The Gorge is Wonderful

Clark County's close proximity to the Columbia River Gorge is an amazing blessing. I wrote this a fe years ago...

Originaly posted September 18th, 2014, by Rod Sager

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is quite spectacular. The area is governed by a commission that makes building homes in the region challenging. The commission must approve all buildings and has a very strict set of guidelines for new construction. This is all intended to protect the integrity of America's second largest gorge behind the Grand Canyon.

All of that gorge commission red tape aside, the views from some of the homes are stunning. This 1.39 acre lot in White Salmon, Washington is listed at $500,000. It is in one of the few urban exemption zones and thus requires no gorge commission review to build. The views are quite amazing both urban and natural. This lot looks across the Columbia into Hood River, Oregon.

Prices are steep for these exempt parcels but the home will have an obstruction free view of one of the worlds most spectacular natural features and the glimmering lights of Hood River on the other shore.

The gorge-ous home shown here is listed at 1.1 million and is on the same bluff as the land listing. This is a spacious three bedroom home with 2600 squares and a three acre lot. The home has equally dramatic vistas. Looking West peers into the temperate rain forest portion of the Gorge. Looking East shows the dramatic transition to arid grass lands.

The Columbia River Gorge is a truly remarkable scenic area and to live up on a bluff overlooking this magnificent natural wonder is absolutely heavenly.

White Salmon is a city of roughly 2,300 people in Klickitat County. It is connected to Hood River, OR by the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge across the Columbia River. This long cantilever bridge spans nearly a mile across the river and features a lift section to accommodate commercial river traffic. White Salmon is 68 miles East of Downtown Vancouver via Washington State Hwy 14.

Hood River, Oregon has roughly 7,900 people and a nice historic downtown area. The city is 65 miles East of Portland, OR via Interstate 84.

This is a great area to retire and soak up the bounty of nature. The Washington side offers some advantages to retirees which you can read about on my Retire to Washington Blog.

I highly recommend you take a lovely drive into the Gorge and please, 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.

Who Says Prune Hill Views are Expensive?

There are some 'value' view properties on Prune Hill! Not many, mind you, but they are out there. Some of the neighborhoods on the lower slopes abutting Vancouver are quite reasonable and some of these homes have decent views. Don't expect a grand panoramic vista, but there are some better than peek-a-boo views to be had well under $400k.

Take this listing I recently shot photos of. It has four bedrooms including a presidential-like master and a HUGE 4th bed/bonus room, big enough for a 4x8 pool table. The home features 2400 square feet of space, a decent sized yard and pretty solid views from the upper floor master and bonus room. This home is a mid-90s house that hasn't been updated and it has modest trim levels. But the price is just $355,000! It is just barely east of the Vancouver city limit and looks out over a Camas Open Space area and a Vancouver City Park so the views are fairly well protected. Look at the panorama of Downtown Portland and the West Hills in the distance, and gorgeous sunsets. There is even a small bit of the Columbia River visible!

Full disclosure: these views are looking over the rooftops of other homes, but still, at this price, to find a home this large with these views in this crazy market! Move quickly my friends, this is a golden moment.

What's really fantastic about this Prune Hill Neighborhood is the close in proximity to the East Vancouver 192nd Avenue business corridor. It is also low enough that snowfall is comparable to the valley below and the streets are not so steep as to cause problems during outbreaks of winter weather.

From this neighborhood one can be on SR14 freeway in less than a minute if you catch the 34th@192nd light! PDX is 15 minutes, Downtown Portland less than 30 minutes. This is a small neighborhood of perhaps a hundred homes, but many, if not most of them have at least a peek-a-boo view.

Clark County is full of these little pockets of real estate joy! I love showing these types of view properties where the home is modest enough that middle class families have a shot at them :)

Oh please, do enjoy the view!

Green Mountain Road

From the north end of Woodland, WA to the very south end of Kalama, WA is twisting scenic road called Green Mountain Road. Along the steep bluffs above I-5 are many fantastic view lots looking out over the Columbia River towards the Coastal Hills of NW Oregon.

The views vary from sweeping to peek-a-boo and are found on lots typically in the 2-6 acre range. These lots are selling for prices as low as $120k and can exceed 300k in some of the nice gated communities that have been established in the area.The elevation profile of this stretch of Green Mountain Road runs from about 400' to just over 800' above sea level. The highest lots in the immediate area top out around 1200-1300 feet.


The real treat is the close proximity to the I-5 corridor. From the southern start of Green Mountain Road in Woodland the freeway ramp is less than a mile away.

From that southern point of access on I5 it is just about 36 miles to Downtown Portland. Most of that ride is on a light traffic port of the highway with congestion typically limited to the Vancouver approach of the interstate bridge and into Portland from there.

This area has a variety of opportunities from high end mansions to manufactured on acreage. Buy some bare dirt and build your dream or buy a resale home and move right in. What ever you do, please enjoy the view.

Columbia Shores: Views on a Budget

Vancouver's Columbia Shores neighborhood offers affordable condos and some offer decent river views. Many of you may already be familiar with this compact neighborhood. Two popular riverfront restaurants are nearby, Beaches and McMenamins on the Columbia. Even if you can't swing the extra coin for a view unit, the fabulous Vancouver Waterfront Renaissance Trail runs through the area and offers a great view walk along one of America's mightiest rivers.


This is a small and compact area with mostly condos. But prices on decent sized units around 1000-1200 SF are less than $300k. You'll have to pony up some extra cash to get one of the units facing the trail and the river but even some of the back units on upper floor offer views of the river and the city lights. Some may feel that $300,000 for a 1000 sf condo are pricey, but just up the river a little ways one can find the Tidewater Cove condo development and you'll be hard pressed to find any unit in there under $750k. Value is a highly relative term.

Columbia Shores is a great spot for a riverfront condo and the prices are within reach of regular Americans. This neighborhood not only offers the views and connection to the Columbia River, but also is conveniently located. Nestled along the River just south of SR14 and access to that highway is quick. Just one exit west is the I5 interchange, the Interstate Bridge, Downtown Vancouver and the Fort Vancouver National Park Site.

The plan as of now is to extend the Waterfront Renaissance Trail into the new Downtown Waterfront project now under construction. With Vancouver USA trending towards a more urban lifestyle from Columbia Shores all the way into the new waterfront, these units are likely a strong investment opportunity as well as a great spot to relax and look at the pretty scenery.

Across the main channel of the mighty Columbia River on Hayden Island, Portland is also building more condos and apartments that take in sweeping views. Waterfront real estate very limited and that ultimately will spell inflated prices in the future.

Columbia Shores represents one of Vancouver USA's best waterfront values. These will likely see a robust spike in demand as the new waterfront project becomes a centerpiece attraction for new residents and jobs in the 'Original' Vancouver.

As always, 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.

Mount Vista aptly Named

I was out in Mount Vista recently to take pictures of a new listing. This home is quite nice and features a spectacular sweeping view to the north. The home is situated mid-slope on the north side of the Mount Vista neighborhood straddling the line between Vancouver and Ridgefield.

I like the fact that this house has a relatively level yard. The home sports a spacious 3642 square feet of living space with expansive living room, family room, dining room, and kitchen on the main level with a large deck that offers up views of the Cascades including Mount Adams. Upstairs has 4 bedrooms including the amazing master that has the best views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. The lower level has a huge movie and entertainment room and another bedroom and walks out to a patio and nice mostly level backyard.

What's amazing is the fact that this gorgeous home and spectacular view can be yours for $520,000.

The greater Mount Vista area spans from NE 134th Street up along NE 29th Avenue west of WSUV in the rolling hills and east of the 20th Avenue corridor in Salmon Creek. There are a variety of neighborhoods in the area; some as old as the 1970s all they way up to brand new subdivisions with new construction. I think the best views are those that look to the northeast capturing those amazing Cascade volcanoes.

The neighborhood does offer views that look south and west as well and those can be nice. There are some homes in the older part of Mount Vista that have views extending to Downtown Portland and the West Hills.

Overall Mount Vista is a conveniently located neighborhood offering a good range of homes across a wide spectrum of pricing including many with great views. The close in proximity to both I-5 and I-205 is tough to beat.

So what are you waiting for? It's time to enjoy the view.