The Vancouver, Washington real estate market is heating up! With a current median home value of $299,000 in Vancouver, Washington, compared to an average home value of $413,300 in it’s more metropolitan neighbor, Portland, Vancouver is currently a very viable option for potential home buyers due to affordability, current and future growth potential, and a host of other positives.

Other notable figures: according to Zillow, the current average home listing price in Vancouver is $319,000 with the median sale price is a bit lower at $303,800; compared to Portland where homes are currently listed at an average price of $450,000 with homes selling at an average of $413,200.

That said, Vancouver home prices are by no means stagnant. With numerous high-end developments and upcoming projects in this part of Washington, including a luxury condominium development on the Vancouver waterfront, there is a ton of buzz right now and, relatively, increasing growth leading to more competition for properties.

Hasson Company realtor, Amelie Marian works with clients on both sides of the river and understands the Vancouver, Washington real estate market well. When I asked her which Vancouver-area neighborhoods buyers are most drawn to and why she offered the following insight:

The secret is out on these charming and walkable Vancouver, Washington and nearby neighborhoods! Multiple offers on properties in these areas are becoming very common. Make sure you have a winning strategy before jumping into this hot real estate market!

Hot Vancouver, Washington Neighborhoods

Downtown Vancouver, Washington

Amelie points to Downtown Vancouver initially as the areas hottest neighborhood, explaining: “Everything is going on in Downtown Vancouver these days! There are so many new restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and shops. The Farmer’s Market at Esther Short Park is one of the best in the entire Metro area. Right now, all the buzz is around the new waterfront project of 40 luxury condos. This development is well underway and coming soon. Pricing for the project was just released and units are starting at just under $1 million each!”

Camas, Washington

Amelie finds Camas, just outside Vancouver, to be another hot spot for home buyers: “Many buyers move to Camas for the top-rated schools, but with a median sale price of $460,000 it is also at the top of the charts for the area. Along with great schools, buyers can also get expansive views and have a variety of new construction options to choose from.

Belz Place, Deerhaven, & Downtown Camas

Amelie mentioned a few neighborhoods within the Camas area as particularly hot right now, pointing out one new neighborhood in particular called Belz Place that she sees as having great amenities including a local pool and walkability to the elementary school. She also notes that Deerhaven at Lacamas Lake as being perfect for those looking for an ultra-modern aesthetic.

While there’s nothing ‘new’ about Downtown Camas, it’s populated with old buildings full of charm and history amidst an eclectic mix of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, and more. Buyers considering Camas should be sure to spend an afternoon exploring Downtown Camas.

Fisher’s Landing

Finally, Amelie explains that “Fisher’s Landing offers great accessibility to freeways and all the amenities on 164th and 192nd. With very few active listings and a median sale price of $358,000, buyers would be wise to be pre-approved and ready to make solid offers if shopping here. Houses in Fisher’s Landing tend to sell in a matter of days! Fisher’s Landing is also home to one of the area’s very few 55-and-over communities, Fairway Village. Centered by a gorgeous public golf course and known for being a very close-knit community, this is an especially popular option for seniors from throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

More Hot Vancouver, Washington Neighborhoods

Travis Newton, an agent with Newton Group Real Estate and a real estate investor, knows Vancouver, Washington real estate because he grew up in the area in a real estate family of three generations. Travis shared his thoughts on which Vancouver neighborhoods are hot areas for home buyers to focus on in the rest of 2018. Travis shared his list of the hottest Vancouver neighborhoods and I filled in the details. Travis seconded Amelie’s vote for Downtown Vancouver and added the following neighborhoods to the list:

Arnada

Arnada is one of Vancouver’s oldest neighborhoods and as a result boasts plenty of old-growth trees and a well-established neighborhood park. Arnada residents also enjoy a vibrant shopping district: Main Street’s Uptown Village which is populated with shops, markets, restaurants, and local doctors’ and dentists’ offices. According to a local news article, Arnada neighbors say it best, describing this charming area as “a small, self-sufficient town inside a city.”

The Parklands at Camas Meadows

By Cascade West Development, The Parklands is a luxury gated community bordering the Camas Meadows Golf Club. Home prices here start in the $900,000s. Bordering Vancouver, the population of Camas currently lands at around 21k. With numerous community amenities including lush parks with over 60 miles of nature trails, a vibrant downtown area and economy, and highly-rated local schools The Parklands is marketed as an oasis of high-end homes within a uniquely special city.

Royal Terrace

Located in Ridgefield, Washington, Royal Terrace is a brand new gated development by Evergreen Homes NW that offers larger lots backing to a lush greenbelt. With a small-town feel, an exceptional downtown area, and excellent local schools this is a neighborhood for families to consider. From the developer website: “Excellent schools support desirable neighborhoods, and Royal Terrace is lucky to have Ridgefield High School just around the corner, the new Sunset Intermediate School a 1/2 mile down the road, and the highly regarded Union Ridge Elementary School minutes away.”

Ready to Buy a House in Vancouver, Washington?

If you’re ready to buy a house in one of these hot Vancouver, Washington neighborhoods, or if you’re interested in another Vancouver-area neighborhood I’d love to help you. As a licensed mortgage broker in Oregon and Washington, I can help you navigate the home-buying process and determine exactly how much house you can afford. Please get in touch with me to get started!

A long-term client approached me recently for a referral to someone to help him build out his real estate investment portfolio. I immediately put him in touch with my friend and colleague, Uwe Gluhr. A local business leader and brilliant real estate investment advisor, Uwe is the business manager and co-owner of Personal Property Management with Julie Brown and Leisha Dumas. PPM, located in Southwest Washington, specializes in managing single-family homes and smaller apartment complexes located in Southwest Washington, with many of Uwe’s owner-clients accessing his advice for furthering their own real estate investments.

Uwe has always advocated real estate investing as a lucrative and viable option for a diversified portfolio and I’ve seen the growth in Vancouver create a lot of potential investment value, so I decided to pick Uwe’s brain and share his top tips for real estate investing in Vancouver, Washington and surrounding areas.

Why invest in real estate?

Uwe explains, “Overall, real estate is a proven asset class that should belong in everyone’s portfolio. When you compare the overall returns against the S&P 500 you’ll see it offers a proven return on investment.

There are many ways to invest in real estate such as Real Estate Investment Trusts, commercial buildings, apartment buildings, and my personal favorite: single-family homes.”

[What is a Real Estate Investment Trust? REITs are companies that own, operate, or finances real estate for the purpose of producing income. They operate like a mutual fund, giving investors dividend-based income and returns. Learn more about REITs here.]

“For the purpose of this conversation, let’s compare multi-family units such as apartments to single-family homes. In the current market, I find that single-family homes make the most compelling investments (for reasons I’ll detail below) with one important caveat: you must buy them at the right cap rate.”

[What is cap rate? Capitalization rate, commonly known as ‘cap rate’, is a tool for evaluating the value and return on a real estate investment. To determine cap rate: calculate the yearly gross potential income of the investment property. Then, subtract all expenses associated with ownership and maintenance of the property from the gross income. Next, divide the net income by the property’s purchase price. Learn more about cap rate here.]

Investing in Single-Family Homes vs Apartments:

“Currently, apartment buildings are trading at around the same cap rates as single-family homes. If you look at what has been built since about 2010 you’ll see that historically the market has favored apartments. As a result, there is a lot of apartment supply coming available.

However, from a renter’s perspective, especially families with children, single-family homes offer a lifestyle that is totally different than and is often regarded as preferable to apartment living. For the investor, this can be seen as a big positive because single-family homes tend to bring those high quality, family-oriented tenants who are looking for something that lives and feels like a home (and are going to treat the property as such).”

Real Estate Investing in the Vancouver, Washington area:

Location, Location, Location:

“Investors looking to purchase real estate in the Vancouver area will be wise to focus on neighborhoods with good schools and are situated less than 30 minutes from an international airport (or an airport that has Southwest Airlines). Ideal areas for real estate investment also have high projected job growth and easy access to good healthcare.

In the Vancouver, Washington area I would recommend looking to invest in the area up and down I-5, primarily on the west side and all the way up through Ridgefield or near the Salmon Creek Hospital. Specifically, the Skyview and Ridgefield High School areas are great for investments right now.

Also, consider investing close-in to Highway 14 and into Washougal. Farther out east, the Camas and Union High School areas are promising in the current market.

Forecasting out about 10 years, I would target real estate investments as close to downtown Vancouver, Washington as possible. This area gives people easier access to downtown Portland, Oregon (and Vancouver proper). As urbanization, population growth and congestion will continue to boom in Clark County these central areas will continue to grow accordingly.

Regarding the actual house, I favor investing in single-story, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes with attached 2 car garages.”

Focus on Immediate ROI:

“I always tell people to invest for positive cash flow first and look for appreciation second. When in doubt, learn how to calculate the cap rate and make sure that your cap rate is greater than your 30-year fixed rate.

Investors should always try to target cap rates at around 5.5% or higher. As interest rates rise, be sure to adjust the cap rate threshold upward accordingly.”

Stay Positively Leveraged:

“If you are using a loan to buy your real estate investments always make sure you are positively leveraged. Don’t forget to calculate the necessary property management costs, vacancy loss, and maintenance costs into your cap rate.”

Build a Team:

“Assemble your team of professionals. At a minimum, you’ll want to find a realtor you trust and feel comfortable communicating with, a responsive mortgage broker, an insurance agent, an inspector, and a property manager.

Having each of these key players in place before you start investing in real estate will help ensure you get into the right investment(s) and that you’re in the best position possible for the long term. Do your homework when building a team of professionals and you’ll be better off for it. Like most things in life, you are going to get out of these relationships what you put in.”

If you’d like to reach out to Uwe, you can email him via the Personal Property Management website. And if you’d like to discuss the loan process for an investment property in Portland, Oregon or in the Vancouver, Washington area, I’d love to hear from you.