Floating Homes Offer a Slice of East Bay Paradise
Realtor Angela McIntyre — who lives in a floating home herself — explains that these homes are very specifically defined. “Floating homes do actually float in the water,” she says, “but they are attached to the dock by lines.”
Most residents are drawn by the unique lifestyle and amazing views of nature. “The wildlife is incredible. Not to mention the sunrises and sunsets,” McIntyre explains. “And each marina is different. At San Pablo, for instance, you have a view of the Marin Headlands on one side, and the mountains on the other.”
Another obvious plus to these neighborhoods are the close-knit communities of people who live in them. “People rely on each other,” McIntyre explains. “If your neighbor sees you are tilting, or the wind is blowing something away, they wouldn’t wait until you got home. Instead, they’d take care of it and leave you a note.”
That feeling of community closeness and interdependence is echoed by floating home resident Ann Debardeleben. “For the first time in my adult life, I feel like I belong to a community. They’re not breathing down your neck, but you are close. Everyone understands your privacy, but they’re there when you need them.”
Like McIntyre, the sea life and amazing vistas also drew Debardeleben to life in a floating home. “The wildlife is incredible. We see seals, herons, and other sea life you don’t get to see any other way. And the view is amazing. There’s something visually beautiful all the time — even in a storm.”
When asked about storms, Debardeleben says the boat rocks, “but it’s tethered. It’s really just like a big boat going by.” And, if you get nervous, she says, “you knock on the door of an old-timer and ask, Is this normal?’ And they’ll say, Yeah, just sit back and enjoy it.'”
Due to their unique nature, floating homes, McIntyre says, operate differently than your standard land-based bungalow. “Your sewer, water, and electricity is all hooked up to the land,” she explains. “Most people do not own the spot where they are docked, but pay a dock fee, and that sometimes includes sewer hook-ups.”
McIntyre says that dock fees typically cost around $400 to $600 per month. The floating homes themselves are currently running “around $400,000 and up,” she says. “And, you do all the maintenance to your floating home.”
But even maintenance is different. “You don’t have to worry about earthquakes,” McIntyre explains. “But you still have to paint your boat. There’s no land value to the home, but you do pay property taxes. You have no yard to maintain, but you do have decks,” she says. Overall, McIntyre says, maintenance costs are probably “about the same” as those of a land-based home, just different in what a homeowner spends time and money to maintain.
McIntyre explains that most floating homeowners need to take their garbage to a specified point for pick-up, and most homes have one or two parking spaces (as part of the dock fee) as opposed to a garage.
Debardeleben recommends that anyone considering a move to a floating home be willing “to minimize stuff. You don’t have a yard, and storage is usually limited.” McIntyre echoes this sentiment, noting that most floating homes are between 800 and 1,300 square feet in size.
Perhaps most importantly, anyone considering a floating home should act quickly. “These homes don’t come up too frequently,” McIntyre says.
Part of that rarity is due to stringent regulation by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), a state agency created in 1965 which regulates and makes long-term plans for San Francisco Bay. Steven McAdam, Deputy Director and Chief of Regulatory Services at the agency, explains that, while BCDC’s focus and planning are for water-oriented purposes only, many floating homes were grandfathered in at the time of the agency’s creation.
“It would be very difficult to get a new home marina approved,” he explains, noting that the three marinas mentioned — Barnhill, Berkeley, and San Pablo — are the only three approved in the East Bay.
And that approval is important. BCDC grants permission for the floating homes in 20-year increments. “We must make a finding that the area is not needed for public trust purposes,” he explains. The certification is actually given to the marina owner, as the property owner, rather than the owner of the floating home. Floating homes which are built or moored outside of BCDC’s approval find themselves dealing with the agency’s enforcement division, which actively pursues unapproved floating homes.
As a result, McAdam says, “I would suggest anyone wishing to buy a floating home ask for proof of BCDC authorization.” McIntyre notes that the homes she sells, “have been blessed by the BCDC, and each floating home is numbered,” echoing the importance of ensuring the buyer is purchasing a floating home at an authorized marina.
In spite of the unique regulations, however, McIntyre says, “It’s a lifestyle change that many people enjoy, myself included.” Debardeleben says, “We can’t imagine living any other way.”
