How do you value views? I don’t know.

Growing up on Capitol Hill is a far cry from acreage, cows, chickens, Llamas and horses. To say my current environment is different from where I grew up is an understatement. The house I grew up in had what I thought was an excellent view looking East over the Arboretum, Madison Park, Lake Washington and the Cascades. I can recall many warm Summers climbing out of my parents bedroom window and inching up the roof on my rear to get a perfect view. Only on the roof ridge could I see Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, but they were there. Husky Stadium—the hollowed place my Kansas State University Football ulumnus father (played with the late Harold Robinson, the first African American player in the Big 8 at the time, circa 1952) hated with a passion I can’t describe—was also in view. I don’t know how a guy could hate the Huskies so much and get his Engineering/Architecture degree there, but I just didn’t ask questions. I crawled up on the roof really to see one thing only: The Blue Angels.

When my spouse and I started looking for a larger place for our clan, we couldn’t qualify for squat (code for beer budget with a Champagne taste). I wanted a view, she wanted acreage. Where in Ballard were we going to find that? Where in Edmonds would we find anything like that without a million dollars in my back pocket. Monopoly money didn’t count. Snohomish County is where we found the view and acreage.

Ardell has had some really nice view photos lately on this blog and ActiveRain Blog. Rhonda Porter has posted some great photos of views and water on her blog as well. It reminded me about a post I wanted to make about how to value view property. Since I’m not in the valuation business, I thought I’d ask those who are. How do you value view property?