Seabrook WA - Pacific Ocean Waterfront

I took the family out for a business/pleasure trip to the ocean this week to visit Washington's oceanfront neighborhood Seabrook, a newer master-planned community just South of Pacific Beach, WA. A 2.5 hour drive from Seattle, the trip through Grays Harbor County takes you about 20 miles North of Ocean Shores to Seabrook's development on the high bluff shoreline.

While the purported intent of the trip was a real estate course, it was really a chance to view the progress on this waterfront enclave and the construction of its "Ultimate Beach House" (more on that in the next post). Seabrook, which broke ground in 2004, went through a rough patch of slower sales during the past few years of the real estate downturn (as did virtually every other real estate development), but it seems to have powered through and is moving forward with its ocean front homes.

For those that have visited other towns on Washington's coastline, Seabrook is quite a contrast. The homes, though new construction, feel like some of the classic architectural structures you'd see in historic East Coast cities. The design of homes is focused on creating a town, and not a development. The elevations, colors, materials, and footprints of the homes are intentionally quite varied, with a loose parameter keeping them "classic" or "rustic".

It's a very family-friendly environment, which was the goal of the developers. Large front porches face open recreation areas, encouraging community interaction. Free bike rentals, nature trails and, of course, the pristine beaches are all great entertainment without having to leave town. While the commercial development is still in its early stages (a cafe, art studio, management office, and general store), there are other towns nearby for long-term stocking up. Most small towns resident in this area drive in to Aberdeen for shopping.

The local P.U.D. required that Seabrook sell 109 homes on the East side of the highway before developing the ocean side of their development, and that goal was met recently. The waterfront development has now begun, which should really add to the mystique of the property.

While most owners of these homes are part-time or vacation residents, there are a growing number of full-time families living in the community. Those part-time residents now have a thriving business of cottage rentals.

The home we stayed in, "Into the Woods", was a perfect combination of rustic log home and modern construction convenience. Sitting across an oyster shell path from the woods of the Elk Creek Beach Promenade, we rode out a rare spring wind storm from our comfy home. The owners of these homes supply many of their own amenities to make the home family friendly, and encourage repeat visits. From video games to dvds and children's beach toys, the house was stocked with entertainment. There's just no comparison to taking your family to a hotel.

It would have been nice to spend a bit more time on the beach, but we jumped on the bikes and the trails between rain showers, and sat on the rocking chair front porch during them. It's the Washington coast, after all. If you don't expect a little weather, you're just kidding yourself.

Read the full Seattle Waterfront Homes blog.

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Sam DeBord is a Realtor and real estate broker with SeattleHome.com, a division of Washington State Realty, LLC. He is a member of the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors and a Green-Certified Pro.

Sam can be contacted at (206) 658-3225 or Sam(at)SeattleHome.com.