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
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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948
Courtney, the Seattle waterfront is a very cool place to be. The homes you've described look like they'd be much more comfortable than just living on a boat! John (I knew some folks that lived on their 36' sailboat moored on Lake Union and it got very cramped, very fast!)
Ya, it is pretty amazing - there is one on the market right now that is newer and 3000 square feet - very cool, but way too big for me personally:)
Hi Courtney ~ Now that's some unusual real estate for sure! I love the idea of houseboats but don't think I've ever been on one and rarely see any around here. Very cool.
Liz
Hi Liz - They have a long and sorted history here, but they have such an amazing historical significance for Seattle, that they better be here forever:) I hope you get a chance to stop in and see one if you are ever in Seattle.