Kirkland Nearly Topped at Palisades

Google Earth 2023

Kirkland's The Ledges is a large 7 floor condo and apartment project on the bluff at Columbia Palisades is nearly topped out. With a two story concrete podium and five levels of wood frame units above this is the largest project to date in the former quarry. It follows a townhouse development that completed last year on the same bluff. Perched up over the former quarry and SR-14, these two projects will offer spectacular views of the Columbia River and the bright twinkling lights of Portland and East Multnomah County. Columbia Palisades has seen a slowish start but the East Vancouver neighborhood that straddles the city line with Camas is likely to see some increased activity as more commercial development is built to support the area. So far Vancouver Clinic has build a location in the development and there are plans for a lot more. I would imagine that some additional residential will need to complete to support the new retail businesses.

Meanwhile on the west side of SE 192nd Avenue, Hurly is working on the HQ development that will bring housing and retail to the other side of the former quarry. These two developments will likely feed off each other and form a bustling east side urban center with excellent highway access to SR-14 and I-205. This will be a great neighborhood and you can already buy units at Boulder Ridge on Ascension Drive.

What ever you do, enjoy the view!

Soft Pricing Makes View Condos Attainable

Pricing has softened up a bit on many of Vancouver's condos including Parkview at Vancouver Center and Shorewood. Condos with decent views are now back in the upper 200's to $400k. Using the tracking of condos on Urban Living in the Couv you can see some reasonable values on units in both Shorewood and Parkview. 

At Parkview there is a 7th floor unit facing the park with nice views over the park towards the waterfront. It's listed at $379,900. It is a smaller unit with 1 bed and 1 bath and 428 SF. There is also a larger unit on the 6th floor facing east but it is a corner unit and has a view between two other towers of Mount Hood. Hardly a sweeping view but pretty solid. That unit is 2 beds and 2 baths with 879 SF. 

Shorewood West has a large 1 bed 1 bath unit with over 1000 SF and a view from the patio of the Columbia River and the West Hills. That unit is priced at $350,000. Shorewood East has a 2 bed 2 bath unit with 1128 SF listed at $309,000

Parkview is urban with everything being walkable. Shorewood is up on a bluff with nice views and excellent amenities. Christmas can be a good time to buy a condo!

Happy Holidays!

360-737-4600

Another Look at Amboy

This article originally appeared on this blog in 2017 and has been slightly edited to reflect current housing trends.

Amboy Washington is a charming little hamlet about a dozen miles north of Battle Ground on SR503. Although the town itself has views limited to the local territorial hills and forest, the higher areas around the town are filled with fabulous homes on 5 acre lots. Some of these offer up tremendous views of our mighty Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and even a couple peeks at the monster of the west, Mount Rainier.

I recently showed an amazing property in Amboy back in 2017, that had this view of St. Helens off the large deck. The picture was taken with a wide angle so the mountain was MUCH CLOSER than it looks. From this vantage point the angry volcano was only 24 miles away.

Amboy is one of those locations that many people consider to be 'way out' in the country. This notion that it is so far away helps keep property values more affordable. the reality is that it is still only 45 minutes to PDX maybe 60 with some traffic. For the adventurous outdoorsy crowd Amboy is tough to beat. It is located just a few miles from the Lewis River lakes of Merwin, Yale, and Swift and thousands of acres of DNR and Gifford Pinchot Forest Land.

Homes that would cost $600,000 $800,000 or more in Ridgefield with this kind of view can be had for under $500k $650k in Amboy. Sometimes that little bit of extra drive can shave mountains of cash of the price of property.

Amboy, Washington is almost entirely rural and most of the homes are on small acreage 2-6 acres, but there are some giant rancheria type properties as well with 10, 20 even 50 plus acres. Be sure to check out Amboy and be sure to enjoy the view.

Beware of Drone Only Views

I have been perusing through properties on the MLS that are marked as "view" properties and I found yet again agents marketing properties as having a view but not a single photo from the ground or house shows any meaningful view. Then the drone shot from a few hundred feet above the property shows this lovely view.

This is unfortunately rather deceptive and buyers may arrange to view the property expecting a view, only to be disappointed that the view is limited to your drone unit buzzing overhead. If you are a buyer and a view is a big part of your selection be sure to ask your agent to verify the house actually has a view if the only view photos in the listing are from a drone.

Agents can get away with a little deception on this issue because a view is highly subjective. Who is really to say what a view is or is not. A lovely view of the neighbors wrecking yard, look at all those lovely fall tones on the rusted metal ;) 

As a long time agent specializing in city condos and view properties I always show a picture of the "view" I am pitching. If I say there is a Mount Hood view then by golly there is a Mount Hood view. If it is seasonal then I say seasonal. If it is partially obstructed or peek-a-boo then I say so. Deception is not a good look for an agent but that doesn't stop some from wearing it. 

Drone images serve a purpose beyond a view. They show the surrounding area around the listing or in the case of rural acreage an overview of the property that is difficult to show from the ground. So I am not at all opposed to using them in listings. But if the property is listed as having a view, the agents ought to show a photo of that view from the property.

 

Port of Camas & Washougal Getting Apartments

Rendering of future development

The Port of Camas and Washougal has been working hard on a large redevelopment project that is bringing new mid-rise apartment buildings to Parkers Landing. Although not on a scale we have seen in Vancouver, this will bring some high density development to the area and the location right on the shores of the Columbia River should offer some spectacular views of the Gorge, Mount Hood, and the river itself. Whether or not condos will be in the mix is still yet to be seen. It would be nice to have the opportunity to own a unit in this new development area.

Camas and Washougal offer a more suburban style of living with close proximity to the Gorge and a less hectic bustle in town. Both cities have lovely downtown areas with the classic small town charm that Vancouver struggles to present these days. The Port of Camas Washougal has a website setup to follow the activity and progress on this excellent new neighborhood. Check it out here.

The Columbia Remains a Favorite View

The mighty Columbia River rolls past the entire east west length of Vancouver with dozens of neighborhoods enjoying excellent views of one of the largest rivers on the continent. This has become a preferred view object and thousands of homes have been built with the intention of offering a glimpse. From the panoramic to the peek-a-boo, a view of the Columbia is a hot commodity.

Views of the river can be had in modestly priced properties especially looking at Shorewood Condominiums where units priced in the 200s can offer a decent view. Spectacular views from bluff top homes or from the actual shore of the river can get rather spendy with prices routinely deep into seven figures. 

For buyers that appreciate a good view homes are available in most price ranges offering a little more than a peek-a-boo view of the Columbia. It may take time to find something suitable in your price range but it does exist.

It seems that water views command the biggest premium, views of the mighty Cascades and territorial views of mountains and hills can be found at more reasonable premiums. 

Vancouver is also able to offer these lovely water views and mountain views from every kind of neighborhood from the rural to suburban to high-rise urban. Whatever your flavor it can be found in Clark County.

Shorewood, The Affordable View Condo

Shorewood West Tower 1

Shorewood Condos are up on the bluff overlooking the Columbia River in the Heights just below Dubois Park. The complex of condos are divided into two separate developments known as Shorewood East and Shorewood West. The former is a series of three 4 story buildings with condos angle to take advantage of views as best as possible. The latter is two 7 story buildings each with 6 levels of condos on top a ground level garages. 

Shorewood East was completed in 1972 and features and indoor/outdoor pool and spa with a retractable roof. There is a clubhouse, fitness area, and the community shares a lovely parklike setting around a pond with both Shorewood West and the Shorewood Apartments. The development is also home to some retailers and a restaurant making it rather walkable despite its suburban location.

Shorewood West 4th Level looking SW

Shorewood West consists of two similar towers the first erected in 1978 the second in 1984. This developments also has similar amenities to Shorewood East and shares the grounds and pond. Generally the views in Shorewood West are a bit better as the buildings are taller and all of the units are above ground level. Shorewood West tends to be a bit more expensive as the units are newer and slightly larger on average.

Some of the units in Shorewood West have fully glass enclosed patios offering year round enjoyment. Units in Shorewood East can be found as low as the mid-200s for one bedroom 900 SF to the upper 300s for larger 2 bed units. In Shorewood West units start in the mid-300s for one bed 1000 SF to $500,000 for larger and updated units with up to 1300 SF. I have seen units in West close near $700k for radically remodeled homes with top notch upgrades.

The best views at Shorewood are in either the easternmost building facing east for the Mount Hood and Columbia Gorge views as well as the eastern tower and Shorewood West above the 2nd floor facing east. All of the condo buildings have units facing south taking full advantage of a sweeping river view especially in units on the 4th level or higher.

Shorewood in my opinion is the value leader among Vancouver's view condos. Fabulous ameneities, wonderful park-like setting and excellent views. More information on Shorewood is available at Urban living in the Couv click here.