Looking for your perfect Seattle floating home to live the most amazing lifestyle in this city?
The Seattle houseboats market is finally heating up and inventory has loosened up enough that buyers are having choices, but at the same time these Seattle floating homes for sale that are on the market are getting more serious looks. Let’s look at what’s going on. There are nine Seattle floating homes on the market ranging in price from $850,000 to $3,499,000. The median price for the current offerings is $1,795,000 so there is definitely a shortage of the lower to medium end floating homes for sale. In fact the only floating home for sale on Lake Union currently that is under a million dollars is not in an owned slip. All other eight floating homes for sale are in a condo or co-op dock and have secured moorage ownership. Five of the nine floating homes for sale are in Eastlake and on Fairview Ave E. The remaining listings are in Lake Union’s Eastern arm, Portage Bay, which has become a hot commodity in recent years.
Featured Seattle Floating Homes For Sale:
We are full service Seattle floating homes specialists. We can help you navigate the process of purchasing a floating home and help educate you on all the ins and outs of them. We are happy to show you these and others on the market – no matter who they are listed with. We also have our finger on the pulse and know what’s coming on the market. I live and work in this community and I love it. I am a Floating Homes Association board member and give back. Call us and we can show you our favorites: 206-850-8841
2017 Fairview Ave E #N: 2 Bedrooms, 1.5 bath $1,795,000
Step aboard your newly remodeled floating home in Eastlake. Gorgeous kitchen includes granite counter tops, new cabinets, under counter refrigerator, and warm your toes on the heated Travertine floors. Or opt to use your outdoor grill while soaking up the sun and views. In the lower level, a comfortable master bedroom with ample closets, a cozy fireplace, and access to the lake from your deck. Second bedroom plus bonus room. Walk to Serafina, SLU, Essential Bakery, Pete’s Market.
3146 Portage Bay Pl E #G: 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths $1,999,000
Beautifully designed by Prentiss Architecture, this new floating home expands over 1,980 square feet of luxury. Handsome cedar on the exterior and warmth from radiant heat inside. Black honed soapstone kitchen counters compliment custom cherry cabinets with energy efficient stainless steel appliances. Gorgeous Maple hardwood floors unite the open concept floor plan. Loewe windows + nano doors to bring the outdoors in. Category 5 wiring. Seattle waterfront at it’s finest.
2822 Boyer Ave E #2: 3 bedrooms, 1.75 baths $2,350,000
Luxury high end 3 BR smart home floating paradise w/ rooftop deck. Automated lighting, Lutron shades, sec cams, 10-zone audio, more w/ touch pad controls throughout house & remote access. Decks on 3 levels. Exotic zebra hrdwd, Pedini Italian cabinets, underlit glass molded cast glass staircase + 6 antique operable brass portholes frm an English luxury liner. Upscale kitchen w/ Bosch and Gagganau + outside Lynx BBQ cooking area. Solar powered boat lift. Parking, Moorage, Low Dues,Great location!
We look forward to hearing from you soon! – Courtney Cooper 206-850-8841 courtney@cooperjacobs.com
The last of the 3 Seattle Floating home slips available at Stillwater Landing. All permits are issued and this is ready to build. On beautiful Portage Bay, this home site includes 1 car designated parking in a newly constructed garage with a 50 amp car charger outlet and a 24’ designated boat moorage slip along a newly built finger pier adjacent to the home.
The upper floor living area offers outstanding views of the Montlake Cut, Seattle Yacht Club, UW, and all the water and mountain views of Portage Bay. Plenty of open water and distance between each home. A truly exceptional architectural plan with 3 floors and approx. 2,600 sq ft of living space.
Reach out and let us know if you are interested in this rare opportunity. Courtney Cooper 206-850-8841 stillwater@cooperjacobs.com
Seattle Floating Homes For Sale: This One Just Released!
If you are looking for the ultimate in Seattle new construction, then look no further than the waterfront living of this beautiful Seattle floating home!
3 Bedrooms
2.5 Bath
Condo owned dock (the most secure way to own a Seattle floating home)
Brand New and Never Lived In!
1980 Square Feet
Roof top deck
Deeded Parking Space and Storage
Gorgeous grounds
Beautifully designed by Prentiss Architecture, this new floating home expands over 1,980 square feet of luxury. Handsome cedar on the exterior and warmth from radiant heat inside. Black honed soapstone kitchen counters compliment custom cherry cabinets with energy efficient stainless steel appliances. Gorgeous Maple hardwood floors unite the open concept floor plan. Loewe windows + nano doors to bring the outdoors in. Category 5 wiring. Seattle waterfront at it’s finest. $2,100,000
Call Courtney Cooper for more information on this fabulous place: 206-850-8841 houseboats@cooperjacobs.com We are Seattle Houseboats Experts and specialize in Seattle Waterfront Living.
Two Seattle Floating Homes For Sale are open this weekend! Mark your calendars to come see two spectacular Seattle floating homes. For directions or details please call or text us. We can also tour you privately if you want to see it sooner: houseboats@cooperjacobs.com
Saturday
Where: 2339 Fairview Ave E #O
When: 1-4 PM
Rare three bedroom Seattle floating home in Seattle’s sought after Eastlake neighborhood! Second from end of the dock with room for your boat! This beauty was largely redone in 2010 and has captivating views of all the action on Lake Union. Large picture windows and thoughtful details make this the picture perfect home and a perfect spot afloat to enjoy the iconic Seattle houseboats lifestyle.
Dreaming of living on the water just got real. True attention is in the harmonious details and contrast of natural southwest exposure filling a marvelous open floor plan. Three bdrms, two baths w/ heated floors accompanies the vaulted ceilings. Exquisite custom staircase to the roof top deck and en suite. Swanky clad exterior siding showcases a NW Contemporary twist coupled with custom hot dip galvanized steel cables & IPE decking. Water, sun, moorage, views – let the vacation continue! $2,250,000
Sunday
Where: 3146 Portage Bay Pl E #J
When: 1-4 PM
Seattle new construction floating homes? Yes! This one is in Portage Bay and is sleek and modern and offers extreme views and a ton of outdoor space!
Be the first to own a new construction Seattle floating home on a great condo owned dock. This beautiful custom designed home by Prentiss+Balance+Wickline marvels in walnut hardwood floors throughout the 1580 square feet of luxury. Four decks to entertain or soak up the sun. The reverse floor plan maximizes views and light in a 360 fashion. A chef’s kitchen makes it fun to entertain and cook. Timeless Ceasarstone counter tops & custom cabinetry. Spectacular roof top deck for more outdoor space. $1.995,000
We are excited to hear about your Seattle houseboats needs and happy to show you these and the other floating homes on the lake. Again, for directions or additional details on these or other homes for sale please call or text us. We can also tour you privately if you want to see it sooner: 206-850-8841 or houseboats@cooperjacobs.com – Courtney Cooper
Welcome home to the condominium owned dock at Portage Bay Place – 3146 Portage Bay Pl E #J is a beautiful new construction Seattle floating home on a condo owned dock. Seattle Houseboats Living on Lake Union’s Portage Bay. Portage Bay is Lake Union’s east arm and connects Lake Union to Lake Washington’s Union Bay. It’s an interesting location because it offers both a peaceful setting and also a great spot to watch the boat parade on their way back and forth between the two lakes. Seaplanes take off here, too!
Check the things off your list:
3 bedrooms
2.5 baths
almost 1600 square feet
roof top deck
parking
condo dock
Be the first to own a new construction floating home on a great condo owned dock. This beautiful custom designed home by Prentiss+Balance+Wickline marvels in walnut hardwood floors throughout the 1580 square feet of luxury.
Four decks to entertain or soak up the sun. The reverse floor plan maximizes views and light in a 360 fashion. A chef’s kitchen makes it fun to entertain and cook. Timeless Ceasarstone counter tops & custom cabinetry. Spectacular roof top deck for more outdoor space.
Westlake is an extremely special Seattle floating homes community in Lake Union. Every corner of this Westlake floating home is thoughtful and well designed. Westlake floating homes rarely become available for sale and this one is a jewel in Lake Union. Located right on the Cheshiahud Loop with a quick commute to Downtown Seattle or South Lake Union, this is an ideal place to call home and truly live the most amazing Seattle waterfront lifestyle available.
Marketing Remarks From the MLS listing for this Seattle Floating Home:
2420 Westlake Ave N #12 Near the end of this private dock sits an amazing floating home built to perfection. The aged steel and cedar siding accentuates its rugged exterior; while inside the heated radiant concrete floors give way to warm teak casework and dancing walls of natural light. Enjoy cooking in your top of the line kitchen including gas cooktop and sleek eat-in kitchen island. For those entertainers, head on up to the massive rooftop deck and gas fire pit to admire the forever changing views of Lake Union. $2,250,000 houseboats@cooperjacobs.com
Highly sought after Wards Cove is an exclusive gated luxury floating home community in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood.
No need to settle or downsize to take advantage of this quintessential Seattle waterfront lifestyle because this home has it all. Miele appliances, Quartz counter tops, Italian Sandstone floors, Italian cabinetry, more. Aside from the thoughtful details and sleek upscale finish work, enjoy the roof top deck, secured parking, and moorage for your companion boat. $3,200,000
Courtney Cooper 206-850-8841 Courtney@CooperJacobs.com
A lot can change in a week. One moved through the Ballard Locks into its new permanent home, One back to Active status in the MLS, one went pending in the MLS and a BIG one just hit the market!
These homes range in price from $750,000 to $3,295,000 for an ultra luxury floating home at Wards Cove. (Remember also that these are theSeattle houseboats that are in the Seattle floating homes category only and do not include other Seattle floating on-water residences.)
Pending Seattle Floating Homes:
These include houseboats that are pending in the MLS under Pending, Pending Inspection, and Pending Feasibility. There are FOUR Seattle floating homes that are currently marked as pending and waiting to close in escrow. These include homes on the Mallard Cove dock, Log Foundation, and The Lake Union and range in price from $499,500 for the pending feasibility listing to $1,395,000 for the beauty at Mallard Cove.
Seattle Floating Homes that have sold in the last 60 days through the MLS –
There have been three Seattle houseboats in this category which have closed in escrow in the last sixty days.
2420 Westlake Ave N #7 we listed this one – pretty great place in Westlake.
2017 Fairview Ave E #K This is on the Log Foundation Dock
You can see full details of these floating homes on the listing sheets here: Seattle houseboats sold 10022015 If you are interested in looking at the various dollar per square foot and market time, then here is an overall market sheet to look at the differences in these numbers: Seattle Floating Homes Market 10022015 Please let us know if you are interested in learning more about Seattle floating homes. We are Seattle houseboats Realtors and love what we do!
OH! I almost forgot the fun part! For years we have been asked about the burned up houseboat in Eastlake and whether or not the owner will sell it. The answer was always no because we knew they were having their dream floating home built in Canada to replace the burned up one in the exact footprint. It happened this last week! Seattle’s newest floating home was floated right through The Ballard Locks and put in place on one of the more perfect days in Seattle. The Locks posted a picture on Facebook.
Colorful Seattle Houseboats History on The Log Foundation docks of Eastlake in 2014. Image courtesy of Cooper Jacobs Real Estate.
Seattle Houseboats History Has A “Colorful” Background & Entrepreneurial Spirit Transcends Time…
To look at all the colorful and cheery Lake Union floating homes today is to never know how truly Seattle houseboats history is. Seattle floating homes are a living and evolving part of Seattle’s history. From their humble beginnings over a hundred years ago as floating shanties compiled of pillaged lumber, it is amazing to see that some sell for over $3 Million dollars in today’s real estate market.
Seattle houseboats were originally built in two different ways. Either the worker would utilize his commuting work boat and build living quarters above it, or they would gather “loose” logs and raft them together to build a completely free floating structure. It was an inexpensive way of living and was tax free on top of it.
Map of Seattle houseboats along shores of Madison Park. Image Courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives Item #944
At the peak, the Seattle floating homes community was as large as two thousand houseboats lining the shores of the city in various locations which even included Madison Park in Lake Washington. The residents of the surrounding Seattle neighborhoods reportedly snubbed them and looked down at this way of life. They apparently felt that it was beneath their standards and so began the struggle of Seattle houseboats to Stay Afloat In Seattle™. Today there are around 500 Seattle floating homes and probably another two or three hundred liveaboards that are officially newly categorized as Seattle Floating On-Water Residences (final count once all have registered themselves in the latest legislation). The latest Seattle floating home dock was a new construction floating home development called Ward’s Cove. Very specific requirements need to be in place in order to develop new construction Seattle floating homes, so it is next to impossible to do so.
If The City Historically Wanted Them Gone, Why Did They Allow Docks To Begin With?
Here is a view towards Downtown from the South slope of Denny Hill in 1886 (photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives Item # 2869)
The short answer is The University of Washington. Wait. What? The long answer is that Seattle has a very long history of making some incredibly hairbrained decisions as far as infrastructure goes. A perfect example (and my apologies for going off subject here for a minute, but….) The Denny Regrade: The hill is too big? Scrape it into the Puget Sound.In 1900, the city decided to basically eliminate a whole hill which covered 62 city blocks. Denny Hill was a significantly beautiful hill in Seattle. It had a gorgeous crowned jewel of a hotel atop it that was so grand that even President Theodore Roosevelt stayed there! It had an old cemetery and a beautiful park on it with expansivel views in all directions. In all, they removed a reported six million cubic yards of earth.
Connecting the dots: What does this all have to do with Seattle houseboats and The University of Washington? Let’s go backwards. The modern day campus of The University of Washington was largely laid out and shaped by The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition of 1909. In 1907 the city of Seattle platted and sold the submerged “parcels” in Lake Union to the adjacent waterfront property land owners. This enabled docks to be built and Seattle houseboats to be moored to them. According to The Lake Union Mail on an article about Submerged Parcels Park on the Cheshiahud Loop, “The “Lake Union Shore Lands” were created in 1907 as a funding mechanism for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (S.B. #101). Water extending from shore approximately one block (roughly 400 feet) was platted as buildable land, then sold. These parcels didn’t sink, they started sunk. And they were considered valuable.” Now you know how a World’s Fair, Denny Hill, The University of Washington, and Seattle Houseboats are related.
While replacing the carpet for one of our Seattle historic houseboat listings in 2010, we found an old booze hatch left over from Prohibition days. Image Courtesy of Courtney Cooper.
More Shady Past on The Lake: Life Afloat In Seattle℠: You Want To Stay Dry, Except When It Comes To Your Drink…..
Creativity has always been a strong characteristic of the Seattle floating homes community. This was never so true as during the prohibition era. According to the 1996 article by Sharon Boswell in The Seattle Times, “But for those who couldn’t afford the pleasures of Doc’s or one of the hundreds of other boozy night spots and music clubs along Jackson Street, in Belltown or even on Lake Union houseboats, there was always a bottle of locally produced bootleg available to consume in the privacy of home.” If floating homes seem like an unlikely place to get your alcohol fix then consider thatIn his highly acclaimed book,“Seattle’s Unsinkable Houseboats”, Howard Droker tells the story of a very enterprising entrepreneur who along with the cedar bark he sold off his boat, also sold smuggled Canadian liquor.
It’s absolutely true. If you take a peek under carpets of older floating homes you will see the leftover evidence of the Prohibition era and how crafty houseboaters were able to not stay dry. Many of them have hidden trap doors under the floor that were used for storing alcohol. At one point in time there were regular “rum run” routes such as the one Droker writes about which would make their rounds delivering to Lake Union floating homes. These booze hatches were ingenious and stored between the floating logs with a wire cage so that the waters of the lake itself could keep the liquor cold and well hidden. According to HistoryLink.org, The Seattle Times noted at one point that in regard to those wild times, “Some of the stories behind the houseboat population are as colorful as anything that ever came out of Seattle’s history, but respect for another’s privacy and past is an unspoken code on the lake.”
This historic Seattle houseboat was once used as a floating dance hall. It is for sale today for $697,000. Listed by Cooper Jacobs Real Estate.
Seattle Houseboats Are Still Afloat & Strong Today
Go experience their magic – Take a kayak tour through Lake Union and Portage Bay where you will find what is left of the Seattle floating homes community. Take a walk around Lake Union on the Cheshiahud Loop. Lake Union is the very heart of the city. Try and imagine the colorful past as you look at the beauty and creativeness which is so abundant today. This is a living and breathing Seattle neighborhood, but also a significant part of Northwest history. It is as vibrant as the wonderful people who live in it. I am so thankful to have known so many of them and appreciate how they have enriched my life so far. Please also take a minute and donate to the Seattle Floating Homes Association if you can.
Want more information on Seattle houseboats?
We are happy to help! Please call Courtney. We are Seattle Houseboats Experts ℠, and have been Seattle Realtors specializing in floating homes and waterfront for many years. We look forward to helping you find your piece of Lake Union.
We called it! The Seattle Houseboats market has heated up and Memorial Day weekend was proof of that. We sold three Seattle floating homes over the weekend and we know of at least one other on the lake that went under contract. There are only FOUR Seattle floating homes available for sale at the moment.
Price Range Matters At The Moment-
All four Seattle houseboats that went under contract during the weekend were in the $700,000 and $800,000 range, leaving three lower priced floating homes on the market one million dollar plus floating home in Roanoke Reef.
Additionally, the last slip in Lake Union’s new construction floating home community of Wards Cove is also pending feasibility, so inventory got tighter very quickly.
We do know of at least one other Seattle floating home coming on soon so stay tuned.
Please let us know if you are thinking of selling – it is a good window of opportunity! houseboats@CooperJacobs.com 206.850.8841
Seattle floating homes – what’s for sale right now…
There is only one in each Portage Bay, Eastlake, and Westlake and all three are under $500,000. There is a serious shortage of inventory on Lake Union and Portage Bay in the Seattle floating home world. In addition to the three Seattle floating homes for sale currently, there is also one slip left at Ward’s Cove if you want to go big and build your very own custom New Construction houseboat. There is a cap on how big you can go square footage wise at Ward’s Cove, but the dock is supreme and the floating homes that have been constructed so far have made the most of the limitations and are quite beautifully constructed. It is an intelligently planned community and a great design overall.
If you have been thinking about selling but are sure that right now is not the time to put your houseboat on the market, then you should call or email us and we can show you the historical market trends and why right now is actually better than in the spring or summer. We have a backlog of qualified buyers who have been looking for additional properties. To illustrate this, we just sold two of our Seattle floating homes listings – one of us representing the seller, and the other representing the buyer to meet for a successful close.
You can reach out to us anytime – Call, text, or email.Courtney Cooper 206-850-8841 courtney@cooperjacobs.com
We specialize in Seattle floating homes and would love to talk to you about what we can do for you and how we are different. We also have a couple Staging specials going on right now until January 15th for our listings so ask for details on that (or we will just tell you if you forget). We look forward to talking to you!
Spring in Seattle has sprung and the Cooper Jacobs office is ringing with inqueries for space on Lake Union. Recent sales of moorage slips are in the range of $75,000 to $125,000 for slips around the lake excluding Wards Cove. Due to the lack of inventory prices have remained strong and even appear to be increasing from the data we look at.
Wards Cove Listings are the newest slips available on Lake Union and could be some of the last to ever be developed. There are only a few out of the original twelve available. A slip at Wards Cove sold on December 28, 2011 which was listed for $885,000 and SOLD for $850,000. Another was listed for $850,000 and SOLD for $682,000 in July 2011. One listed for sale at $735,000 SOLD for $685,000 on October 25, 2011. Houseboats on Lake Union and Portage Bay are two of Seattle’s strongest real estate markets. More houseboats are being designed and built for Wards Cove and the remaining slips are going quickly so don’t miss the boat! I personally see more and more Seattle houseboats around Lake Union being completely renovated. This is not only good for the local economy like the contractors, suppliers and banks lending the money but also a significant indication that these property values are holding strong.
Cooper Jacobs has a Westlake floating home coming on the market soon and if you want a sneak peak email Courtney at courtney@cooperjacobs.com or conatct her at 206/850-8841 to schedule a tour. It’s a great time to be in the know so if you want an evaluation of your property call Courtney Cooper. Recently, across ‘the pond’ from Wards Cove there was a slip at Gas Works Park Marina that was listed for sale by another real estate agency at $75,000 and sold for $70,000 in 16 days which in our opinion was underpriced. Don’t miss out!
It seems pretty obvious to most of us where they are, but we are local and people outside of Seattle really don’t know. Many out of state visitors come here only with the Sleepless In Seattle frame of reference for where Seattle houseboats actually are in Seattle. Any Seattle local who has seen this 1993 Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie (which I affectionately call the STALKER movie) knows that when Tom sets out in his little row boat from his Lake Union houseboat, he won’t end up in the Puget Sound at Alki any time soon.
It is important to first know that Seattle houseboats used to be a lot more prevalent in the city even being in Lake Washington along the shores of Madison Park just to name one spot, but also along the Duwamish River down in the South Park area. Over the last 100 years they have dwindled for various reasons which is probably a good idea for me to write a series of at least 10 posts. The city has gone from thousands of floating homes and shacks to a little over 500 in present day. These 500 or so surviving Seattle floating homes (and some new construction) are located on Lake Union and Portage bay in various locations.
Here is a handy map of the Seattle Floating Homes –
Let me know if you are interested in checking out Seattle’s floating homes neighborhoods and learning more about the different types of dock ownerships, etc.
Brand New Construction Seattle Floating Home Going In On Fairview Landings Dock
When I saw this large concrete Seattle floating home float being towed across Lake Union, I assumed it was on its way to Ward’s Cove when all the new construction in Seattle floating homes is happening. While walking my weekly Lake Union loop, I was excited and surprised to see it on the Fairview Landings dock!
New construction and Seattle floating homes are two terms that usually do not go together. There are times when an older floating home can be taken down to the float and rebuilt, but a brand new Seattle houseboat is rare on Lake Union! There are only so many moorage slips and restrictions are such that it is nearly impossible to add more docks unless exactly the right criteria is present. This is what makes Wards Cove so coveted and also Fairview Landings.
If you are interested in Seattle floating homes for sale or information about building a new Seattle floating home, let us know and we can show you our favorite houseboats and houseboat slips!
Courtney Cooper 206-850-8841 courtney@cooperjacobs.com
Feasibility. There are FOUR Seattle floating homes that are currently marked as pending and waiting to close in escrow. These include homes on the Mallard Cove dock, Log Foundation, and The Lake Union and range in price from $499,500 for the pending feasibility listing to $1,395,000 for the beauty at Mallard Cove.
