What to Look for if Sunshine and Warmth are MUST HAVES

On our first visit to Florence from North Carolina in January 2004, our real estate agent told us that there are people who move to Florence seeking a small coastal town with natural beauty and the ambiance of Old Town. Florence has all that and more. But, he said, some leave after five years, seeking warmer temperatures and more sunshine. Well, Florence has warmth and sunshine too, but to find it in spades, those looking for the perfect home need to be experts about the area's many micro climates. Here's what I mean: most people think they want to live close to the beach, maybe even within walking distance. What could be finer? Well, here's some little known facts to consider about beach area living in Florence. In the summer, the prevailing winds are from the north, and let me tell you, that northern wind is chilly: the air temperature may be a perfect 70 but the northern wind makes it feel as though it's 40. In fact, it's often warmer on the beach in January than it is in July because there's no wind in the winter--I'm talking shirt sleeve warmth. Florence's winter weather is one of our best kept secrets. Here's another little known fact: if you're strolling the beach after noon in the summer, you're likely to get a free facial microdermabrasion because of blowing sand, so you learn to take your stroll at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m when the wind is calm. And then there's the summer fog: the fog line often hangs a half mile inland and follows the river all the way into Old Town Florence. Sometimes the fog doesn't lift until noon. Fog is cold. So all this means, if you want plenty of sunshine, don't live right at the beach or close to the river. Many people prefer living on the east side of highway 101 to be sure of sun because they're out of the fog line. Now to find warmth, that's a whole other story. Would you believe there are homes at the beach that are situated so perfectly that you can go out on your deck on a sunny day when the fog has lifted in a bikini and be perfectly warm--and tanned! You can even grow--and ripen--tomatoes, which for most places in the greater Florence area is a real art. Many people who want to be out of the wind and the fog and want to grow a garden live in the so-called banana belts north and south of the city. I have a friend who grows tomatoes as big as my two fists and zucchini like watermelons who lives on an acre in the south lakes area. He gets temperatures 80 to 85 degrees consistently in the summer. And I live 10 minutes north of Florence in the banana belt. However, I can't grow tomatoes because my home sits on top of a ridge and doesn't get nearly as much warmth as I need and can be breezy. But my neighbor below me has a home that is snugged into a sunny spot and she grows a huge organic garden with enough veggies to can and freeze. So it all comes down to this: unless you plan to spend lots of personal time trying to find out everything there is to know about Florence's microclimates, you'd be best served by finding a real estate agent who is a microclimatologist. Want to know more about Florence's weather? I have a chart of prevailing temperatues I can send you or look at the chart on our website, http://www.oregonflorencerealestate.com/.

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.