were averaging around one or two a month through winter, and have generally been slow.

Fisher said it is difficult to find accurate high-end property value comparisons because many are in foreclosure, on their way to foreclosure or are selling below market value. He added this is, in part, because the housing market has yet to fully recover from the 2007 collapse.

"There hasn't been many high priced sales that aren't distressed property sales in recent years," Fisher said. "It's hard to get financing and appraisals for the purchase price."

Yet, in the last month Century 21 has accepted purchase-price offers on five Parkside condos, with two more in the works, and nine Ridgepointe condos are now under contract. This means the bank has accepted offers, and the escrows are open.

Parkside condominiums are located at 601 Front Ave. Ridgepointe condominiums are located at 1700 Tower Point.

"We are having a strong market this summer," Fisher said. "The fact that in the last month we have accepted offers on five condos at Parkside and nine at Ridgepointe is phenomenal."

Miller Stauffer Architects, designers and owners, as well as occupants, of Parkside, have not had to reduce prices as have most condominium developers. A few that sold earlier were lowered a little in the resale market, Fisher said.

"There is a lot of inventory to pick from and rates are as low as they've been since the 1950s," Fisher said. "This is really a perfect storm for buyers. "It is kind of like popping popcorn, it has been heating up and heating up and now it's starting to pop."

Still, not all high-end condos in the area are doing well. The Lofts at 609 Sherman Ave. have been completed for about two years and have yet to sell a single unit, even though they have recently reduced their prices by almost half. The lofts originally started at more than $700,000, but have been lowered to a starting price of $429,000.

"Downtown Coeur d'Alene is a world-class place to live and, with interest rates at historic lows, we are really excited," said Jim Slavin of SDS Realty Inc. "Now that the pricing is becoming more attractive, we hope to sell two units this year."

A couple of the partners in the project own units there, and Slavin believes he will sell some this year.

"My high point will be when TW sells out," he said.

Slavin said there is a new reality for commercial realty. He said he thinks rental rates will never rise back to what they were before the housing market collapsed.

"I have a real hesitancy to say there is going to be much appreciation in the next five years for commercial realty," Slavin said. "Hopefully the prices will come back to normal."