Rising Rates could Dampen Beach House Dreams

Interest rates have been creeping up all year. Although they remain well below the 50 year average, the opportunity to own a vacation beach house gets slimmer as rates go up. Vacation and rental property loans typically have a bit of a hit to rate on top of the upward movement we have seen since the dawn of 2018.

The Long Beach Peninsula remains a wonderful value for coastal property. I have gone on about this for years daringly close to ad nauseam indeed. I will not belabor the point further today but will suggest that those considering a vacation or rental home anywhere and certainly at the coast, should be most aware of the lending rate trends under way.

Living on SW Washington's coast can be fantastic and it remains shockingly affordable. Check out my Retire to Washington blog to see why Washington State can be a very desirable location to retire and the coast is certainly an additional reason.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and that means big 'ole beach party on Long Beach! Check out the Long Beach website for information here. 

Beach House Deals!

I have two ends of the spectrum for today's look at beach house deals! I saw one listing for a small detached house just a block from the beach, priced at a modest $100,000. I also saw another gorgeous beachfront home quite nicely appointed all things considered, at a reasonable $519k. These are just two of the sweet beach house deals I saw on the MLS this morning.

Starting on the bargain end of things, The listing at $100k is a pretty small home. 576 square feet with two bedrooms and a 3/4 bath. But the home is less than a block from the beach entrance! What a great opportunity for a getaway home! It is situated on a 100x50 foot lot, which is a classic city lot. I still find it hard to believe that one can buy a house a block from the beach for a hundred grand.

It may not look like much but there are many cars that people buy that cost more than this little house and it's practically on the beach. This could be the family getaway or an investment opportunity.


This one is located in the Klipsan Beach area on the Long Beach Peninsula in Ocean Park, WA.

I love great deals and this is certainly a fabulous bargain.

The next home I found interesting was this 2789 square foot home backing to the beach! This lot is 55 feet wide and goes all the way to mean high tide. You own a piece of the Pacific Coastline and the lot is 452 feet deep. This home features three bedrooms and one full bath and a couple of 3/4 baths and a half bath. This home is also in Ocean Park, WA on the Long Beach Peninsula.

This could be a full time house for someone looking to live the Coastal Dream. Or it could be an investment as an upscale beach house rental. I like it because it is priced well. Listed at just $519,000 it is a relative value.  

Look at the huge wrap around deck looking out over the mighty Pacific Ocean. A nice 55 foot wide lot and a 400 foot trail through the dunes to the beach all yours!

The Washington Coast continues to offer an amazing value in beach front property and if you have always dreamed of living at the coast or having a getaway vacation property, now is as good as ever to grab a deal at the beach.

Although I write this blog for fun beach info, I am a licensed Realtor® in Washington State and would be happy to deliver information on these and other listings on the coast.

Beach Deals!

Long Beach, WA $149,900

Every now and again I like to find some great deals on beach property. I have invested a fair number of keystrokes on this blog in the idea that property on the Washington State coast may be the greatest value on the planet. Sure, like any coastal area with gorgeous scenery there will be million dollar mansions but the Long Beach peninsula offers a range of prices that allow even the more modest earners and opportunity to live or play at the beach.

I have two listings I found on the MLS that I think represent a great opportunity to own a coastal property. Neither of these listings are fancy by any measure, but they are very good deals. Imagine living within a five minute walk of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Every morning you get up crack the window and hear the thunderous sound of crashing waves. In most instances to own property in this environment is the stuff reserved for the likes or Gates or Buffett. But not these my friends these are within reach of the middle class and better yet they are within reach of the beach!

Long Beach, WA $176,000

The first property is listed at a mere $149,900. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, this home has three bedrooms and one bath spread among 1632 square feet of space. The house lies the equivalent of six blocks to the beach. Six blocks! The home is located in Long beach and is close to the main hwy and all the fun activities and shopping as well as the famed Long Beach itself. The price includes two lots totaling 0.19 acres. it is in decent shape and can be lived in right away. It may be a bit dated but we are talking about six blocks to the ocean and less than $150k. That gets a big fat WOW!

The second property is even closer to the beach. This one is just a couple of blocks away. This is a townhouse unit with an HOA that is just $110 a month. It was built in 2006 so this is modern and frankly very nice. Here you get 1571 squares two bedrooms and two and half baths. From this property you can walk right down a path to the sea or go the other way and walk a couple blocks to play a round of golf at Peninsula Golf Course. All of this at an amazing price of just $176,000. I love the Washington Coast, I really do.

Beachfront Property is so Alluring

Photo from RMLS

There is just something magical about a beachfront home. In past articles on this blog I have shown properties across a variety of price ranges even the $100k range right on the beach. Today I found a 2,800 square foot home situated on more than 3/4 of an acre right at the feet of the mighty Pacific Ocean. This Ocean Park home is listed on the MLS for $545,000. It is by no means an inexpensive home, but compared to its brethren on the Oregon Coast just a few miles south, it is a bargain. I continue to remain amazed at the shear value offered to buyers on the Washington Coast. There is nearly an acre of ground fronting the largest body of water on Earth. This home is spacious, nicely appointed although not overly luxurious. It offers high vaulted ceilings with lots of glass to take in that gorgeous ocean view. 

Photo from RMLS

I write another blog; Retire to Washington and I often tie in our amazing coastal value to posts on that blog. The coast is after all ideally suited for retirees. The weather is more consistent, lacking the hot weather often found inland and perhaps more importantly less frequent snowfall. Retirees need not commute into work so that is completely off the table. Everything you need is right there in town. 

Come out and visit Washington's somewhat less famous coast and see for yourself just how wonderful it is. While you are there take a peek around at some real estate. You can find some outstanding values on property you may have thought was unattainable. 

Condos at the Coast

Photo from RMLS public site.

One you get right down to it there are three basic residential property owners at the coast. Full time residents, most of which are retired, Vacation home owners, and investors that either rent to full time residents or rent to vacationers.

For many people the idea of owning a getaway vacation home at the coast is the stuff of dreams and folly. But we have this unique opportunity happening along the Southwest Washington coast that makes that silly dream a very potential reality.

I pulled a couple of current condo listings in Long Beach, WA and found some wonderful opportunities. I found a 1 bedroom 1 bath condo as close to the beach as possible listed for just $99,000. There is full time on site management and the HOA pays everything except the electric bill. There is a two bedroom one and a half bath unit at $149,000 and a 2-2 at $159,000.

That little one bedroom unit would make a great retreat property for an empty next couple. This particular condo complex sits on a whooping 24 acres with just the four buildings and lots of sand dunes and trails to go along with that direct beach access.

The finances on this are not too bad at all. If you put down 20% ($19,800) then add in the PITI (principle, interest, taxes and insurance) and HOA for a monthly payment of around $875. I realize that this still is a healthy contribution from the monthly budget, but it is clearly within reach for many people including a fair number that "think" it requires the magic of the Fairy Godmother.

If these numbers are still out of reach, the idea of going in with partners and sharing the use of the space is a possible solution. There are potential problems with a sharing arrangement but they can be overcome with planning and written agreements. Splitting this between four groups makes the space very available for all parties to get more than ample use out of the property and reduces the cost to less than most timeshares on the Oregon coast offering a lousy two weeks a year! Between four the number work out to $4950 each as a down payment and just $220 a month each. This would leave each family with 13 weeks a year to stay in the unit. That is far more vacation time than most people take!

All said this is a small unit measure in at just 655 square feet. But that is still quite a bit bigger than most hotel suites and it has a full kitchen and dedicated parking. The condo offers the advantage of management of the grounds and structure and that can be important for those not living full time on the property.

There are many golden opportunities on our beautiful Washington Coast. all you have to do is look and you may surprise yourself with a gift from the Fairy Godmother.

Ocean Park Dreams

 Last week I mentioned in the welcome post that there is amazing opportunity to own beach property in Southwest Washington for prices well within reach of middle class citizens. Today I would like to talk about a home that recently sold in Ocean Park.

This amazing property features nearly 1800 square feet of living space as close to the beach as is possible. You can see the trail from the backyard patio right out onto the sands that touch the biggest body of water on this planet. This home was a nice clean, move in ready property with easy and quick access to the beach and it sold for just $300,000. The features lots of glass and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the shores of the beach just a few hundred feet away!

This type of home right on the beach on the Oregon Coast would easily cost twice to thrice as much. Here in the great state of Washington, dreams can come true.


Ocean Park is right smack in the middle of the Long Beach Peninsula. Long Beach has been billed as the longest drive-on oceanfront beach in the world. Although some may refute it's biggest in the world status it is an amazing 28 miles of drivable beach. The beach is actually designated as a State Hwy. The Long Beach Peninsula is a skinny piece of ground that juts northward from the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and that famous beach. To the east is the Willapa Bay. The peninsula ranges between one and two miles wide and is roughly 30 miles in length. Beginning at Ilwaco and terminating at Leadbetter Point State Park this peninsula provides both ocean front and bay front living and your never far from either.

Imagine owning your own home at the beach. There are opportunities to own property less than a 1/4 mile from the beach and under $100,000.

Welcome!

I would like to welcome you to the new Evergreen Coastal Living blog. This blog will bring you exciting information about Washington State's amazing coastal living opportunities. Our great state offers fantastic coastal living in warm and friendly beach communities at a fraction of the price you'd pay just a few miles south on the Oregon Coast.

When coupled with the superior economic conditions for retirees in Washington State our coast is the best ocean side location in America!

Whether you want a chance to own that dream getaway vacation property or settle down in retirement on the shores of the Mighty Pacific, the Evergreen State has you covered.

Check back frequently or better yet subscribe to this blog and enjoy updates and information on Evergreen Coastal Living.