Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

detectivemonkey posted:

I guess you aren't at the point where you would be living together because that would be a much more convenient way to save rent. But are her concerns safety-related?

She probably doesn't want to be a future water gypsy. I can't imagine why!

Now your posts in bad with money make a lot more sense, OP. I have only ever seen Portland and Seattle houseboats.
http://www.oregonlive.com/front-porch/index.ssf/2015/02/what_does_it_cost_to_buy_a_hom.html

# ¿ Oct 23, 2015 19:46

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 11:42

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

For way less money and a way better boat.. Get a cheap old Beneteau.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1985/Beneteau-First-38-2742096/Passadena/MD/United-States

# ¿ Oct 24, 2015 02:30

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

I think the propane cost is vastly low - $40 is what, 15gal of propane? 1,365k BTU ish?? That is not very much.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2015 21:31

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

Saint Fu posted:

This thread as the potential to be amazing. Keep up the good work!

lol, yes!

GAYS FOR DAYS posted:

Didn't you say you didn't want a studio? That thing looks smaller than a studio....

Way smaller...

Veskit posted:

I see there's a kitchen area but what exactly do you cook on?

It has a microwave!!

# ¿ Nov 4, 2015 21:30

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

Inept posted:

How many square feet of living space does that have anyway?

Stop dodging this question, OP. How big is the boat!

MRC - Its more like a cross between A and C!

# ¿ Nov 5, 2015 04:59

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

MrKatharsis posted:

Ha, I didn't know it was a youth thing in Minnesota. In Washington state it's for anyone operating a boat over a certain horsepower. It's good knowledge to have. Right of way, fire safety equipment, required lights, all that stuff. There's more required equipment than you would expect.

I often dream about live aboard life but the larger floating homes in Seattle are as expensive as regular houses and the wife and cats would mutiny on a sailboat.

That's because Washington has water ways worth traveling on - and they go to the ocean

Much better than some lovely lake in MN. (I realize MN has a water way that goes to the ocean, but it takes a lot of states to get to.)

I'm still confused by the OP. Why isn't he looking at a proper sailboat? They are more practical and way nicer than any of the shitboats he's been posting thus far.

SiGmA_X fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Dec 8, 2015

# ¿ Dec 8, 2015 17:54

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

baram. posted:

car loans are easy to get because if they have to repo it there's a market for it. who the gently caress wants to buy a houseboat?

The OP

But he doesn't want it enough to reasonably shop around for a loan or insurance, or look for a decent house boat. I bet it's easier to insure and finance a proper boat like a Beneteau 37~45', and its a way better yacht.

# ¿ Dec 9, 2015 22:16

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

Bastard Tetris posted:

Goddamn, a '07 Beneteau 45 costs as much as my condo. Guessing frozen houseboat guy won't be able to swing that.

Haha, yeah, they're great boats and they're priced accordingly. An 80's or 90's boat would be much more in line with the OP's budget, and they're also great boats. Don't worry about deferred maintenance costs, those will ruin the dream.

MrKatharsis posted:

I would be shocked if there were a Beneteau of that size anywhere in Minnesota. OP needs a proper powerboat to get up and down the Mississippi.

I imagine you're right. He could fix this with having one trucked in from Florida! (That's where you find the shallow draft ones, PNW/Best Coast generally has deeper ocean keels.)

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 21:24

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

SpelledBackwards posted:

Pretty certain this was already posted in the thread, but it bears repeating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za63ltkMGGE

That is truly amazing. I want a floating trailer to go along with it. It's good they're coming out with one soon!

After seeing that, how could you ever settle for a crappy houseboat like the OP is looking at?! A RV boat is clearly the best option for a mobile house boat. (IMO houseboats are proper houses on pontoons like is common in Portland and Seattle, not those dumpy boats the OP had posted.)

# ¿ Jan 6, 2016 17:20

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Way to not read anything I wrote. First off I do have my withholding fixed, my employer messed it up when I started, not me. I just didnt catch it when our accounting department messed it up a second time. It is for sure fixed now. Again I wouldnt be using the boat for the home office deduction!!!! How many times do I have to state this? Instead I would use the boat for a business purpose like entertainment or storage or something to insure it as a business asset. This would satisfy the marinas insurance requirement.

You are right about not having enough money to buy it in the first place though which sucks. I have enough that with PMI I could probably go buy a house but the bank wants to be ~~lame~~ smart and not play ball.

FTFY.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2016 17:00

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

SBA loan sounds like a good idea here.

Also, you're not suppose to get a lump sum tax refund. You finally filed a W4 like a grownup, and took your money throughout the year. And now complain!

# ¿ Jan 14, 2016 17:13

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Quick update on living the boat life. First off my preliminary tax bill has come in and it isn't that bad. So far I only owe about $350. I'm still waiting on tax forms for some company stock I got and I still have some deductions to add for my side business but overall I think it'll be under $400, which isn't great but isn't as bad as I thought it'd be.

Second update, I've been on a month to month lease for a while now. Finally my buildings management company gave me a form that basically said resign a year lease or pay $150 extra a month to stay month to month. That seemed completely unreasonable to me. I need a few months still to get a boat and need all the money I can get. So I took their form, scanned it, and changed it to only be $10 a month more, then signed it and handed it back. I got a VERY angry sounding voicemail from the building manager and have a meeting with them later this afternoon. I could be out a place all of the sudden and really need to find something quick. Hopefully I can get any type of house boat on an interim basis until I can secure a permanent one.

This is awesome. I wish you could put the voicemail on The Interwebs for our entertainment, as well as a copy of the exchange you had this afternoon which resulted in...no more posts?

# ¿ Jan 26, 2016 05:32

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

spandexcajun posted:

OP, don't get a houseboat. Get a sailboat!! Travel the northwest passage...

http://imgur.com/gallery/7Lsjz

I'm sure it doesn't take that much planning or preparation, how hard can it be?

I already tried convincing him to get a sailboat, he said they're too expensive at ~$40k...

# ¿ Jan 29, 2016 00:25

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

Pets aren't a problem. Have your shrink write a note. If you don't have a shrink, resolve that. It'll pay for itself.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2016 23:15

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

r0ck0 posted:

Houseboat tied to dock does not rise when tide comes in. (bastardization of a rising tide lifts all boats or something)

Some docks lift off the pilings and then all the houseboats and the docks get to drift away together. It happened in PDX during the flood of 96, it was comical to those of us not in the houseboats.

OP, get to buyin' your ship man.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2016 22:48

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 11:42

SiGmA_X: May 3, 2004; SiGmA_X

BaseballPCHiker posted:

Just looking at my savings and boat prices has got me pissed off again. This has got to be a slam dunk loan and yet no bank will even consider it! I could put close to 50% down at this point. The boat would be way more comfortable and roomy then this new place too. This has got me discouraged again. Equally BS is that when you read a lot of these houseboat blogs they all got loans during the crazy irresponsible banking years when they were loaning out money to anybody and those lucky and brave few have come out way ahead. I make a decent living, even if the whole boat sunk I could repay it fairly quickly.

Maybe I need to look into like lendingtree or those peer to peer banks.

Save up more and get a small balance personal loan? Or pay cash.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2016 15:27

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Houseboats: Trying to save money, not waste it!