What is a View really Worth?

Several years ago I posted on this blog about the value of a view and even prepared a poll for readers to opine on the value of a view to them. Today I am bringing that post back and the poll as well.

by Rod Sager; originally posted on this blog, June 26, 2014

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!

Washougal Value Views!

Washougal has a price advantage over neighboring Camas and the views from hillside neighborhoods like Colorado Ridge are fantastic.

This month I have a featured view property that with full disclosure, is one of my listings. This home has nearly 4000 square feet and is perched like an eagle high atop the Colorado Ridge development.

The view from the main level, kitchen, living room, master bedroom and deck are spectacular and the house was designed to capitalize on the view.

These views are forever views as the home is perched very high above any potential future rooftop. These are the best views for they will endure. This home is listed for $899,900 and has 4 beds and a den including two full ensuites and 3.5 baths.

Twinkling lights, flowing river, beautiful mountains, this one has it all.

Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy the view!

Mount Vista Revisited

I took some photos of a new listing yesterday on the north side of Mount Vista. This was down near the bottom of the hill. I wasn't expecting any kind of view as the home was nearly at the bottom of the north side of Mount Vista.

This house however was well positioned for a view, the question was simply whether the local trees and other houses were to allow it. To my surprise and delight the home has a very respectable view of the mighty Mount Saint Helens.

From the front yard there is no indication of any view. From the back yard you have a peek-a-boo view of the mountain. Once you make you way upstairs however, that peek-a-boo becomes a 90% unobstructed view! Both the Master Bedroom and a large bonus room over the garage offer this excellent view.

Now I'll be clear, this is not a sweeping vista like the properties I have listed in Colorado Ridge. But this is a nice 2200 SF home in a very tidy neighborhood priced well under $400k. So any clean view of one of our big volcanoes is huge bonus in this price range.

All over Clark County we have homes with what I call "sleeper views". You walk in, not expecting any kind of vista and then BAM! there it is. I love it when that happens :)

Sedate Estates has Views!

Sedate lot 14 0.49 acres extends all the way to the top!

I am happy to have a couple of new homes under construction co-listed with my colleague Bert Girod. One of these is Lot 14 in Sedate Estates. This is a newer subdivision in Washougal, within the Camas School District. This is a very desirable location and Lot 14 has views of both the Washougal River and the Mighty Columbia. The city lights at night will dazzle on a warm summer's eve! This home is located on a HUGE 0.49 acre lot. Now the lot itself has a substantial portion on steep hillside, so the good news is, there is privacy and less maintenance than one might expect from such a large lot.

The view from a 1/3 the way up! Lot 14 in Sedate

I love a good view and this lot will have one. The view here will not quite deliver the wow of some of my Colorado Ridge listings, but this is even closer in, being just 2-3 minutes to downtown Camas. It is also in the Camas School District which some people will find quite desirable.

I love be able to present listings in these view neighborhoods. I even like holding them open :) Views are awesome and that is a large reason why I write this blog every month. I like writing about views as well.

The view from Lot 11 in Colorado Ridge

I also have a couple of additional new homes under construction in Colorado Ridge that I haven't written about yet. The house I wrote about a few months back is almost complete, listed at $798,900 and featuring some of the very best views in the whole region!

These homes and others can view viewed in greater detail with additional information using the links below!

• New Homes in Sedate Estates
• New Homes and lots available in Colorado Ridge
• Rod Sager, Realtor®

I do hope you enjoyed looking at these great views and please by all means in all you do, enjoy the view.

Washougal View Town!

Washougal is going to pass up its rival, Camas in the hillside homes view race here at the rate they are going. Up above lookout ridge along the Camas-Washougal border is the latest Washougal neighborhood to offer breathtaking views of the Mighty Columbia, the Gorge and Mount Hood.

This neighborhood is between 500-600 feet in elevation so you get a nice 'perched'view but still remain below the winter heavy snow zone. I shot photos of this latest listing up there and it offers up some truly magnificent views. The home is pretty sharp too ;)

This neighborhood is in real close to both Camas and Washougal and is easily accessible from either Crown Road to the west or Shepherd Road to the east.

This area is only about 20 minutes to either PDX or Downtown Vancouver, and another 15 to Downtown Portland. It is a classic suburban neighborhood tucked nicely up top of the hill with spectacular views to Portland, the Gorge, Mount Hood, and the River. Oh that gorgeous east county area is view-licious. So check it out and please enjoy the view.

Is a View always a "View"?

Originally posted on this blog, March 4th, 2014 by Rod Sager

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.

How much would you PAY for a great view?

by Rod Sager; originally posted on this blog, June 26, 2014

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!

Prune Hill Still Offers Some Good 'Value Views'

The view looking WNW from Prune Hill
2600 SF home priced at $415,000

The Prune Hill Area is mostly in Camas with a few East Vancouver Neighborhoods as well. I have written about this area before. This past weekend however, I was showing homes to an out of area buyer and that was the neighborhood we focused on. I was pleasantly surprised with the 'bang for the buck' value I saw. The real estate market has been strong with robust pricing, but there seemed to be a good view value happening here.

The View looking SW from Prune Hill
2650 SF home listed for $499,000

Most of the homes on Prune Hill that offer a view tend to have steep and unusable yards.This is often a trade off home buyers have to consider. This client was not specifically seeking a view property, but several properties a few had pretty nice views. Some were better than a peek-a-boo but not quite the sweeping grand vista. These were reasonably priced homes in the $400-500k range.

It is nice to see beautiful modern homes with a view priced within reach of the middle class. What ever you do be sure to enjoy the view.

Million Dollar Views for less than Half That!

I shot this from the Master bedroom Deck with my cell phone.

I was out showing some homes the other day in Camas and came across a few listings that offered up spectacular views at prices far more pedestrian than one might expect.

I showed a few houses that were priced under $400k and these homes had pretty good views. The downside was that they were on Prune Hill in neighborhoods where the yards are not at all level. That said a nice, 2200 SF home with a deck off the master and the view you see here, priced at $379,900 is hard to believe in this market. But there it is. This listing did not have the best "curb view" as the boxy design sits high up top of a steep driveway. That is par for the course on Prune Hill however.

Listed on the local MLS at $379,900

This particular home does not have a dramatic sweeping view, but it is pretty darn good all things considered including its reasonable price.

The downside to homes like this are the three level cliff side styling. The garage is a full flight of steps up to the main level and then there is a third level on top of that. Stairs become a big part of your life. But for many, that is a small price to pay for a bargain value view home.

The listing I am showing here was one of several I showed priced under $500k with views of either Lacamas Lake or Vancouver and Portland. These reasonably priced homes offer great views but many of them in the sub $400k range are 1990s built homes that have not enjoyed any modern updating. But that allows the owner to update as they see fit. There is nothing wrong with that!

Take a ride up on Prune Hill and enjoy the view!

Here is a look back...Enjoy the View

I have a crazy busy week this week that is culminating on Friday with a business trip to the Bay Area. I wrote this article last year and thought I would bring it back this year. Be sure to chime in your opinion by taking the poll with the link below.

Originally published June 26th, 2014, Rod Sager

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!

Downtown Condos Still a Bargain!

I have talked about the value in the downtown condos before. The market has matured in most areas showing robust gains over the last few years but one market still lags a bit behind. The high condo market downtown. This is not surprising since the city had a surplus of these units even before the crash in 2008.

The window of opportunity for this kind of property is closing. There are only a fraction of these high rise units still on the market and prices are starting to move up. None the less this two bedroom 2 bath unit with 1922 square feet is value priced at $488,000. On the eleventh floor this unit is high enough to peak over most of the buildings in front of it thus offering a nice city and river view.

This unit faces west so sunsets will be amazing as the great yellow orb drops behind the coastal mountains. Most of the buildings to the west are shorter in height so view is largely unobstructed. I love these modern mid rise and high rise condos and these units were fetching well above $700k at the height of the market. These are the last of the great deals in real estate following the economic downturn a few years ago!

So get out a pay a visit to the last few of these high rise units. You may find your urban dream right here in America's Vancouver. Enjoy the view.




  

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!

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!

Summer Hills

Main road in Summer Hills

Sometimes people want to get out of town. They want to rid themselves of the city atmosphere, the endless sirens, traffic noise, crowds, etc. Often these weary city beaten folks find themselves in areas like Hockinson or Brush Prairie. There is a subdivision that offers an escape from the city with reasonable proximity to services and of course the prerequisite for this blog is amazing views and it has that too.

Currently Listed on the MLS at $675,000

The Summer Hills subdivision offers some of the best territorial and city views in the area. This subdivision is located in the Cascade foothills of Brush Prairie above Hockinson. This subdivision is up around 1000 feet of elevation so snowfall is more common than Vancouver but the southwest exposure does help the snow melt fast. This is a neighborhood filled with larger homes priced above $500,000 and many exceed $1,000,000.

Looking Northwest

Buyers that pay this lofty price are rewarded with breathtaking views that reach beyond the Metro area to the Coast mountains of Northwestern Oregon, South all the way down the Willamette Valley and across the greater Vancouver city. City lights by night and mountains by day. Most of these homes lack a view of the High Cascade peaks because of the southwest exposure but the territorial views are the best you will find locally.

Google overview of neighborhood

This place feels like it is way out in the country yet it is only 8 miles to Padden Parkway and 117th in Vancouver and less than 30 minutes to catch that flight out of PDX. The neighborhood backs up to open space and forest land. Summer Hills remains one of my favorite communities in Clark County. I always enjoy showing and listing property in this wonderful environment. This is really quite the little paradise and I would invite you to check it out if you really want to enjoy the view!

Are Trees Considered a "View"?

How often have you seen a real estate listing with a tag line, "beautiful view of the trees". Probably never. Sure I have shown property with a "territorial view" that was really a view of some hills and lots of trees. But I like trees, don't you? After all I live a very wet and drippy environment and it is not because I like to feel damp. I like lush greenery. So I say, trees can be a view!

I mentioned in the post 'A view isn't always a "View"' that sometimes trees or distant hills make for a a view, especially when the alternative is your neighbors siding. For buyers looking for view property on a middle income budget the definition of view may need to be... modified.

When you think about it, would you rather look out across the street at your neighbors home or would you rather see a row of pretty cherry trees? Even a row of Arborvitae might prove better than looking in the windows of another home like some voyeuristic creeper. Trees can be a view and my friends I am here to tell you they are a view!

Trees provide a lush green backdrop to gaze upon gently without taking your attention away from quiet reflection. A busy view of a cityscape or even a dramatic mountain like Mount Hood or Saint Helens dominates the view. Don't get me wrong, I like a dominating view as much as the next guy, but sometimes a quiet background view that provides that earthy natural bliss can be just what you need to get some thinking done or even to throw back a few beers after a long week at the office.

I have seen some great views that were created with clever landscaping. A nice Koi pond and some lush shrubs in front of a bank of trees, some planted some native. I am a sucker for a great view, but sometimes I am just a sucker for a tranquil scene to let my eyes wander while my mind is set free.

Go out and find your view.