Seattle Afloat: Seattle Houseboats - Floating Homes On Lake Union: September 2009

Sunny September 2009 Lake Union Photos in Seattle : Seaplane over Lake Union

Gasworks Park in Seattle neighborhood Wallingford (North side of Lake Union).

Kayakers in Lake Union (Taken from a Seattle houseboat in Seattle neighborhood Eastlake).  What a gorgeous day!

Seattle real estate is pretty amazing, but is is so much fun to show homes on a day like this one!  We have had a great run of weather recently!

Lake Union Real Estate: Life on Lake Union in Seattle:  Gorgeous homes and good living.  Check out the beauty of Lake Union's gorgeous surroundings! 

Lake Union Real estate is quite unique: Seattle houseboats, buzzing seaplanes, waterfront floating homes, sweeping view condos, and more. All of South Lake Union, Westlake, and Eastlake make it easy to take advantage of Downtown Seattle real estate and more!

Great Seattle neighborhoods around Lake Union:  Wallingford to the North, Westlake, Eastlake, & South Lake Union.

Seattle houseboats are interesting - these floating homes all have different histories and each dock is completely different.  It is hard to know where each one originally might have been docked or who may have lived in it over the years.  Seattle's houseboats have fought to survive due to the city's long and sorted attempts to eliminate these historical homes over the years.  Thankfully much of the storm has passed and the city is finally seeing that houseboats have a historical significance on Lake Union.  They have been here from the beginning as a much needed housing solution for a working lake and continue to be the very heart of Lake Union today.

Seattle houseboats are unique. I always find it interesting to go into the old houseboats on Lake Union or Portage Bay and see all of the little custom things or quirks that a floating home may have.  There Is one with thoughtful hinges on the steps so that storage can be accommodated under foot.  Another has the wobbliest floor I have ever seen.  I had to ask about the stringers to see if they had been looked at recently because it was so bad.  The stringers on a floating home are the boards that hold the house on the float and they need to be replaced or repaired every so often. 

Not a huge market for Seattle houseboats - there are less than 500 of them and people who buy them generally keep them.  It is an amazing lifestyle and you either love it for what it is or it isn't for you. The good news for houseboat owners in Seattle is that the market has not affected Seattle floating homes for the most part.  These homes always demanded more money down and special financing from very specialized lenders.  Nothing has changed and as a result prices have stayed strong and demand has kept up. Buying one of the Seattle houseboats on Lake Union or Portage Bay is one of the best real estate investments as a result.

See what is on the market right now!  Seattle houseboats for sale

Seattle's Portage Bay Houseboats - life afloat outside of Lake Union.  There were about two thousand houseboats on Lake Union, Portage Bay, and Lake Washington in the early part of last century, but today there are less than 500 and they have been completely evicted out of Lake Washington.  Besides Lake Union, Portage Bay has a beautiful community of floating homes tucked into a lovely little nest at the base of Northeast Capitol Hill.  Right now there are 5 Portage Bay houseboats on the market ranging from $375,000 for a bank owned houseboat to $2,490,000 for a beautiful floating home with a 50% interest in 9 moorage slips (!!!).

Portage Bay houseboats - floating homes are different!  If you have ever thought about living in a houseboat, there are some things to consider before doing so.  I would look carefully around your home and decide what you could and could not live with because there is no storage for the most part on these babies. There are actually some houseboats with basements believe it or not - one in particular I can think of with a wine room, but for the most part it is cramped quarters and the simple life. It just also happens to be the most perfect Seattle waterfront living I can think of!  Renting a houseboat in Seattle might be a nice choice to try it out. 

Portage Bay Houseboats:  Making the Decision  There are also careful considerations when purchasing - what kind of float does it have? How close to the shore are you (makes a significant difference in the rocking factor)?  What type of moorage does it have (condo and coop are the best by the way)? What maintenance has been done?  And when it comes time to purchase, there are additional steps.  The financing and insurance are different - the taxes are different.  You need to get an inspector for the house itself and one for the float (diving inspection).

If you are thinking about buying a Seattle houseboat or Portage Bay real estate and want more information, let us show you what is out there and answer your questions: realestate@cooperjacobs.com