Friday, March 28, 2008

Ocean Shores featured in Coastal Living



"You'll never see a deal like this again"
We have wonderful and surprising news, in the upcoming April edition of Coastal Living Magazine, OCEAN SHORES placed in the top 16 cities NATIONWIDE in the special section; "So you want to live on the coast".
Please take a moment to read... For those of you who are not familiar with this magazine, Coastal Living has a subscription base of over 650,000 readers and most importantly, an audience of over 3,269,000.
So You Want to Live on the Coast
Where can you buy a home for $150,000? $1 million-plus? We have 16 appealing and surprising options to consider.
Ocean Shores, WA(Photo: Sunny Walter) Text by Bill and Kay Scheller

Living on the coast doesn't have to be just a dream. Though only a few of us can afford a mansion on Maui, simpler homes on other coasts may well be within financial reach.

This year, our guide to living on the coast lists a few of the options available at several price points. We've found communities where you can buy a home for less than $325,000, and others for upwards of $1.3 million.
Each has easy access to open water and abundant opportunities to live the coastal lifestyle. Come join us for a fantasy home-buying tour through some of the finest coastal towns in North America. Less than $325,00
Ocean Shores, WashingtonPopulation: 3,270Median home cost: $190,000 You'll never see a deal like this again: In 1960, developers bought a scenic finger of land on the central Washington coast and started selling lots for $595. In just a few years, the town of Ocean Shores had 23 miles of canals (many homes have frontage on these waterways), a championship golf course, and a part-time population of Hollywood types who came for the seclusion afforded by this 6,000-acre retreat, called Washington's "richest little city."

A 1980s recession brought that boom to a halt, though, and it took a decade for builders to get back on track. Prices have since stayed reasonable, and what was once the "richest" is now one of the Northwest's most affordable little cities, with more than 200 homes priced below $400,000 at the end of 2007.

New Ocean Shores residents enjoy the same seacoast splendor that lured those adventurous souls with $595 to burn a half-century ago. Miles of sandy beaches encourage horseback riding, clamming, and prospecting for agates, as well as spotting more than 200 species of birds-including brown pelicans and peregrine falcons drawn to nearby Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Ocean City State Park offers a chance to observe seals and their pups. Head north on Route 101 for a scenic loop around the mountains and rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula.

On the outskirts lies lively Ocean Shores, tucked behind a gateway of stone pillars that has become a community trademark. The town may no longer be a Hollywood hangout, but it's saved from somnolence by the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino and a downtown cluster of small hotels, shops, and restaurants catering to summer and autumn tourists.