How about these alternatives to a single family house? A condominium is a pretty standard option for someone trying to find an affordable housing situation in a popular city, but would you like to live on the water?

A sailboat, yacht, barge, or houseboat can be something you can find in cities with waterfront areas. Both Seattle and Portland have many seafaring live-aboards residing there. It might be a little harder to get a mortgage on a houseboat, and it might be a little cramped for some, but it can be a cheap way to live in the middle of Seattle.

Mobile homes have a pretty bum rap these days, but would you like to live in one to save some money on your living situation? I know that there are a few mobile home parks in some nice neighborhoods in Portland. Most of the parks in Seattle (if not all) have been shooed away. Let’s bring the home back into the mobile home…