There are a handful of spots that offer up views on the skinny dime in Vancouver. Well not that skinny, have you seen real estate prices lately? But reasonably priced view property is not unheard of if you know where to look. So full disclosure most of these are condos, but there are some single family neighborhoods with views on the cheap as well. With no further adieu here is the Top 10 Best Value View neighborhoods in Vancouver in no particular order:
- Mount Vista. This is a 1970s & 80s neighborhood up above the WSU Vancouver campus and some homes in the area are dated and thus can be had for seemingly low prices especially with some views that are often about with Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams prominent as well as some peeks at Mount Hood. Mount Vista is about 500' above sea level up top and about 175' at the base. High enough for some nice views, low enough to stay clear of snow most of the winter. Single family homes range from $450,000 to $1,000,000 plus.
- Lakeshore only has a few streets offering views. These are perched on a bluff overlooking Fruit Valley and Vancouver Lake. The elevation on top of the bluff is only about 200' above sea level but the base is just a few feet above, so some good views can be had. Single family homes in Lakeshore can be found in the upper 300's with out a view but the nicer stuff on the bluff will quickly escalate into the 700's with larger and newer homes busting out above $1 million. The neighborhood runs the gamut from 1940s bungalows to modern homes and just about every decade in between. There is something for everyone.
- Harney Heights. This neighborhood lies just east of Downtown up on a bluff. The south facing portion of the bluff is called Southcliff and it is filled with very expensive homes, but the Northside is Harney Heights. You don't get the spectacular Columbia River views from this side, but there are some Vancouver Skyline views from one street and the whole north rim features homes perched 150' above Fourth Plain Village with excellent unobstructed views of Mount St Helens. Most of these homes in Harney Heights are modest Kaiser Cottages from WWII with two or three bedrooms and one bathroom. Most of the war house are well under 1000 square feet. They can be found from the mid 300's up to around $550,000 for a really sleek remodel.
- Parkview Tower. Parkview is a 7 story condo building that fronts Esther Short Park downtown. This mid-rise project was built in 2004 and features dozens of park facing units that offer a glorious view. Unlike its richer big brother, Viewpoint, these units can be found for sub-median prices. The units tend to be a bit spartan and smaller, but park facing condos can be had for well under $400,000. Everything is a short walk form this building.
- Shorewood. This 50 year old condominium complex features a half dozen buildings from 4-7 stories in height. most of the units feature a Columbia River view. The towers are perched up on the bluff overlooking SR-14 about 200' above the Columbia River. These are some of the best hillside river views out there and since it is an older development, there are sometimes dated units in there well under $300,000.
- Steamboat Landing. This is a development right along the Columbia River. This gated community features its own private yacht harbor. What makes it a value is the fact that it is about the only community in Old Evergreen that offers modest homes and small lots that have direct river access and views. Most of the stuff along this route is gigantic mansions with 10,000 square feet on manicured acreage and prices so deep into the seven figures most people can only imagine that level of decadence. But steamboat still has homes in the 700's and for this type of locale, that is a bargain. The houses in here are packed in tight with really small yards.
- Winchester Hills. This is technically a Camas neighborhood, but it is surrounded on three side by the City of Vancouver. Originally an unincorporated area of Vancouver later incorporated into the City of Camas. But none-the-less there are some views of the River and the Portland city Skyline from homes in this neighborhood. Typically the views are from the second floor and not everyhouse has a view of course. These tend to be larger homes built mostly in the 1990s. This makes them quasi affordable for what they are. Pricing in the mid $600,000s to upper $800,000s.
- Father Blanchet Park. This area is just below the Heights and has a mixed bag of homes some costing well over $1,000,000 but others very modest and even some fixers that can be had for $500,000-$600,000. Buying a dated older home with a few pimples in this neighborhood makes sense. The sky is the limit on value, you'd be hard pressed to over improve. And many homes have Columbia River Views!
- Columbia Shores. Mostly condos here some very expensive multi-million dollar units are around, but most in here are nice middle class priced units in the $350,000-$500,000 range. Units in the condo tower and the Village above the 3rd floor offer nice river views and city lights.
- Burnt Bridge Creek. This may surprise a few but there are many homes that line the northernmost edge of this neighborhood and look out across low land marshes that for the most part are un buildable. "For the most part" at some point in the future they may build there so this is not a forever view scenario. But Mount St. Helens is visible from many spots in this neighborhood. Single family homes in here are modest designs from the 1990s and prices tend to be around $400,000 to $550,000.
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