Sunny Days on the Docks & Lots Of Houseboat Gardening

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Seattle Houseboat Gardening – Taking Container Gardening to Highest Level – This last weekend was pretty nice and there was a lot of gardening happening on at least three of the Lake Union docks I was on. Seattle houseboat gardening is actually one of my very favorite things. I have always loved container gardening – going back to my days at Sasquatch Books and reading all about gardening on my breaks, but Houseboat owners are overall extremely creative by nature and the gorgeous gardens reflect that nature. One can’t help but adore the whimsical combination of paint colors and gorgeous plants framing a walkway or float.

Natural settings… Speaking of nature, Seattle floating homes owners in general are highly sensitive to the natural surroundings they have the opportunity of living in and as a result there is a sense of great stewardship for Lake Union and Portage Bay. “You don’t want to mess up the lake – you live here.” Natural and Eco-friendly gardening becomes a must. The plants here seem to thrive – capturing sunlight both from above and also from below off the reflection of the lake. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of walking the docks can tell you that gardening on a Seattle houseboat is superior to most gardening landscapes around the city. Some of the solutions for gardening in a small space are pretty phenomenal, too. Floating tires, roof tops, window boxes, separate dock gardens, dingy gardens, and more.

Do you have great houseboat gardens?  Whether you are on land or on the water, you might take a peek at some of the most fabulous and lush landscapes around Seattle! If you have some floating home gardening you might like to share, please send them to us to publish at tips@SeattleAfloat.com

Floating Homes & Window Cleaning –

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Window cleaning and Floating Homes: This was the request we found on the Facebook Fan Page for Seattle Houseboats this AM: “We are looking for a referral for a window cleaning company that can do a two story floating home with no side decks.”

Funny – I had this exact question yesterday at my open house on one of The Log Foundation docks. It wasn’t an issue for the particular Eastlake Floating home I was holding open because it happens to have a spectacular offering of walk around decks, but one of the open house visitors pointed across the channel and asked that exact question.

So how do you clean the upper story of Seattle floating home windows?

Obviously, you would need to clean the exterior windows in a Lake Union friendly manner. Sit in a kayak with an extra long extending squeegee? What are some of your earth friendly solutions? Do you have someone that does that for you? Let us know and we will get the word out!

tips@SeattleAfloat.com


 

Seattle Floating Homes Market Update

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The last two days in Seattle have been amazing weather wise. I have been driving around showing homes through rain, sunshine, wind, and sometimes even hale! Luckily the sunshine is prevailing overall and as the days brighten all over Seattle, so does the opportunity to buy one of the gorgeous Seattle houseboats in Lake Union! The floating homes market all across Westlake, Eastlake, and Portage Bay opens up quite a bit as soon as the days get brighter around here because that is the best time to showcase the beauties of the ultimate Seattle waterfront lifestyle!

There are seven Seattle floating homes for sale right now in the NWMLS – these are actual floating homes – not vessels or other types of houseboats. Most of the available floating homes in the MLS are along Fairview Ave E and most are in Eastlake. The most common price for a one or two bedroom currently in Eastlake is in the $700,000 price range. Floating homes on Lake Union in the MLS right now range from $349,990 for a great Westlake floating home option with a huge kitchen and cozy loft (open house Sat 1-4 and Sunday 1-4 this weekend!) to $1,720,000 for substantial floating home on Roanoke in the gated houseboat community of Roanoke Reef. Additionally there is a Portage Bay floating home on the market for $2,200,000 with some extra moorage options.

In between the high and the low of the MLS floating homes price range are the middles. There are four Eastlake floating homes for sale right now that all happen to be within about $20,000 of each other in price. They are also all two story and similar styles and all but one have a great roof top deck for views of Seattle across Lake Union. They range from $749,000 to $770,000 in price and all have 2 bedrooms except for a gorgeous highly remodeled one bedroom on one of the Log Foundation docks (open house this Sunday 1-4).

You can find all of these houseboat listings here (plus any additional ones that come on the MLS):

Seattle floating homes for sale

If you want to see any of them at all please feel free to get in touch with us  – homes@SeattleAfloat.com  – we are happy to arrange private houseboat tours so you can see what is currently available.

Recent Seattle floating homes sales? There are two pending in the MLS – a cute refurbished one story on another of the Log Foundation docks which was featured in the Floating Homes Association’s most recent newsletter about recycling to the max. It was priced for only $475,000 and had a great wrap around deck. Another pending sale is over in Westlake Cove – a well maintained co-op dock along the shores of Westlake in Lake Union. This one was priced at $575,000 for a shore side remodeled 2 bedroom. Recently one of the Roanoke Reef homes sold as well. It was adjacent to the parking garage there and on the inside of the dock. It was listed as a two bedroom, but had a small office that could be used to sleep in for more space. It had one of the best roof top decks I have ever seen! Listing price was $1,400,000 and it sold for full price in 30 days!

The verdict? Seattle floating homes are a good investment and selling well – even in the fall months last year, they still sold well. It truly is the ultimate in Seattle waterfront living.

Seattle Floating Homes MLS Market Highlight

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Seattle’s Eastlake Neighborhood: The sun is peeking out here and there in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood today. In Seattle we seem to get all seasons rotating throughout the day so you never know what to wear – I end up keeping a fleece in the car most of the time.

I was actually down on the Eastlake houseboat docks previewing a brand new listing for a floating home on The Log Foundation dock – one of them anyway.    There are two Eastlake floating homes for sale right there in that part of Fairview currently  – both in the upper $700k range in the MLS.

2025 Fairview Ave E – Houseboat E is a great new Seattle floating home MLS listing put on by Jennifer Nelson (photos courtesy of Jennifer Nelson). It is spacious and bright with wide open spaces and tons of great professionally remodeled touches while keeping the traditional Seattle houseboat charm intact.

Enjoy the expansive master suite like no other in the floating homes colony and colorful gardening from your rooftop deck and lower decks.  The view of Lake Union and the city is impressive to say the least.

Other perks of this floating home on The Log Foundation dock? How about the fact that this dock is highly maintained and the dues are low.

This home also happens to be right on the Cheshiahud Loop (Lake Union Loop) and very close to the streetcar for great access into Downtown Seattle.  Eastlake is already known for its easy commuting attributes, but you literally could live car less on this dock with no lack of convenience.  This one is open 1-4 on Sunday or feel free to get in touch with me for a private tour anytime.

I adore that part of Fairview and Eastlake in general quite a bit.  The sun wasn’t out until half way through my tour this AM, but hopefully it will warm up as those big puffy clouds float around the sky.

If you want to go on a houseboat tour and see one of the floating homes available in Eastlake or Westlake right now let me know.  There is a great starter priced floating home in Westlake at $365,500 (Westlake Cove)and then there are three in Eastlake  – the two on The Log Foundation docks and then one at Roanoke Reef.  All are great options at various price points for Seattle floating homes.

Eastlake Waterfront Property: Seattle Floating Homes, Condos, & More… as in Moorage

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Eastlake Waterfront Property:  Seattle Floating Homes, Condos, & More… as in Moorage.  Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood has a lot going for it, but it is hard to believe that so many of the Eastlake properties for sale are either Lake Union view homes or Eastlake waterfront homes.  Eastlake is a great community nestled up against the East shores of Lake Union in the heart of Seattle.  Eastlake residents enjoy easy commutes to Downtown Seattle and a great variety of restaurants and entertainment. On top of that, there are numerous parks in Eastlake – both waterfront and not.  It is a great place with lots of fun activities.

Eastlake Waterfront Properties for sale right now consist of all three types of Seattle waterfront homes mentioned above: 

One type of Eastlake waterfront property – Seattle floating homes:  There are currently 2 Eastlake houseboats for sale ranging from $769,000 for a gorgeous 2 bedroom with its own co-op parking space to $1,720,000 for one of the floating Eastlake beauties on the  Roanoke Reef dock (complete with parking as well).

Eastlake Waterfront Property – condos.  Eastlake waterfront condos tend to sell quickly. Additionally there are a lot of Eastlake view homes in the various condo buildings.  There is a 2 bedroom 2 bath waterfront condo down on Fairview available right now – listed at just under $850k.

Lastley, want more… how about Eastlake moorage?  There is a newer dock down on the Eastlake Waterfront – you can find state of the art Eastlake moorage available right now ranging in price from $675,000 to $950,000.  This is fee simple ownership and pretty nice – a great way to get into the Eastlake waterfront (or water covered property  in this case) market.

So as you can see there are some great ways to get into the Seattle Eastlake waterfront homes market. If you long to live in Seattle’s waterfront Eastlake neighborhood and enjoy all that Lake Union has to offer, then make sure and check out all your options. There are some great Eastlake waterfront property options!

Westlake Floating Home For Sale: Great Condo Alternative

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Seattle floating home on Westlake: This Seattle houseboat is on the market right now and a great condo alternative for anyone who has ever wanted to live in a Lake Union floating home.  It is one of the original Seattle floating homes and on a great co-op owned dock.

Bright spaces and and open floor plan with great sleeping loft as you gently rock to sleep on Seattle’s most popular lake.  Under the carpet is the original wood flooring and not one of the historical Seattle houseboats is complete without the trap door (older houseboats have trap doors in them to hide alcohol when it was illegal).

Not enough?  How about the Cheshiahud (Lake Union Loop) right outside your door and right next to Ship Canal Trail and Burke Gilman Trail, too!  Steps from Fremont and very quick access to Downtown Seattle – plus all that Westlake has to offer.

Large deck for endless container gardening and a great place to throw your kayak in for a trip around Lake Union.  The neighbors on the dock are some of the nicest I have met, too!  This is one of the shortest homes on the dock and there is room to build up if you decide you want to remodel or add a level. Lot of options and space here!

Seattle Floating Home Open House:

Come check out this great floating home!  Hopefully there will be a little sun at the open house – Sunday 3/13/2010 12:00 to 3:00 PM.  If you can’t make it, call us and we will be happy to show it to you privately.

Here’s where to find this one: 2764 Westlake Ave N, Houseboat D, Offered at $349,990

Seattle Floating Homes Financing Update 2010

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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!

Seattle Houseboats Are Historical Homes Full Of Mystery

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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.

Seattle Houseboats: Children on Floating Homes & Safety

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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!  homes@seattleafloat.com

SeattleAfloat: Floating Homes, Houseboats, More

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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.

©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services (Seattle real estate – search all MLS listings from all companies for FREE), SeattleAfloat.com (Seattle Houseboats), GreenLakeLoop.com (Green Lake Blog), QueenAnneBoulevard.com (Queen Anne Blog)

Eastlake Floating Homes: A Few Reasons Why I Love Eastlake

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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 Eastlake Townhomes
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 real estate

Seattle houseboats

Eastlake Seattle condos including Harbor Pointe for great Lake Union view homes, and more!

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!

Seattle Houseboats: Floating Homes Are Few And Far Between

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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 within 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 competitive bid for the listing of your Seattle floating home.  We always clean, stage, and market our listings to the fullest and would love to see your Seattle houseboat! homes@seattleafloat.com

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

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

$365,500 with co-op owned Lake seattle houseboatsUnion 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 Lake Union 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! Another perk? Right by new Amazon location!

Throw your kayak in at the end of the dock and enjoy Life Afloat in Seattle™!

Want more info on this Seattle floating home or other Seattle Houseboats?
Lake Union Afloat

UPDATE: THIS SEATTLE FLOATING HOME IS SOLD

© Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services™

Seattle Houseboats: Life Afloat in Lake Union – Houseboat Eats

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Seattle Houseboats: Life Afloat in Lake Union – Houseboat Eats

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!

Roanoke Reef Floating Homes: Primo Seattle Houseboats

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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 Roanoke Reef Info –


Seattle houseboats for sale

Eastlake real estate

Seattle Houseboats: Seattle Floating Homes Are Tops For Seattle Waterfront

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December 31, 2009

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!

© Seattle Afloat:  Seattle houseboats blog about floating home life on Lake Union

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

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

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 local 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… homes@SeattleAfloat.com

Seattle Houseboats: Yesterdays Weren’t Always The Best Times

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Seattle Houseboats Yesteryears: They are indeed 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.

Seattle Houseboats: Creative Living & Part of Nature

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Seattle Houseboats livingSeattle Houseboats: Creative Living & Part Of Nature: 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!
Seattle houseboats living

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.

houseboats@cooperjacobs.com

Seattle Houseboats: Floating Homes Market Update

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Seattle Houseboats: Floating Home Market Update

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!

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©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services (Seattle real estate – search all MLS listings from all companies for FREE), SeattleAfloat.com (Seattle Houseboats), GreenLakeLoop.com (Green Lake Blog), QueenAnneBoulevard.com (Queen Anne Blog)

More info?
homes@seattleafloat.com 206-850-8841

Lake Union: Sunny September Day

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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 so much fun to show homes on a day like this one!  We have had a great run of weather recently!

 

©Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services (Seattle real estate – search all MLS listings from all companies for FREE), SeattleAfloat.com (Seattle Houseboats), GreenLakeLoop.com (Green Lake Blog), QueenAnneBoulevard.com (Queen Anne Blog)

More info? homes@SeattleAfloat.com 206-850-8841

9/25/2009

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