A View isn't always a "View"

This time I am going to revisit an earlier post from last winter. With local homes prices continuing to find higher ground, a more subtle view may be just what the pocketbook needs.

Originally posted on March 4th, 2014

I enjoy a great view. Especially from a giant picture window or off a fabulous deck. But not all views have to be from expensive homes in exclusive neighborhoods. One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is that we have brilliant scenery everywhere. When looking for a home in modest areas you can still look for a house with nice view. At least nicer than say the side of your neighbors house.

You can be looking at a cookie cutter house in a miscellaneous suburban neighborhood and come up with something better than you neighbor's teenage kid's broken down car. Choosing a home at the end of a culdesac or on a corner can open up space between neighbors that can lead to something nice to look at.

It doesn't have to be Mount Hood or the Gorge. It need not be waterfront. Sometimes just some pleasant trees or a nice sunset is all the recompense one needs after a long day at work. Even the gloomiest days can look good if the view is right.

Homes priced at or even below median here in Clark County, WA can have a decent view. Sometimes when the stars align even a mundane sub-median home can offer up a spectacular view as was the case with a home I marketed
last year. This home was in Camas and sold for less than the median price. It was priced below market. The view out the dining room and family room was a nice Mount Hood vista. There was a panoramic 180 degree view off the deck. This house was a bank owned property that needed work and had some issues but somebody ended up with an amazing view for a paltry price. It can happen.

But even if you have to settle for a view that is a little less spectacular, a view of some nice trees or the foothills always beats the neighbor's T-111 siding. When shopping for a house, look out the window, you might shock yourself with what you see.

Big Volcano Views in NE Clark County

Areas up in the northeast corner of Clark County offer up some great rural properties on small to medium acreage. Some of these properties have amazing views. Even a simple territorial view of the rugged Cascade back country can be quite spectacular.

Now and again a property comes up in Amboy of Yacolt with a truly magnificent view of the mighty Mount Saint Helens. This infamous volcano is known for its violent eruption 34 years ago. Prior to May of 1980 this majestic Cascade peak rose to nearly 10,000 feet. The devastating and explosive eruption led to the mountain losing more than 1300 vertical feet of its top. Now it has that classic volcano flat top but its height has been reduced to less than 8400 feet. None the less this mountain still dominates the Clark County skyline with its close proximity and local prominence.

I have this listing I found today of a property in the Yacolt-Amboy area that has some amazing views of this wondrous mountain. This 3900 plus square foot home sits on a nice 5.25 acre parcel. The home was placed on the site with the intention of soaking up that mighty volcano. The property is listed at $500,000. The home has four bedrooms and three and half baths. This home was built in 1995 but has some modern upgrades including a nice kitchen remodel. The kitchen takes full advantage of the majestic mountain view.

Surprisingly this property is in pretty close to Battle Ground. It's less than 11 miles out and about a 14 minute drive. You can easily make it to PDX airport in less than an 45 minutes as it is only 28 miles away.

I wish I had some better photos of this one, that view is understated in these photos. The mountain is 'in your face' up there, the wide angle lens used to show the home fails to give the 'presence' factor of Mount Saint Helens.

There are many great opportunities to find properties in the mountains away from the hectic, hustle and bustle of city life, yet still close enough to utilize shopping and services. Sometimes these properties allow you to enjoy the view!

Kalama Captures Views at a Bargain

Kalama is a great little town right off I-5 thirty miles north of America's Vancouver. This is a popular stop off for antique shops as the quaint Main Street through the business is filled with charming businesses. Kalama is built into a west facing hillside that is quite steep. At the top of the bluff there are a variety of developments ranging from 1960s to modern homes. Some of these homes have great views of the Columbia River, the Oregon Coast Mountains and fabulous sunsets.

You know why sunset views are so much better than sunrise views? Who the hell wants to wake up at 5:00 AM to watch a summer sunrise? Sunsets are coffee optional.

Kalama is a sunsetters dream locale. I pulled this listing off the MLS this morning and take a peak at what $335,000 will buy you in this lovely town.

This home is located in town just a couple of minutes to I-5. The ride to Vancouver takes a swift thirty minutes and depending on traffic another 10-30 will get you into downtown Portland.

The ability to feel like you live a hundred miles away from the city when in fact you are only 30 miles out is a plus here in the Greater Metro Portland/Vancouver area.

Back to the house. It has four bedrooms and two and half baths. There is a spacious 2471 square feet of living space situated on a good sized city lot of about 8000 square feet. Move this home 15 miles south to Ridgefield and you jump to half a million dollars! Kalama really is a bargain for view properties!

Away This Week

I am away on business this week, see you next time.

Columbia Gorge-ous!

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is quite spectacular. The area is governed by a commission that makes building homes in the region challenging. The commission must approve all buildings and has a very strict set of guidelines for new construction. This is all intended to protect the integrity of America's second largest gorge behind the Grand Canyon.

All of that gorge commission red tape aside, the views from some of the homes are stunning. This 1.39 acre lot in White Salmon, Washington is listed at $500,000. It is in one of the few urban exemption zones and thus requires no gorge commission review to build. The views are quite amazing both urban and natural. This lot looks across the Columbia into Hood River, Oregon.

Prices are steep for these exempt parcels but the home will have an obstruction free view of one of the worlds most spectacular natural features and the glimmering lights of Hood River on the other shore.

The gorge-ous home shown here is listed at 1.1 million and is on the same bluff as the land listing. This is a spacious three bedroom home with 2600 squares and a three acre lot. The home has equally dramatic vistas. Looking West peers into the temperate rain forest portion of the Gorge. Looking East shows the dramatic transition to arid grass lands.

The Columbia River Gorge is a truly remarkable scenic area and to live up on a bluff overlooking this magnificent natural wonder is absolutely heavenly.

White Salmon is a city of roughly 2,300 people in Klickitat County. It is connected to Hood River, OR by the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge across the Columbia River. This long cantilever bridge spans nearly a mile across the river and features a lift section to accommodate commercial river traffic. White Salmon is 68 miles East of Downtown Vancouver via Washington State Hwy 14.

Hood River, Oregon has roughly 7,900 people and a nice historic downtown area. The city is 65 miles East of Portland, OR via Interstate 84.

This is a great area to retire and soak up the bounty of nature. The Washington side offers some advantages to retirees which you can read about on my Retire to Washington Blog.

I highly recommend you take a lovely drive into the Gorge and please, enjoy the view.

On Vacation, see You Next Time

I am entertaining guests and relatives from Scotland this week. I will return to this blog in two weeks. In the meantime enjoy this view:

San Juan Island across the Straight of Juan de Fuca

Soaring in the Heights

If you want to 'enjoy the view' Vancouver's Heights is a great area with a mix of older and newer homes. Today I am featuring three properties currently listed on the MLS. All of the photos in this post were excerpted from the public MLS site.

The first home is modestly priced for a view property in the Heights. Listed at $449,000 it still manages to offer 3780 square feet of space with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It also offers a very nice view. This home was originally built in 1960 but has had more recent remodeling. This home offers up million dollar views for less than half that amount. The home is charming and quite comfortable. And about that view across the mighty Columbia over to downtown Portland; that's just really nice.

The second home featured today is a touch more spendy, priced at $875,000. It is however, a more modern home and quite a bit more elegant as well. This one offers 4821 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The view here is a sweeping panoramic from Mount Hood to the Interstate Bridge. This home is located lower on the hill off of Evergreen Blvd. The River is closer but the view is from a lower elevation than the first home. None-the-less this home was built around the view. It has a gorgeous covered patio that takes in the full 180 degrees of panoramic bliss. I could really get used to this place. It has a bit of that Mediterranean villa vibe and the view is worthy. Like I said, I could get used to this.

The third home has a prestigious address. It lies off Dubois Drive and is perched out on the bluff that overlooks the River. It features views across to Portland. This one is priced in the millionaire's club at $1,200,000. It has 5816 square feet of space with four bedrooms, two full baths and three partial baths. This home is also situated on a junior acre (0.91). There is a fantastic veranda that wraps the whole rear of the home, providing spectacular unobstructed views. Homes on the south side of Dubois like this one, are nicely positioned on the edge of a bluff that drops abruptly. This is why these homes have completely unobstructed views. The top of the bluff is about 300 feet above the Columbia River. I really love this house!

Views Revisited

I am away with my wife up in Victoria, British Columbia so I can't write the blog this week. I can however revisit a past post from several months ago in case you missed it :) I just took some out of town guests to the Columbia Shores neighborhood for a some drinks at McMenamins. The loved that neighborhood.

Waterfront Living with a View

America's Vancouver can really deliver the goods across most price ranges when it comes to waterfront living. If you have ever partaken of a meal at Beaches Restaurant or the McMenemins on the Columbia you have been to the Columbia Shores Neighborhood.

This tidy little community offers a wide variety of condos in a village like setting right on the shores of the mightiest river in the West. These condos range in price from the upper 170s to nearly a half million dollars with the expensive ones featuring a view from up high. All of them offer access to the gorgeous river walk that runs all the way downtown.

Along with Beaches and McMenemins there is a nice little shopping area with great shops and services.There are few nicer hotels and very close access to Vancouver's downtown core. Speaking of access there is a nice interchange at SR14 to offer speedy delivery to either I5 or I205 just a few blocks away.

For those looking for something a little more plush and secure; a little further upriver will bring you to Tidewater Cove. This is a project that offers a more luxurious condominium for the discriminating buyer with deeper pockets. Here you will find prices well over $500,000 with larger units fetching upwards of $2 million. Here you are protected behind a stately gate and offered up rich amenities. There is also that unparalleled 180 degree sweeping view up and down the Columbia River from Mount Hood and the Gorge to the Interstate Bridge downtown.

The original Vancouver offers some great view opportunities, no matter what kind of view you desire. These fabulous waterfront properties are all actively listed from $185,000 for a 900 foot 2 bed unit to $1.9 million for a spacious 2800 foot unit right on the water. I love me a good view, don't you?

All images displayed in this article are property of the RMLS. These images are from listed properties on the RMLS for which I am utilizing under my rights as a member in good standing of the RMLS. 

Mount Vista, the name says it all.

Google Image from WSUV

Mount Vista is a neighborhood just east of Salmon Creek off the 134th Street exit. This venerable neighborhood features homes with views of either Mount Hood or Mount St. Helens depending on the direction the home is facing. Some have a view of both!

The neighborhood was built in the late 1970s

Google Image from WSUV

and through the early 1990s. This was a planned community and features and CC&Rs to protect the neighborhood. The area overlooks the WSU-Vancouver University campus and remains today as a desirable place to enjoy a view property. The photos are images from the University campus, The homes in Mount Vista tend to be higher up above the campus.

Overview of the area including the WSUV campus

There is a very broad range of styles and sizes in this neighborhood with prices in the mid $200s to well over $500k. The location is desirable for more than just the views. This area is very near the interchange between I-205 and I-5. It is an easy on and off to both major north-south freeways.

This neighborhood is worth a look if you want to enjoy the view in Northwest Vancouver.

Columbia River Dreams

Today I have decided to feature a listing that I found on the MLS (MLS#14359518) offered for sale by a local RE/MAX agent. This fabulous home sits right on the shores of the mightiest river in the West. The home appears to have been custom designed to capture beautiful views from nearly every room.

This is my kind of view property. No matter where you are or what you are doing in this property you are doing it with a great view! This blog is not a real estate sales blog, and this is not my listing, but if you are interested, you certainly can send me a message and I can arrange for a tour.

I like these kinds of homes. The kind of design where the architect and builder took advantage of the environment and surroundings to create dramatic views and offer a pleasurable living experience. For some, a mountain view or home nestled in the woods is more their speed. But if a river front view is what you like, this one is hard to beat.

This listing is in Vancouver, USA and is one of hundreds of fabulous homes on the Columbia River. The Evergreen Hwy runs along the shores of the Columbia River from the base of the heights all the way out to Camas. Along that ten mile stretch are a variety of homes ranging in price from the low $400's all the way up to $4 million or more. Homes right on the water of course will fetch the big bucks. Many homes along Evergreen Hwy are perched up a little higher and have a more territorial view across the river into Portland. I have always been a sucker for the bird's eye view, but believe me, this kind of sweeping, majestic waterfront property is enough to make you giddy.

This one is available for sale at just $1.4 million. Some of you may be thinking, "Just $1.4 million"?. Yes, "just" $1.4 million. Many homes with this kind of location on the water and frankly just down the street are valued in the $3 million range. This property sits on four tenths of an acre and offers up 4447 square feet of living space. This home is a little smaller than the others on the street. So the buyer of a property like this gets the great view, the waterfront location and is buying into a 3 million dollar neighborhood for half price. Works for me. Now I just need to scrounge up a down payment ;)

How much would you pay for a great view?

I have broached this question in passing comments over the course of writing this blog, but never really asked it straight out. So click the link below and take the poll about how much a good view is worth to you!

Take the View Poll

Views of course are highly subjective. In general there are certain views nearly universally accepted as desirable. View across the lake, view of the ocean, or grand mountains or a big city skyline, etc. These can command upwards of 50% premium if the view is unobstructed and of a truly spectacular landmark or scene.

Here in Vancouver a view of the Columbia River will command a handsome price, throw in a little Mount Hood action and it starts to get real rich. I have talked about lesser views of trees or local foothills and those are sometimes available without a premium at all.


 There are so many wonderful views in a wide variety of great properties here in America's Vancouver. We also have fabulous opportunity for gorgeous ocean views. Check out my Coastal Living Blog, here. Whatever you do be sure to enjoy the view!

Beachfront Properties have a Great View

I wrote this article on my Coastal Living blog last month. The view properties at the Washington Coast are a great value right now!

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. 

Washougal has some Great Views

Washougal offers some fantastic view properties and some of them are surprisingly affordable. Washougal is also one of those places that some people "think" is far away. The reality of it is this; it isn't. In fact, according to Mapquest, at 10:15am this morning a trip to PDX from downtown Washougal is 17 minutes. The drive is less than 15 miles! How in the world is that, "Far Away"? The answer is; it isn't.

In all fairness Washougal actually covers an enormous area once you get out of "town". There are places up in the mountains with a Washougal address that are easily 20 minutes to town. Even still, any location in the "country" is likely to require a bit of extra driving, it is the price one pays for the seclusion afforded to country living.

There are two Washougals. The city of Washougal which offers up some fantastic Columbia River view properties that rival the much more expensive Prune Hill in Camas. These homes are less than 20 minutes to the airport. Then there is rural Washougal. Here you will find a virtual cornucopia of small acreage properties across a variety of price ranges. many of these properties feature a fantastic view. The views range from Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, to Portland city, and across to the Coastal Mountains.

Washougal offers opportunity at many elevations as well. The city properties are typically under 600 feet so the winter conditions are mild. Some of the rural areas approach 2000 feet where Christmas is truly a winter wonderland. It is hard to find an area that offers as much diversity in view property as Washougal.

 Washougal and Camas are immediately adjacent to each other. They share a common business corridor along 3rd Street / E Street. Washougal however offers generally lower property taxes and lower housing prices overall. This can spell value for the savvy shopper.

As a note of caution for buyers looking in the area, be sure to pay attention to just how far out a property is. I know I just spent a paragraph explaining that Washougal is not far away, but I also noted that the rural portion of Washougal is very large. If the property is located along Washougal River Road mile marker nine is the approximate point at which you enter Skamania County. It is a fifteen minute ride back into the heart of Washougal from that point. Belle Center Road along SR 14 in the Gorge is about eight minutes out of the center of town (Washougal). Even if you head all the way out to the Mercantile Store at mile marker ten Mapquest says it's 25 miles and 35 minutes to PDX :)

We are so spoiled here in Clark County Washington. Our out of the way destinations are still only half an hour out!

So come out and visit Washougal and when you do, be sure to Enjoy the View.

Waterfront Living with a View

America's Vancouver can really deliver the goods across most price ranges when it comes to waterfront living. If you have ever partaken of a meal at Beaches Restaurant or the McMenemins on the Columbia you have been to the Columbia Shores Neighborhood.

This tidy little community offers a wide variety of condos in a village like setting right on the shores of the mightiest river in the West. These condos range in price from the upper 170s to nearly a half million dollars with the expensive ones featuring a view from up high. All of them offer access to the gorgeous river walk that runs all the way downtown.

Along with Beaches and McMenemins there is a nice little shopping area with great shops and services.There are few nicer hotels and very close access to Vancouver's downtown core. Speaking of access there is a nice interchange at SR14 to offer speedy delivery to either I5 or I205 just a few blocks away.

For those looking for something a little more plush and secure; a little further upriver will bring you to Tidewater Cove. This is a project that offers a more luxurious condominium for the discriminating buyer with deeper pockets. Here you will find prices well over $500,000 with larger units fetching upwards of $2 million. Here you are protected behind a stately gate and offered up rich amenities. There is also that unparalleled 180 degree sweeping view up and down the Columbia River from Mount Hood and the Gorge to the Interstate Bridge downtown.

The original Vancouver offers some great view opportunities, no matter what kind of view you desire. These fabulous waterfront properties are all actively listed from $185,000 for a 900 foot 2 bed unit to $1.9 million for a spacious 2800 foot unit right on the water. I love me a good view, don't you?

All images displayed in this article are property of the RMLS. These images are from listed properties on the RMLS for which I am utilizing under my rights as a member in good standing of the RMLS.