9 Places To Buy Houseboats: Helpful Tips (For Beginners)

There is a wealth of resources online available to help people buy the right houseboat for them.

This list details ten sites you can look at when you want to buy a houseboat.

1) Boattrader.com

Boattrader.com has hundreds of listings for houseboats. There are boats for sale by both dealers and private owners. When you start the search, you have to indicate the distance from your location that you are looking for boats.

Once you get to the page, there are different search parameters that you can work with in order to narrow down your choices to the one you want. These include the model of the boat, fuel type, hull type, engine type, and the “for sale by.”

You can scroll through the listings. At the bottom of the listing, you will see if it is for sale by a private owner or a brokerage. You will also see pictures of the boat, and the year, make, and model of it.

2) PopYachts.com

PopYachts.com has a good design and is a great resource for people who are looking to buy a houseboat. They are technically advanced, and it makes navigating the website fast and easy. It’s a brokerage, and the buyers are connected with dedicated brokers who will help them through the whole process of finding a new boat.

The brokers will help to arrange for transportation, and talk to you about your needs and connect you with a boat that you will like. The personal touch and one on one service is something that many potential buyers will appreciate.

Popyachts is a licensed dealer and broker in Florida. There are links to social media where you can connect with them and chat.

On the website, you can search for boats by popular model. You can also organize it by states. See the most popular listings, or search by houseboats that were most recently listed. Buyers can also look at recently sold houseboats to get an idea of what other people are buying.

When you’re looking at the listings, you can see images of the boat, as well as when the listing was last updated to get an idea. Many listings are very new. It will say the year, make, and model of the boat, the length as well as the hours. You can see why the boat is being sold, as well as the equipment that is available on the boat.

There’s also a photo of the person selling the boat and contact information.

There’s a unique feature called the best value by foot which can help customers looking for the best deal.

3) Boats.com

Boats.com is a database of thousands of different kinds of boats, including houseboats. You can see hundreds of new and used houseboats available for purchase.

The listings are from all over the world. On the left-hand sidebar, you can see more in-depth information when browsing boats and making a decision. They have houseboats organized by whether they are new or used. There is also the boat type. Beneath that, there is a list of the make of the boat.

Potential buyers can also sort through the listings according to price.

There is $0-$10,000, $10,000-$25,000, $25,000-$50,000, $50,000-$100,000, $100,000-$200,000, $200,000-$500,000, and $500,000+.

You can also browse listings by length, including 0-20ft, 20-30ft, 30-40ft, 40-50ft, 50-60ft, 50-100ft or 100ft+. There’s also the option to look at boats based on their distance from your current location, or by the country that they are in.

Brokerages list their boats on this site, and it is professionally done. It includes contact information such as the names and addresses of the brokerages.

Many of the houseboats are newer, and you can organize listings by year such as 2018+, 2012-2017, 2000-2011 or before 2000.

Some of the listings include the option to trade, so if you are interested in that it is an option. Also, some have transportation available.

The boat details give you essential information such as the condition, hull material, length, location, and fuel type. The description will go into more information about the features of the boat and what is included.

At the bottom of every listing is a selection of similar boats that you can compare it to. On the side, there are services that the seller is willing to help you with. These include financing, insurance, transportation, or surveying.

4) houseboatsBuyTerry.com

This is a website with a group of brokers who sell houseboats. The home office is located at Conley Bottom Resort on Lake Cumberland in south-central Kentucky. The brokers serve Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.

They sell houseboats all over the nation and the world.

On the website, you can learn more about the brokers. It has a personal feel that makes it feel trustworthy and well organized. You can also connect with them on social media and there are links to their sites.

Houseboatsbuyterry.com has a variety of helpful links and information available to the potential buyer. There are a blog and a list of resources. These include marinas, surveyors, and mechanics.

There are a few ways you can view the listings. You can click view all listings, and you will be able to see what is available to purchase. Boats can be organized by price, including those 50k and under, 50k-100k, 100k-175k, 175k-275k, and 275k-800k.

When you look at the listings, you will see the year, make, and model of the boat. You will also see where the houseboat is located, and the price. There’s a link to the broker as well.

The listed houseboats have general information, including what equipment is on the boat, as well as broker information.

Some of the listings are already sold, and you will see information indicating that. Some of the listings have videos with walkthroughs of the boats. The listing has a button that you can press to send an inquiry.

5) Claz.org

This website is a comprehensive list of active houseboat classified available online. There are houseboats wanted as well as houseboats for sale.

On the left side of the screen, you can see some of the top places where the listings are. You can sort through the listings available by price, as well as other categories.

Many real estate agents, marinas, or dealers will have adds that populate this website. There are also private listings by owner.

Each classified ad will have some relevant information. They will include a phone number and email address. Most include a picture of the boat, so you can get an idea of what it looks like. It will also tell you the year, make, and model of the boat.

There is other information provided by the seller, including what is included on the boat. Many are currently moored. It’s a good resource for someone who is looking at houseboats by owner.

6) Eliteboatsales

Eliteboatsales specializes in boats in Southern Kentucky. This includes boats on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, Patoka Lake Indiana and Dale Hollow Lake in both Tennessee and Kentucky.

The website is run by a team of realtors. They can provide buyers with insight and assistance in the process.

They also assist in selling boats. The website has floating homes as well as other types of boats available to buy.

You can navigate to a page on the website related to houseboat financing.

When searching for boats, there are a few options to narrow down the perfect one. If you have an ID number of one you were referred to or looking at, you can enter that into the search bar and look.

The homepage has thumbnails of the most recent listings. These include the prices and the year built. When you scroll down, you can see a list of the location of the boats as well as the prices.

You can also search for houseboats depending on your price range. There are boats 100,000 and under, 100,000 to 150,000, 150,000 to 200,000, 200,000 to 300,000 and 300,000 and above.

The team assists buyers and sellers all over the world in buying boats.

When you look at the listing, there is an image of the houseboat. You can see essential information, such as the year built. There is also a bullet point list of all of the features and equipment that comes with the boat. You can print the image or email it. There’s also contact information for the realtor on the page. When you click “more images,” you can see pictures inside of the houseboat as well as on the outside.

7) theportlandTeam.com

This is a regional website that specializes in floating homes in the Pacific Northwest area, specifically Portland. You can see homes listen by price. Check it out here.

There are plenty of images to look at that are professionally taken and help you to see what the home would be like.

The website also provides the status of the listing, so you know whether or not it is active. Potential buyers can look at the exact address of the houseboat on the listing page.

There’s more information including the number of bedrooms and bathroom so you can do a quick comparison of similar homes.

Users can sort the homes by price, and also take a look at the total square footage to get an idea of how much the home is worth.

The realtors on the website provide a guide for negotiating the price and making an offer. They work to help you and the seller reach an agreement about the price. Some homes are pet-friendly, while others aren’t, and it’s up to the buyer to find one that fits their needs and their lifestyle.

They will also help direct you to lenders that will help you finance and buy your floating home. There are only a few in the area that specializes in this type of lending.

When you click through the listing, you can see a list of nearby schools and the information about the schools. There is also information about the included appliances and equipment in the home. You’ll also learn about the year it was built and how long it has been active on the website. The website features an interactive map where you can learn about recent sales in the area.

Portland is prime real estate, and the community of people choosing to live on the water is growing.

8) Homes.trovit.com

Trovit is a traditional real estate site that allows you to search for different properties. You can enter houseboats into the search terms, and you will see houseboats from all over the United States in the search listings.

Some of the listings are newly built, and they will appeal to budget-minded customers. You can see images as well as the address and the asking price.

Trovit has a lot of information available about the listings, including open houses so you can visit the properties and see for yourself. It also includes information such as the utilities that it has and any furniture that is included.

There are houseboats that are available for immediate occupancy, as well as the ability to be pre-approved for financing.

The website has a convenient graph that shows you the breakdown of how much you can expect to pay for the houseboat including the cost of ownership as well as any fees associated with where it is located.

It is easy to browse and compare houseboats using the tools. Trovit has a simplified yet high tech website that is a great tool for anyone looking at real estate. You can adjust it by mortgage rate and compare the long term costs, which is essential when looking into the investment. It will also give you an estimate of the potential downpayment cost.

There is a lot of other information available on the website, including nearby schools and their rating. It’s a great launching point for beginning your search for the ideal houseboat to buy.

9) CooperJacobs.com

This website specializes in houseboats in the Seattle area. There are both houseboats and floating homes. Many of the homes here are on Lake Union.

You can browse the website according to a couple of different categories. The first is homes that are under one million dollars.

There are also different sections depending on the area of Seattle where you might like to live. These include Wards Cove and Lake Union Moorage.

If you’re interested in renting a houseboat, there is a section that lists properties that are available for rent.

The search tool has pictures of each listing, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms as well as the price and the year built.

You can order it according to price or other search criteria. The website has contact information for the realtors, and you can speak to them via email or the phone.

Houseboats in Seattle

10) Ebay

Like many things, you can actually buy houseboats on eBay. Some are available to purchase right off the bat for a certain price. Others are available for bidding. Because houseboats are a high-ticket item, most have a reserve set in place.

You’ll be able to find boats that are new and used on the platform. Be sure to do your research beforehand. Ebay has a great buyer protection program set in place, so using the safeguards that are there will help throughout the whole process.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may not be able to get a surveyor to take a look at the boat before you buy it because of time constraints. It’s possible to exchange contact information with the owner of the boat and visit it if you can. There are financing options available.

5 Tips for Buying a Houseboat

There are a few steps you can take when buying a houseboat to make sure that it goes smoothly.

1. Getting a Loan

For many loans, it’s necessary to provide a 20% to 35% down payment. The mortgage interest rates are normally higher than for homes on the water. Finding the best rate on a loan might involve some shopping around.

2. Getting a houseboat inspected

Before a houseboat purchase is finalized, it’s important to get an inspection. The buyer is responsible for paying for the survey. The cost depends on the size of the structure.

3. Budget appropriately

Many houseboat owners do not pay property taxes, as these are covered by the marina. They do pay sales tax and the cost of the slip or dock rental as well as insurance.

4. Use tax breaks

If you’re using the vessel as your primary residence or second home, and the car is listed as collateral, you can file an income tax return and deduct the interest you pay on the loan.

5. Take time to explore your options

As with any big purchase, take your time to search out your options and find the right one for you. Compare prices and talk to people who have the houseboat you’re looking at to see how they can help you in making your decision. Each state and water authority organization will have its own rules and regulations, and it would be good to learn about these about the place you are looking to live.