Friday, January 21, 2011

Ocean Shores Newsletter for Real Estate, Events, News, etc. ~ "2010 Year-End Review"

"2010 Year-End Review"
Ocean Shores/North Beach
Newsletter
Presented by April Swenson,
CRS, Realtor & Managing Broker for Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties
aswenson25@juno.com 360-589-2777 cell/text www.OceanShoresInfo.com



NOTABLE NEWS/EVENTS for 2010



KITE FESTIVAL 2010

The kites flew high on the beach of Ocean Shores for June 5th-6th. Held just off the Chance a La Mer Ave (or Shilo) beach access street. See more info and pictures at www.OceanShoresInfo.com/pics/kitefestival2010.html



FIVE STAR DEALERSHIPS SAND & SAWDUST FESTIVAL 2010


The wonderful event of sandcastle building and wood carving was held on June 25th-27th. This is personally one my favorite events. See more info and pictures at www.OceanShoresInfo.com/pics/sand&sawdustfestival2010.html



INDEPENDENCE DAY 2010


Another personal favorite of mine. Tons of fireworks set off on the beaches of Ocean Shores. See more info and pictures at www.OceanShoresInfo.com/pics/july4th2010.html



STREET LID INFO


At the end of October 2010, the City of Ocean Shores passed the final assessments for the Street LID. The pre-payment 10% discount period ended on November 29, 2010. For those who did not pre-pay, the first payment is due this November 2011 and payments are due each subsequent November for the next 18 years at an annual interest rate of 7.25%. As of January 21, 2011, 4,910 parcels out of a total of 13,232 parcels paid off the Street LID (about 37%). See more information at www.OceanShoresInfo.com/news/streetLID.html



OTHER NOTABLE LOCAL NEWS



  • I earned my Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation in December after working on it for the past 3 years. Only about 4% of Realtors have earned this designation.

  • Coldwell Banker Ocean Beach Properties is the #1 Listing & Selling Office in Grays Harbor County for 2010. Out of the 5 real estate offices in Ocean Shores, Coldwell Banker OBP holds approximately 49% of the market share (volume closed in 2010). (Per NWMLS data)



UPCOMING EVENTS



February 12th-13th ~ Antique & Collectibles Show: held at the Convention Center.


March 5th-6th ~ Beachcombers Fun Fair: exhibits, seminars, Dash for the Treasure or Trash event, etc.


March 19th ~ Razor Clam Festival: chefs compete for the "Best of the North Beach" title; vendors & food booths, etc.


April 8th-10th ~ Photo & Fine Arts Show: artists display their works at the Convention Center.




BUYS IN OCEAN SHORES



Click on the following links to view the MLS flyers for some good deals on properties in Ocean Shores:


Homes Under $100K


Homes $100K-$150K


Homes $150K-$200K


Homes Over $200K


View Homes


Waterfront Homes


Lots $15K or Less


Lots $15K-$20K


Lots Over $20K


Waterfront Lots




2010
MARKET ACTIVITY/UPDATE
(January 1st thru December 31st)


The number of properties sold in Ocean Shores is slightly UP from a year ago (356 properties in 2010 compared to 349 properties in 2009). The numbers are showing that Ocean Shores is still dominating the market for affordability and productivity (# of properties closed) compared to the other beach towns along the Washington Coast.



OCEAN SHORES MARKET:


Click on the following links to view the MLS flyers for sold properties (4th Quarter 2010 - Oct 1st thru Dec 31st):
Sold Homes
Sold Lots
Sold Condos
Sold Commercial





































































2010 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



226



475



149



5



17



872



Pendings



18



16



0



0



0



34



Solds



176



159



17



1



3



356



Sold Volume



$29.77M



$4.44M



$1.9M



$149,500



$602,000



$36.86M



Sold Median Price



$150K



$17,500



$62K



$149,500



$225K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



219



312



339



667



212





VS.





































































2009 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



174



455



86



3



12



730



Pendings



21



11



6



0



0



38



Solds



179



133



17



4



7



349



Sold Volume



$29.77M



$4.44M



$1.9M



$668K



$2.41M



$41.7M



Sold Median Price



$158,500



$23K



$100,500



$163,500



$169K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



146



173



204



88



98






NORTH BEACH (Ocean City to Moclips) MARKET:


Click on the following links to view the MLS flyers for sold properties (4th Quarter 2010 - Oct 1st thru Dec 31st):
Sold Homes
Sold Land
Sold Multi-Family





































































2010 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



60



162



1



4



8



235



Pendings



9



6



0



0



0



15



Solds



28



9



2



1



0



40



Sold Volume



$6.87M



$402K



$256K



$125K



$0



$7.65M



Sold Median Price



$177K



$45K



$128K



$125K



$0





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



182



602



524



548



0





VS.





































































2009 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



42



83



???



1



4



130



Pendings



4



1



???



0



0



5



Solds



28



10



0



0



1



65



Sold Volume



$7.16M



$739K



$0



$0



$150K



$8.05M



Sold Median Price



$176,500



$23,500



$0



$0



$150K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



183



83



0



0



152






SOUTH BEACH (Westport/Grayland/Ocosta) MARKET:





































































2010 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



81



111



17



2



10



221



Pendings



2



1



8



0



0



12



Solds



47



15



22



0



3



87



Sold Volume



$6.27M



$694K



$2.93M



$0



$283,500



$10.18M



Sold Median Price



$118K



$49K



$126K



$0



$120K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



310



200



185



0



170





VS.





































































2009 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



82



90



34



2



13



221



Pendings



3



1



13



0



0



17



Solds



40



18



17



1



4



80



Sold Volume



$6M



$1.15M



$3.29M



$170K



$1.05M



$11.66M



Sold Median Price



$108,500



$65K



$168K



$170K



$227,500





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



141



182



84



5



345






LONG BEACH PENINSULA (Ilwaco to Surfside Estates) MARKET:





































































2010 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



254



266



24



2



24



570



Pendings



11



6



1



0



0



18



Solds



163



60



20



4



1



248



Sold Volume



$26.4M



$2.46M



$2.79M



$759,500



$690K



$33.28M



Sold Median Price



$145K



$34K



$120,950



$192,500



$690K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



215



252



613



36



43





VS.





































































2009 Year-End



Homes



Land



Condos



Multi-Family



Commercial



Total



Current Listings



214



248



42



1



19



524



Pendings



15



5



3



1



1



25



Solds



168



64



14



2



5



253



Sold Volume



$30.2M



$3.37M



$2.1M



$660K



$820K



$37.15M



Sold Median Price



$159,500



$40K



$141,500



$330K



$135K





Avg. Days on Market (solds)



174



204



142



296



459





NOTE: All of the above data was pulled from the NWMLS and is not guaranteed.




FINANCING NEWS


POSITIVE NEWS-ZERO DOWN w/ USDA LOANS

Funding for USDA Rural Development Loan is once again available. This extraordinary government insured financing program makes home ownership possible for many low to moderate income families with no down payment required. Qualified borrowers in selected areas can take advantage of the USDA Rural Development Loan program to get a fixed rate mortgage with ZERO down.

The many benefits of this program include:



  • Finance up to 100% of the value of the Home

  • No down payment required

  • Seller can pay up to 100% of the closing costs

  • No private mortgage insurance required

  • Can be used in conjunction with Mortgage Credit Certificates, where available

  • Can be used with rate buy down programs


To qualify, borrowers must meet all applicable program and lender requirements and the home must meet eligible property requirements (must be your primary home). It is important to note that the guarantee fee has increased from 2.0% to 3.5% on purchase loans and from 0.5% to 2.25 % on refinances. Regardless of the fee increase, this program is still one of the best ones out there for qualified buyers. Ocean Shores/North Beach area is applicable for these loans.



FHA NEWS


Loan limits for both conforming Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans will not change for 2011. For Grays Harbor County, the limit is $271,050.



For more help on getting pre-approved/qualified, contact our local lender, The Bank of the Pacific. You can call Carol Warfield, the Vice President Residential Loan Officer, at 360-580-0187 (cell) or e-mail her at cwarfield@thebankofpacific.com. Interest rates are still very low.


Once again, if you ever have any questions about Ocean Shores, the North Beach, the surrounding Grays Harbor cities, and/or real estate, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me.
~ April Swenson




Your Beach Destination Awaits You at the #1 Washington Coast Town!



Ocean Shores News: Street LID Update ~ January 21, 2011

OCEAN SHORES NEWS


Ocean Shores Street LID Update



January 21, 2011 ~ As of this date, there are 4,910 Ocean Shores parcels that have paid off the Street LID in full. This is out of the 13,232 total assessed parcels in Ocean Shores. So, approximately 37% of Ocean Shores parcels have paid off the Street LID.


Also, the City did sell the bonds and property owners with a remaining balance will be charged 7.25% annual interest on the unpaid amount. The first payment is reportedly due in November 2011 and will be paid each subsequent November for the next 18 years. Any property ownercan payoff the full amount at anytime with no pre-payment penalty.


You can see the full story about the Ocean Shores Street LID on my web site at www.OceanShoresInfo.com/news/streetLID.html


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Ocean Shores News: Happy New Year from the Beach ~ Welcome to 2011 ~ Clam Digging too

OCEAN SHORES NEWS

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011
CLAM DIGGING TOO



January 1, 2011 ~ The long-standing tradition of clam digging on New Years continued for the late afternoons and early evenings of December 31, 2010 and January 1, 2011. The weather was cold, but absolutely gorgeous with clear skies during the whole weekend. The clouds did role in early evening for the dig on January 1st, but cleared up later that night. I had a nice time being in the cold, crisp air, even if I did get a little wet from a wave while trying to get a clam.


I hope everyone has a prosperous New Year, both professionally and personally.

Special Announcement: April Swenson Earned the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation ~ December 2010

APRIL SWENSON EARNS THE CRS DESIGNATION

December 2010 ~ April Swenson has earned the prestigious Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation by the Council of Residential Specialists, the largest not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Realtors who receive this designation have completed advanced courses and have demonstrated professional expertise in the field of residential real estate. Fewer than 38,000 (about 4%) of all REALTORS nationwide have earned this credential.

Home buyers and sellers can be assured that CRS Designees subscribe to the strict Realtor code of ethics, have access to the latest technology and are specialists in helping clients maximize profits and minimize costs when buying or selling a home.