“Trust the process. Trust your builder.
Be patient, and have fun.”

Discovering Washington

“We wanted to be in a smaller town. We honestly just stumbled across Washington one day—what is this place? We checked it out, found the historic district, the Riverwalk, access to nature, the whole area. You fall in love the second that you get here.”

Embracing downtown

“We love the walkability, the friendliness—it’s rare for us to go into town without running into somebody we know, and we’ve only lived in Washington for 2 years. When we take our kids down Main Street, the business owners create a fun environment and get the kids smiling. One employee from Big Bargain Furniture will run out with a bowl of candy!”

Welcoming the whole family

“When we first moved to the historic district two years ago, we didn’t realize how much the downtown Washington area has to offer for kids. The proximity to Mac Hodges Festival Park, Havens Gardens and the Bug House Park are ideal. Bug House Park was recently redeveloped with tennis and pickleball courts along with a fun nature-inspired playground. We love how the downtown location of Moss Landing is really very family friendly.”

Locating the perfect spot

“There were so many things about phase two of Moss Landing that hit all the boxes. We can live for now while our kids are growing up, be on the river, but also look to the future. Our girls are six and three; when they’re older or when they’re off to college, this will still be the perfect space for the two of us. It’s our forever home.”

Being part of the community

“People are walking the neighborhood constantly. It’s amazing to see the energy and how many people are looking around as it’s being built. The way it’s designed as a loop really does connect it to the historic district. It’s all part of the community now. It’ll be fun to watch Moss Landing evolve and grow, see it come to life.”

Looking for the best view

“We had a few lots in mind. We went over there constantly and talked about it for months. Kendra Lobos, Scott Dixon, and our realtor, Laura Gerard, were all really patient with us. Ultimately our decision was based on the proximity to the boardwalk, the historic swing bridge right in the center of our porch view, the expansive water view to the East and the picturesque marina to the West. The views create a more open and airy experience inside and out that help make the home feel bigger than it is.”

Making a house their home

“One question was how much we could customize the home plans. And we were pleasantly surprised. The whole process, start to finish, was extremely smooth. Our builder understood our vision. A couple of ideas we had, like matching the wraparound porch on the water side, they had already drawn those up as options. We have these beautiful sliding doors that connect the waterside porch to the living spaces and it really feels like a lot more square footage when you let the outside in.”

Maximizing their space

“We were able to take some of the ground floor and make that into a bonus room area; over time it’ll turn into a teen hangout. It was nice that we could use that space down there, since all of these lots are above the floodplain. So we added about 700 square feet.”

Finding a team to trust

“The thing that made it really smooth was that Beacon Street put together the best team of talented professionals—the builder, the architect, everybody. Knowing about the builder’s expertise in this area, that was really nice. Every recommendation from our builder Frank McLawhorn made perfect sense to us. With them already having everything in place, and then us being able to customize what we wanted, that was the perfect situation; we really haven’t had any hiccups.”

Keeping everyone in mind

“Our girls are loving it. They’re excited about their new rooms and want to paint everything purple and pink. We’ll see about that! They’re both excited about the boardwalk. They love the turtles and the jumping fish. And their favorite parks are right there within walking distance. To them, it’s a dream.”

Creating their happy place

“The porches! Just having that view of the water, and letting the fresh air in. And we were really excited that we could do a balcony off of our primary bedroom. Now we have our own little walkout, and the view is indescribable. So probably the biggest thing that we’re looking forward to is just sitting out there and enjoying time together. There’s this level of peace that can’t be duplicated.”

Sharing some valuable lessons

“Know what you want going into it; we spent months just thinking about what we wanted our house to look like in the end. Then you have to be patient and flexible. It’s a collaboration; trust the process, trust the people who have the expertise. I think if we had pushed to make our exact dream a reality, we wouldn’t have been as happy as we are now. We’re thrilled with the end result.

And I’d say come visit Washington. It’s like we’re a little Mayberry on the water type of town that a lot of people don’t know about. It’s kind of a hidden gem, this authentic riverfront town. It just felt like this isn’t real, but it is. Washington is a special place.”

Planning for the future

“We planned for our family life now but also kept the future in mind. The floorplan with all the amenities and customizations, especially the elevator and low maintenance yard, will work for us for many years. Eventually the kids will be out of the house raising families of their own but this home will still work when it’s just the two of us down the road.

Our older daughter said she’d like to buy the house next door so that she can live next to us forever; she’s only six years old, so we’ll see what the future holds.”

Home sales and construction are in full swing at Moss Landing. Here’s the latest activity:

• 4 homes are finishing up as we speak, 7 are under construction, and 5 more will be starting soon.
• There have been 3 sales in the past month, including the model home, and a great deal of interest in the few remaining waterfront lots.
• The first two Cottages are ahead of schedule, with August completion dates; one of these is already sold. Two more will be underway soon. Get the details on 43 and 44.

The takeaway? If you’re thinking about making Moss Landing home, time is of the essence.