Soft Pricing Makes View Condos Attainable

Pricing has softened up a bit on many of Vancouver's condos including Parkview at Vancouver Center and Shorewood. Condos with decent views are now back in the upper 200's to $400k. Using the tracking of condos on Urban Living in the Couv you can see some reasonable values on units in both Shorewood and Parkview. 

At Parkview there is a 7th floor unit facing the park with nice views over the park towards the waterfront. It's listed at $379,900. It is a smaller unit with 1 bed and 1 bath and 428 SF. There is also a larger unit on the 6th floor facing east but it is a corner unit and has a view between two other towers of Mount Hood. Hardly a sweeping view but pretty solid. That unit is 2 beds and 2 baths with 879 SF. 

Shorewood West has a large 1 bed 1 bath unit with over 1000 SF and a view from the patio of the Columbia River and the West Hills. That unit is priced at $350,000. Shorewood East has a 2 bed 2 bath unit with 1128 SF listed at $309,000

Parkview is urban with everything being walkable. Shorewood is up on a bluff with nice views and excellent amenities. Christmas can be a good time to buy a condo!

Happy Holidays!

360-737-4600

Another Look at Amboy

This article originally appeared on this blog in 2017 and has been slightly edited to reflect current housing trends.

Amboy Washington is a charming little hamlet about a dozen miles north of Battle Ground on SR503. Although the town itself has views limited to the local territorial hills and forest, the higher areas around the town are filled with fabulous homes on 5 acre lots. Some of these offer up tremendous views of our mighty Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and even a couple peeks at the monster of the west, Mount Rainier.

I recently showed an amazing property in Amboy back in 2017, that had this view of St. Helens off the large deck. The picture was taken with a wide angle so the mountain was MUCH CLOSER than it looks. From this vantage point the angry volcano was only 24 miles away.

Amboy is one of those locations that many people consider to be 'way out' in the country. This notion that it is so far away helps keep property values more affordable. the reality is that it is still only 45 minutes to PDX maybe 60 with some traffic. For the adventurous outdoorsy crowd Amboy is tough to beat. It is located just a few miles from the Lewis River lakes of Merwin, Yale, and Swift and thousands of acres of DNR and Gifford Pinchot Forest Land.

Homes that would cost $600,000 $800,000 or more in Ridgefield with this kind of view can be had for under $500k $650k in Amboy. Sometimes that little bit of extra drive can shave mountains of cash of the price of property.

Amboy, Washington is almost entirely rural and most of the homes are on small acreage 2-6 acres, but there are some giant rancheria type properties as well with 10, 20 even 50 plus acres. Be sure to check out Amboy and be sure to enjoy the view.

Beware of Drone Only Views

I have been perusing through properties on the MLS that are marked as "view" properties and I found yet again agents marketing properties as having a view but not a single photo from the ground or house shows any meaningful view. Then the drone shot from a few hundred feet above the property shows this lovely view.

This is unfortunately rather deceptive and buyers may arrange to view the property expecting a view, only to be disappointed that the view is limited to your drone unit buzzing overhead. If you are a buyer and a view is a big part of your selection be sure to ask your agent to verify the house actually has a view if the only view photos in the listing are from a drone.

Agents can get away with a little deception on this issue because a view is highly subjective. Who is really to say what a view is or is not. A lovely view of the neighbors wrecking yard, look at all those lovely fall tones on the rusted metal ;) 

As a long time agent specializing in city condos and view properties I always show a picture of the "view" I am pitching. If I say there is a Mount Hood view then by golly there is a Mount Hood view. If it is seasonal then I say seasonal. If it is partially obstructed or peek-a-boo then I say so. Deception is not a good look for an agent but that doesn't stop some from wearing it. 

Drone images serve a purpose beyond a view. They show the surrounding area around the listing or in the case of rural acreage an overview of the property that is difficult to show from the ground. So I am not at all opposed to using them in listings. But if the property is listed as having a view, the agents ought to show a photo of that view from the property.

 

Port of Camas & Washougal Getting Apartments

Rendering of future development

The Port of Camas and Washougal has been working hard on a large redevelopment project that is bringing new mid-rise apartment buildings to Parkers Landing. Although not on a scale we have seen in Vancouver, this will bring some high density development to the area and the location right on the shores of the Columbia River should offer some spectacular views of the Gorge, Mount Hood, and the river itself. Whether or not condos will be in the mix is still yet to be seen. It would be nice to have the opportunity to own a unit in this new development area.

Camas and Washougal offer a more suburban style of living with close proximity to the Gorge and a less hectic bustle in town. Both cities have lovely downtown areas with the classic small town charm that Vancouver struggles to present these days. The Port of Camas Washougal has a website setup to follow the activity and progress on this excellent new neighborhood. Check it out here.

The Columbia Remains a Favorite View

The mighty Columbia River rolls past the entire east west length of Vancouver with dozens of neighborhoods enjoying excellent views of one of the largest rivers on the continent. This has become a preferred view object and thousands of homes have been built with the intention of offering a glimpse. From the panoramic to the peek-a-boo, a view of the Columbia is a hot commodity.

Views of the river can be had in modestly priced properties especially looking at Shorewood Condominiums where units priced in the 200s can offer a decent view. Spectacular views from bluff top homes or from the actual shore of the river can get rather spendy with prices routinely deep into seven figures. 

For buyers that appreciate a good view homes are available in most price ranges offering a little more than a peek-a-boo view of the Columbia. It may take time to find something suitable in your price range but it does exist.

It seems that water views command the biggest premium, views of the mighty Cascades and territorial views of mountains and hills can be found at more reasonable premiums. 

Vancouver is also able to offer these lovely water views and mountain views from every kind of neighborhood from the rural to suburban to high-rise urban. Whatever your flavor it can be found in Clark County.

Shorewood, The Affordable View Condo

Shorewood West Tower 1

Shorewood Condos are up on the bluff overlooking the Columbia River in the Heights just below Dubois Park. The complex of condos are divided into two separate developments known as Shorewood East and Shorewood West. The former is a series of three 4 story buildings with condos angle to take advantage of views as best as possible. The latter is two 7 story buildings each with 6 levels of condos on top a ground level garages. 

Shorewood East was completed in 1972 and features and indoor/outdoor pool and spa with a retractable roof. There is a clubhouse, fitness area, and the community shares a lovely parklike setting around a pond with both Shorewood West and the Shorewood Apartments. The development is also home to some retailers and a restaurant making it rather walkable despite its suburban location.

Shorewood West 4th Level looking SW

Shorewood West consists of two similar towers the first erected in 1978 the second in 1984. This developments also has similar amenities to Shorewood East and shares the grounds and pond. Generally the views in Shorewood West are a bit better as the buildings are taller and all of the units are above ground level. Shorewood West tends to be a bit more expensive as the units are newer and slightly larger on average.

Some of the units in Shorewood West have fully glass enclosed patios offering year round enjoyment. Units in Shorewood East can be found as low as the mid-200s for one bedroom 900 SF to the upper 300s for larger 2 bed units. In Shorewood West units start in the mid-300s for one bed 1000 SF to $500,000 for larger and updated units with up to 1300 SF. I have seen units in West close near $700k for radically remodeled homes with top notch upgrades.

The best views at Shorewood are in either the easternmost building facing east for the Mount Hood and Columbia Gorge views as well as the eastern tower and Shorewood West above the 2nd floor facing east. All of the condo buildings have units facing south taking full advantage of a sweeping river view especially in units on the 4th level or higher.

Shorewood in my opinion is the value leader among Vancouver's view condos. Fabulous ameneities, wonderful park-like setting and excellent views. More information on Shorewood is available at Urban living in the Couv click here. 

Vancouver's Secret View Neighborhoods Revisited

 Originally published 9/17/2017 by Rod Sager, edited to reflect current pricing.

Photo from RMLS, sold home 2015

A secret view society in the 'Couv', really? No not really, but there are a few places in Vancouver that are simply not noted for having views, but yet have great views. One of these "secret" neighborhoods is Harney Heights.

The broad area referred to as the "Heights" actually is composed of many neighborhoods including, South Cliff, Dubois Park, Evergreen Highlands, Northcrest, and several others as you move east towards Cascade Park. South Cliff and Dubois are rather spendy areas and many of the homes in that area feature spectacular views of the Columbia River and city lights. But Harney Heights is much less pretentious and the homes on the bluff are very reasonably priced when the view is taken into consideration.

Harney Heights is at the west end of the "Heights" area and is immediately east of Vancouver's Central Park area. Most of the homes in Harney heights are WWII and mid century designs. They are mostly modest homes and the vast majority do not feature a view. But all of the homes along the bluff that overlooks Fourth Plain Village have a nice view to the North and many offer a surprisingly breathtaking view of the Mighty Mount Saint Helens. These homes are only about 100 feet higher than the valley floor but the bluff is very steep and it is enough to see over the top of most of the trees in the area.

The result is a pretty nice view of the Cascades including our favorite angry volcano and the surrounding terrain. Of course the night time view will feature all the city lights from the scores of neighborhoods in Northeast Vancouver.

These homes are not terribly expensive. They are generally smaller homes with less than 1600 square feet and many are classic bungalows. The ones with views like the photo will of course fetch a premium, they are still rather affordable many with prices in the $300k $450k range.

Whether you are on the south side of the Heights or taking advantage of deals to north, enjoy the view.

Is there such a thing as a Protected View?

How about that headline? That is a loaded question. Sometimes there is legal protection written in the deed sometimes referred to as CC&Rs. If there is language that prohibits homeowners from building or planting trees in such a manner as to block a neighbor's view. This would allow a homeowner to sue the offending homeowner in court. But outside of these deed restrictions there really isn't such a thing as a protected view. 

Sometimes a home is located in a place whereby it is nearly impossible to block the view. A lot situated atop a steep bluff and the lot included land all the way to the bottom of the bluff. Now the homeowner controls to a great extent the view. He can take out trees that grow up and begin to encroach on the view. And short of someone building a giant structure tall enough to rise above the bluff and block the view it is protected.

That last bit is unlikely in the suburbs but in cities it is a common theme. When you buy a condo in the city you should be aware of the surrounding blocks. Are there nearby vacant lots? What is the zoning on those lots? Will the city allow high rise development on them or at least a building tall enough to take out your view? Is there a current development proposal on the lot(s). If every lot with a potential to block your future view is already built, what is built on these lots? Are the structures on those lots providing the highest and best use of that land? Perhaps there is an 120 year old unreinforced masonry building on one of those nearby lots. That could be torn down and replaced with a modern taller building that potentially blocks your view. If all the structures on nearby lots are sleek modern buildings then you are probably not going to see a view encroachment for decades. 

Another city issue is street side trees. If you buy a condo in the city in a brand new building, you may find that the city or developer has planted lovely trees along the sidewalk. What kind of trees are they? How tall will they grow? If your unit is below the 5th floor this could be an issue. That cute little 12 foot tall tree might become a towering 40 footer in a decade or so.

I have seen agents advertise a view in a real estate listing ad when I knew for a fact that a project was going in that would either eliminate that view or severely encroach on it. The buyer should always do their due diligence before making a purchase of a property in which the view is a big part of the price. The seller may be unaware that there is a project going in at all or that the project will encroach on the view of his property. Of course he may very well be aware and it should be disclosed, but sometimes these things do not happen. Even if the buyer could win a case against the seller, it will be ugly and time consuming with no guarantee of a positive outcome. It's better to do the research before you buy when a view is a big part of your purchase decision. 

This potential for losing a view is one of the many reasons that waterfront or park front property is desirable. Anytime your view is based on water or protected public space it tends to be much more enduring. Locally in our market there is a great deal of urban development happening in the downtown area. Many condo owners who have had views for years are now looking at a new building instead of a charming cityscape or even a peek-a-boo river view.     

This is also a very pertinent concept for those buying home that look over open space not the edge of suburbia. That beautiful open space could very well become a new subdivision soon. That lovely meadow view could be a hundred new houses in a few years. Even if you are on the edge of an urban growth boundary those occasionally are adjusted by local governments. Just new aware of the risks when spending extra money to buy a view.  

Another Spotlight View Property

Kirkland Tower still has 11 units available of which at least half offer nice views. Most of the river facing units have been claimed, although there are a few smaller units on lower floors facing the Columbia. But the high up units that still remain are facing north. Although these do not have a view of the water, they do offer a nice urban city view as they look towards Downtown Vancouver and the Cascades including Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and even the top of Mount Rainier. Because Kirkland tower is taller than any buildings nearby and should remain the tallest in its immediate vicinity the floors 9-11 and the penthouse and roof top common areas should still offer decent if not excellent views.

To the immediate north of Kirkland Tower lies the almost complete, Timberhouse. With 8 floors this apartment tower is slightly shorter in height than the Indigo Hotel and well short of the upper floors in Kirkland. Keep in mind that the way Kirkland Tower was built it is actually 13 stories tall above ground. the floors are Lobby, Mezzanine, 2-11 and Penthouse. Units on the 9th floor at Kirkland will easily see over Timberhouse and even 8th floor units should 'peek over' the top of it. Beyond that is a fantastic urban city view that lights up at night.

In some ways I prefer the city view as it is just as nice by day as by night. The evening views over the River tend to be dark and almost void of details. Of course water views are the most coveted views as humans tend to feel relaxed when looking over water. Or so the psychologists say ;) The 11th floor (effectively 12th) unit currently listed at $3.35 million, offers more than 3000 SF of living space with all the luxurious amenities of the Indigo Hotel along with a concierge that serves the residents of Kirkland exclusively. The companion unit facing the river was more than a million dollars more expensive.

The view above is from the roof of Kirkland before the building opened last year. The tower crane in the foreground is no longer present, it was servicing the Timberhouse project. The view is cropped to represent the view over the top of Timberhouse. The roof of Timberhouse is more than 50 feet below. This view should remain protected indefinitely as all the projects in the pipeline that will fill every buildable space in between are well short of blocking the upper floors at Kirkland.

So this unit is more than a million dollars less expensive and offers a nice unobstructed city view in lieu of the river view, that has to be appealing to many people.

Spotlight View Property

This month I have a spotlight property for you. I haven't done a spotlight in a fair while so I figured it was due. This fabulous condominium at Tidewater Cove is listed on the MLS for $1,690,000 and features spectacular views of the river and Cascades. It offers 2247 square feet all on one level with three bedrooms and two and half baths. Tidewater is one of the premier condo communities in Clark County with tennis, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, complete gated neighborhood, private marina and much more all along the shores of the Columbia River. The development is upstream from Columbia Shores next to Wintler Park.

The views are both east and south offering panoramic vista of the Columbia River and to the east over the marina and beyond to Mount Hood. it's hard to beat the views form the shoreline as they are unobstructed. This unit is on an upper floor offering a little extra privacy and improved views.

Tidewater has a great location that is a bit off the beaten path yet only about 5-7 minutes to Downtown. You will enjoy a more quiet neighborhood at Tidewater than some of the more bustling areas with premium condos at Columbia Shores or Downtown. 

Take a look at some photos taken from the local MLS listing. 

Peek-a-boo! I see you! Again.

Originally posted on August 15th, 2017 by Rod Sager

 Occasionally I photograph homes for other real estate agents. I always ask if the property has views. Sometimes the agent says, "no." When I arrive I may find a peek-a-boo view or even a great view that went unnoticed by the agent. This can be a value view!

Any home with a grand vista will likely have a stiff premium added to its asking price. But for those looking for the budget view one may have to poke around a bit to find it.

The picture of Mount Hood was made from the back patio of a house that did "not" have a view. In all fairness, the full length rear deck did not offer a view but if you leaned out over the rail just a bit this mountain came into clear view. Better yet, out beyond the deck was a patio area that took full advantage of the view providing that you were standing and not sitting.

This hardly constitutes calling the listing a "view property" but mentioning a peek-a-boo view does add some value to some people. People like me.

I love views even when they are of the minimalistic variety. I am likely not alone in this desire to have a view. Since many of us cannot afford to spend the enormous amounts of money on a home custom built to soak up one of the many grand spectacles of nature and man, some of us have to take it where we can find it.

What ever you do, be sure to enjoy the view!