Buying a House? Consider the Houseboat
Float your boat with a house on the water
By Rebecca Armstrong April 29, 2014
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
!–paging_filter–pClassic Craftsman houses may dominate local neighborhoods, but for pure Seattle flavor, nothing beats the humble houseboat. With ties to Seattle’s earliest days, killer views, convenient access to downtown (imagine kayaking to work) and tight-knit communities (all the better to fight developers with designs on waterfront property), floating homes are as much a lifestyle as a domicile—and, with only about 480 in the city, an exclusive one. Recently, three choice examples drifted onto thenbsp;market.brbrstrongNorth Lake Union/strong (pictured above)brstrongPrice:/strong $295,000nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;brstrongSquare footage: /strong15 by 40 exterior dimension; 1 bedroom and 3/4 bathbrstrongProperty taxes:/strong No property tax; buyer pays sales tax on vessel purchase. brstrongFees:/strong End-of-the-dock slip rental $430 per month; can be moved.brstrongViews: /strongEastlake open water, Space Needle view from dockbrstrongYear built: /strong2006brstrongBonus: /strongHaida houseboat built by GreenPod. Aluminum hull, wave-shape cedar shake exterior, transom windows, arched stained glass door, hardwood floors and tongue-and-groove ceiling, small deck, pellet stove brstrongListed: /strongFebruary 2014brbrstrongimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0514_houseboat2.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle;” height=”398″ width=”600″brbrEast Lake Union/strongbrstrongPrice:/strong $2,888,000brstrongSquare footage: /strong1,000; 3 bedrooms, 1.25 baths brstrongProperty taxes:/strong $2,952 brstrongFees:/strong Homeowner association dues, $455brstrongViews: /strong270 degrees, including Mount Rainier, downtown, Space Needle, Queen Anne, Aurora Bridge and Gas Works ParkbrstrongYear built:/strong 1976, remodeled in 2011brstrongBonus: /strongMinimalist style and custom furnishings and finishes, originally designed by Jim Olson; high-tech cabling, skylightsbrstrongListed:/strong February 2014brbrstrongimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0514_houseboat3.jpg” style=”vertical-align: middle;” height=”401″ width=”600″brbrPortage Bay/strongbrstrongPrice: /strong$750,000brstrongSquare footage:/strong 1,500; 3 bedrooms; 1.75nbsp;baths brstrongProperty taxes: /strong$3,626, divided among as many as 11 houseboat owners brstrongFees: /strongNo association fees or rent brstrongViews: /strongPortage Bay, University of Washington, Montlake Cut, mountainsbrstrongYear built: /strong1960brstrongBonus: /strongSkylights, sunroom, wood-burning fireplace, wraparound deck, French doors, assigned parking spot, tie-up space for a small boatbrstrongListed: /strongFebruary 2014/p
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