House boats? (Seattle, Vancouver: for sale, real estate, lease) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

davecj · 10-27-2010, 07:18 AM

I currently live in Baltimore where I'm a real estate agent and work in broadcasting. I love the Seattle area and get an opportunity to coach a lacrosse team from Baltimore every year in a tournament out that way and really like the area. Maybe a long term plan but I could certainly see myself out that way.

I was browsing the MLS and noticed a lot of houses listed for sale are actually house boats. I know nothing really of house boats. Are these permanently attached to the dock or can you actually set sail in them? Does seem like an interesting way to circumvent the absurd waterfront taxes in Baltimore.

Ira500 · 10-27-2010, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davecj

I currently live in Baltimore where I'm a real estate agent and work in broadcasting. I love the Seattle area and get an opportunity to coach a lacrosse team from Baltimore every year in a tournament out that way and really like the area. Maybe a long term plan but I could certainly see myself out that way.

I was browsing the MLS and noticed a lot of houses listed for sale are actually house boats. I know nothing really of house boats. Are these permanently attached to the dock or can you actually set sail in them? Does seem like an interesting way to circumvent the absurd waterfront taxes in Baltimore.

I'd say they're " semi permanently" attached to the dock.
I've been in a bunch of them, and showed a few, but never owned one. Depending on where they are, moorage fees can be insanely expensive.
They've been around for a long time in Seattle, but there seem to be less and less of them as time goes on. Too bad, they're pretty cool.

nullgeo · 10-28-2010, 10:42 AM

There's difference between a "Houseboat" and a "Floating Home" ... "Houseboats" have the ability to move under their own power ... "Floating Homes" are simply tied to a dock. "Floating Homes" come in two categories: those built on flotation such as logs or styrofoam blocks -- and those built on "barge" style hulls.

Seattle has all of these kinds of boat/homes ... and you can find all of the types for sale. There are quite a range of purchase prices and dock lease rates. You can find houseboats for sometimes as little as under $20,000 in livable condition (define livable -- heh) and up to the low hundreds of thousands of dollars ... there are a number in the less than $100,000 range that are quite capable and attractive and comfortable -- that can lease dock space for as low as just under about $500 a month -- though closer to $700 a month would be a more common rate.

Seattle area floating homes are usually VERY expensive if they are at all nice ... they can run into the high 6 figures sometimes ... not sure I've seen any that hit $ the million + mark. Moorage for these is in more limited communities mostly and the monthly rates are higher mostly.

Some places in the Puget Sound region have "dockominium" moorage for sale ... you can buy your moorage and live aboard. There isn't much of this in Seattle, but it does exist outside the Seattle area. Vancouver B.C. has more dock ownership. Delaware and Maryland, by the way, also have these kinds of boats/homes/moorages -- as does the Bay Area in California and other places around the country -- especially Florida. If you purchase a dock, you will pay real estate taxes on the value of the moorage space, but not on the value of the "boat".

You can also live on a large boat that is more seaworthy than a houseboat, of course. Final word on all of this: space is tight (except with the really large and expensive floating homes). And there is a bit of a cultural lifestyle that goes with; some folks do/will really thrive on the limitations and "culture" ... others will hate it. It begs a lot of research, conversation, and rumination. I have lived on both boats and houseboats and had friends with floating homes.

eskercurve · 10-28-2010, 10:55 AM

I was considering owning a floating home ... I was curious, do people get seasick in them? Or are they sufficiently massive and/or in shallow enough water they don't move with the waves? How about parking? Not having a parking space means that I'd have to rent a space somewhere. Or do they come with parking spaces?

nullgeo · 10-28-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eskercurve

I was considering owning a floating home ... I was curious, do people get seasick in them? Or are they sufficiently massive and/or in shallow enough water they don't move with the waves? How about parking? Not having a parking space means that I'd have to rent a space somewhere. Or do they come with parking spaces?

Floating homes are completely stable at their docks ... houseboats and sail and powerboats experience only very slight, occasional motion at dock ... you'll never get seasick. Virtually all marinas provide parking spots (at least one, sometimes 2, sometimes the 2nd spot might have a modest monthly charge).

btw: while liveaboard opportunities can almost always be found with a bit of searching -- there are not usually lots of choices at any given time ... pursuit of this lifestyle often takes a bit of searching and legwork and such to find something suitable at a reasonable price ... furthermore, if you have no experience with boats and water structures, you are well advised, to say the least, to hire verifiably competent surveyors/inspectors -- boats rot, leak, rust, sink without any regard for the condition of your wallet ... forewarned.

Batten down the hatches! ... ship ahoy! ... permission to come aboard, sir! ... and all that, heh

plainsman48 · 10-28-2010, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nullgeo

Floating homes are completely stable at their docks ... houseboats and sail and powerboats experience only very slight, occasional motion at dock ... you'll never get seasick. Virtually all marinas provide parking spots (at least one, sometimes 2, sometimes the 2nd spot might have a modest monthly charge).

btw: while liveaboard opportunities can almost always be found with a bit of searching -- there are not usually lots of choices at any given time ... pursuit of this lifestyle often takes a bit of searching and legwork and such to find something suitable at a reasonable price ... furthermore, if you have no experience with boats and water structures, you are well advised, to say the least, to hire verifiably competent surveyors/inspectors -- boats rot, leak, rust, sink without any regard for the condition of your wallet ... forewarned.

Batten down the hatches! ... ship ahoy! ... permission to come aboard, sir! ... and all that, heh

I have lived on houseboats (on the Illinois & Mississippi River) and rarely do you get sick from the movement while tied up at the dock or in your slip. The boat I'm purchasing this month is going to be used as a live-aboard. She's all steel construction 68 ft long and 20 ft wide with 5 ft of draft powered by twin Cummins diesels. She has 1150 sq ft of living space on two decks.