Beach Updates

This town is still construction nuts! Do yourself a favor and stay off Point Brown Avenue until at least November now. For the most part, downtown is still ripped up as the city is having all the roads repaved and the roundabout construction is also underway. It's still really crazy. Other than that things are still pretty hoping at the beach even though the tourist season is over. The weekends lately have been particular busy with folks visiting and looking at getaway/retirement. This coming weekend should be very busy as the Razor Clam season gets underway. If you've never dug or ate a razor clam, you're missing out. Trust me. It took me a few years to give it a shot and now I just can't get enough... But don't tell any game wardens that I said that....

Ocean Shores Real Estate Update

It's been really busy. Buyers are buying! August showed three straight months of improving home sales at the beach. September has flattening out as residential sales remained the same as August. What we are seeing is that people with money, who held back when the economy was on the brink, are starting to buy. Smart money is buying real estate again at what many see at the bottom and capitalizing on the best mortgage rates in decades.

September Home Sales

Sales continue to climb out of the gutter at the beach for the third straight month in a row. 16 houses sold in September. Average sales price nudged up to $166,100 (up from  $150,688 in August).  21 homes went pending during September. There are currently 39 homes pending in Ocean Shores right now.

September Vacant Lot Sales
11 Lot sold in September (down from 13 in August for an average selling price of $32,527. The cheapest one was $8,500 and the most expensive was $80,000. Average time on the market was only 209 days. There are currently 12 lots that are pending around town... There's 551 lots on the market right now.

September Condo Sales
Three condos closed during September at the beach. Average price was $88,833. The big news in condo sales is that there are currently 6 of them pending (including two at the Dreamscape Condos). That's a huge jump! There are 107 condos on the market in Ocean Shores right now.

Image from:
http://oceanshoresrealestate....

Dreamscape Condos are now very serious about selling off their remaining inventory. Only twelve units are left and are now being offered as Short Sales ~ meaning that the owners are now offering them for less than what is owed to the bank. This is a great opportunity that will not last. "Here's More Info."

BrandNewBeachHomes.com is a real estate blog about new homes and new construction out at the beach. Take a look!

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 real estate numbers and stats apply to the Ocean Shores real estate market. All statistics are supplied from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Upcoming Events

Paddle the Shores

Cat Fancier's Association Cat Show

October 24-25, 2009
A Cat Fanciers Association All Breed Cat Show . See an incredible variety of cats from the ordinary to the very unusual! Saturday - 10AM to 5PM & Sunday - 9AM to 4PM. Don't bring your dog.

Jazz at the Beach - Jazz Festival

November 6-8, 2009
Jazz bands from around the United States and Canada join together to offer over 65 hours of live jazz at several venues throughout Ocean Shores. http://users.techline.com/diggindixie/

Winter Fanta-Sea

November 27-29, 2009

Over 70 arts and crafts booths feature thousands of unique handmade items just in time for the holidays! Bring the kids, Santa will be there to listen to all of your Christmas wishes.

                     click the logo and be a fan of Ocean Shores Real Estate

Razor Clam Season Tentatively set to Open at 5 Beaches in Mid-October (this weekend!)

Image from:
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MR...

View image on Bing
 
The first razor-clam dig of the fall season will get under way Oct. 16 if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today. Additional digging opportunities are scheduled through Jan. 3.
 
Evening digs are tentatively planned at Twin Harbors (Oct. 16-19); Long Beach and Copalis (Oct. 16, 17 and 18); and Mocrocks and Kalaloch Beach (Oct. 17 and18). Digging at all beaches will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.   "The results of our 2009 summer stock assessment show that Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch Beach have had an increase in their total allowable catch, while Copalis and Mocrocks are about the same," said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. "This is great news for Kalaloch, which will have harvest opportunities for the first time since spring 2007."

Image from:
http://rodnreal.com/clamtides...

View image on Bing
 
The best time to start digging is an hour or two before low tide, said Ayres, who also recommends that diggers check weather and surf conditions before heading out.   Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.
 

Image from:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/science/in...

View image on Bing
 
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. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
 
Tentative opening dates and evening low tides in October are:

• Friday, Oct. 16 ( 5:50 p.m. -0.5 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Saturday, Oct. 17 (6:38 p.m. -0.8 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
• Sunday, Oct. 18 (7:23 p.m. -1.1ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

 
In addition, WDFW has tentatively scheduled the following digs:

• Saturday, Nov. 14 (4:34 p.m. -0.3 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
• Sunday, Nov. 15 (5:21 p.m. -0.7 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
• Monday, Nov. 16 (6:05 p.m. -0.9 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch

The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) is an exceptionally meaty shellfish which ranges from California to Alaska. It is abundant on surf-pounded ocean beaches, but also occurs in sheltered areas along the coast. Limited diving observations have indicated some adult razor clams (S.patula) offshore for up to one-half mile. Razor clams dredged in water deeper than 30 feet, although similar to the beach clam, are a different species (Siliqua sloati).

In Washington waters, the razor clam grows to a maximum length of six inches, although they are seldom found. Clams seven inches long have been recorded, but are very rare. The life expectancy for Washington clams is five years. Again, there are exceptions, but razor clams suffer from a high degree of mortality due to predation by Dungeness crabs, shore birds, numerous species of fish and of course thousands of clam diggers. A disease was also discovered in the early 1980's that caused mass mortalities of large numbers of clams. It is unknown how long this disease has affected clam populations. In contrast, razor clams found in Alaska may grow to eleven inches in length and live to be 15 years old, due to colder water temperatures and slower growth rates.

Razor clams are found primarily on the intertidal coastal beaches (those that are exposed at low tide) from a +3 foot level to a -2 foot tide level. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) divides the harvest areas into five major management zones (see map):

 
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, Oyhut, 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.

Beach News

This is where I've been getting mine lately:

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)