COEUR d'ALENE - The last two times economic downturns slammed the housing industry, Judy Werre relied on her instincts to survive.

And the Realtor's instincts told her to become a builder/developer.

"I'm one of the few in that area where I'm a woman builder and developer," the Coeur d'Alene woman said. "I metamorphosized."

Like in the '80s, when interest rates slowed construction and she had no real estate to move, she took it upon herself to develop several hundred home sites.

She swapped her Realtor's license for a building license in the '90s, too, when the market bucked again.

For roughly 20 years, Judy developed communities in Washington and North Idaho, with the support of her husband, Jim.

"I just watched," said her husband with a chuckle. "I come up with a rare good idea. Most of the time, she doesn't have too much trouble."

But it had to be done, Judy said.

"I guess I decided you can either feel sorry for yourself, or we are in control of making our own choices," she said.

A few years ago, Judy had to make that choice again.

The Great Recession hit Judy and Jim at a whole new level, Judy said.

Business screeched to a halt. She watched 20 years of hard work "melt away," she said.

"I'm not unique," said Judy, who like her husband is 62. "We all made business plans based on growth, and when that growth doesn't happen, your income stops. You're trying to figure out, 'How am I going to survive this and make this work?'"

By relying on her instincts again.

After a few years of living off savings and number crunching with an accountant, the Werres have decided survival means jumping back in the game.

The couple has started a new real estate business, Silver Fox Group LLC.

They purchased 100 rural-zoned acres north of Rathdrum. They've applied to Kootenai County to develop a major subdivision there, called Lakeland Meadows.

"I haven't had a hard time being supportive," Jim said, recalling expansive projects his wife has tackled. "Everything she's done has turned out really nice. I don't think this will be any different."

Judy hopes so, considering it's all funded with the couple's retirement savings.

"That's all that's left," Judy said with a laugh. "There basically is no financing now for new construction."

She just wants to recover their losses, Judy explained.

"Oh yeah," she said of whether re-entering the industry is frightening. "It was like breaking your arms and back and neck, and then saying, 'I'm going to go horseback riding again.'"

Silver Fox is proposing 13 residential lots, sized between 5 and 5.3 acres. The lots will be accessed by a private, gated road. Development will be phased.

The Werres, who have four children and eight grandchildren, hope to retain one 40-acre lot for their family.

"I think it's a fantastic thing," said Steve Syrcle of Tri-State Engineering, working with the Werres on the project.

There's a lot of promise in the subdivision, he said. Especially as the Werres are working with neighbors and agencies.

"We've taken our time putting this together," Syrcle said. "It's a breath of fresh air to work for a developer who looks at the whole gamut of things."

The project isn't a gamble, to a real estate veteran like Judy.

The location along West Winterhawk Drive is appealingly close to the Lakeland School District, she noted.

And she forecasts heavy demand for 5-acre lots in the near future.

"I'm beginning to see a shortage of good 5-acre buildable lots in the area," she said. "I've seen that in the last down market I was in. There will be a niche, and a need for inventory."

She always dives into a project, Jim touted.

"She has the desire. She can't sit on her hands," he said, adding that he has always supported by helping with housework and cooking. "That has been her outlet, her passion."

Of course there might be issues.

Lakes Highway District requires paved roads, which Judy predicts will be hard to afford.

And Sheriff Ben Wolfinger wrote to the county about several security concerns, including the strain that rural subdivisions put on his department.

"At 1.4 deputies per thousand population, we are below the state average of 1.7 deputies per thousand population, and far below the national average of 2.7 deputies per thousand," he wrote.

The county examiner will hold a public hearing on the proposed subdivision at 6 p.m. on April 4, in Room 1 of the County Administration Building.

Judy is confident.

If the project doesn't pan out, the couple can always sell the land at a profit, she said.

At least they can say they gave it their all.

"I've always been told over the years, you can give your money to other people, invest in the stock market and other businesses," she said. "But I think you're best at doing what you know."