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Developing on the coast is quite different from developing elsewhere. Most of the time, the coastal buyer is a vacation or retirement homebuyer.

In many cases we have sold homes to individuals who start by using them as retreats. They鈥檙e rented through a property management company when the owner is unable to use the getaway. Frequently, these homeowners gain time to spend at the coast, and sometimes the property becomes a primary home.
When we start a new project we spend a lot of time thinking about the target customer. We do a complete market study of what is available in other coastal communities, and what is and isn’t working.

One constant for us is that our buyers are looking for something special. They have lived in a typical urban or suburban home for most of their lives and have decided it’s time to escape to the coast.

Our buyers generally are looking for a unique home on a special lot 鈥� a cozy dream cabin with a soothing view; easy beach, river or bay access; a fun bunk room for the kids or grandkids; and a garage with room for bikes, kayaks, boats and golf clubs.
Whether buying a single lot on which to build and sell a spec house or tackling a 90-lot subdivision, developers can create added value for themselves and their customers by creating unique and thoughtful beach homes.

A common mistake some developers and builders make is designing beach homes similar to urban or suburban homes when the customer wants something completely different. Our typical customer wants a traditional design, natural products (no stucco!), interesting details and funky spaces. The latter can include window seats for reading a great book; tiny lofts with a view window for meditating; Adirondack chairs on a small deck or patio for enjoying a glass of wine with a special person; and wood on interior walls and/or ceilings.
There is nothing harder to sell at the beach than a home with no 鈥渂each cabin charm.鈥� Many people are not as interested in big yards, large kitchens or huge great rooms with vaulted ceilings and lots of painted surfaces. In fact, these things can actually be big negatives for people who simply want a charming little getaway.

It鈥檚 not about square footage, size of a lot or immense great rooms; it鈥檚 about view (not necessarily a water view), warmth, family togetherness and ease of upkeep. Developers or builders who don鈥檛 tune into these needs will not sell many homes on the coast.
In our case, if we can get them to stop for a beer at the Pelican Pub, we might sell them dinner and rent them a room at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda or a beach house at Shorepine Vacation rentals. Next thing you know, they are walking through an open house (with a lot of 鈥渂each charm,鈥� of course) and before you know it, they鈥檙e asking about how to become an owner in one of our projects.

For more than 20 years, Mary Jones and Jeff Schons have focused on organically growing their Nestucca Ridge family of companies in Pacific City. Contact Mary at 503-550-7194 or [email protected]. Contact Jeff at 503-550-7194 or [email protected].