Beach Updates

This town is still construction nuts! Do yourself a favor and stay off Point Brown Avenue until at least November now. For the most part, downtown is still ripped up as the city is having all the roads repaved and the roundabout construction is also underway. It's still really crazy. Other than that things are still pretty hoping at the beach even though the tourist season is over. The weekends lately have been particular busy with folks visiting and looking at getaway/retirement. This coming weekend should be very busy as the Razor Clam season gets underway. If you've never dug or ate a razor clam, you're missing out. Trust me. It took me a few years to give it a shot and now I just can't get enough... But don't tell any game wardens that I said that....

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update

It's been really busy. Buyers are buying! August showed three straight months of improving home sales at the beach. September has flattening out as residential sales remained the same as August. What we are seeing is that people with money, who held back when the economy was on the brink, are starting to buy. Smart money is buying real estate again at what many see at the bottom and capitalizing on the best mortgage rates in decades.

September Home Sales

September Vacant Lot Sales
11 Lot sold in September (down from 13 in August for an average selling price of $32,527. The cheapest one was $8,500 and the most expensive was $80,000. Average time on the market was only 209 days. There are currently 12 lots that are pending around town... There's 551 lots on the market right now.

September Condo Sales
Three condos closed during September at the beach. Average price was $88,833. The big news in condo sales is that there are currently 6 of them pending (including two at the Dreamscape Condos). That's a huge jump! There are 107 condos on the market in Ocean Shores right now.

Dreamscape Condos are now very serious about selling off their remaining inventory. Only twelve units are left and are now being offered as Short Sales ~ meaning that the owners are now offering them for less than what is owed to the bank. This is a great opportunity that will not last. "Here's More Info."

BrandNewBeachHomes.com is a real estate blog about new homes and new construction out at the beach. Take a look!

If you have any questions regarding Ocean Shores/North Coast Real Estate, call Jeff Daniel of Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties at 360.581.9020 or visit my website at www.cityofoceanshores.com. Thanks! All real estate numbers and stats apply to the Ocean Shores real estate market. All statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Upcoming Events

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Razor Clam Season Tentatively set to Open at 5 Beaches in Mid-October (this weekend!)

• Friday, Oct. 16 ( 5:50 p.m. -0.5 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Saturday, Oct. 17 (6:38 p.m. -0.8 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
• Sunday, Oct. 18 (7:23 p.m. -1.1ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

In addition, WDFW has tentatively scheduled the following digs:

• Saturday, Nov. 14 (4:34 p.m. -0.3 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
• Sunday, Nov. 15 (5:21 p.m. -0.7 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
• Monday, Nov. 16 (6:05 p.m. -0.9 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) is an exceptionally meaty shellfish which ranges from California to Alaska. It is abundant on surf-pounded ocean beaches, but also occurs in sheltered areas along the coast. Limited diving observations have indicated some adult razor clams (S.patula) offshore for up to one-half mile. Razor clams dredged in water deeper than 30 feet, although similar to the beach clam, are a different species (Siliqua sloati).

In Washington waters, the razor clam grows to a maximum length of six inches, although they are seldom found. Clams seven inches long have been recorded, but are very rare. The life expectancy for Washington clams is five years. Again, there are exceptions, but razor clams suffer from a high degree of mortality due to predation by Dungeness crabs, shore birds, numerous species of fish and of course thousands of clam diggers. A disease was also discovered in the early 1980's that caused mass mortalities of large numbers of clams. It is unknown how long this disease has affected clam populations. In contrast, razor clams found in Alaska may grow to eleven inches in length and live to be 15 years old, due to colder water temperatures and slower growth rates.

Razor clams are found primarily on the intertidal coastal beaches (those that are exposed at low tide) from a +3 foot level to a -2 foot tide level. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) divides the harvest areas into five major management zones (see map):

 
Beaches scheduled to open are:

• Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.
  
• Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.
  
• Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.
  
• Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.
  
• Kalaloch Beach, which extends from the South Beach Campground to Brown’s Point (just south of Beach Trail 3) in the Olympic National Park.

Beach News

This is where I've been getting mine lately:

Beach Updates

This town is construction nuts! Do yourself a favor and stay off Point Brown until at least October. For the most part, downtown is ripped up as the city is having all the roads repaved and the roundabout construction is also underway. It's really crazy. My recommendation is to drive on Ocean Shores Boulevard or the beach to get around. Downtown should be real nice once all the work is done though. Other than that, most of the tourists are gone so the town has settled down. September and October are two of the nicest months for weather at the beach in case you didn't know that. The fog burns off early and most days in the fall are warm and sunny. Oh, and warm is in the mid to high '60s for me. This is my second favorite time of the year at the beach (late spring being the first) weatherwise...
 

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update

It's been really busy. Buyers are buying! August was a killer month. September is turning out to be even better than August. I'm on my way to another record year in terms of sales. Deals are being snatched up. It's busy again!

 

August Residential Sales

Sales continue to climb out of the gutter at the beach for the third straight month in a row. A whopping 16 houses (up from 15 in July) sold in Ocean Shores during the month of August. Average sales price however dipped down to $150,688 (factor in a cheap park model and a bunch of little cabins and there you go) though. The bigger story is that 33 homes went pending during August. That’s huge! The typical August cool down did not happen this year. That's great news. The market has been very busy with first-time and getaway buyers along with quite a few Baby Boomers looking to retire at the beach. There are currently 48 homes pending in Ocean Shores up from 29 homes pending at the end of July. That's a huge jump!

There's only 223 homes on the market right now versus 253 in July. Home inventory is shrinking. That's over a 10% reduction in inventory in month. The cheapest house, I mean the least expensive house is a single-wide for only $42,500 while the most expensive is a spa-like three-story retreat down near the jetty for an easy $750K. With fewer homes for sale and these ridiculous low prices and buyer incentives like the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit, we're gonna see supply and demand stablize soon.

August Vacant Lot Sales
13 Lots sold in August for an average selling price of $37,269. The cheapest one was only $12,000 while the most expensive one was an oceanfront at $125,000. Average time on the market was only 520 days. There are currently 14 lots that are pending around town.

August Condo Sales
Two more condos sold in August (two sold in July too). Average sales price of the two that sold comes in at $189,500.

Dreamscape Condos are now very serious about selling off their remaining inventory. Thirteen units are now being offered as Short Sales ~ meaning that the owners are now offering them for less than what is owed to the bank. This is a great opportunity that will not last. One even sold this week. "Here's More Info."

BrandNewBeachHomes.com is a real estate blog about new homes and new construction out at the beach. Take a look!

If you have any questions regarding Ocean Shores/North Coast Real Estate, call Jeff Daniel of Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties at 360.581.9020 or visit my website at www.cityofoceanshores.com. Thanks! All real estate numbers and stats apply to the Ocean Shores real estate market. All statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Upcoming Events

     click the logo and be a fan of Ocean Shores Real Estate

Beach News

This is where I've been getting mine lately:

Traffic Updates at the Beach

The city has announced that it is finally moving forward with installing a new roundabout at the town’s main intersection of Point Brown Avenue & Chance A La Mer Avenue. Construction will begin soon… That doesn’t excuse bad behavior at the 4-way intersection though. While we're on the subject of driving, here are a few things to consider and remember while driving in and around Ocean Shores while we’re still in the tourist season…   

1. When you’re at one of the two 4-way intersections in town and the car or truck in front of you goes, you have to wait until the vehicles to your left, right and across the intersection go (assuming that there’s a car across from you and to your left and right). That’s not a green light that just let the car in front of you go so don't think you can follow him right away. You have to wait your turn…

2. When they put the roundabout in where the 4-way used to be, try not to take out more than one pedestrian at a time. That will really slow things down and traffic is already at a crawl as it is. If you do take out a pedestrian, please do all other drivers a favor and make sure the pedestrian is at least out of the road before you get out to make sure everyone's okay.

3. The city is not going to put signal lights at the 4-way intersections. That would be too easy and apparently costs more than the $2.9 million needed to create the roundabout…

4. The new speed limits around town aren’t permanent. It’s just a short term fix for the town’s budget crisis (more speeding tickets = more cash for the city). Once the city gets its finances under control, I’m very confident the old speed limits will come back, so don’t take it personal if a Chevy Avalanche driving behind you is getting a little close. Better yet, if you see an Avalanche behind you, just pull over and let him through. Thank you very much!

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update

I’m sure if you’ve been a regular reader of my monthly updates, you’re probably starting to think I sound like a broken record this year. I only say that because my head keeps spinning around and around when it comes time to write this monthly update. So I’m going to spare you and not go into how second home buyers are still a little reluctant to pull the trigger on making an offer on their beach getaway or how all of the lending institutions are too tight to actually loan money to well qualified buyers unless they actually have 20% to put down or how I totally believe that the bottom has come and gone and before we know it, prices are going to be on the rise. Anyway, I didn’t say any of those things. I also won’t tell you that this week alone I’ve sold 3 houses and have another 3 that I believe will get sold this weekend as it is. Buyers are calling me about listings that have just gone pending and they’re disappointed because they wanted to buy, but they waited too long….. Don’t let this be you… If you’re planning on buying at these low prices at the beach, you need to get on it. Okay, you’ve been warned.

Here are some real estate numbers and stats which apply to the Ocean Shores real estate market. All statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

July Residential Sales

15 Houses sold in Ocean Shores during the month of July and as lousy as that sounds, I could restate that differently and tell you that residential sales have increased over 20% from June to July this year… since that really did happen. That’s what happens when only 12 of them sold in June. So anyway, home sales are up. Not nearly anywhere close to where they should be (25 sold last year during the same time period) anyway. The average price of a home sold in July was $202.601 which is also up. That’s good news I suppose. There are currently 29 homes that are pending in Ocean Shores right now.

There are 253 homes on the market right now versus 249 homes in June. Inventory will start dropping off in September... Average price is $228,004. Average time of the market is 139 days. One house has been for sale for 1,107 days. Yikes!

July Vacant Lot Sales
18 Lots sold in July up from 14 Lots sold in June for an average selling price of $40,050. The cheapest one was $16,000 while the most expensive one was an ocean front at $150,000. Average time on the market was 407 days. There are currently 14 lots that are pending around town.

July Condo Sales
Two condos went pending this past month and two more actually closed. Average sales price of the two that sold comes in at $335,000 and the two that went pending averaged $182,575 in price. Foot traffic is way up. Buyers are saying now that they’re going to make an offer and some actually follow through. Prices are still ridiculously low while sellers are offering more incentives and there’s easier financing options now for buyers.

BrandNewBeachHomes.com is a new real estate blog about new homes and new construction out at the beach. Take a look!

If you have any questions regarding Ocean Shores/North Coast Real Estate, call Jeff Daniel of Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties at 360.581.9020 or visit my website at www.cityofoceanshores.com. Thanks!

Upcoming Events

Gospel MusicFEST

August 22, 2009
4th Annual Gospel Music Festival presented by Higher Ground Ministries. Quartet, talent showcase, endless live performances, door prizes, food booth, talented musicians and more. Bring the entire family and sing along.

Arts and Crafts Festival

September 11-13, 2009
41st annual event. Visit one of Western WA's largest indoor & outdoor handmade arts and crafts bazaars. 1,000's of unique items are showcased by gifted artists and talented craftspeople. Takes place at the Convention Center.

Paddle the Shores

September 19-20, 2009
Paddling activities on the lakes & canals. Races, poker paddle, seminars....

Beach News

This is where I've been getting mine lately:

It’s Pelican Season!

Ocean Shores hosts some of the best birding locations on the West Coast with more species per location than possibly anywhere else in Washington. Currently, large flocks of brown pelicans are putting on spectacular displays, diving into the bay and surf along the coast. Brown Pelicans begin to arrive on the Washington coast in June and their numbers peak in September. By late October, they’re all pretty much back down south.

If you're not really into watching birds, I'm with you. But these guys, they're cool to watch. Unique among the world's seven species of pelicans, the Brown Pelican is found along the ocean shores and not on inland lakes. It is the only dark pelican, and also the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food. They spot their catch from the air, then dive straight down, fold back their wings and plunge into the water head first. A large flexible pouch on their bill traps water and fish. The Pelican surfaces and drains the water out of the sides of bill, and swallows the fish. Often, sea gulls can be seen stealing fish from their pouch. One can observe this behavior all day long at the North Jetty. 

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update

Real Estate Sales hit another speed bump last month. July and August are typically very busy months for real estate out on the coast so real estate agents, brokers and sellers are all up on their toes watching with anticipation…

Here are some real estate numbers and stats which only apply to Ocean Shores. All statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Through the first 6 months of 2009, the real estate market in Ocean Shores is down nearly 20% from the same time period last year. Average sales prices are down around 10%.

June Residential Sales

It really hasn’t gotten any better as only 12 Houses sold in June for an average price of $194,054 which is up though from last months average price of $172,106. That’s good news I suppose. There are currently 36 homes that are pending around town which is also up from the 27 pending homes last month.

There are 249 homes on the market right now versus 246 homes in May. Average price is $246,171.

June Vacant Lot Sales
14 Lots sold in June 2009 for an average selling price of $43,814 (up from $27,208 last month). The cheapest one was $16,000 while the most expensive one was an ocean front at $120,000). Average time on the market was 336 days. There are currently 15 lots that are pending around town which is up from 12 last month.

Ocean Front Condo Sales 

Ocean Shores vs Westport

Condo sales are dreadful. Two ocean front condos have sold in Ocean Shores since May for an average price of $226,935. Other than that, condos are getting foot traffic from prospective buyers. Prices are ridiculously low and still, no offers while there are more incentives, easier financing options and lower prices than ever…

Here's a brief comparison on how condo sales are in both Ocean Shores and Westport:

4 Ocean Front Condos have sold in Ocean Shores so far this year for an average price of $173,968 while 3 more condos are pending at an average list price of $391,667.

5 Ocean Front Condos have sold in Westport this year so far for an average price of $249,580 while 2 more condos are pending at an average list price of $171,425.

Conclusion: Most condos are listed at foreclosure prices right now. If you have ever thought of buying one or if you even think that you might think of buying one, now is the time...

Washington Coastal Town Comparisons

Here's a comparison of how Ocean Shores is doing compared to the four other areas off of Washington's Coast (Pacific Beach/Seabrook/Moclips, Westport/Ocosta and Long Beach/Ocean Park). Even though sales are down, Ocean Shores remains the most active coast town in Washington with the most sales, etc. 

Stats are based on the first two quarters of 2009 (January 1st thru June 30th) and are from the NWMLS:

OCEAN SHORES

2009 Residential Sales: 80

Average Sold Home Price: $180,459

2008 Residential Sales: 96

Average Sold Home Price: $206,861

PACIFIC BEACH/SEABROOK/MOCLIPS

2009 Residential Sales: 8

Average Sold Home Price: $305,125

2008 Residential Sales: 4

Average Sold Home Price: $398,300

WESTPORT/OCOSTA

2009 Residential Sales: 10

Average Sold Home Price: $179,300

2008 Residential Sales: 16

Average Sold Home Price: $212,489

LONGBEACH/OCEAN PARK

2009 Residential Sales: 61

Average Sold Home Price: $160,155

2008 Residential Sales: 66

Average Sold Home Price: $201,655

Ocean Shores Real Estate Brokerage Rankings

Ever wonder how the housing crisis has affected the local real estate brokerages around town? Stats are based on the first two quarters of 2009 (January 1st thru June 30th) and are from the NWMLS. Percentage is the amount of volume each brokerage sold. For example, at 29.96%, Coldwell Banker does nearly 30% of all the real estate business in Ocean Shores while Prudential at 3.49% does almost 4% of all the real estate business in town. Here’s the list:

1. Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties – 29.96%

2. John L. Scott Ocean Shores – 20.62%

3. Windermere RE Ocean Shores – 14.21%

4. Premier Realty Ocean Shores – 8.03%

5. Prudential Grays Harbor Prop. – 3.49%

10. Beach Realty – 2.25% (10th place wasn’t a typo. Four brokerages outside of Ocean Shores have actually sold more real estate in Ocean Shores this year than Beach Realty).

BrandNewBeachHomes.com is a new real estate blog about new homes and new construction out at the beach. Take a look!

To Buy or To Build…

On many occasions while looking at new houses out on the beach, some buyers take the approach that they would rather get a loan to buy a vacant lot, then hire a local builder to build them their beach getaway. Click “HERE” to read the rest of this story…

If you have any questions regarding Ocean Shores/North Coast Real Estate, call Jeff Daniel of Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties at 360.581.9020  visit my website at www.cityofoceanshores.com. Thanks!

Upcoming Events

Sun and Surf Run

July 24-26, 2009
Get your favorite Harley T-shirt and join over 2,000 motorcycles at the Convention Center. Enjoy stunt riders, a motorcycle parade, a bonfire&fireworks on the beach, and vendors. http://www.sunandsurfevent.com

Body & Soul Festival

August 15-16, 2009
Festival provides an opportunity for folks to explore their options in creating healthier and more conscious lifestyles. Takes place at the Ocean Shores Shilo Inn.

Gospel MusicFEST

August 22, 2009
4th Annual Gospel Music Festival presented by Higher Ground Ministries. Quartet, talent showcase, endless live performances, door prizes, food booth, talented musicians and more. Bring the entire family and sing along.

Arts and Crafts Festival

September 11-13, 2009
41st annual event. Visit one of Western WA's largest indoor & outdoor handmade arts and crafts bazaars. 1,000's of unique items are showcased by gifted artists and talented craftspeople. Takes place at the Convention Center.

Paddle the Shores

September 19-20, 2009
Paddling activities on the lakes & canals. Races, poker paddle, seminars....

Beach News

This is where I've been getting mine lately:

1. Check out Damon Point State Park at the southern end of town. It's a good 3 hour walk to the end of Protection Island and back but well worth it.

2. Visit the Interpretive Center to get a sense of history of this place (educational).

3. Enjoy a nature's walk throughout the Weatherwax property.

4. Visit the North Jetty during low tide to visit the starfish, crabs, sea urchins and more as the low tides exposes these creatures.

5. Don't forget to get out and go sightseeing. You really can't get lost driving around in Ocean Shores. Just remember that there's only one road in and out of Ocean Shore. If that's not enough, head North and drive up State Route 109 to visit the tiny towns of Copalis Beach, Pacific Beach, Seabrook and Moclips. Some of the sights up there are just amazing.

This hilarious picture was emailed to me recently with the following headline:

"Trampolines Banned in Ocean Shores!"

Real Estate Update