Seattle Afloat: Seattle Houseboats - Floating Homes On Lake Union

Seattle Floating Homes Financing Update 2010

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:49:53 -0600

Seattle Floating Homes Financing Update 2010: You might think with all the other changing real estate financing guidelines that financing for floating homes would be hard to find, but not so. There are some great local bankers who specialize in just this type of home and the process is still pretty straightforward for a houseboat that is in the category of floating home.

With the changing lending environment, what is the range in programs available today for floating homes? According to Gary Olson at Banner Bank who is quite a hard working guy and specializes in Seattle floating homes as well as doing a great job with your other real estate needs, the normal down payment for a floating home in Seattle would be a minimum of 20%-30% or more depending on the size of the loan. After the potential purchaser has been given a conditional loan approval, the bank then orders the additional items required by the bank to finance the floating home. In this case, they order a dive inspection as well as a current appraisal of the home. The bank must then review all items and both the bank and the underwriter for Banner Bank must approve all items.

In addition to these expenses, there are of course title insurance fees, recording fees, etc. just as with traditional Seattle real estate.The floating home must be on a co-op or condo dock for the program and the loans from Gary at Banner are amortized over 25 years with a 15 year term (the rate the client starts out with is what they keep for 15 years). Gary is a great resource for your Seattle floating homes financing!

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats Are Historical Homes Full Of Mystery

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:12:24 -0600

Seattle houseboats are always 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 around 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 overall Seattle real estate market has not had a huge impact on floating homes. These special Seattle 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. In fact, floating home inventory is low for current demands. Buying one of the Seattle houseboats on Lake Union or Portage Bay is one of the best waterfront real estate investments as a result. See what is on the market right now! Seattle houseboats for sale

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Floating Homes Are Few And Far Between

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:44:50 -0600

Seattle Houseboats: Floating Homes Are Few And Far Between! The inventory right now in Seattle floating homes is pretty much non-existent. Seattle houseboat market update:

Seattle Floating Homes for sale: Right now there are only a couple Seattle floating homes for sale - one of them is on Portage Bay and offers some additional moorage for income potential and the other is a lovely little historical gem that we listed last week. List range is from $365,500 to $2,200,000. There was another in Roanoke Reef but it is pending inspection at the moment and falls withing that same range of list price.

The real problem right now for potential houseboat buyers is that there is no inventory. We have the high and the low end represented in this batch, but there are a real lack of Seattle floating homes in the $550,000 to $950,000 range which is where I see a lot of the demand. Obviously getting your foot into the door on a Seattle houseboat priced at $365,500 is also pretty desire able which is why we have had a lot of attention and activity at the home we have listed at 2764 Westlake Ave N!

Other Seattle Houseboats for sale (vessels, barges):

Vessels and barges are lower priced and boats rather than real estate so they fall into a completely different category of Seattle houseboat than the floating homes do. Current listings for these other types of Seattle houseboats or liveaboards range from $110,000 all the way up to $385,000 and $395,000 with 7 or 8 available to choose from at the moment.

Recent Seattle houseboats that have sold or are pending:

Roanoke Reef has one pending sale and there is also a smaller floating home pending on Portage Bay. In the last 6 months there have been 11 closed Seattle floating homes sales and 3 closed vessel sales. Stat Averages for these are as follows: $765,929 listing price, 1645 square feet, 140 days on market, $709,552 average selling price.

Seattle houseboat Real Estate Market 2010 Summary:

Seattle houseboats are in demand! If you have been thinking about selling your Seattle floating home, then right would be PERFECT. There is little or no competition and the floating home market has for the most part not been seriously impacted by the rest of the Seattle real estate market.

Let us know if you want a market analysis and competitve bid for the listing. We always clean, stage, and market our listings to the fullest and would love to see your Seattle houseboat!

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Children on Floating Homes & Safety

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:01:19 -0600

Seattle Houseboats: Children on Floating Homes: How do you raise children on a floating home? I have asked this question quite a bit and it is always interesting to get the various answers, but I would love to hear your top ten tips for living on a houseboat with a child.

Children and boating: My in laws have a sailboat they sail around the Sound and all the docks at the marinas we stop in and see them at require children to wear a life jacket just to walk on the dock. I agree with this policy.

Children on floating home docks around Lake Union and Portage Bay: I know some of the policies around the docks for kids and pets, but always wonder how some of the various Seattle houseboats co-ops cover themselves for just this thing. I asked that question yesterday while previewing a brand new Eastlake floating home on the market (which is very cool by the way). My question to one of the houseboat neighbors was what is your child policy? He looked at me funny because of course that was a wacko way to word the question, but he smiled and said: "Parents." Perfect answer.

Floating home child safety for houseboats: What do some of the parents do to keep their children safe around the docks when you live in a floating home lifestyle? I know of one family who keeps life jackets on hooks at every door. It is just a way of life. Other answers I have gotten over the years: Of course they get swim lessons early as well. Special railings on decks to keep toys, etc. from rolling off. What great solution have you come up with to keep your child safe while living life afloat in one of the very best Seattle waterfront lifestyles? Let us know! SeattleAfloat@gmail.com

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Co-ops: What's The Deal?

Molly A. Cartwright (Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:27:01 -0600

Co-ops: What's The Deal? The other day I held a Broker's Open at Cooper Jacobs Real Estate's new houseboat listing on Lake Union. A man and his family stopped by. He has a job that requires him to travel from Bellingham to Seattle and needed a place to live while he's in town. I told him the background on 2764 Westlake Ave N Unit #D: a rare 1910, 479 square feet of lake living, views of Gas Works Park, Fremont bridge, Queen Anne, and um, the water of course. Lots of water. Anyway, one bed, one bath, and opportunities to build up and it's mortgage is a co-op. He raised his eyebrows. "What's THAT?"

I told him you own a share in a big corporation. You don't hold the Title but you hold a share in the overall portfolio in the co-op on that dock. So, I explained, you are almost like leasing it BUT you have a shared legal entity. Your voice is heard. Just like a condominium building, a co-op has a board of directors responsible for business decisions.

The monthly co-op dues are usually lower than condomium (home owner association or HOA) dues. Why? Because a co-op is non-profit. But check with your real estate agent on this, because much like the neighborhoods in Seattle, every one is different.

A most brilliant website (thank you again Wikipedia!) has an indepth explaination of co-ops in all different countries. So don't be afraid of the word "co-op". Oh...and don't be afraid to check out more beautiful houseboats in Seattle - one of the largest communities of houseboats of all kinds! Yes indeed - and in Seattle, we have an entire association JUST for houseboats.

Call for more information regarding lake-living!Portage Bay, Eastlake, Westlake, Center For Wooden Boats - and more!

Molly A. Cartwright
Realtor
(206) 841-6800
molly@cooperjacobs.com

SeattleAfloat: Floating homes, Houseboats, More

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:16:45 -0600

SeattleAfloat: Floating homes, Houseboats, More: You can all the latest Seattle houseboats for sale on the corporate real estate site. Here is a great peek at the North Part of Westlake on the base of Queen Anne (Northlake). This is West across form Eastlake and South of Wallingford right by the Aurora Bridge and near Fremont.

Westlake floating homes: Westlake has some wonderful shops along the Lake Union (Cheshihud) Loop. You can also catch a glimpse into some of the cute treatments certain floating homes get from their owners.

This floating back deck for instance is in the moorage where you might usually find a boat, but the savvy owners have decided that adding outdoor space might better serve their life afloat.

(I love little Seattle houseboat details like this)

What kind of details do you have that are unique for your life afloat in Seattle?

Seattle Afloat: It is great seeing all the differences in each floating home: Little peep holes to see if the store is open or liquor hatches in the floats left over from prohibition. Tiny cubbies fitted with hinges in the stair case to make use of any dead spaces for storage.

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Eastlake Floating Homes: A Few Reasons Why I Love Eastlake

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:22:43 -0600

Eastlake Floating Homes: A Few Reasons Why I Love Eastlake

Eastlake is a small sliver of heaven in Seattle! Even though it hugs I-5 there are great big sound barrier walls that make it a tiny little village right in the city. A quick ride into South Lake Union or Downtown Seattle make it easy to see why this is such a great place to live. It is a small laid back neighborhood which happens to be right in the middle of it all!

Eastlake offers some amazing single family, condo, and townhouse type homes, but the shoreline is all about life afloat in Seattle floating homes. These historical homes line the shore and their docks and offer a great peaceful setting while still being close to the action.

Want to see Eastlake homes for sale?

Eastlake Townhomes

Eastlake real estate

Seattle houseboats

Eastlake Seattle condos including Harbor Pointe

Come enjoy great places like Louisa's, Pete's, and trails like the Lake Union Loop (Cheshiahud), and more - Eastlake is a wonderful sliver in Seattle!

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Roanoke Reef Floating Homes: Primo Seattle Houseboats

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:49:40 -0600

Roanoke Reef Floating Homes: Primo Seattle Houseboats - out in the rain today previewing a couple Roanoke Reef houseboats on the market and also meeting an appraiser. By the end of the afternoon, I was soaked!

Roanoke Reef is a great Seattle houseboat community and the floating homes here are top of the line for size and amenities - Buying a Seattle floating home in this Eastlake community means buying via condo ownership for the dock with your own submerged land (fee simple ownership). It also means you get a gated entrance and parking.

Roanoke Reef floating homes have a lot to offer. The dock is well maintained and all the homes are newer than other historical houseboat docks.

Additional info -

Seattle houseboats for sale

Eastlake real estate

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

2764 Westlake Ave N # D, Seattle Floating Home Just Listed!

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:43:30 -0600

2764 Westlake Ave N # D, Seattle Floating Home Just Listed!

$365,500 with co-op owned moorage

Really adorable Historic Seattle Houseboat D: Want a Seattle floating home? Enjoy life on Lake Union in this great floating home circa 1910 but with great updates through the years. This is one of the originals! Log foundation with newer roof and deck on co-op owned moorage dock!

Sleeping loft, large kitchen, plus additional den/office to the back, this floating home has vaulted ceilings, skylights, and more! Great condo alternative for in city living with flair. Cats ok and dogs ok with co-op approval. Low dues cover almost everything you need!

Just steps from Fremont at the base of Queen Anne along Westlake Ave N, this is the perfect location for easy access to Downtown Seattle, Queen Anne, Fremont, and more and right on the Cheshiahud Loop (Lake Union Loop) with quick access to all the other walking and cycling trails and paths that intersect right in that area!

Throw your kayak in at the end of the dock and enjoy life afloat in Lake Union!

Want more info?

2764 Westlake Ave N Floating home for sale

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Life Afloat in Lake Union - Houseboat Eats

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:59:16 -0600

SeattleAfloat.com: Seattle houseboat blog with lots of great info about floating homes on Lake Union and life in the ultimate Seattle waterfront way to live: Seattle houseboats

HouseboatEats.com I love this great website - what a wonderful idea and there are so many amazing recipes on here created in their tiny little Seattle houseboat kitchen:) Just check them out! Talley and Beryl are so cute and the dishes created and written about are truly inspiring.

I think they might have a lot of cats for one floating home, but that is my own personal opinion - doesn't seem to make their quality of life go down at all!

http://www.houseboateats.com

Great job, you guys!

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Seattle Floating Homes Are Tops For Seattle Waterfront Homes

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:04:57 -0600

Seattle houseboats: Seattle floating homes are the ultimate in Seattle waterfront property - Seattle houseboat inventory has been low lately - obviously a change in season has something to do with the fact that there are not that many houseboats for sale right now, but the interest in these floating homes is still going strong.

Lake Union Houseboats: And why shouldn't it be? Seattle has some beautiful waterfront properties all around the Puget Sound, but none are so perfect as a houseboat.

Seattle houseboats are the ultimate in waterfront living and Lake Union is the heart of the city. Whether you are on the Eastlake, Southlake, Westlake, or Northlake side or in Portage Bay, Seattle floating homes offer an oasis for the waterfront lifestyle.

Seattle houseboat real estate market: If you are thinking about selling your Seattle floating home for some reason, please let us know as there are a ton of interested parties and not a lot of Seattle houseboat to go around! You can see what I mean by checking out the slim pickings available right now:

Seattle houseboats for sale

In the mean time, stay warm and please have a safe and Happy New Year!

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Seattle's Ultimate Waterfront Home is a Floating Home!

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:46:32 -0600

Seattle Houseboats: Looking for a Seattle floating home to live in?

Houseboats in Seattle are a great waterfront choice because what could be better than living on the water?

Seattle houseboat inventory is low right now and there are buyers out there looking to enter into this unique waterfront Seattle lifestyle - they are searching for Seattle houseboats for sale.

Thinking about selling your floating home but wondering how the Seattle real estate market is affecting your value?

If you have a Lake Union or Portage Bay floating home right now might be a great time to put it on the market! Seattle houseboats weren't that affected by the the real estate market softening as they have always required strong buyers and solid financing. Although there have been some houseboat foreclosures recently, most of the floating homes around Seattle were not financed on shaky ground. Let us know if you need help...

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Yesterdays Weren't Always The Best Times

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:16:40 -0600

Historical Seattle Houseboats:

Seattle houseboats were born of a brilliant cheap housing for people who could scavenge extra logs for floats. It was economical housing at its best. Although that isn't necessarily the case anymore, it is important to recognize our roots in any situation!

Here is a great reminder of Seattle floating homes roots:

This picture was taken in the early 1950's but it is a good example of early houseboats.

Picture is courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives item # 45982

Are you interested in Seattle floating homes? Seattle has lots of waterfront real estate, but houseboats are a favorite and there are only a little over 500 of them left.

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Seattle Houseboats: Creative & Part Of Nature

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:23:36 -0600

Seattle houseboat living is one of the most unique in Seattle:

Are you a creative person looking for your perfect Seattle waterfront nest?

As we go into the snowy winter this year, I wanted to share one of my favorite houseboat shots from this summer:

The "Duck Lodge" floating raft is located on one of the Eastlake Seattle floating home docks and a great way to welcome in Seattle's nature. This creative Seattle houseboater has made a duck house instead of a dog house on a floating raft attached to the float the home is on.

Lake Union Houseboats: Living close to nature!

Ducks aren't the only nature a Seattle houseboat owner co-exists with. Lake Union is a working lake with fish and fowl everywhere.Here is a peaceful guy. For being right in the middle of the city, the banks of Eastlake are incredibly peaceful and a great place to land for Seattle waterfront homes!

Seattle Houseboats Big Force In Keeping Lake Union Clean

In what seems like thinly veiled political agendas, the Seattle houseboat community has long been targeted as being potentially harmful environmentally over the years. The truth of the matter is that Seattle houseboat owners have been a major force in cleaning up Lake Union so that we all can enjoy it. One of the requirements for living on a floating home successfully is a fondness and care for the environment.

Seattle houseboats: if you are interested in learning more about Seattle houseboats including floating homes or other Seattle waterfront living, please let us know. We are happy to help you find your perfect spot!

SeattleAfloat.com

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948

Current Seattle Houseboats For Sale

Courtney Cooper (Seattle Real Estate: Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:03:06 -0600

Have you seen the current Seattle houseboats for sale right now? There is a pretty good mix of Seattle houseboats on the market right now including floating homes and even some vessels. It was beautiful in Seattle today, but I imagine that the coming winter weather will have everyone snuggling up to their fireplaces. Houseboats are surprisingly efficient for keeping warm if they have been properly weatherized.

Winter Seattle Houseboats: Maybe you might want to cozy up in one? Cozy is the word for most of them as lack of space has always been the recurrent theme for houseboaters. This is not always the case, though. There are many quite spacious houseboats. Some with concrete floats even have basements.

Seattle houseboats for sale right now include a $2,490,000 beauty with extra moorage - a lot of extra moorage (50% interest in 9 slips) for extra income potential as well as an unheard of garage - on Portage Bay. On the higher end of floating homes right now, there s also an Eastlake houseboat for $1,850,000 right in the heart of Lake Union. The Eastlake floating home available for $1.2M is pending. Bumping down in price, there is one just a couple in from the end with an awesome adjoining floating attached dock in its moorage spot for $799,950. It recently had its stringers replaced according to the listing agent. So just two in Eastlake right now and none in Westlake.

Do you own a Seattle floating home in Eastlake or Westlake and are interested in seeing what your home might be worth in this market? Even going into the "slow" season, I can tell you that there is great demand for Westlake floating homes and Eastlake floating homes! Let us know if you have one! If you are interested in buying a Seattle floating home or finding out what it takes to live on a houseboat, please get in touch with us. We are happy to give you lots of info and also can put you on a list to be first to get our alerts for any new Seattle floating home listings.

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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948