Owner Profile
Craig Koester was raised in the northern California seaside community of Santa Cruz. He received a business degree from U.C.L.A. and attended its Graduate School of Management, Real Estate Masters program. Subsequent to graduation he joined a diversified transportation company in Los Angeles negotiating leases and land sales as well as handling land development and project management duties.
He transferred to Phoenix in 1981 and was soon asked to join Catellus Development Company, then the countries largest publicly owned real estate firm. As Project Director he was in responsible for developing the company’s vast real property portfolio in Arizona and New Mexico. Over the next 12 years he successfully entitled over 2,000 acres of urban mixed use commercial property, including complete rezoning, master planning and subsequent infrastructure construction. During this time he also oversaw the design, construction, leasing and management of over 3-million square feet of commercial retail, office and industrial space valued in excess of $100 million. He also authored numerous articles on development related issues and lectured at Arizona State University. He also chaired a development industry panel which helped re-write the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance.
After leaving Catellus, Craig co-founded a boutique brokerage and consulting practice with clientele that included private investors, local and national corporate entities, institutional investors and several local Native American communities. In addition to performing consulting services Craig personally negotiated the sale, acquisition, joint venture and lease transactions valued in excess of $200 million. Notably he was engaged by a nationally recognized developer to lead a planning team for non-residential elements of a 6,000 acre master planned community north of Phoenix, and following its completion, led the marketing team.
Craig relocated to Boise in 2000 where he ran a residential real estate office and was later hired as Real Estate Manager for a diversified corporation. During this time he was responsible for the development of a 2,000 acre recreational/residential community along the banks of the Payette River south of McCall, Idaho. including planning, infrastructure construction and marketing. He was President of three HOA’s, approving new construction and monitoring CC&R compliance.
Since moving to the Sandpoint area, he has worked for a local manufacturer and was Real Estate Manger for an investment firm acquiring, developing and managing various real estate holdings.
Craig has traveled extensively including a two month road trip throughout western Canada and Alaska, including a dip in the Arctic Ocean.
He currently resides in Sagle Idaho with his cocker spaniel, Nygle.
