They are some of Seattle’s most unique and recognizable homes, and there’s only 500 of them. Last month, team member Enrico Pozzo—an expert in all things floating homes—led a tour of Lake Union and the homes that top its waters. Skippered by Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) CEO Dean Jones, our team was joined by nearly 40 of our RSIR colleagues and a few guest brokers from our affiliates in New York and California.
With Enrico on the megaphone, we dove into all the intricacies of floating homes and their communities. Floating homes have been part of Seattle since the 1890s when you could find them on the Duwamish River, Lake Washington, and Lake Union. At the peak, there were 2,000 floating residences. Now, they only exist on Lake Union and Portage Bay, and there are just 500.
Highlights during our tour included a stop at the cinematic must-see “Sleepless In Seattle” home and concluded with a tour of our listing, Ward’s Cove Masterpiece. Features in Seattle’s most extraordinary floating home include stunning living and dining rooms and a gourmet kitchen with a 270-degree view over Lake Union—the perfect setting for contemplating, entertaining, and celebrating. Using a dinghy, we were able to boat brokers from the yacht to the listing which made for an eventful day! We are still waiting for a fellow Seattleite to create ‘Flubers’ (floating Ubers).
Living on the water’s edge is nothing short of amazing. For those who have a sense of adventure, watch out for the Duck Dodge, a sailing race each Tuesday from May to September, where captains and their crew dress to theme and compete in one for four classes, from fast to dinghy.
While you can join in on the lake action or sit back and relax on your deck, you are also in close proximity to Seattle’s tech hub. Amazon, Google, and Facebook are nearby, Apple recently announced an office opening in the neighborhood, and Expedia is slated to join the neighborhood by the end of the year. These are only some of the reasons that floating homes are a truly unique way of living and after a long day at the office, there’s nothing better than floating on into your dream home.
If you have any questions please reach out to us — we’re happy to help!
Enrico Pozzo, Barry Bergner, and Chris Kallin
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