In order to have freedom and escape the high cost of housing, some people are living in RVs, tiny houses and even their cars. But one marina owner in Connecticut is hawking houseboats as a way to live on the water and avoid property taxes.
CT Insider reported that in Connecticut, houseboats are classified as watercraft even if you live in them. So marina owner John Benchimol is talking this up as a way that people can live more cheaply while having water views and the mobility of an RV.
“It’s very affordable because actually you don’t pay a property tax on boats in Connecticut,” Benchimol said.
Of course, “very affordable” might not mean the same thing to you as it does to him. “Entry level” houseboats made by La Mare start at $240,000, CT Insider reported, and “luxury” boats Benchimol is offering sell for $349,000 and $450,000.
There are drawbacks, of course. The houseboats only travel about 6 to 10 miles an hour, so you’d have to get a head start if a hurricane is coming. Moreover, they can get chilly during the winter in, say, Minnesota or Rhode Island. Stacy Rae Seminick told The Providence Journal that she lives on her houseboat year-round even though she knew one man who tried and quit after a month. “Too cold. Too much aggravation,” Seminick said.
And an even more concerning thing in Utah is the occasional houseboat fire.
But with #Boatlife trending on TikTok and Google searches up for “how to live on a boat,” there’s interest out there, according to the New York Post. Insider recently published a series of “houseboat neighborhoods and communities around the world” including Amsterdam, Seattle and Egypt.
And if you can’t afford a houseboat, there are rentals to be had. At one marina in North Carolina, almost all of the houseboats are occupied by renters, the website Wilmington Biz reported.
“The developers are capitalizing on an upward trend in houseboat purchases. The market for houseboats has seen substantial growth in the past few years and is expected to grow significantly through 2028, according to Verified Market Research,” the publication reported. One luxury houseboat community called “The Strands” sold out within nine months, primarily to people who planned to rent them.
What do you get in a “luxury” houseboat besides a water view? In “The Strands,” you get “airy, open living areas; crown molding; quartz countertops; stainless steel appliances; king-size beds; and full-size washers and dryers,” Wilmington Biz reported.
But it’s doubtful that their views are as good as the houseboats for rent at Lake Powell, an experience that Forbes once called “otherworldly” — at least while there’s still water in it.
Meanwhile, for people who can’t decide between a tiny house and a houseboat, there is, of course, the tiny houseboat. The Family Handyman website suggests 50 on Airbnb that you can try.