Estates Northwest: Seattle Real Estate Blog

Seattle Houseboats:  Looking for a 2009 Seattle floating home update?  Houseboats in Seattle have actually sold pretty well this year.  Seattle's floating homes have weathered much of the lending issues associated with other homes because they have always been tricky for financing - requiring more money down, etc.  Despite this fact, there have been some very affordable floating homes in the Seattle real estate market this year.

Seattle Houseboats:  Current Numbers:  According to the numbers I just pulled out of the MLS, there are 18 Active Listings for Seattle houseboats.  Not all of these are floating homes, though.  Seattle houseboats is a broad term used to generally describe vessels, barges, and floating homes. Seattle floating homes are the only true residential category here. The active houseboat listings range in price from $60,000 for a vessel to $2,490,000 for an elaborate floating home.  The average price is $515,211 and the median is $349,450.  The average days on market for these is 157 days.  There are some nice choices in both Lake Union floating homes and Portage Bay.

You can find active Seattle houseboat listings here:

Seattle Houseboats

There are 5 Pending houseboats for sale right now in Seattle.  These range in list price from $149,000 to $2,200,000 with a median of $795,000 and average days on market of 116 days.

Seattle houseboats sold in the last six months: 14 of them!  They range from $48,000 - again for a vessel to $1,350,000 for a floating home (these are the final sales prices).  The average sales price was $550,175 and the median was $491,750.  The average days on market for these houseboats that sold was 87 days!

Are you interested in buying a Seattle houseboat?  We are happy to show you around some of our favorite neighborhoods in Seattle!

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  

Floating homes on Lake Union - one of my favorite Seattle real estate options!  What better way to live in a Seattle waterfront home  - truly waterfront here on all sides, but also be close to everything going on in the city?  Lake Union, to me, is one of the most central areas right in Seattle and a great place to be for proximity to pretty much all that Puget Sound has to offer.  Of course there is Downtown Seattle, too, but living on Lake Union in one of the gorgeous floating homes is so much more appealing to many.  Residents on the lake enjoy Downtown at their doorstep via the streetcar, Seattle Center, the newly developed Lake Union Park, quick access to I-5 and 520 or I-90 for commuting in all directions, easy ferry access, Seattle Center, and more!

The Lake Union floating homes in Seattle are a different kind of real estate simply because they float and it is important to talk to a Realtor who knows the difference between a houseboat, vessel, and floating home.  While the terms houseboat and floating home are used interchangeably, they are two very different things, and a Seattle floating home is the best and closest form of living on the water to traditional Seattle real estate.  A true Seattle floating home will be in the higher price range of the houseboats offered for sale, but offers the most secure investment real estate wise in most cases. 

There are many Lake Union floating homes that are offered for sale through the year, but less choices overall than traditional Seattle real estate.  This is because there are only around 500 floating homes in Seattle and people who choose this lifestyle tend to stick to their docks.  The lifestyle isn't for everyone.  There are pluses and minuses and the biggest concern for most prospective houseboat buyers is the lack of space to stretch out or store your stuff.  These homes usually are pretty tight quarters, although I have seen some amazingly spacious ones recently!  Floating homes owners tend to be very creative people both with space and decorating or gardening.  I was recently in a floating home in Eastlake that had hinges on each stair going upstairs so that the steps could open up for storage.  The dock gardening that goes on here is jaw dropping!  This is container gardening to a new level and I love peeking at all the decor!

If you are looking for a different kind of Seattle real estate, then Lake Union floating homes might be a good choice for you!  There are also some great floating homes on Portage Bay, but for Lake Union floating homes look to Seattle neighborhoods like Eastlake & Westlake first and then also over to Queen Anne and Wallingford for vessels.  Make sure and check out Portage Bay homes, and Boat Street over in the U-District has a few great docks!  Either way, what a great way to live the Seattle dream!

Are you interested in Seattle Floating Homes?

Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services 206-251-5948

We like to go out and get lots of pictures of Seattle whenever we are showing homes - here is a great shot from a recent Seattle floating homes tour we did for a wonderful couple.  It is a picture of Westlake towards the houseboat community there (Westlake is the floating home community that the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat is in) with Queen Anne in the background.  The picture was taken from Eastlake on the banks of Lake Union looking through some houseboats on the East side of the lake. 

Interested in Seattle real estate?  Westlake Real Estate? Queen Anne Real Estate?  Eastlake Real Estate?

Interested in a unique Seattle waterfront living arrangement? 

I have gotten a lot of email requests for Seattle houseboat listings lately and the fact of the matter is there are not that many Seattle houseboats for sale right now!  The movie Sleepless in Seattle did a number on the popularity of these beautiful homes (as in EVERYONE wanted one!!!) , but I have to admit to always loving them.  I have close friends that live on houseboats and I truly enjoy my visits!  I always leave reluctantly and wanting to move right away to this amazing lifestyle right in the heart of Seattle!  But alas, my three children and giant Newfoundland dogs truly prevent me moving to a houseboat at this point in my life....Someday.

Keeping my eye on the houseboats...

In the mean time I keep my eye on what comes up on the market and try and share the info with what ever buyers I think might like this kind of lifestyle - Seattle waterfront living at its best in my opinion minus any kind of privacy.  The houseboat docks are close knit and each house boat is snuggled up nicely to the next with a small walkway type deck or larger ones in some cases.  Container gardening is taken to new heights and I consider houseboat residents to be among the very best gardeners despite their lack of dirt. 

Pluses and minuses with houseboat living...

I mean can you imagine no yard or garage?  Kayaking to work across the lake if you are lucky? Pulling your kayak or canoe right up to your house and tying it off? Watching seaplanes from your home right overhead? Even with these fantastic benefits, though, these houseboats are often hard to come by and the space inside them is quite limited as far as storage goes.  Every nook and cranny should be utilized perfectly!

Yes I love houseboats!  One of my very favorite memories of an open house was on a Seattle houseboat in Eastlake  - I ended up showing another houseboat to a buyer and actually dropped the key into Lake Union!  The listing agent was furious with me, but it just bounced right out of the key box and they had not bothered to add a clever float key chain to prevent such a mishap!

If you are interested in Seattle real estate, I am happy to answer your questions!

Interested in a unique Seattle waterfront living arrangement? 

I have gotten a lot of email requests for Seattle houseboat listings lately and the fact of the matter is there are not that many Seattle houseboats for sale right now!  The movie Sleepless in Seattle did a number on the popularity of these beautiful homes (as in EVERYONE wanted one!!!) , but I have to admit to always loving them.  I have close friends that live on houseboats and I truly enjoy my visits!  I always leave reluctantly and wanting to move right away to this amazing lifestyle right in the heart of Seattle!  But alas, my three children and giant Newfoundland dogs truly prevent me moving to a houseboat at this point in my life....Someday.

Keeping my eye on the houseboats...

In the mean time I keep my eye on what comes up on the market and try and share the info with what ever buyers I think might like this kind of lifestyle - Seattle waterfront living at its best in my opinion minus any kind of privacy.  The houseboat docks are close knit and each house boat is snuggled up nicely to the next with a small walkway type deck or larger ones in some cases.  Container gardening is taken to new heights and I consider houseboat residents to be among the very best gardeners despite their lack of dirt. 

Pluses and minuses with houseboat living...

I mean can you imagine no yard or garage?  Kayaking to work across the lake if you are lucky? Pulling your kayak or canoe right up to your house and tying it off? Watching seaplanes from your home right overhead? Even with these fantastic benefits, though, these houseboats are often hard to come by and the space inside them is quite limited as far as storage goes.  Every nook and cranny should be utilized perfectly!

Yes I love houseboats!  One of my very favorite memories of an open house was on a Seattle houseboat in Eastlake  - I ended up showing another houseboat to a buyer and actually dropped the key into Lake Union!  The listing agent was furious with me, but it just bounced right out of the key box and they had not bothered to add a clever float key chain to prevent such a mishap!

If you are interested in more info on Seattle Floating Homes or other Seattle real estate, I am happy to answer your questions!

Blogging about a celebrity houseboat - not a celebrity's, but a celebrity.... hmmm

not my listing, but yes the house that Tom Hanks stepped foot in is listed!

http://www.zillowblog.com/sleepless-in-seattle-houseboat-for-sale/2008/04/

Apparently, it is also our breaking news around Seattle!

Does the fact that it is the house that parts of Sleepless In Seattle was filmed in make a difference?  Does the fact that Tom Hanks was here really make it over two million?  It is definitely one of the very best houseboats out there, and what a great spot on Lake Union in Westlake.

Want more info on Seattle houseboats?