My Favorite Neighborhoods, Part Three: Ocean View

Everyone who comes to Florence asks about property that's water view. That makes water view property especially valuable and therefore especially pricey. That said, there are water view properties that may be attainable for you. One of my favorite water view neighborhoods is Southview. Located about 7 miles north of Florence, Southview is located on a high bluff overlooking the Pacific. Many of the homes are positioned such that they can view the coastline south as far as 15 miles on a clear day. Right now there are three homes for sale ranging in price from $899,500 to $1,495,000 and ranging in size from 3,000 to 6,500 square feet. It's the most spectacular views in the Florence area. If you're looking for peace and quiet the WOW view and a beautiful neighborhood not far from shopping, they don't get any better than Southview. Now my favorite "affordable" ocean view neighborhood is Rhodoview Dunes. There are three homes for sale ranging in price from $349,900 to $499,000. These homes have views of the City of Florence, the dunes, the Pacific Ocean and in some cases, the Siuslaw River. They sit on a small ridge inside the city of Florence limits so have all city services like water, sewer, and so forth and are only a few minutes from great shopping at Fred Meyer. Kla-ha-nee is an ocean front/ocean view gated community. The ocean is only steps away from any of the homes in this neighborhood. There is only one home for sale right now and it's listed for $679,000. Fawn Ridge West is Florence's newest ocean view gated community. The homes being built there are all custom homes. There's only one for sale now, though there are lots for sale. The ocean views on this home are fabulous and yet you're out of the tsunami zone. The home is listed for $895,000 and it's a real bell ringer. Now apart from these planned neighborhoods, there are stand alone homes that have ocean views too. Take, for example, one on 3rd Avenue at Heceta Beach, priced at $699,000 with panoramic ocean views and a really short walk to the Beach. With nearly 3,200 square feet, it's not a bad deal, especially if you enjoy beachy rusticity. If the ocean isn't your favorite water, then the Florence area has river and lake views. I'll be blogging about those in future posts.

Commercial Property for Sale in Florence

I've just completed a cursory study of Florence commercial property for sale. Here's some observations. The least expensive property is a 40' x 40' airplane hanger at the Florence Airport on land leased by the City of Florence. Current lease is $386.56 annually. Schweiss bi-fold electric door is approx. 9'4" high and 37"6' wide. Seller financing to qualified buyer. All this for $50,000. And the most expensive property is $2,299,000 and consists of the Bead Warehouse with a half a million dollars worth of inventory and excellent income AND Town Center Condominiums built in 2007 which has 10 single level units with attached garages, all two bed and two baths. There's also a great Italian restaurant in a remodeled bungalow just off of highway 101; and the building that houses Florence's only organic restaurant is for sale for a mere $175,000 and it's smack dab on 101, so has great drive-by traffic. There's a couple of buildings in Old Town for sale, including a Bed and Breakfast in a Craftsman style home and a darling historic building on a double lot with room for expansion. Want a motel? Or an RV storage park? Or how about a very profitable bar? You name it. We've got it. The selection of commercial property and businesses for sale in the Florence area has never been better. Just ask me about it.

Who Owns Oregon's Beaches

Oregon has nearly 363 miles of pristine, public coastline beaches. Or does it? The Oregon Beach Laws of 1967 and 1969 protected the public's right of access to the free and uninterrupted use of Oregon ocean beaches and regulated the use of motor vehicles on the beaches. Now the U.S. Supreme Court may have something to say about that. A case from Florida being argued today pits the state's need to prevent beach erosion against the rights of property owners to keep ownership of the land at the water's edge. Property owners bringing the case claim that new beach laid down through the State's beach replenishment program, is theirs. The State says the property owner's property line hasn't changed with the addition of more beach. It's just that they have more dry beach now. The real issue is that property owners don't want the general public to use the new beach area, in essence preserving the beach as their own private domain. Now it's up to the supreme court to decide if the State of Florida judicial system acted unconstitutionally by making a ruling which resulted in an unconstitutional taking of private property. The Florida Supreme Court says that the beach replenishment is just "the state's constitutional duty to protect Florida's beaches in a way that reasonably balances public and private interests." When new beach is created, property owners' rights haven't changed: they can still get to the ocean and see the water. The court also said Florida common law has never provided the landowner a right to own the emerging land as their own property. Now the U.S. Supreme Court — including at least one justice who owns a vacation house on the water — will make a ruling. The decision might make big changes for Oregon's beautiful public beaches--and not in a good way.