How to Buy a Houseboat
(Floating Home) in Sausalito

Look at all the homes on the market

Everyone who lives out here loves their own dock — that's true on every single one of them, not just a few. No one dock is more special than another. Rest assured that community abounds wherever you land. Walk through what's actually available and find the home that gets you excited. The home and the water are what make this place magical. Once you're comparing homes for sale, here's what to actually look for.

Understand how the slip works

Here's the part that trips people up: you own the home, but you lease the slip — the spot in the water it floats in — from the harbor (Waldo Point Harbor manages the biggest cluster of docks). Fees run $800–$2,500/month depending on the dock and slip size. The lease transfers to you when you buy, but its terms matter just as much as the price of the home — read it carefully before you close. Read more: Slip Lease Guide.

Get your financing figured out early

Floating home loans aren't regular mortgages, and only two lenders in the Bay Area floating home market do them regularly. Get pre-approved before you start shopping — wait until you find a home and you'll lose it to someone who was ready. We work directly with one of those two lenders, so this is an easy call to make early. Full breakdown: our Financing Guide.

Work with a floating home specialist

Standard real estate agents — even very good ones — typically don't have the knowledge to represent you effectively in a floating home purchase. The nuances of slip leases, the marine inspection process, the title and transfer requirements, the harbor politics — these require a specialist.

This is not a sales pitch. It's practical advice. A general agent who doesn't know the territory can cost you a deal, miss critical inspection issues, or fail to identify problems with a slip lease that would have been red flags to someone with experience. Work with someone who has done this many times before.

Paul and Roman Bergeron have closed over 50 floating home transactions — and have personally bought and owned more than 20 floating homes themselves. That means they know what it's like to be the buyer sitting across the table, not just the agent. Paul Bergeron Real Estate is the specialist team in Sausalito.

Make an offer with appropriate contingencies

Found the right home on the right dock? Your offer should carry a few contingencies you won't see on a normal contract:

• Financing — making sure your lender will actually fund this specific home; not every home qualifies for the loan you were pre-approved for
• Inspection — covering the hull and marine systems, not just the home itself (more in Step 6)
• Slip lease review — time to read the lease carefully before you're locked in

The inspection — what's different

Buying a floating home typically means more than one inspection, and they're not interchangeable — each one exists for a different reason. A marine survey covers the hull and everything below the waterline. It's separate from a standard home inspection, and it's the one that tells you what you're actually buying:

• The hull or float — condition, remaining life, flotation systems
• The bilge system — the pumps that keep water out of the hull space
• The shore power connection — a real weak point on these homes
• Water and sewer connections to the dock
• The dock and gangway you'll actually walk on to get home

Depending on your lender, a standard home inspection and an appraisal may also be required to secure financing. Those serve the loan — the marine survey serves you. Don't skip either: a thorough marine survey costs a lot less than finding hull damage after you've closed. Read more: The Marine Survey Guide.

Closing — the title and slip transfer

Closing is handled by the escrow and title company of your choice — though only two companies actually serve this market, so your agent will point you to one that knows floating homes. Along with the standard closing steps, slip lease transfer approval from the harbor gets sorted (usually fine, just takes time — don't assume it's automatic), and any slip fees the seller still owes get settled at closing. Closing typically takes 20–40 days, and then you have a brand-new-to-you floating home.

Moving in — a few things to know

Welcome to the water. Introduce yourself to your dock neighbors — this community will end up mattering more than any neighborhood you've lived in. And get a deck chair. You didn't move here to stay inside. Read more: A Day in the Life on the Docks.