Getting to Know Andrea Mace

First and foremost, I am a beach girl.

I grew up on Puget Sound, and some of my earliest memories are of the beach and the woods. Like many Washington families, we spent summer vacations on the Oregon Coast. When my mother moved to Cannon Beach in the early 1990s with my younger sister, Norma, a door opened for me. After college, I came down to work for the summer.

That summer was 1993. I never really left.

I was mesmerized by Cannon Beach. I had grown up in a rural community, but this small town felt different. It was still very much a town of artists, musicians, surfers and independent spirits. Winters were incredibly quiet. Storms coming off the Pacific could be unsettling. I spent countless hours hiking in Ecola State Park and walking miles of beach. Slowly, I got to know the people who called this place home and found my own place among them.

More than three decades later, I have lived the majority of my life in the small communities along this stretch of the Oregon Coast—Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler and now Seaside.

A Life Built on the Coast

This is also where I raised my son. He grew up in Cannon Beach, attended a small parent-run school in Cove Beach, learned his way around the woods, and made friendships that have lasted throughout his childhood. Now nearly 18, he and the friends who grew up alongside him are accomplished surfers and fishermen, equally at home in the ocean and the forests surrounding us.

Watching him grow up with that connection to the natural world has been one of the great rewards of my life.

My husband is also a longtime Cannon Beach small-business owner. He bought Sea Clean on a handshake years ago and built it into a successful home-services business centered around caring for people's coastal homes. Between his work and mine, houses tend to be part of the conversation in our family—how they are built, how they age, what the coast does to them, and what it really takes to care for one here.

Most recently, we completed building our own home in the Cove neighborhood of Seaside, where we can walk to the surf or head the other direction and be on the trail over Tillamook Head.

Building from the ground up gave me an entirely new perspective on real estate. I experienced firsthand the process of buying raw land and taking it through design, permitting, financing, construction and completion—with plenty of unexpected challenges along the way. It deepened both my appreciation for a well-built home and my understanding of the risks and rewards involved in developing property on the Oregon Coast.

Beyond Real Estate

Long before I became a Realtor, my professional life revolved around art and writing.

For eight years, I served as Executive Director of the Cannon Beach Arts Association and ran the Cannon Beach Gallery. I have also written professionally for Coast Weekend, Cannon Beach Magazine, Hipfish, the Seaside Signal and the former Cannon Beach Gazette.

Writing is still my first creative love, and something I try to practice every day.

I am also a passionate gardener and an enthusiastic home cook. I love sourcing local produce—especially from my friends at Kingfisher Farms—and turning it into meals for family and friends. A good dinner followed by a game around the table is pretty close to my idea of a perfect evening.

Our family's businesses have also given us the opportunity to travel together, usually with surfboards involved. In recent years that has taken us to Portugal, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama. Travel has made me appreciate many beautiful places, but it has also reinforced how much I love coming home to the Oregon Coast.

Knowing This Place Matters

I was raised by a history buff, so I have always been curious about the stories behind the places around me. After more than 30 years here, that curiosity has turned into a fairly deep knowledge of the North Oregon Coast—its towns, neighborhoods, history and quirks.

I jokingly tell clients that I have an opinion about almost everything coastal: where to eat, where to find the best cup of coffee, which beach to walk when the wind picks up, where to buy great ingredients for dinner—and, of course, the nuances of owning property here.

That local knowledge matters in real estate.

The Oregon Coast is beautiful, but living here is different from vacationing here. Homes weather differently. Neighborhoods have distinct personalities. Ocean views, wind exposure, wetlands, septic systems, vacation-rental rules, coastal erosion and even what happens during a winter storm can matter enormously when choosing a property.

And yes, the rain is no joke. It is this green for a reason.

I began my real estate career in 2015, and today my work combines many of the things I have learned over the course of my life here: an appreciation for architecture and design, curiosity about land and place, strong local relationships, research and writing skills, and an understanding of what it actually means to make a life on the Oregon Coast.

For me, good real estate representation isn't about selling someone on a house. It's about helping people understand what they're buying, what they're selling, and the choices in front of them.

Real estate can be stressful. Your Realtor should be your advocate, your source of local knowledge, and the person helping make the process clearer and less overwhelming whenever possible.

If you're considering buying or selling a home on the North Oregon Coast, I would be happy to start with a conversation. I offer new-client consultations so we can get to know one another, talk about what you're hoping to accomplish, and decide whether we're a good fit to work together.

I love living on the Oregon Coast. After all these years, I still can't imagine calling anywhere else home.

Cheers,
Andrea