Urban Views are not always Future Proof

Buyers considering an urban high rise condo with a "view" should read this article published earlier this week.

This article was originally posted on Urban Living in the 'Couv' by Rod Sager, February 18th, 2019

Buyers of urban style high-rise condos should be very aware of local plans and proposed new projects as they can often have a temporary or permanent effect on the quality of life for existing residents in existing developments.

Urban living is not just about an 11th floor condo overlooking the city, river, mountains, etc. It is also very much about the lifestyle. Living in the thick of things with easy walking access to a large list of venues for food, entertainment, and events.

For many a view is important and having that view last more than just a few months or years could be an important issue for many potential homeowners. New high-rise projects almost always cause some disruption to nearby residents and businesses as the tower cranes and work crews sometime cause detours and street closures along with a little dust and noise. This is temporary and many times the new project is a great improvement over the last use for the land either a vacant lot or under developed run down structure.

Google maps with unofficial representations of
proposed and approved projects near Vancouver Center.

But there are times when the new building is tall enough to block the view of other nearby developments. Sometimes people sell their units in these "doomed" view buildings and they may not necessarily point out that the new structure proposed and approved by the city for construction will have a negative effect. This of course is a permanent problem as opposed to the temporary inconvenience of construction.

Right here in Vancouver USA we have a rather robust flurry of building activity in both the Downtown and Waterfront areas. Two projects are in place to cause some permanent view obstructions to a series of units in Vancouver Center, Heritage Place, and Smith Tower.

Parkview Tower in Vancouver Center is a bold example of this 'price of progress' problem. Parkview is aptly named considering half the units in the building actually face Esther Short Park. Esther Short Park is recorded on the National Register of Historic Places and thus will not be leveled to make way for any large high-rise projects in the future. Units facing the park will always enjoy the views over the park. But the units on the opposite side of the building currently have a more "urban" view looking across a small courtyard into the windows of the Vancouver Center 3 Office/Condo Tower which is much taller than Parkview. Some of those units that are close to the ends have views either to the northeast or southeast looking over vacant lots.

This view is 'doomed'
When Block Ten rises up 11 floors in 2020-21

Those looking to the southeast will lose these views by the end of this year as the long-awaited Vancouver Center Tower 4 is slated to break ground next month. That tower will be as tall or taller than Parkview Tower, thus eliminating the current view of the South Main District and peek-a-boo Columbia River views.

Later on next year the superstructure of the new 11 story tower on the 'Block Ten' lot will eliminate the northeast views for Parkview. Many people, even Realtors® can't seem to wrap their heads around why the units facing west over the park are priced so much higher. It's the view! And the view is forever versus the views in east facing units that are in effect doomed.

Interior unit view, unaffected, already obstructed

Buyers need to be aware of projects that are in the pipeline and how they might affect the view of a home they are considering. Even if a view is unimportant to the buyer, the future obstruction could have a negative impact on property values.

At Parkview the interior east facing units are not likely to be affected by these projects because they already look out into the side of a building. These views are already obstructed and have been for many years. These units also are priced lower as a result. It's the east facing corner units that have a view now but will soon have a view similar to the interior units. Realtors® list these units and show the "views" but often fail to mention that these views are not likely to persist. They may not be aware that these new projects are even in play.


Buyers, be careful and do not be afraid to ask direct questions to your real estate agent about the likely hood of the views being obstructed. No one knows for sure what may or may not happen in the future, but in this case we have a building going up this year that will affect views and another that is very likely to go up shortly after that affecting other views.

Views on the stingy dime...

I wrote a blog post earlier this week about Vancouver's "secret" view neighborhoods. Although secret may be a little 'strong' there are many places in America's Vancouver that offer pretty solid views with homes that are rather modest in design and price. Most often view property in Clark County, Washington is found in places like Prune Hill in Camas, or along the Evergreen Highway. These neighborhoods have large luxury homes with price tags that make tech tycoons blush.

But there are several spots in the area where small homes from the 1940s and 50s were built in the Heights and many offer excellent views, particularly when the view is facing north as it does in Harney Heights.

Here is that aforementioned blog post:

Originally posted on September 19th, 2017 on 'Enjoy the View' by Rod Sager 

Vancouver's Secret View Neighborhood

Photo from RMLS, sold home 2015 

A secret view society in the 'Couv', really? No not really, but there are a few places in Vancouver that are simply not noted for having views, but yet have great views. One of these "secret" neighborhoods is Harney Heights.

The broad area referred to as the "Heights" actually is composed of many neighborhoods including, South Cliff, Dubois Park, Evergreen Highlands, Northcrest, and several others as you move east towards Cascade Park. South Cliff and Dubois are rather spendy areas and many of the homes in that area feature spectacular views of the Columbia River and city lights. But Harney Heights is much less pretentious and the homes on the bluff are very reasonably priced when the view is taken into consideration.

Harney Heights is at the west end of the "Heights" area and is immediately east of Vancouver's Central Park area. Most of the homes in Harney heights are WWII and mid century designs. They are mostly modest homes and the vast majority do not feature a view. But all of the homes along the bluff that overlooks Fourth Plain Village have a nice view to the North and many offer a surprisingly breathtaking view of the Mighty Mount Saint Helens. These homes are only about 100 feet higher than the valley floor but the bluff is very steep and it is enough to see over the top of most of the trees in the area.

The result is a pretty nice view of the Cascades including our favorite angry volcano and the surrounding terrain. Of course the night time view will feature all the city lights from the scores of neighborhoods in Northeast Vancouver.

These homes are not terribly expensive. They are generally smaller homes with less than 1600 square feet and many are classic bungalows. The ones with views like the photo will of course fetch a premium, they are still rather affordable many with prices in the $300k range.

Whether you are on the south side of the Heights or taking advantage of deals to north, enjoy the view.

High Atop the Bluff in the Gorge

I wrote about the bluffs in White Salmon a few years back and now a colleague of mine has finally gotten the lots he has been working on completed and ready for sale. Our office is listing them now. The views from these lots are outstanding and they do NOT require oversight by the Columbia Gorge Commission.

In total there are seven lots including one that can be further divided into a total of three lots. Each of the lots offers a view of either the Columbia River Gorge and some offer spectacular views of Mount Hood and Hood River Oregon across the river.

One of the lots has a house on it already with a large deck that takes in one of the best views possible. The others are ready to go. Buy the lot and build the dream.

This area is filled with things to do especially if you like the outdoors. There is also plenty to do "in town" in this area with White Salmon high up on the bluff, Bingen down along the river and just across the bridge is Hood River, Oregon.

Hood River / White Salmon is in the transition point between the lush green west end of the Gorge and the drier east end of the gorge. As such rainfall is significantly less than what we see here in the west. There will be a great deal more sunshine. The winters will be a touch colder but still not as brutal as the central and eastern Washington cities of Ellensburg, Wenatchee or Spokane.

What fabulous spot to take in the view. I have attached the following google earth clips with approximations of the lot locations. If there is interest in the actual real estate, I have them listed on my land site, Southwest Washington Land.

As always please enjoy the view.

Take a Look at Washougal

Sometimes I like to focus on a neighborhood in the area and since I just wrote a piece on Washougal on my "View" blog I figured that would be a nice neighborhood to address today. Washougal is immediately adjacent to Camas and shares with that community many shopping areas and services. The two cities are symbiotic and yet rivals at the same time. Camas has become rather affluent over the last 15 years and prices in that city have gotten out of reach for many middle income people. Washougal however remains a relative value.

A common perception about Washougal is that it is far away. It isn't; and I talk about its proximity in the blog post below. Washougal offers some amazing view properties and a great variety of upscale homes that are generally priced 15-25% less than rival Camas. Washougal also offers a nice selection of vintage homes and smaller starter homes and with prices that remain affordable in this increasingly more expensive housing market.

Washougal is a classic small town that is big enough to offer the daily services of a larger city without losing the charm of rural America. Washougal is also very close in to all the "big-city" services of Vancouver and Portland.

The blog post below was re-posted from my blog, "Enjoy the View" take a look at it below and see that Washougal has much to offer.

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.

Urban Contemporary Living in Clark County

I wrote a blog post on another real estate blog of mine about view properties in Downtown Vancouver ("Enjoy the View - The Urban Contemporary View is Alive and Well in the 'Couv'". It got me thinking about what a great value opportunity we have in this market for urban condos.

A quick local history lesson will help illuminate our fantastic opportunity here in America's Vancouver. Lovable former Mayor of Vancouver, Royce Pollard led the city on a quest to renew the urban Downtown core of Vancouver that was in derelict condition. Although the epic recession of 2009 delayed some of the development, the Downtown was truly rejuvenated by these efforts and a tremendous live/work walk-able urban environment was successfully created. It is most notably present in the area surrounding Esther Short Park.

In the mid 2000s and until the real estate market crash in '09 the area was booming and some urban condos on the upper floors of the taller projects were fetching seven figures. But the crash was hard on the condo market. Condos all over the city are still a great value. The downtown core offers modern amenities in buildings that are less than 15 years old across virtually all price ranges. There are listings starting as low as $129,000 for units that front the park! For the more luxury minded buyers there are fabulously decorated units with Brazilian cherry, travertine and marble, granite, etc; available in the $400-$600k range. These units are often large, often exceeding 2000 square feet and are perched up high enough to provide amazing panoramic views of the Vancouver Urban core, the Columbia River, West Hills of Portland and even Downtown Portland's prominent buildings.

This is a true value proposition. Vancouver's Downtown does not get as much attention down in Portland as their own urban contemporary projects in the Pearl District or the South Waterfront. This keeps Vancouver priced well and there are many advantages to our Downtown. The 'Couv' is busy enough to give a city buzz, but not so much as to keep you awake all night. Most of the Esther Short Park area is very walk-able with nary a need to drive. Furthermore, the upcoming waterfront redevelopment will bring national spotlight attention on our impressive modern urban environment in the Downtown area. That should help boost values in the recovering economy.

I mentioned in the linked post above, that young singles with entry level income can often qualify to buy the less expensive Downtown condos. It is often young people that enjoy the vibrancy of a downtown scene and they are routinely priced out of that experience either as a renter or owner. Right now that may not be the case. This current situation in the Downtown Vancouver area is likely a fleeting opportunity. As the price of single family detached housing continues its robust upward movement, pressure will mount on the condo market and this low price opportunity will evaporate.

For buyers that fancy the urban scene; Downtown Vancouver is worth a look.