Another Great Beach House Deal

Oh how I love the amazing deals at the beach for coastal properties. This house is listed at a mere $199,000 and features 1240 square feet, 3 beds and 1.5 baths. You can walk to the beach in less than 5 minutes from this modern little beach house. High vaults upstairs with plenty of glass keep this place light and bright.

I found dozens of homes under 200k on the long beach peninsula with room to run and close proximity to the mighty Pacific Ocean.

Whether you want an investment rental property, second home, vacation home, or even your primary residence, this one can fit the bill.

Seriously friends, who doesn't want to live at the beach? For those of you thinking about retiring, Long Beach and the rest of the peninsula offers better pricing than the Oregon Coast and you aren't subjected to that brutally punishing Oregon State Income Tax.

This home is listed on the RMLS by Anchor Realty.

Live and Play at the Beach

The Long Beach Peninsula offers a great deal of opportunity and excitement for those wishing to visit, or live. The video at left is a promotional video from the folk at funbeach.com.

Winter can be an excellent time to visit the beach and watch powerful Pacific Storms crash the beach and the rocky bluffs. It can also be a great time to look for vacation or permanent homes. I ran some research on Pacific County through the multiple listing service and found that the coast has a disproportionate softening in the market during the winter months. Generally real estate is a little softer overall during winter. Locally in Clark County there is a roughly 25% up tick in listings, and closed sales during the late spring through summer. The coast however has a larger swing in the winter versus summer comparison with sales falling off more dramatically in winter time.

This can translate into a better deal for the savvy buyer. Those trying to sell in winter are very likely doing so out of some form of necessity. Whether it is a job change, finances, family matter, whatever the cause, the need is real and that means the seller may find themselves in a more negotiable mood.

Sellers willing to negotiate in this recent strong market are hard to find, but winter at the coast could very well provide the exceptions to this general state of affairs among sellers. If you are someone that has longed for an opportunity to own a vacation property of to permanently retire to the coast, winter can be the best time to take action.

For insights on retiring to Washington State, please visit, Retire to Washington. For insights into the real estate market for Southwest Washington, visit this blog, Realtor® Rod.

Whatever you desires at the beach, the Long Beach Peninsula has much to offer. So go have some fun at the beach.

A Tale of Two (coastal) Cities

I have made contrasts between the Northern Oregon Coast and the Long Beach Peninsula numerous times on this very blog. Despite the relatively similar geography there are some notable differences between the two areas.

From a real estate perspective there is a significant chasm in the median home price and this will always lead to questions of value. Does the more expensive Oregon Coast offer enough real difference to justify the much higher price?

Today I spin a tale of two coastal cities. Seaside, Oregon versus Long Beach, Washington.
Let's be clear here, according to the Regional Multiple Listing Service, of which I am a member, over the last six months, the median price for a home in Long Beach is $140k and in Seaside it is $264k. To be fair, most properties on the Washington Coast are listed on the Northwest MLS based in Seattle and when those figures are added in the median in Long Beach rises to around $160-170k. Whichever number the gap is immense. Why such a big difference, what is happening in Seaside that isn't in Long Beach?

There are a great many variables in this equation and there is no simple answer. I still believe the primary driver in Oregon is the huge statewide and national marketing campaign to promote the Oregon Coast. There is tremendous national recognition of the Oregon Coast. Oregon has a gorgeous and very accessible coast line with some 363 miles of beautiful and mostly rugged Pacific Ocean shoreline. The entire Oregon Coast is serviced by federal highway, US101.

The Washington Coast in severe contrast is half the size with about 158 miles of Pacific Ocean shoreline and roughly half of that is protected by the Olympic National Park. The National Park is great, believe me, I think the Olympic Coast is spectacular! But obviously it isn't a place you can by a beach house! Washington really only has about 60 miles of livable coastal beach area, There are three specific areas that are a bit broken up by the topography. The Long Beach Peninsula which is about 30 miles long, and has a dead end terminus at the north end. The middle section features the town of Westport and 20 miles of beach but it is on a bit of an "island", not literally, but figuratively. To the north is the bay that Grays Harbor and Aberdeen are in and there is no crossing point at the coast. A similar dilemma in the South as there is no coastal crossing from the top of Long Beach. Ocean Shores lies at the north end of the southern Washington coast and abuts the Olympic Coast. Washington's coast is not really an easy contiguous driving experience.

As for Long Beach, it is relatively remote. Seattle residents looking for a romp on the beach are much better served by Ocean Shores or Westport, which is much closer. These destinations are 2 hours from Seattle and you'll need an extra hour to get to Long Beach.

Portland residents are better served by northern Oregon Coast which is only 90 minutes away. Poor little Long Beach is a bit of a bastard stepchild in the pecking order of coastal prominence. But is it "deserved" and does it matter for prospective buyers?

The decision to spend more money to live in seaside and even more yet in the charming hamlet of Cannon Beach depends on the person, really. The residents of the Oregon Coast benefit from it's fame in that there are a tremendous number of activities and attractions to support the massive amounts of tourist that flock to the coast every year. Those very same masses are also a potential negative. They bring more traffic, crowds, and elevated prices on day to day goods and services.

The city of Seaside has a fabulous beach that has a bit of a SoCal vibe, with a boardwalk (concrete), hotels right off the sand, and a nice beach town shopping, attraction area. In the summer there are life guards watching over the beach as well as volleyball and other classic beach events.

Long Beach does offer a drive on beach and in fact the whole 30 plus miles of beach are a state highway. The Long beach peninsula has a fairly large sandy, grassy area between the city and the actual beach so it is a bit of a trek from the town to the water. About a 1/4 mile in fact. The actual town of Long Beach is not quite as touristy as nearby seaside, but is still a load of fun.

Seaside is 33 miles from Long Beach and the drive will take abut 45 minutes. The historic city of Astoria is about equidistant from either. Frankly, I find it hard to justify the greater expense of Seaside versus Long Beach. Long Beach is a bit more reserved and a bit less 'fancy' but it is every bit a beach town and looks and plays the part well. Unless one is going to Portland often, Seaside is not the better of the two for those looking to buy a beach house. I can drive an extra 30-40 minutes two or three times a month on a ride into Portland to save a 100 large on my house. Just saying.

Featured Coastal Property

Photo from RMLS, modified to suit blog

I haven't done a featured property in awhile so why not today? What a great break from this presidential election grind.

Today I am featuring a listing I found on the local MLS for a fabulous condo with amazing ocean views. This is listed by Mary from Long Beach Realty which is not affiliated with my company. The MLS# is 16588153.

Photo from RMLS, modified to suit blog

This condo has a 180 degree view of the ocean which is less than a half mile away. You will hear the ocean and see the ocean from this 1000 SF condo. This is a third floor unit and the complex is perched up on a small hill giving an expansive view.

This unit has 1 bedroom and 1.5 baths. It can be rented out, but not as a vacation rental as stays must exceed thirty days. It is very spacious and offers a balcony.

Photo from RMLS, modified to suit blog

This could be an ideal getaway second home or a wonderful place to retire. It is a short ten minute walk to the beach via an access trail.

Don't let the one bedroom throw you off, this is a big unit with 1000 SF. If we assume the bedroom suite is 200 square feet that leaves a spacious 800 squares of general living area and there are many 3 bedroom homes here in the 'Couv' that have less general living area than that.

Google Earth View

Since this is a top level unit, it has soaring vaults and skylights to add to the cavernous feel with a light and bright appeal. This type of unit is not for everyone as one bedroom does limit the use a bit. But for someone that doesn't need to sleep more than two people, this is hard to beat and what an amazing view and fabulous location. This home is in Seaview which is just south of Longview and north of Ilwaco, WA. This home is much closer to Astoroia, OR and Longview, WA than the many homes offer further up the peninsula. Location, location, location, right?

Photo from RMLS, modified to suit blog

I really like this unit. According to the listing, the seller is offering the property, fully furnished. This is great for someone considering a second home or personal vacation homes as it is ready to occupy without the additional expense of buying furnishings.

This property is listed for sale at $237,000.

As I was searching the MLS I found dozens of excellent homes, some condos, some detached, and all priced very nicely. 2 bed 2 bath homes near the beach in the low 200s is not hard to find right now on the Long Beach Peninsula. If the coast has been a dream, now is a great time to take advantage of crazy low interest rates before the Fed meets after the election and possibly starts a slow series of increases in the rates.

This is yet another example of the fantastic opportunities available along the amazing Long Beach Peninsula in Southwest Washington State..

Retire to the Beach!

I write a retirement blog in which I offer advice and information to retirees looking to relocate to Washington State. That blog can be seen here. In that blog you can find a multitude of reasons to retire to the 'Evergreen State'.

Many retirees also find coastal areas to be a desirable spot to live. Many of the reasons that younger people can't really live on either the Oregon or Washington Coast is the lack of non-tourist cities. There isn't a whole lot of industry producing jobs on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. There is the fishing industry and the tourist industry providing the bulk of job opportunities. Retirees however are not typically concerned with job opportunities, after all, they are 'retired' right?

The lack of high paying jobs along the Southwest Washington Coast has aided in keeping real estate prices lower than Portland-Vancouver as the bulk of sales is to retirees and vacation home purchases. Retirees are often attracted to value home pricing as they tend to seek low monthly expenses on a fixed retirement income.

The coast is a beautiful place that offers year round moderate weather. In fact Long Beach, Washington only averages about 1-2 inches of snow per year about 1/5 the average for Vancouver, Washington or Portland, OR. Generally in most years there is no sticking snow at the beach. There are occasional storms that are chilly enough to dump a pile of snow and that creates a measurable average. Generally snow by year looks something like 0,0,0,0,7,0,0... When it does snow it doesn't stick around very long. The coast is just too warm for sustained snow cover. generally retirees prefer warmer and little or no snow and in the Pacific Northwest, the coast delivers.

Retiring the the Southwest Washington Coast is a very good idea. Value pricing on real estate, gorgeous coastal scenery, and mild weather. What's not to love?

Hot Cars at the Beach!

Hot cars and the beach, at the same time? Is that even possible? Yes, yes it is possible and in fact it will be happening this weekend in Ocean Park on the Long Beach Peninsula. Check out the Beach Barons website for explicit details.

Labor Day is in the rear view mirror and the waning days of summer are upon us. there is a bit of crispness in the morning air, you know, that tell-tale sign that autumn is lurking about. Once of the great things about the coast is the relatively level range of climate. The winters are a little warmer and the summers are a little cooler so the transitions are not quite as abrupt as they are here in the Portland-Vancouver Metro area.

The beach continues to be a great place to visit well into the autumn. I am a car lover and car shows like this weekend's 33rd annual 'Rod Run to the End of the World' is a fun excuse to get to the coast. While you're out there check out some real estate. The Long Beach Peninsula continues to be a great value on coastal properties. Owning your own beach house for under $150k is a real thing!

Be sure to check the previous posts on this blog to see some of the amazing real estate ops on the Washington Coast. Meanwhile, see you at the beach!

The Olympic Coast

One of the best kept secrets in Washington State is the Olympic Coast. It is quite surprising how many people do not realize that the Olympic National Park includes a large portion of the Central and Northern Coast.

The status as a National Park has left the coastline pristine. It is truly a wonder to behold this unmolested stretch of rugged coastline. The thick temperate rain forests of Western Washington come right down to the beaches. The advantage of a temperate rain forest is the lack of insects large enough to carry away the family dog. The disadvantage is that you won't be enjoying the coastal cabana in 85 degree weather very often.

I spent a week camping in Olympic National Park years ago when the kids were young, including a stint on the coast. It was truly remarkable and worthy of any 'bucket' list. The Olympic National Park's western side is the wettest place in the continental 48 states and among the wettest areas on the planet. Although locations in Hawaii and India are the Rain Kings of Planet Earth with 450 plus inches of rain every year, the windward side of Olympic National Park has areas approaching 300 inches a year. That is better than eight times the annual rainfall received in Seattle on the leeward side of the Olympic mountains.

All of that delicious rain creates the temperate rain forest and it is truly beautiful. When joined by the spectacular cliffs and rugged terrain of the Washington Coast the views are nothing short of breath taking.

This protected status of course has created a scenario where a huge portion of Washington's coast is not able to be lived on. One might expect that to drive the prices of real estate skyward on the southern portion of the coast, yet the Long Beach peninsula remains a coastal bargain. Call it a proximity issue or a lack of awareness, it is essentially a bit of both. It is the coastal deal of the century none-the-less. Oregon spends millions on national ad campaigns to get tourists to their coast which is admittedly very tourist friendly. The Southwest Washington Coast is 115 miles from Portland and places like Canon Beach, OR are only about 80. Seattle residents need to travel 170 miles.

But none of it compares to the grandeur of nature that is the Washington Olympic Coast. Even in the summer months the beaches of the Olympic National Park are relatively free of crowds. When you visit be sure to actually read the placards at the beach entrances as the feds are quite serious about their rules for the beaches. Rules and regs aside, waste not your time and visit this gorgeous seaside sanctuary soon.

Kyle on the Left is a PFC in the US Army and Nolan on the Right is a Senior at Central Washington University