Monday, April 26, 2010

CityofOceanShores.com Newsletter ~ March 2010

Beach Updates
The Pacific Ocean is definitely the top draw in Ocean Shores, but there's much more to this beach town beyond its smooth shoreline and crashing surf. Ocean Shores boasts 23 miles of interconnected freshwater canals and lakes. Duck Lake is the big lake in Ocean Shores and is stocked and considered one of the best year-round fishing lakes in Western Washington. The lake is power-boat accessible and is excellent for many different boating experiences.
On April 24th, the fishing season begins and Duck Lake is a place that a lot of anglers frequent. The lake is home to a variety of fish including largemouth & smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, black crappie, rainbow trout, grass carp and other types of slimy fish. If for some reason you happen to catch a grass carp, put it back. Those guys eat the weeds (well, they're supposed too)...
There are two public parks on Duck Lake, each with its own public boat launch (launching your boat is free whether you live here or not):
Chinook Park is located on Duck Lake Drive about two and a half miles south of the airport. The park is 3.2 acres in size with a boat launch, ADA accessible fishing dock, large playfield, picnic tables, playground equipment, water fountain, portable restroom and a public parking area.
North Bay Park is located on Albatross and Chance a la Mer Avenue by the airport. The park is 7.1 acres big with a boat launch, fishing dock, baseball diamond with backstop/soccer field, tennis court, basketball goals, playground equipment, picnic shelter with fireplace and picnic tables, ADA restroom facility, plenty of parking space and excellent views of the Olympics and Grays Harbor across the nearby airport.

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update
Home and lot sales jumped in Ocean Shores during the month of March! The looming Federal Tax Credit deadline coming up has surely motivated some buyers to get off the fence. One of the telling signs with this month's sales figures is that for all three categories (homes, land & condos), sales transactions are pretty much flat (or increasing as lot sales did) compared to the same time period in 2009. This most definitely signals that the real estate market has finally bottomed out in first quarter 2010.

March Home Sales
Home sales jumped again at the beach as 17 Homes sold in March compared to only 9 in February. Average selling price was $147,100 - down from February's average price of $204,100. The cheapest was a bank-owned fixer that sold for only $30,000 while the most expensive was an oversized ocean view home that sold for $300,000. Average time on the market was 278 days. There are currently 36 homes that are pending right now - up from 34 last month at this time. Inventory is still increasing as there are 223 homes on the market now compared to 218 last month.

March Vacant Lot Sales
Lot sales in March more than doubled February's numbers as 18 Lots closed in March (up from 8 Lots in February) for an average sales price of $30,436. Average time on the market was only 446 days - down from last month's time on the market of 539 days. Eight lots are currently pending. There are 536 lots available on the market right now compared to 509 last month. Average price: $73,051. The cheapest one is now only $7,800, but bring some dump trucks with sand.... lots of sand...

March Condo Sales
Only 1 Condo closed in March for $62,000. Condo sales are very slow. Two condos in town are still pending while 98 condos are still active listings.

Quarterly Comparisons
* 30 Homes sold in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $159,867.
* 31 Homes sold in the first quarter of 2009 for an average sales price of $179,355.

* 35 Lots sold in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $25,484.
* 22 Lots sold in the first quarter of 2009 for an average sales price of $37,198.

* 4 Condos sold in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $96,225.
* 5 Condos sold in the first quarter of 2009 for an average sales price of $110,050.

Coastal Community Home Sales Comparisons
The real estate market in Ocean Shores continues to dominate the other areas on Washington's coast in regards to number of homes sold, etc. I would sure hate to be selling real estate in Westport...
* Ocean Shores sold 30 Homes in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $159,867.
* Westport sold 5 Homes in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $73,900.
* Seabrook/Pacific Beach/Moclips sold 2 Homes in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $375,000.
* Long Beach sold 12 Homes in the first quarter of 2010 for an average sales price of $168,862.

Ocean Shores Real Estate Brokerage Rankings
It's becoming quite clear to most real estate sellers & buyers in Ocean Shores that if you're serious about buying or selling real estate at the beach, you'll want to work with the office that delivers the best results. The following list is the top ten real estate brokerages and their percentage of real estate volume sold in Ocean Shores for the first quarter of 2010:

1. Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties - 40.08%
2. Windermere RE Grays Harbor - 15.31%
3. John L. Scott Ocean Shores - 8.61%
4. Premier Realty Ocean Shores - 4.67%
The three other real estate brokerage in Ocean Shores didn't make it into the top ten, so I'll just stop at number four....

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 statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Upcoming Events
Olympus Rally
April 24-25, 2010
Many of the top rally drivers in the nation will be on hand when the Olympus Rally returns to Grays Harbor on April 24-25. The third event in the Rally America series will be based, for the first time, in the Ocean Shores area. The Ocean Shores Convention Center will be the event’s headquarters. Racing enthusiasts can meet the drivers in a pair of public events, scheduled for 8 a.m. April 24 and 7 a.m. April 25 at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/04/07/sports/doc4bbcbb6c1d64c535534372.txt

Razor Clam Dig Coming Up!
April 30-May 2, 2010
The Washington State Fish & Wildlife Department has tentatively scheduled a dig for the following dates and beaches. A final decision on the dig will be based on the results of tests for toxins to determine if the clams are safe to eat.
Friday, April 30, 8:32 a.m., -1.5: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
Saturday May 1, 9:15 a.m., -1.0 : Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch
Sunday, May 2, 9:58 a.m., -0.7: Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch
A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2009 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination fishing license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions.
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, Oyehut, 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.
For more info, click http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm.

Grays Harbor County Expo
May 27-31, 2010
Third annual expo featuring Oceans of Fine Arts, Arts & Crafts Show, Cruisin the Shores RV Show, Chainsaw Carving, Hotrod & Classic Car Show & a HOME SHOW! Something for everyone! Free & easy parking - Memorial Day Weekend - see you there! http://www.graysharborexpo.com/

Kite Challenge
June 5-6, 2010
Sponsored by "Team Cutting Edge Kites" - 2005 & 2006 World Champions. Free kite flying lessons, stunt competitions, fun flies, displays and more. Come to the beach and watch the sky come to life with hundreds of colorful kites!

Flag Day Parade & Dance

June 12, 2010
A chance to show your patriotic spirit. The parade features more than 75 entries and a Grand Marshall. End the day with dancing and raffle drawings. One of the only Flag Day parades in Western Washington.

Jeff Daniel
Associate Broker

Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties
Cell Phone: 360.581.9020
749 Point Brown Ave NW
PMB 1568, Ocean Shores, WA 98569
360.289.3111 (fax)