History of Floating Homes

The history of floating homes is an American story! Floating homes started out as fishing shacks, anchored to the river banks before there were docks to moor to. By definition, floating homes do not have a motor to propel them; they are moved around by barges and attached to the mooring space by chains or steel hinges. Some folks lived ‘aboard’ their small houseboat. These old homes were heated with an oil burner or a wood stove. They had tar paper roofs, later they added hot mop roofing. Basic lap board siding and wood floor boards completed the house. No insulation on these inexpensive shacks. Waste was dumped right into the river. Rustic describes a more charming abode than they really were.

History of Floating Homes continues…

And the construction style suited the outliers who lived there. These were independent, tough minded people who wanted to live beneath the radar. In those days, taxes were not assessed on these movable homes. If you had a house boat, you could fish for both a living and for your own sustenance. These folks were the best kind of neighbors; there if you needed help in repairing or moving the house, all you had to do was ask.  If you wanted to share a whiskey evening, you could count on your neighbor to bring a glass. But in all other ways, they kept to themselves, and let you get on with your own life.

Over time, the river life attracted folks who wanted to live on river in a more conventional way. The path to this lifestyle came from fishermen and yacht owners. The city expanded, and the rivers became more recreational in nature. People with more financial resources noticed the charm of the houseboats. Business people invested in building moorages that offered services like electricity and sewer, and access to upland conveniences.

With the development of moorages and dock systems, the number of floating houses increased; licenses were required for the floating homes, and leases were developed for the moorages, docks and yacht clubs. Around the 1950’s owning a floating home became an inexpensive way to enjoy and recreate on the rivers of Portland. At first the homes were modest and used mostly as second homes for fishermen and boating families. The old round top style of floating home was popular. These sturdy homes were build on the log and stringer float we still use today. Over time, the folks who wanted to live on the water became less outliers, and more savvy home buyers who wanted a cool, unique lifestyle where they could enjoy the river life and still be part of the city.

When that happened, so did the tax man. As the houseboats evolved into floating homes, the county learned that they had homes that were not being taxed. Now the floating homes are taxed as personal property. The construction of homes include hardwood floors, granite and stainless steel kitchens, fabulous bathrooms, vinyl or cedar plank siding, spacious decks and steel roofs. The homes have gone from shacks build of found materials, to million dollar homes in exclusive moorages like Oregon Yacht Club.

Floating homes have either a Moorage Fee OR an HOA fee

 All floating homes are located in communities. The community is the dock and upland system. The dock is where your new floating home is moored, in water space next to the dock system. The uplands are the river bank where you park your car and access the moorage docks by a ramp.

Moorage fee or HOA fee:  What’s the difference?

An easy answer is the HOA fee is a Home OWNER association fee. That means that in the process of purchasing your floating home, you have included buying a fractional interest in the moorage itself. The moorage itself means: a portion of the uplands, an existing lease on the moorage property with the Bureau of State Lands, a portion of the docks and exclusive use of the slip where you moor your house.  A Moorage Fee is where you pay rent to the person or company that owns the moorage including a lease with the Bureau of State Lands, the docks and the slip. 

So, what is the difference:  Moorage fee or HOA fee?

All moorage fees or HOA fees pay for the common utility bills such as water, sewer, garbage service and the general upkeep budget for the moorage itself. Moorage fees are usually higher because they include payment to the owner of the moorage for his or her investment in the property. When you participate in owning the moorage, your fees are generally lower because you still pay for the monthly utility bills, but you own the docks so you don’t have to pay someone else for rent. Ownership of the moorage carries more financial responsibility for repairs and maintenance, but you get to have some control over that. Slip lease moorages usually cost a bit less in purchase price, but you also may have increases in the monthly fee over time. This is something you should investigate at the time of purchase. Either owning or leasing the slip can make sense for your particular situation. 

Critter control on floating homes is important! When you move to a floating home, you explore all kinds of new ideas. New floating home owners think river life is so cute! Those otters! (we thought they were endangered!) Sea Lions! (they can get up on the deck! ) Racoons and Beavers, it’s all so exciting!

We live in the habitat of the wild life on the river. One of the best things about river life is watching wild life, from Bald Eagles to Osprey, Otters to Sea Lions, Beavers to Racoons…..it’s all pretty cool. We live in their habitat, so we have to be respectful. BUT…..please don’t encourage them to make themselves at home on your decks or beneath your home. 

Beavers can be especially damaging to your floating home (they EAT the logs!) and they love to nest in between the logs where it might be warm and dry and they can get a snack anytime they want. But those cute otters love to get up on your deck and amuse you, and then leave a very large deposit in front of your door! Sea lions are big, and difficult to discourage once you have allowed them to invade your floating home space.

Floating home contractors can install critter cages on your float. If you have float work done, ask about adding this important feature to your list. If you hear critters under your floors, have a contractor install lights, music, chicken wire or other imaginative discouragements to your float. In some cases you can do a catch and release of these animals…..move them from your neighborhood to a different place. Do not poison them…….except when…

RATS! Recently we have noticed visible signs of rat infestations. Eww… and hard to get rid of! 

Rats will eat anything from dog feces to compost to leftovers on the grill. And they multiply! So do your best not to get any rats on your floating home, but if you do get them, be aggressive about  trapping them and getting rid of them. I use an electronic beeper system that plugs into my outlets, combined with screens on all exterior openings like dryer vent and vacuum exhaust, and by keeping my home and decks clean of all debris……hosing off the decks frequently, powercwashing a couple of times per season, and keeping attractions picked up.

Location Location Location

Floating home slip comparison: You are looking for a floating home. You don’t know where to start, so you just do what we all do; you just pull up a bunch of listings and see what appeals to you. Congratulations! This is a good start!!  But, once you find some likely floating homes to look at, you go take a look, and then….whoa! you have a lot of questions! What about the float? Do you want gated or is non gated OK with you? What if it needs repair? How much does that cost? What is the difference between leased slips and slips that are included in the price? 

Did you say Location?

Just like in land homes, where you want to live is super important. Consider your work commute time. Do you need schools? Is a garage important to you? Do you like a boating community like , or do you prefer a more rural setting like Sauvie Island or Scappoose? If you have lots of money, maybe you want to live in one of the downtown moorages like Oregon Yacht Club. Do you like to have a snappy moorage that is well kept and ship shape? Or do you prefer funky and eclectic? 

Floating Home Slip Comparison

Since inventory of floating home slips is very thin, you have to decide if ownership is important to you. You will pay a bit more for a home in an owned slip like the one currently listed in Tomahawk Moorage on Hayden Island. The slip has a monitory value. But, if your preferred location is in Bridgeton, for example, then you will likely be leasing a slip and pay a bit more of a monthly fee, but have the benefit of living in an easily accessible moorage.

Remember! If you’re lucky enough to live on the river, you’re lucky enough!! Call me today to talk about slips and moorage locations that suit your needs!

Floating Homes Portland

This awesome modern floating homes Portland loft is located in West Hayden Island Moorage, a premiere moorage on Hayden Island. This floating home loft was designed and constructed by Marc Even Construction.  This floating home loft features wide open spaces and walls of windows to make the perfect entertaining space. Cook your meals on high end gas stove top. Sub Zero refrigerator is  large and upscale. Vinyl slate tile flooring is used  throughout the house, and walls of storage cabinets make this floating home loft a super clean, sleek space.

Two Suites

This floating home has two master suites, each with its own en suite bathroom. Again, luxe finishes include quartz cabinet tops and stylish mosaic shower designs. Each spacious bedroom has its own walk in closet plus a regular wide closet. All design elements are very sleek and modern; perfect for the floating home buyer who has an affinity for Pearl District Lofts. Vaulted ceilings soar above the living area to at least 17 feet. Walls of windows and a gigantic deck for entertaining, plus a boat lift.

Garages

this house comes with a two car over sized garage.   Pull down access to extra storage above the garage! This moorage has cement docks, deep water and wonderful neighbors. Enjoy the floating home lifestyle! Dock your fishing boat right at your home.

Christmas Ships

The Portland Christmas Ship parade curtsies at your front door! Invite all your friends to a yearly party for this fun event. West Hayden Island Moorage is a gated community and has a lot of fun people living there. When you buy this beautiful loft floating home, the price includes a fractional ownership in the HOA including all moorage assets and exclusive use of your own slip. One of the assets is a long term lease on the uplands and dock spaces. This is a great moorage. 

If you’re lucky enough to live on the river, you’re lucky enough! Call me today to schedule a showing of this floating home or any other home on land or on the river!

All floating homes are in communities called moorages. Some communities are owned by someone else, and some of them are owned by fractional ownership shares by the residents. I am writing today about slips that are owned by someone else: floating home slip lease. 

What is a slip lease?

A floating home slip lease is where you pay each month to ‘dock’ your floating home at a moorage. Rule of thumb is that if your monthly moorage fee is over $500, you are renting or leasing the slip. The floating home slip lease fee will cover some of your expenses such as dock maintenance, parking, sewage for the community, water access (sometimes it includes your water usage too) and garbage. Each moorage might include different things, but all of them include the basic elements of a community.

What is the difference between floating home slip lease and slip ownership?

As with any rented situation, when you have a floating home slip lease you have less control over the cost of your monthly fee. Keep in mind that you are paying a share of all community services such as access to gas, water, sewer, garbage and so on, AND you are also paying the owner of the property a fee that is his income for owning the property. That said, there is a cost to owning the slip. Buying a floating home that includes the slip will cost you more in purchase price, and cost you less in monthly fees.

Which type of slip should you buy?

Of course this depends on your budget. But it also depends on the location you choose and sometimes on the amenities you want. Sometimes a buyer might have more monthly cash flow than cash for a larger down payment. In this case, floating home slip lease may be necessary. 

What are the terms of a floating home slip lease?

All leases are different of course. Some moorages only have month to month floating home slip lease. But don’t worry, you wont’ be asked to move your floating home as long as you pay your monthly fee. Sometimes there is a large ‘move in’ fee to secure a long term floating home lease. The term might be 20 or 25 years, and any increase in monthly fee is usually outlined in the lease.

Remember! If you’re lucky enough to live on the river, you’re lucky enough!

One of the first topics I discuss with potential buyers of a floating home is whether or not they want to purchase the part of the moorage with their home, or if they are open to a leased slip moorage. Let’s take a look at what is often referred to as slip ownership, but is in reality a fractional ownership interest in a larger organization such as a moorage.

What is a Slip Ownership Moorage?

In the floating home market, a slip ownership moorage  can take many forms.   In all cases, you are purchasing a floating home that is part of a larger community; the floating home community moorage shares financial responsibility for things like parking on the uplands, access via the ramp, the docks, the sewer system for the community, the water system (either well water or public water), utility service such as natural gas, electricity, propane, and potential dredging or maintenance of the river bottom beneath the moorage. The moorage might also have real assets to include such as garages or storage buildings, a gated entrance, lighting in the parking area or on the docks, easements for utilities or other property owners.  All of these things require a budget of some sort to maintain them, and a committee ( usually a board of directors) to make decisions about maintenance, repair and replacement of these important systems. The benefit of what I call ‘fractional ownership’ in the moorage is that YOU get to participate in deciding how your ‘neighborhood’ will be maintained and how it looks and works. You get a vote on the cost and the process of projects and monthly expenses. The bottom line is that fractional ownership of the moorage, commonly referred to as slip ownership, gives you as an owner more responsibility to make decisions and usually results in a lower monthly fee.

Ownership can take several forms. You can own the assets (docks, gates etc) and lease the uplands. You can own the docks etc and also own the uplands and the mud beneath the moorage.  You can purchase into an organization such as an HOA (Homeowner Association) which gives you ownership in the organization and the organization owns the long term lease on the land and docks.

Part of your decision will include where you want to live; not all areas have floating home moorages that offer ownership. Part of your decision will include your monthly budget for the community fees. I will go over slip lease in another post. This is just one part of your decision to live in a floating home. Keep in mind, if you’re lucky enough to live on the river, you’re lucky enough!!

The first thing potential buyers of floating homes in Portland want to know is, ‘what about the float?’  Buyers of floating homes have done a bit of research, and they know the float is pretty important, and also that the inspection is important. But they don’t really know much about how to interpret the inspection report for a floating home, or much else about the float.

What is a float?

The float on a floating home is basically the foundation.  Floats are constructed several ways. Logs running vertically, and wood or steel stringers running horizontally, or cement (yes, it floats if hollow or constructed to float). Some older floats are made of steel boxes or tires that are cobbled together. Another part of the float is encapsulated Styrofoam, which is the flotation for the float.  These bales are inserted in the grid of logs and stringers, and they are used to float the house high enough (but not too high) and to balance the house.

How long does a float last?

A log and stringer float or a cement float under a floating home will last forever with proper maintenance.  Brand new, a float might be given a 50 year life. But that can be extended by periodic replacement of the stringers, maintenance to the logs, additional flotation and so on. The house doesn’t sink on the last day of 50 years. The health of the float will be determined by the health of the wooden supports (logs and stringers), no growing vegetation on the wood, keeping river varmints from living under the floating home and cleaning the area around the floating home. 

Float Inspection for Floating Homes

The float inspection is done to provide buyer or seller a snapshot of the health of the float on a given day. A diver evaluates the condition of the logs and stringers (rot or breakage). The numerical value given to the float in the float inspection corresponds to the length of time a lender will use the float as collateral for a floating home loan. 

Are you lucky enough to live on the river? Call me! If you are lucky enough to live on the river, you are lucky enough!!

HAPPY 2018! The floating home market looks like it will be strong again this year! Inventory was very low in 2017, so floating homes that were priced correctly sold right away. In 2018 I predict a stable floating home market with higher prices (but keep in mind that you pay for what you get in the floating homes.). So what makes a floating home priced right?  

Just as in homes on land, location is key to pricing. The floating home you buy will be where you want to live. Oh, what about moving it to a new or different location? Well, yes, that is possible too. But for now, let’s look at the home where you find it.  Location for floating homes is about what you are looking for. Floating homes in Portland Oregon are located in moorages on one of the two rivers: Willamette River and Columbia River. The Multnomah Channel is part of the Willamette River, flowing north between the main channel of the Columbia and diverting water from the Willamette where it will re-join the Columbia at St Helen’s.  So, what do you want in your floating home life style? Kayaking? Sailing? Swimming? Bird watching? Rural setting? Harbor setting?  All of these lifestyle choices are available for floating homes.

Condition of the floating home is also a factor in pricing. Clean, well maintained, de-cluttered.  It’s a great idea to have a current float report on the float in the home you are selling (but this is another blog post) and of course, it is a very good idea to have a float report on the floating home you are buying. Having this information available to potential buyers will contribute to the buyer feeling confident about investing in their floating home.

Bridgeton Round Top SOLD!  I fell in love with this adorable, original round top…one of the early floating home styles….the first time I saw it. Tiny, but super cute and mostly all original so the integrity of this old home was preserved. I love the roof line of these homes. The interior is small, but organized and reminds me of a fine old boat. This little moorage on Bridgeton Road is very close to the dog park and has a wonderful view of the North Portland Harbor!  Welcome to the ‘Hood’ Ron and Kristin!!

“Karla was just great to work with. As we navigated our floating home purchase, we kept saying to each other, “Wow, she’s good!” She was very responsive to our needs, knowledgeable, resourceful, upbeat, straightforward, communicated very well, always prompt, provided electronic signing for quick turn-around. Above all, she was extremely flexible. We would heartily recommend Karla for any real estate needs.”  June 2016

KM and RM, Portland

New listing in West Hayden Moorage.

Wet Hayden Moorage on level home

One level floating home with slip ownership. This home also includes a finished two car detached garage with pull down access to attic storage. This one level two bedroom two bathroom home, with double French doors leading to the extra large decking, has an open floor plan with engineered wood floors, separate utility room and extra storage plus a gas fireplace!

Continue reading West Hayden Moorage Floating Home

Rare opportunity to buy a Front Slip in Tomahawk Moorage. Super cute 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom floating home with solid float (rated with no repairs in 2014). Dock your boat on either side. Views of the North Portland Harbor, Mt Hood and the famous Western Sunsets. Watch the wild Osprey who make the harbor dolphin home every summer. Take your harbor cruiser to the world famous Island Café for dinner from Memorial Day through the end of September each year. Kayak, sail and SUP right from your deck!

Slip Value in Tomahawk Moorage

There are only eight of these fantastic front slips in Tomahawk Moorage. Slip ownership translates into low HOA fees that cover water, sewer, garbage and the gated pet friendly community. Hayden Island has become a ‘go-to’ shopping and boating destination in Portland. This home is heated with a beautiful gas stove. The gourmet kitchen has slab granite counters, stainless appliances, gas cook stove and custom cabinets with roll out shelving. Check it out! front slip in Tomahawk Moorage.

Slip Ownership; What does it mean to you?

When you own the slip, you have more control over your monthly fees. In Tomahawk Moorage, you own part of the moorage; as one of the owners, you vote on important matters such as the monthly fee and big repairs. Tomahawk Moorage is owner managed and owner maintained through volunteer efforts. Tomahawk Moorage owns the ‘mud’ which means the riparian edge of the bank AND the mud beneath the homes out to the middle of the North Portland Harbor.

When people call me to talk about floating home buying, they want to know about the moorage and the slip. What does slip ownership or slip lease mean? What is the difference between slip ownership or slip lease? Here’s the scoop:  Floating homes are, by definition, in a ‘neighborhood’ called a moorage. The Moorage is where the home is ‘docked’ or secured. Yes, it can change; the owner of the floating home can move it to a different moorage or slip. I will talk about moving the floating homes in another posting.

Moorages are organized in lots of ways, but for the sake of our discussion here, we are talking about whether the owner of the home also owns the slip OR is the slip in a moorage that is owned by a third party and thus, the owner of the floating home pays rent to that third party.

Slip Lease:

When you lease the slip where your home is moored you pay less for the house, but your monthly fee is higher. Look at it this way: the moorage pays for the water, sewer, garbage and any other assets such as parking or gate security, and then on top of that, you pay rent to the owner of the moorage for your space; your rent includes maintenance of the docks and the working parts of the moorage such as the community honey pot system, the ramp access and the dock repairs. You pay your own natural gas, electricity, internet and insurance plus property tax on your house. How much is the difference? It varies of course, but a slip with a fabulous view can be valued up to $200,000. A small slip with no view can be valued around $50, 000 to $85,000.  What to look for: be sure you like what you see in terms of the moorage and the condition of the moorage.

Slip Ownership:

When you own the slip, you actually are buying into the whole moorage. You will pay more for the house (think about financing) but your monthly fee is less. The moorage pays for the same things as the leased slip: water, sewer, garbage and security,  but you are NOT paying rent to someone for the space where your house is docked. Instead, you pay a monthly fee, part of which is (should) be put into a savings plan for repairs on the moorage. You are part of the a group (your neighbors) who maintain the moorage. The advantage of slip ownership is that your monthly cash flow and your tax benefit is better. The value of owned slips ranges from $100,000 to $200,000. This value can be rolled into your home mortgage.

Slip Ownership or Slip Lease?

What’s the difference?

Bottom Line:  It is mostly about cash flow. The cost of the house plus slip is greater but your monthly fee is much lower and can be controlled by you as one of the residents. Both property types have property taxes.

The adorable floating home with slip ownership in Tomahawk Moorage is for sale!! Wow! The little cutie is a spacious 1300 square feet with two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The master bathroom has heated tile floors and a double wide shower with glass brick wall. The house has been fully updated and lightly used. The slip is 43′ by 60′.  The house is super cute, and you can buy it fully furnished!!! It is really move in ready. The float has been updated too, so your float inspection will show a sturdy float.

Gourmet kitchen:

The kitchen is fully updated with stainless appliances and open counter space. Gas cook stove, new fridge, and lots of workspace.

Master Suite:

The master suite is light filled, includes a walk in closet that is completely organized for you, and a new master bath with heated tile floors and a glass block outer wall to let in all that sunlight.

What does “slip ownership” really mean?

In Tomahawk Moorage, you are buying the house, plus 1/72nd ownership in the moorage itself. Tomahawk Moorage is the only moorage in Portland where the moorage actually owns the uplands and the mud under the houses to the middle of the North Portland Channel. This means you get a say in all expenses, keeping the low HOA fees, and other decisions about the moorage. Read all about Tomahawk Moorage at www.tomahawkdestiny.com

This house is a great buy in a terrific moorage. Call me for a private showing! Financing is available!

The 2014 Christmas Ships Parade is just fabulous this year. They have lots of new boats with fantastic light decorations. The Christmas Ships come right by the front of Tomahawk Moorage, where I live. They pause in front of our home, curtsey and bow and twirl around. We have friends over each year to enjoy the show and a Christmas pot luck party…..actually, we call it our Christmas Cruise.

When you live on a floating home, each year offers up some special times to have friends over to enjoy the life style of living on the water. Christmas is one of those times. The moorage is decorated by the home owners on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It comes alive with bright lights to offset the winter darkness. The holiday decorations come down the Sunday after New Year’s.

This in one of the reasons I say “If you’re lucky enough to live on the river, you’re lucky enough!”

 Winter hit Portland with a frigid blast after six weeks of ‘balmy’ weather (meaning no rain, blue skies, cold temperatures but dry).  I was getting my hair done when I looked out the window of the salon and saw snow blowing sideways up Broadway, wind howling and swirling. Living on a floating home requires some special preparation for these winter blizzards that occur every few years. The first thing on my list was to get home fast, stop at the store first……Food, wine, water, coffee for at least 3 days.

1. Leave the water running. If the temperatures stay low, as they did last week, leave the water in all the sinks running day and night. Sitting on the water, pipes are exposed to the air; pipes are locate and exposed under decking and in unusual spaces. Temperatures in the low 20’s are going to cause problems if you don’t keep a steady stream coming out of the faucet the entire time. Next summer’s project: wrap those pipes!

2. Shovel and chip.  Snow is pretty of course, but on floating homes, the weight of the snow can be dangerous. Even though you may only need it every 3 years or so, a snow shovel is a good tool to keep in your storage closet. Get the weight of the snow off your decks, porches and walk ways.  Chip ice away too. You may notice that the swim float attached to your home is sitting higher than your deck; this is an indication that your home is bearing too much extra weight in the form of snow and ice.

3. Stock up!  Just like people living on land, you are prudent to keep a couple of jugs of fresh water on hand incase there is a break in the water supply line for your moorage.  Other emergency items would be propane so you can use your boat stove in case the power goes off, flashlights and candles, batteries; all the stuff you would keep on hand if you lived on land. Keep in mind, with really cold weather, you might not be able to get off the docks to go to the store due to ice accumulation, so laying in a couple of days of good food stuff is also important. Play poker or Cribbage, fresh cards, snacks for the neighbors.  Don’t forget the whisky!

4. Keep your local repairman on speed dial….and pay him promptly!  This is the guy you call if your honey pot acts up; during cold weather, the pump could go out, the pipes could freeze and then …. you need The Guy.  Keep this guy on excellent terms if you want him to attend to your problems during the cold weather…or any other time. Pay him promptly and throw in a bottle of rum. He will put your business at the top of his list when an emergency arises.

5. Keep your furnace in top running condition: This is a job to do in the fall. Get your furnace serviced and the filters cleaned so that you won’t have a problem during the cold weather.

This stunning home is definitely one of a kind. No expense was spared in creating a unique floating home that brings inside the color and life of the river, while providing a warm interior space with comforts and amenities that offers worry free on- the- water living. Located in the premiere East front corner slip, this home enjoys spectacular views of the river, yacht harbor and Mt Hood. An oversized all weather deck features dock space for both a 60 foot boat and a 40 foot boat right at your doorstep, as well as ample space for outside entertaining.  Completely remodeled in 2011, this home features warm, wide plank, Heirloom Birch hardwood flooring throughout the open concept main level, accenting deep green, imported Italian marble slab kitchen counters.  A dual control Mitsubishi HVAC system allows independent temperature control for each level of the house. Endless hot water tank, stainless Meile kitchen appliances with down draft cook top, high UV rated windows, Ann Sachs tile finishes in kitchen and a heated marble floor in the master bathroom. Wool Berber carpeting in the bedrooms adds to the visual and tactile comfort of this beautiful home. A few of many special features include a black and white marble wall mosaic accenting the free standing bathtub in the master bathroom, an architectural faucet in the kitchen, heated water and sewer pipes making winter weather care free, extra floatation on a superior float (foundation).  Gas barbeque and hook up on the deck.  Slip ownership is included in the price along with a percentage of Tomahawk Moorage. Low HOA fees of $270 a month include water, sewer, maintenance, trash service and landscaping. Solid moorage financials available for your review with an offer to purchase. Pet friendly moorage plus great neighbors. See More about this home!

More about the author Karla Divine:  I live on a floating home and can help you with all aspects of buying or selling yours. My work is to help people buy and sell their homes or investment properties. How can you use my lifetime of real estate experience to help you reach your goals of buying a new home or selling the home you love? What can I offer you to make your experience more productive and less stressful?   Exposure to available housing as soon as possible* Competitive Market Analysis and Pricing information* Investment property analysis* Current market knowledge* 30 years of experience in buying and selling real estate* Professional negotiation skills* Extensive network of resources to smooth the wrinkles in any transaction.   My promise to you is to give you the best, most professional, service available to help you accomplish your goal, just as I have done for many other happy clients. I will put YOUR business first! Return your calls, answer your concerns, provide resources and trustworthy counsel so you so you can make the best decision for you and your family, honor your time and money, exceed your expectations.
Karla Divine Principal Broker / Owner Divine NW Realty 503-819-6923 www.karladivine.com

Super clean boat house with a fabulous shop area big enough for ALL of your tools. The boat well is extra large, big enough for a 45 foot boat with up to a 16 foot beam. Lots of side storage in the boat well. Great slip location in nice moorage. The apartment is a spacious one bedroom apartment that has been recentely updated. Very nice kitchen with solid oak cabinetry. Light and bright interior, walk in closet…and get this, a lift from the well to the living room so you can get your groceries up with less effort. You know boaters, this lift is un permitted, but works good.

My work is to help people buy and sell their homes or investment properties. How can you use my lifetime of real estate experience to help you reach your goals of buying a new home or selling the home you love? What can I offer you to make your experience more productive and less stressful?   Exposure to available housing as soon as possible* Competitive Market Analysis and Pricing information* Investment property analysis* Current market knowledge* 30 years of experience in buying and selling real estate* Professional negotiation skills* Extensive network of resources to smooth the wrinkles in any transaction.   My promise to you is to give you the best, most professional, service available to help you accomplish your goal, just as I have done for many other happy clients. I will put YOUR business first! Return your calls, answer your concerns, provide resources and trustworthy counsel so you so you can make the best decision for you and your family, honor your time and money, exceed your expectations.
Karla Divine Principal Broker / Owner Divine NW Realty 503-819-6923 www.karladivine.com

This is a super cute, super quirky floating cottage located in Tomahawk Moorage. The sellers really enjoyed living here but now they have two active babies so they have reluctantly moved to land. They had the entire float completely rebuilt this summer with all new logs and stringers, and a larger deck.  The house has one cool bedroom with an ensuite bath room, plus some very cool living spaces, and elevated loft style dining room and a spacious tender house that can be used as another bedroom or a studio-office. This floating home has a beautiful view of the North Portland Harbor. Plenty of room to host a fun Christmas Ships Party.

The price includes ownership in

Tomahawk Moorage!

Wow. This is an awesome floating home for sale  in an even more awesome location! This floating home is located in Tomahawk Moorage, right at the bottom of the access ramp (so you don’t have far to lug those groceries). It has one of 9 premiere slips in Tomahawk Moorage, a Front-Corner-Slip. Why do you care? Well, for the same low HOA fee, you have room to dock at least two big boats, one along the front and one along the side of the house.  This is a large home, 2200 square feet. You may have noticed that this home has been on the market for 3 seasons……let me explain.

The owner spent a year and almost $150,000 on refreshing the float and all the  systems under the house. He added two new logs along the outside of the decking, put in all new duct work for the AC and Heat systems. He added new hard core insulation, new floatation, and then added new decking (the all weather kind), painted the exterior and the interior of the house, added solid hard wood flooring and new carpet and added new stainless steel appliances. After all that, the house may still need some of your touches to update the interior, but this is a very solid wonderful home that is ready for a new owner. The current owner is ready to negotiate, and has dropped the price $100,000 from what would make him whole financially. And, Tomahawk Moorage is ready for a new neighbor!  Call me today to take a look at this wonderful home. Financing is available and you can make a great ‘deal’ on your purchase.