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. 

Springtime is a Great Time to take in the View

Happy house hunters are plying the roadways in search of their dream home. The temps are up, the birds are out, and everyone seems delighted about it. I have been perusing the inventory of homes with a view and found a great many choices all across the county. In fact I came up with 200 view homes in Vancouver alone! Some of these, of course were fairly expensive but others were in the middle of the market where us regular folks can swim.

I stumbled across a home listed on the MLS in a neighborhood I love. The Heights is Vancouver's "old school" high end area. South Cliff and Dubois Park are the two neighborhoods in the heights that feature fantastic homes perched out over the bluff with spectacular views across the river. The Heights was built out in the 1950s and 60s. There has been some additional developement added in more recent years in the form of some private subdividing.

This South Cliff area is in close to Downtown and close to both PDX and Downtown Portland as well. The views from homes along either Dubois Drive or Rhododendron Drive offer up the great views. This neighborhood sits up on the plateu that rises up above Evergreen Hwy. There are many less expensive but none-the-less stately homes in both South Cliff and Dubois Park. The views from the southern end of the neighborhood do tend to drive values higher along the two aforementioned drives.

This home is on the crown jewel street in Dubois Park It is listed for $1.3 million with breathtaking views. This is a large home on a spacious lot. There is more than 5,800 square feet in the home and it is situated on a junior acre. The home has a giant wrap around deck that takes in Mount Hood, the

For the buyer looking for a little less maintenance and a softer hit on the bank account, there is this lovely townhouse condo overlooking Vancouver Lake. This has over 2,300 square feet of living space and an amazing view of the lake. Lakeshore is close in to the city yet feels miles away. That is often a great recompense for a hard days work. This very large condo is offered at just shy of $400,000. The complex is perched up high on a bluff looking out over the lake. It offers a great view right out of the windows from inside and a nice deck to take it in outside.


Condos offer that added value of not having to deal with structural or other exterior issues. The HOA is responsible for keeping the grounds tidy and the roof and exterior paint and siding in order. You just live there and soak up the great view while others worry about the maintenance.

As far as view neighborhoods go, Lakeshore is one of the value leaders. There are some very expensive seven figure homes in the area, but in general the pricing in Lakeshore is a bargain compared to say Evergreen Hwy or South Cliff. These views tend to look southwest over the three mile wide Vancouver Lake across the Columbia River and Sauvie Island. The views are more natural than urban and of course sunsets are awesome.

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.

The Contemporary Metro Urban View is alive and well in the 'Couv'

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 four floors starting on the 8th. 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".

A View isn't always a "View"

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.