40 Years Now, Oregon's Kiwanda Coastal Properties Celebrates with Time Tripping Contest

Published 03/06/26 at 5:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Pacific City, Oregon) – 40 years of providing places to stay for thousands of visitors. 40 years of knowing you were one of the first to do so. They likely helped start the whole craze. (Photo Oregon State Archives)

Kiwanda Coastal Properties is marking its 40th anniversary this year, celebrating four decades as a woman-owned, family-run business in Pacific City. The company, founded in 1986, is inviting the public to help commemorate the milestone by sharing personal photos and memories from the past forty years.

“We want to see Pacific City through your eyes,” owner Nicole Twigg said. “Whether it’s a snapshot from the dunes in the ’80s or a sunset you captured last week, your photos help tell the story of this place and the people who love it.”

The anniversary campaign includes a photo contest with multiple prize opportunities. Participants will be entered to win up to two $500 Kiwanda Coastal Properties gift certificates—one awarded at random, with a second unlocked if the contest reaches 100 entries. Additional decade-themed prizes include a KCP hoodie or a $50 local restaurant gift card, awarded to one randomly selected entry from each decade represented, from the 1980s to today.

Fifth of July festivities in Pacific City in 2002 - photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

To enter, participants must post a photo on social media, tag Kiwanda Coastal Properties, and include the hashtag #kiwanda40. Tagging a decade (such as #1980s or #1990s) qualifies the entry for the decade-specific drawing.

The contest runs from March 5 through May 5, 2026. Up to five photo entries are allowed per person, and entrants must be at least 18 years old and hold the rights to the images they submit. By entering, participants grant the company permission to share their photos on its website and social media channels as part of the anniversary celebration. Full contest rules and details are available on the company’s website.

Kiwanda Coastal Properties traces its roots to the 1980s, when founder Julie Spencer launched a small real-estate firm on the north Oregon coast. At the time, the idea of renting private homes to visiting travelers was still largely unheard of in the region. Her daughter, Nicole Twigg - now the company’s owner - said the shift toward vacation rentals began almost by accident.

“My mom started the business in the ‘80s,” Twigg said. “A few years in, she started to rent vacation rentals because there weren't any in the area. It kind’a took off.”

As Spencer sold homes around Pacific City and the surrounding communities, she began hearing from both visitors looking for places to stay and homeowners curious about renting out their properties. The demand grew quickly, prompting her to expand into what would become a defining part of the business.

Kiwanda Coastal Properties

Twigg said her mom was more at home dealing with selling homes, so she brought in managers to deal with the rental side.

Twigg first worked in the office as a high-school student in the early 1990s, left for a period, and returned in 2008. She took over the company in 2010 and has watched the vacation-rental landscape transform dramatically.

“It’s pretty consistent growth,” she said. “When I took over that’s when it went from being a cottage industry like a mom and pop operation to some big firms that came out around 2011. That’s made it a lot more competitive: more mainstream instead of an alternative situation. It is still a bit on the fringe, but with companies like Air BnB it’s become more traditional. The whole country has gone crazy with it. Since I started to now it’s a whole different ballgame.”

Remaining independent, Twigg said, has been key to the company’s longevity. Being locally rooted has helped Kiwanda Coastal Properties maintain close ties with tourism partners such as Tillamook Coast, and it has strengthened relationships with area contractors - an advantage when something in a rental home needs quick attention. Pacific City, Oregon. 503-965-7212. Website here.

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