Columbia River Gorge Views are Heavenly

The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most beautiful scenic areas in the world. We are quite fortunate to be nestled right up to the western entrance from our locale here in the Metro Portland-Vancouver area. Since the area is part of a National Scenic Recreation Area, there is a strict commission that oversees any development that can impact the area. There are a few grandfathered exceptions in places like Stevenson, WA, White Salmon, WA, and Hood River, OR.

Homes and lots within these exempt areas do come at a premium, but the views can often take the price pain away.

A friend and colleague of mine has a gorgeous 9 acre site with 8 engineered lots in White Salmon exempt from the Gorge Commission some of which offer breathtaking views of Mount Hood, OR, and the Columbia River Gorge.

White Salmon is in the transition point from the lush and wet Western Gorge to the drier, sunnier Eastern Gorge. I have written about White Salmon in the past you can check here. The warmer in the summer and drier conditions are often desired by retirees looking for a beautiful retreat. This area is close enough in and low enough in elevation to avoid a really cold and bitter winter but it will be notably chillier than the Western flank of the Cascades here in Vancouver.

Whether you want to look at real estate or just getaway form the city the Gorge is a place to enjoy the view!

The Urban View is a Relative Bargain

Last year, I wrote about the Urban view being alive and well in Vancouver. Here we are in the middle of 2015 and that is still true. It is also a relative bargain! The real estate market has been roaring locally in the detached single family homes under $350,000. The upper end homes and the condo market is still lagging a touch behind. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. It is likely short live and that means there is a window of opportunity to score a rare deal in a rising market.

During the crazy rush of the mid-2000's both Vancouver and Portland built a plethora of urban condos. Downtown Vancouver, Pearl District, South Waterfront, etc. This excess of inventory is still lingering just a bit and that means condos are a good value.

The Urban condo is not for everyone, but if it is for you get busy because these "deal" will not last.

originally posted on this blog, March 20th, 2014


Panoramic from 500 Broadway Condo, Rod Sager, 2012

Most people in this area would associate an "urban" view with Downtown Portland or the West Hills of Portland as that is the big city center for this region. That is an accurate association. However, here on the north shore of the Mighty Columbia River we are not without our own urban views. Vancouver, WA has begun an urban renewal process that has already transformed the formerly derelict Esther Short Park area into a thriving urban live/work center. Mid-rise and high-rise buildings with office and condo space flank the east side of the park, a mid rise hotel and convention center and mid rise City Hall building to the south, and to the west and north are low-mid rise condos and apartments with retail/office on the street level. Huge plans are underway for a gigantic billion-dollar waterfront renovation that will bring mid-rise and high-rise development to the shores of the Columbia in Downtown Vancouver.

As of right now there are several condo projects in Downtown, Vancouver that offer up urban city views. These condos range in price from the low 100's for a spartan and small unit to nearly a million dollars for the deluxe accommodations with sweeping panoramic views. The two projects that quickly come to mind for contemporary urban living in Vancouver is the West Coast Bank Building at 500 Broadway with its Frontier Block Condo Project on the 5th and 6th floors and the Vancouver Center III on Washington and West 8th with its upscale condo project on the top three floors starting on the 9th. These two projects feature units with upscale hardwood floors, granite and travertine finishes, and all the plush design elements to complement the spectacular urban views they offer.

One of the great features however about Downtown Vancouver is its clear price advantage over Portland's Pearl District. The Pearl is also suffering from a variety of builder and HOA related lawsuits that can put the pinch on a purchase. Vancouver Center also has two mid-rise condo buildings on Columbia Street that actually fronts the park and offer more modestly decorated units with smaller space at shockingly affordable prices. Units in these more affordable buildings can be had from the mid 100's to the upper 200's and above the 4th floor offer great views overlooking Esther Short Park. These two buildings have 6 and 7 floors respectively. Heritage Place Condos on the north side of the park only has units on the 2nd-4th floors and so the views are limited by the trees in the park. That building offers a mixed use with storefronts and restaurants on the street level. I think it is great that a young single person could easily afford one of the Columbia Street units even with a modest income.

So if the urban lifestyle fits you better than suburbia, take a look at Downtown Vancouver and be sure to "enjoy the view".

Some Views are Floating Views

Floating views? You may be thinking I am taking advantage of Washington State's legal marijuana with a headline like that. No, I assure you I am quite sober. The Portland metro area however does have a pretty large collection of floating homes. I would say the lion's share is in the inside channel of the Columbia River between Hayden Island and North Portland. This channel is protected from the main Columbia River traffic and flow through clever engineering. There are a variety of yacht harbors and marinas in and around Hayden and Tomahawk Islands in North Portland. Of course there are hundreds of permanent floating homes in the area as well. These vary from cozy little ensembles well under $100,000 to elaborate floating mansions approaching a million dollars.

Over here on the Washington side of the Columbia we have floating homes as well. Although our collection is much smaller since the Columbia River's main channel is not suitable for such housing. Our shore of the Columbia features more traditional and very expensive river front property. There is Caterpillar Island however, that creates a narrow inside channel. It has a marina and house boats. These floating homes look over the water into a recreation area on the island.

Here in the 'Couv' we have the beautiful Vancouver Lake and it is drained by a tributary called the Lake River. The Lake river carries water from Vancouver Lake to the Columbia River. Unlike the Hayden Island urban style of floating homes, the Lake River features homes that look across the water and into a National Wildlife Refuge. In Vancouver and Ridgefield are two more such places to buy a floating home with a view. The upside to the Lake River is that it is a very slow flowing tributary. There are strict 5 mph speed limits and no through traffic at all. Motorized vehicles are strictly restricted on Vancouver Lake and heavily regulated on the Lake River.

Here is an opportunity to own waterfront view property starting at entry level prices. I have seen listings as low as $20,000. There are of course some issues to be considered. First and foremost is the very name of these properties; floating homes. Yes they are floating and there is some mild swaying that happens in this type of home. It is not as bad as you might imagine however. There is also the marina fees. Just like a manufactured home in a park, these homes occupy a rented space. In this case a marina slip and those will having monthly fees ranging from $200-$500. These marinas sometimes offer a variety of services included with the slip fee.

There is some special maintenance requirements with this type of home and they are less forgiving than a traditional home when it comes to neglect. All of this aside many people enjoy the dockside living afforded to floating home owners. Although the views are sometimes limited due to the close proximity of the homes, they can be quite enjoyable.

The Columbian newspaper ran an article on houseboats here. Due to Washington State's more strict laws governing navigable waterways it is more difficult to build houseboat communities than it is in neighboring Oregon. This could be a factor in why we have fewer such facilities on the Washington side. Houseboat living is yet another way to 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.




  

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!