Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Cityofoceanshores.com Newsletter ~ 08.2008

Summertime at the Beach!
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. Hundreds and hundreds of pelicans migrate through our area between June and November and it's not unusual to see flocks of 30 to 40 at a time. If you're not really into watching birds, I'm with you. But these guys, they're cool to watch.Ocean Shores Real Estate Update
Here are some stats I recently pulled from the NWMLS website. All year-to-date (YTD) stats are based from January 1st through August 26th. These numbers do not include pending or contingent status properties. These are sold/closed properties only.

HOME SALES YTD
2008 - 135 sold at an average sales price of $204,357 or $148 per square foot.
2007 - 155 sold at an average sales price of $210,322 or $154 per square foot.
2006 - 174 sold at an average sales price of $204,119 or $152 per square foot.
My summary: average prices seem to be holding okay while the number of transactions is down. No surprises. It's also taking longer to sell: In 2006, it took on average of 125 days to sell your house. In 2007, you needed 173 days and in 2008, it's taking 190 days to sell a house. Another item worthy of mentioning is that out of the 135 homes sold so far this year, 59 of them were built between 2005 and 2008. That's means that almost half of all home sales this year in Ocean Shores were brand new or homes built in the last four years.


LAND SALES YTD
2008 - 143 sold at an average price of $50,966.
2007 - 214 sold at an average price of $56,380.
2006 - 271 sold at an average price of $53,880.
My summary: again, average prices seem to be holding. Land sales are way down and are almost being passed up by home sales for the first time in a long time.

CONDO SALES YTD
2008 - 14 sold at an average sales price of $262,714 or $249 per square foot.
2007 - 30 sold at an average sales price of $170,163 or $194 per square foot.
2006 - 60 sold at an average sales price of $165,729 or $200 per square foot.
My summary: Wow, condo sales are still not good. The average time on the market for 2008 is 413 days to sell. It was 186 days in 2007 and only 93 days back in 2006. Prices are up in 2008 due to a few sales in the high end, ocean front condo market. Other than that, the condo market in Ocean Shores is in trouble.


The Boardwalk Shops of Ocean Shores
The Boardwalk Shops of Ocean Shores is a new retail condominium complex that is now pre-selling phase 1 and they've already got commitments for 5 of the 7 units available. Now that's some good news in local real estate and it's not even my listing! This project is an exciting opportunity for Business Owners & Investors to own an affordable high visibility retail unit centrally located in downtown Ocean Shores on Point Brown. This Complex features 7 individual units connected by an extensive boardwalk. All units have metal roofs, bead-board walls & wood floors to create an authentic beach town feel. Want one? Email me. Groundbreaking is happening any day now.

Upcoming Events

Associated Arts of Ocean Shores Arts and Crafts Festival
Friday, September 5 - Sunday, September 7, 2008An end of summer annual event. Visit one of Western Washington's largest indoor & outdoor handmade arts and crafts fair. 1,000's of unique items are showcased by gifted artists and talented craftspeople. Admission is free

Paddle the Shores
Friday, September 26 - Sunday, September 28, 2008North Bay Park, lakes & canals. Attention kayak, canoe, and rowing enthusiasts. All Skill levels are welcome! Human-powered boat activities on the lakes and canals of Ocean Shores. Race, Poker Paddle, picnic, seminars and the latest in paddling gear at end-of-season prices.

Whale of a Quilt Show
Friday, October 3 - Sunday, October 5, 2008The Sea-Pal Quilters of Ocean Shores, "Whale of a Quilt Show" offers boutique vendors, handmade quilts, demonstrations, and quilted items. The show is judged and prizes are awarded. Free admission, donations welcome.

Cat Fanciers' Association Cat Show
Saturday, October 25 - Sunday, October 26, 2008
A cat show is composed of a number of separate, concurrently running, individual shows held in the various judging rings throughout a show hall. 120 W. Chance A La Mer Ave. Ocean Shores, WA 98569

News

New Fire Station Going Up
The Ocean Shores City Council recently approved a storm water system which means the city can develop a construction schedule for a new 20,000 square foot fire station, located south of the current station on Point Brown Avenue. According to fire chief, Jim Hodges, he hopes to start putting in foundation for the fire hall by mid-September and have the project completed sometime in February, if weather permits. The old fire station is garbage because the foundation sits on rotting logs beneath a pit of sand which is causing the ground to sink. The garage floor is mounded, with the center several inches higher than the floor near the wall. The rear wall of the garage has separated away from the building, creating the potential for collapse.A Roundabout at the Angry Intersection?The City Council also recently approved a design recommendation from the Public Works department on a roundabout that will be constructed next year at the intersection of Chance a la Mer Boulevard and Point Brown Avenue. The design will include a 34-foot wide median, a five-foot wide bicycle lane, and 10-foot wide sidewalks. (note the little green donut thing at the top right part of the picture - that's it.)
New Water Coming Soon?
Grays Harbor County Commissioners recently approved taking a $3 million loan to construct a new water system at Hogans Corner, between Hoquiam and Ocean Shores (just outside of Ocean Shores). The project is specifically geared to providing drinking water to existing development in the area as well as spurring on more building, specifically a proposed 542-acre resort and golf course that until recently had been stalled by a state-mandatory building moratorium. "The first line will bring in water to the state park, which will benefit the casino and all of those in Illahee and Oyehut and we're working with the City of Ocean Shores on an agreement for them to purchase water," Commissioner Al Carter said.
Permit Issued to Study Wind & Wave Power of the Coast
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a preliminary permit to grant the Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Co. the exclusive right to conduct a feasibility study for generating power from wind and wave energy on a 28-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast from Ocean Shores to Grayland over the next three years. The permit, issued Friday, does not authorize any construction.
The project foresees as many as 90 260-foot tall steel wind turbines, as well as wave energy converters to convert ocean waves and wind into a renewable source of energy. The project could supply enough energy to power the entire Olympic Peninsula and make Grays Harbor one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the world, according to Burton Hamner, president of Hydrovolts, Inc.-the creator of the Grays Harbor Energy Co. Hamner also said the project has the potential to create numerous jobs within the county because the renewable energy equipment would be manufactured locally.
The feasibility study will seek to find out if the turbines would affect gray whale migration patterns and flight patterns of birds, according to Hamner. Hamner said the study will also examine whether or not the locations of the turbines could limit the areas in which fisherman can fish. Even after the feasibility study is completed, it would take about four years to begin construction, Hamner said. - source - The Daily World

Jeff Daniel
Associate Broker
Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties1.360.581.9020 (cell) - 1.888.469.3100 (toll free) - 1.360.289.3111 (fax)