Feeling sad over losing the opportunity to put in an offer on the home in Toledo that night, we were determined to wake up the next morning with a fresh start and fresh hearts. We still loved the home on the lake and there were still lots more homes to see. We got up and got on the road. The day was sunny and warm. The nice weather made for a fabulous day of looking at houses.
First stop, Pacific City and Cape Kiwanda. There was an adorable little house in Pacific City that we headed over to. Online, the pics showed the most adorable remodel with a little river running behind it and a small fire pit sitting area over-looking the river. It was a small property but we wanted to give it a chance anyway because it was so cute and it was walking distance to the beach. The neighborhood was quaint and the house sat on a normal, paved street. (We had viewed several now that were on gravel roads.) The houses were pretty close on either side, but we knew we’d be giving up space and privacy to live so close to the shore. I called the agent’s number on the sign and she was able to show it to us in an hour. We headed over to the beach in the meantime, while we waited to meet up with the agent.
Cape Kiwanda was amazing. The sand was so soft and silky. The sun was warm, the waves were playful and the haystack rock was a gorgeous silhouette rising out of the sea. We walked down to the beach and explored for a bit. There were lots of people out and the restaurant and pub on the beach was packed with patrons. It was the most lively beach yet on the coast that we had seen! Dennis noticed that there was a vehicle access point and that we could drive right out onto the beach there. So much fun!
After exploring for a bit, we walked back to the Blumebulance to head over to meet the agent. On the way to the van, we saw the prettiest mosaic art piece in tribute to the cape representing all of the sea life in the area. Driving back over to the little beach house, we were excited to see a new place. We arrived and met the agent. She was super sweet and showed us around.
The river at the back of the house turned out to be a canal. It was a dark, almost black, canal shaded by the overhanging trees. The water had very little current and just felt sad. The fire pit and sitting area was a nice place to sit outside – tucked between the house and the garage – and like everywhere in Oregon, the view was beautiful. We walked around to the other side of the home and entered the front door. It was a single wide mobile home but completely remodeled with all of the modern and fine details one could hope for. I loved the decor. It was beach-ey with grays and blues and delightful little details here and there. The hallway was rather tight – not enough room to pass one another. The bathroom was much larger than I thought it would be and the home had an add-on sunroom on the fire pit side of the house. It was really cute but the price was a bit too high in our opinion for such a small place. Most likely because whomever renovated it spent quite a bit making it so modern and lovely inside. The price was also a bit higher than it would have been because of its close proximity to the ocean. We thanked her for showing it to us and moved on to see some more houses.
We drove inland to Cloverdale to see a home on a nice sized piece of property. No water view, but the home looked really nice in the photos and the price was great. We pulled up and it was a nice lot in a very nice neighborhood with a few houses spread out with large lots/property. We liked that a lot. It had a nice view of a small, grassy valley surrounded by mountains. We peeked in the windows and walked around the home. There were wild raspberries growing outside and I ate a few. They were delicious – slightly tart and mildly sweet. It was a very nice place but something was lacking. It was quite possible we had fallen in love with the idea of living near water, with a water view or water access. We kept it on the maybe list but didn’t call to see inside.
Hebo was the next stop, further inland from Cloverdale but the home sat alongside a large river. The road to the home was stunning and the view and the river were fantastic. The home was another foreclosure that would need quite a bit of work but the price was so low that we’d have plenty of money left over to get it all done – or at least we hoped there would be enough. Upon arriving, we noticed it had an interesting piece of property. The house sat on the hill about midway down, with the hill extending up past the house. Below the house, there was a flat area for vehicles or gardening or a possible shop/barn. We peeked in the windows and I could imagine a lot of potential. Clean it up, get all of the windows uncovered and let in the light. The kitchen was teeny tiny – not much larger than a medium sized bathroom – but I figured we could make it work. The river was wide and flowing quickly across the street. But the road was a highway and we would experience quite a bit of traffic if we lived there – that was a definite drawback. Meanwhile, Dennis was not seeing much potential in the home. Instead, he saw a lot of work to be done and he wasn’t feeling connected with the house either. I stood on the porch and looked out at the only neighbor that could be seen from the house. The neighbor was flying a HUGE flag in front of his house with “Trump” on it. That was all I needed to see. I was over it just like that. I did not want that guy to be my direct neighbor – the only one I could see from my house, possibly the only neighbor for miles. Combine my feelings about the neighbor with Dennis’ lack of interest in the home – we quickly moved on. With a full day of driving and seeing houses, we stopped to camp for the night. We must have had a lot on our minds, it was one of the only nights that I didn’t take a photo of our campground, nor do I remember what we did for dinner or if we had a good night’s sleep. I guess you could say that the stress of the trip and trying to find a home had finally gotten to me, but I was determined as ever to finish our list and see the rest of the coast. Click here for Part 9 of Our Oregon Adventure!
