Five Offbeat Realty Reality Checks-- Part 2: Floating Homes, Micro Apartments and American Versailles

FLOATING HOMES

Scattered around the Western U.S. in places like Seattle and Portland, Oregon are communities where the homes float on the water.  And these aren't houseboats which can move under their own power.  They are built to be moored and often can plug into the grid for electricity.

Home prices range from a few hundred thousand to millions.

Seattle has had floating homes at least since the 1930s.  At one point, there were an estimated several thousand floating homes there, but now that number is down to about 500.

MICRO APARTMENTS

Tiny apartments are not strange in big urban areas  where space is at a premium, but now in NYC there is a new trend to micro apartments.  In 2013, the city approved "My Micro NY," a 55-unit building with studios ranging from 250-square feet to the more roomy 370 square feet.

The building is under construction so no word on prices.

AMERICAN VERSAILLES

The french palace at Versailles is noted for its opulence, but Florida billionaire David Siegel and his wife Jackie will complete construction in 2015 pn the largest home in America, a 90,000-square-foot mega mansion which will be modeled on the French palace.

It has been under construction for 11 years, has 30 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms

Oh Well.  --RoadDog