Happy Holidays

Well December is here and things are going to get a bit chilly. Of course the coast is typically 10 degrees warmer so may an escape to the beach is still a viable thing :) Some people enjoy storm watching as well. The mighty Pacific Ocean can be very angry at times and the storms she produces can be quite the spectacle. 

As for me I'm taking the month off, actually, no I'm not. I am going to keep this post short however and I'll be back in the new year... let's hope 2021 is better than 2020 :)

Beach is still a deal.

 

There are still some good deals out on the peninsula. This very light fixer is listed for just $129,900 and features a tidy 3 bed 1 bath home with attached 2 car garage situated on a 10,000 + SF lot. 

It is located on the bay side just north of Oysterville. It is private and just needs a little TLC to become quite the charmer.

The coast still offers some of the best value in real estate in SW Washington. Sure if you want you house perched on the beachfront of the mighty Pacific you will not get deals like this, but this home is just a 5 minute drive to the beach and a short walk to the bay so you get the access for a fraction of the cost of actually having the waves crashing into the west end of your property ;)

Washington State does have some regulatory restrictions for real estate but it is possible to look at homes usually by appointment with two at a time inside, masks, etc. Take a ride out to the coast and see what you could own in your budget range. You will almost certainly be quite pleased.

COVID-19 and the Coast

Coastal areas rely heavily on the tourism industry. That industry has taken a Chuck Norris round house to the face with COVID-19. If you live in the coastal areas be sure to do as much business with your local restaurants and businesses within the guidelines of local and state authorities of course.

The beach areas are more reliant on visitors and entertainment, social events, etc, so this virus has really done a number on the area and they would surely appreciate your support.

If you are thinking about buying a place at the beach, now is a great time to do so. Interest rates are very low and demand at the coast is not as crazy as it is here in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. That means you are not likely to be battling 10 other offers on every property. Pacific County, Washington has reasonable prices on real estate especially if you are coming form the perspective of Seattle or Portland-Vancouver. There is still a notable advantage over the Oregon coast as well.

The median home price on the Long Beach Peninsula is running about $230k which is barely more than half that of Vancouver, WA. There is great rates and great deals at the beach.

That's all I have this time around, see you next time!

     

Sis' Still Loves the Peninsula Life

I wrote an article a few months after I sold my sister a house in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. She loves that beach life now entering her third year. In fact she has just about finished up a brand new house on the property to replace the manufactured home she bought. 

Although the coast is lightly populated which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that the small town feeling is everywhere and once that mid summer crowd dissipates it is rather quiet. But on the curse side a small permanent population doesn't support as much business and one may find themselves traveling a bit to go to places like Costco, or Fred Meyer.

That said she remains a firm fan of the beach life :)

Here is the article from November 2018:

I was delighted to be able to help my recently retired sister and brother-in-law find a suitable property at the coast. They found a lovely remodeled manufacture home on a large 1.25 acre parcel in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. From this locale they are a short bike ride to the crashing Pacific Ocean or the bayside of the peninsula.

They love it at the beach! I don't think they ever thought they would be able to own property in a beach community, yet now they do.

From San Diego, CA to Warrenton, OR the Pacific coast is expensive and for many unobtainable. But SW Washington has a little sweet spot where real estate prices remain affordable. My sister and her husband were overjoyed to be able to afford a nice little place on large lot so close to the sea.

The Long Beach Peninsula has that classic beach vibe going on. It remains quintessentially quaint, with small town values and all of the benefits and faults of small town living. Coastal areas like Long Beach are heavy on tourism and as such can be crowded at peak times. The peninsula has several areas that are a bit detached from the busy touristy areas so whether one wants to be in the 'thick of it' or 'off the radar' Pacific County has their back :)

Summer finally made it!

The inland interior got smoking hot by mid-July and the coast was the choice spot with relatively cool temps and lovely breezes. August should prove similar so perhaps that beach trip is a good idea before the summer sets and the autumn rises. 

Back in October of 2018 I prepped some stats for climate on the long beach peninsula. The weather tends to be flat at the coast with a fairly flat temp curve between day and night as well as the seasons. Take a look at that and remember when it is in the 90s in Portland and Vancouver it is probably in the 70s at the beach :)

You Like Your Weather Static?

One of the stark contrasts with the weather and climate on the Washington coast as compared to inland areas like Portland-Vancouver is the nearly flat chart of average temperatures across the whole year. Yes if you like a fairly predictable temperature over the course of a whole year, it is hard to beat the beach. Of course it is wetter and windier at the beach but the temperatures are nearly static. Look at that chart!

In Long Beach, WA, there is only 16° of difference between the average high in July and the average high in January! Contrast that against Vancouver, WA where the difference is 36°. Or how about a place like Spokane, WA where the difference is an astonishing, 50°. You may find it interesting that Long Beach, WA has the same difference in average daily high as San Diego, CA! Yes San Diegans enjoy a tight 16° spread between summer and winter as well. Yes, I know the spread is the same but So-Cal is much warmer.

To be fair the coast tends to favor a cooler climate, but the moderating effects of the mighty Pacific Ocean keep the extremes minimized and the averages very predictable and pleasant all year long. Heat waves in the summer are very rare and when they do happen they are quite short lived. Deep freezes in the winter are equally rare and again very short lived.

So if you want to live in a place that doesn't really have a major shift in seasons then the coast could be the ticket. It is really a two season affair on the Washington Coast, a short 4 months of mild summer weather and long but very mild 8 months of winter.

The beach is affordable and fun all year round, check it out!

Cool, wet, and cloudy start to summer

2020 is the year of suck, so it seems with COVID-19, civil discord, and now a Scotland summer thus far in Washington State. The coast is a great place to get away but it is a little better when the sun is out or at least the ground is dry.

I would say not to let the gloomy and somewhat drippy weather keep you away from the great wonders of the mighty Pacific. The coast is very busy when the weather is hot inland and this less than ideal weather is a great time to soak up the beach life without any crowds. After all, we are supposed to maintain that six foot bubble and now is the time to do just that.

Unfortunately many of the larger and potentially crowded events this summer have been canceled in the wake of the Corona Virus Pandemic.But what a great time to head to the beach and just stare at the sea with few people around to disrupt the serenity of nature.

Meanwhile check out the real estate in the area. The market has slowed a bit but prices seem steady at the moment. Things are still pretty good at the beach.

Pacific County Enters Phase 2

The beaches of the Long Beach Peninsula have been authorized by the governor to enter Phase 2 of the COVID-19 response. This means that restaurants and some pubs can partially open. This should be good for the communities along the coast that are so reliant on visitors for the economy. I would recommend taking a trip to the coast and enjoying those tasty treats offered. Be sure to follow the guidelines set forth regarding social distancing and face masks and such.

So this is good news and hopefully we can lick this messy disease for the summer and let the doctors and scientists figure out how to corral it for next fall when it will almost certainly return for another go round.

There will not be many large events if at all this summer but the coast may be delightfully quiet this summer offering a more sedated and relaxing opportunity for travelers and day trippers. For those Jonesing for a beachfront property to own, the real estate market is still open for business and there could be strong values for those willing to look around.

Be it fun in the sun with the crashing surf or looking for a new home, the beach is open again :)

Governor Extends Stay Home till May 31

The nicest and warmest weather of the year thus far is headed our way later this week, but we can't really do much on the beaches as parks and beaches are largely closed under COVID-19 emergency orders.

On this the least festive Cinco de Mayo in many years, I'll sign off early. I will resume regular activity when this pandemic is over, for now here is an older post to ponder.

originally posted on February 6th, 2018 by Rod Sager

Many people that move to the Southwest Washington Coast are retired. It makes sense, really as retired people do not rely as much on the availability of high paying jobs as do those still in the working years. The coast is not exactly a hotbed of high tech nor is it filled with factory jobs. The only real stumbling block is that the coast is a fair distance away from the larger cities along the Oregon-Washington Interstate 5 corridor. The Long Beach Peninsula enjoys very reasonable housing costs and that can be a big bonus for fixed income retirees.

However there does come a time when we get older and need to visit our doctors a little more often. It is here that living on the quasi-remote coast can be an issue. There are plenty of physicians operating a practice on the Long Beach Peninsula and on the northern Oregon Coast, but hospitals and specialists may require an inland run to Longview which is 60 miles away.

This is probably the primary concern for retiring to the coast. If the medical services are adequate for your needs the rest is easy. Who doesn't want to enjoy the spectacular Pacific Ocean coastline? The weather at the coast is also more mild with wintertime temps a solid 8-10° warmer overnight and summertime highs an easy 10-15° cooler than most of the Portland Metro Area. Although the temps tend to be better moderated the rainfall is not. The coast can take a lickin' from frequent winter storms and that can mean a lot of rain and wind. Long Beach receives on average 79 inches a rain a year and that is double what Portland and Vancouver get on average. It's not that it rains more often, but more that it just rains harder.

But the coast is not that much different in terms of weather patterns and a nice long period of relatively dry conditions which arrive in July and stick around through the middle of September most years. 

Yes friends, retiring to the beach isn't for everyone, but it could be just the ticket for you so check it out!

COVID-19 May put the Clamps on Razor Clams this Year

This is Razor Clam season, more or less. The annual Razor Clam festival is a big deal on the SW Washington Coast. This year the event has been postponed till the fall. I have written about it in the past check this out:

I wrote about the Razor Clam festival a few years back. I am having a lazy moment and decided to repost the original from 2014. The website is the same and there is a long list of events scheduled for 2019. Do you really need an excuse to go to the coast? Well, just in case you do, now you have one.

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife

It's Back! Yes the classic Razor Clam Festival is back in Long Beach. Clamming has long been a favorite past time on the beaches of the Pacific Northwest and the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival has roots dated back to the 1940s.

The community has teamed up with private sponsors and the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to put on a great big festival April 19th and 20th. Check out the website for the event here.

The Southwest Washington Coast is a great place to visit and a fabulous place to live. I have spent many a word writing about the great value afforded to property in this Long beach Peninsula market and now could be an ideal time to buy your dream getaway home or retirement home in tax friendly Washington State.

Whatever you fancy, get out to the coast and check out the Razor Clam Festival starting on the 19th.

State Parks Galore

Did you know that SIX state parks reside in Pacific County on the Long Beach Peninsula Area? That's a fair number and from the mouth of the mighty Columbia up the peninsula to Leadbetter you can dive into the wilds of nature or wonder at the historical buildings of Cape Disappointment and Fort Columbia. There's more to an outing at the coast than a walk on the beach.

Check out the six parks at the beach.

• Cape Disappointment
• Fort Columbia
• Leadbetter Point
• Pacific Pines
• Loomis Lake
• Willie Keils Grave

March is here and soon the weather will turn the corner to spring. For now it is still a bit of winter but sunny days are ahead with late evening sun. Next month the Razor Clam Festival returns so keep your calendar clear.

Coast Has Seen Some Snow despite WARM Winter

The coast doesn't see snowfall very often and this winter thus far has been undeniably warm. Portland, OR recorded the second warmest January on record! Yet there were a couple of days that produced some snow on the Long Beach Peninsula, mostly on the northern tip up near Oysterville and Leadbetter Point.

Now the photo at left was taken last month by my sister who lives in Oysterville. That isn't a lot of snow, but it is sea level at the beach, so having one of the warmest Januaries on record and still getting a light dusting of snow is, well, kind of weird.

Such is life on the wild and wet coast! Speaking of wet, the Peninsula reported more than 20 inches of rain last month and that is a fair wallop of water. Our rain gauges all over Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon have been running a bit dry for several seasons so this is a welcome drenching.

All of these warm and wet systems tend to produce excellent storm watching opportunities along the shore. Just be careful, stand back away from the crashing waves and NEVER turn your back on the mighty Pacific Ocean!

Happy New Year!

It is storm watching season, take a peak at this article from the winter's past.

Originally posted on November 3rd, 2015, by Rod Sager

Many people flock to the coast during the autumn to revel in the majesty and power that is delivered to the coast in our fall storms. This time of year can bring strong and even violent storms that churn up the Pacific Ocean into a frothing menace. Although the ocean can be dangerous and caution is always advised it is extra important whilst strong weather disturbances are present.

For storm watchers the autumn provides a more mild temperature than the winter. Storm watching in January can be a freezing cold experience, literally. This time of year offers the excitement of an angry sea with the comfort of temperatures in the 40s and 50s rather than the 20s and 30s.

This past weekend we had a doozy of the system wallop the coast with high winds, foaming ocean and big waves. Nearly four inches of rain pelted the beach the last two days of the month. There is something awe inspiring about these storms. It is so much so that people come in hordes to witness its display of power.

Come out to the coast sometime and enjoy the weather, it matters not if it is sunny and mild or angry and wet, you can still enjoy it. For information on other great fall activities at the beach, check out the Long Beach Peninsula Visitor's Bureau.