One of SF's rare floating homes hits the market for $1.7M - California News Beep

Tyson Graham still thinks of himself as “the new guy” in San Francisco’s Mission Creek floating home community. He bought his house 25 years ago, hardly recent by most standards, but just three of these homes have ever come up for sale on the open market, and most instead pass down from generation to generation.

When Graham bought 300 Channel St. No. 14 for $225,000 in 2002, it was a handshake deal with the previous owner, a stroke of luck of being in the right place at the right time, he said. Now, he’s put the property up for sale for $1.7 million, betting that there’s no better time to sell such a treasured piece of SF real estate.

A historic community

Only 20 houseboats sit along a lengthy dock on Mission Creek, a storied waterway that extends in from McCovey Cove before ending abruptly underneath Highway 280. It once ran from Mission Dolores out to the Bay, before development swiftly buried anything in its way as San Francisco grew amid the Gold Rush boom. The remaining creek was used as a shipping channel and occasional dumping ground for decades before a houseboat community was relocated in 1959 from Islais Creek.

300 Channel St. No. 14 houseboat is up for sale in Mission Creek in San Francisco, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Lizzy Myers/SFGATE)

Early residents were creatives and blue-collar workers, artists and tradespeople, and fishing boat owners, a varied group that could withstand the stench of the often heavily polluted channel. For years, industrial waste and some sewage pipelines drained directly into the creek, earning it the unfortunate nickname “s-t creek” by some. Even today, the channel can experience sewer overflows during strong storms and swimming in the water isn’t recommended.

The community also has a somewhat uncertain future, though residents have fought for its survival through the years. The property is owned by the Port of San Francisco and its most recent lease extends through 2055.

Meanwhile, the area surrounding the floating home community has completely transformed in the past 25 years, with modern high-rises, sprawling healthcare facilities and new sports stadiums crafting Mission Bay into a premier neighborhood destination. What once felt like a far-flung corner of the city now has lush parks, tech offices and popular restaurants at its doorstep.

300 Channel St. No. 14 houseboat is up for sale in Mission Creek in San Francisco, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Lizzy Myers/SFGATE)

But stroll along the dock and it’s still unlike any other SF city “street.” On a recent visit, a bat ray glided underneath the docks, and a tall heron stretched its body along the water as it flew low searching for its next meal. A hulking chocolate Lab jumped off the dock to take a swim and cool off during an unseasonably hot day. Interstate 280 hummed in the background, but at a less intrusive volume than you’d expect. Sea lions were once frequent visitors, but Graham said he doesn’t see them much anymore. He said the number of resident birds has also diminished, lamenting that much of the animal life fled during years of high construction in the surrounding area and haven’t returned.

Luxury living on the water

Standing in the primary bedroom of Graham’s floating home, the boat lists side to side, a gentle rocking reminding you that you’re on just that – a boat. The entire community of homes rises up and down with the tides, climbing as much as 8 feet throughout the day. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home feels nothing like what most people probably imagine when they think about houseboats. While built for efficiency, the 1,980-square-foot interior feels spacious and has all the amenities of a typical modern house, like full-sized appliances and a generous kitchen and dining area.

300 Channel St. No. 14 houseboat is up for sale in Mission Creek in San Francisco, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Lizzy Myers/SFGATE)

Graham built the boat himself in 2003 – he said most people construct their own boat and it was a right of passage historically – and says he’s renovated almost every part of it since then. The upkeep on a houseboat isn’t as much as people might think, Graham said. It’s not less than your average home, but it’s also not more, especially if you stay on top of maintenance. But there are monthly fees, much like being in a condo association. Extra costs for living in the channel total about $1,183 per month, including berthing costs, a capital assessment and internet. The homeowner also has to pay for water and electricity.

The sale comes with two parking spots and the additional, adjacent 40-foot pleasure-boat berth is optional. A neglected Mission Creek Park borders the area, but construction is set to begin this year by the Recreation and Park Department to renovate the site, including a new storage facility for creek residents.

300 Channel St. No. 14 houseboat is up for sale in Mission Creek in San Francisco, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Lizzy Myers/SFGATE)

It may be a good time to sell – the San Francisco market is white-hot – but this is far from a conventional sale. The purchase will likely need to be all or mostly cash, as it’s difficult to get mortgages for unconventional properties like a houseboat. Graham is considering offering seller financing, though he’s guessing he won’t need to do so. These properties are coveted: Only three have ever sold on the open market, according to official records.

Graham has lived in San Francisco on and off since the 1990s, but he’s been spending more and more time at his ranch up in Sonoma County after retiring two years ago. And even though he has a deep love for the home he built from scratch and the community he spent years a part of, he knows it’s time to move on.

300 Channel St. No. 14 houseboat is up for sale in Mission Creek in San Francisco, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Lizzy Myers/SFGATE)

Graham hopes the buyer understands how important it is to know what you’re buying into. It’s a close-knit community where everyone helps out their neighbors and participates in twice-yearly volunteer work days. There are strict rules against absentee owners, so the buyer won’t be able to use the houseboat as a second home or rent it out as a vacation rental.

“This whole place is about the community,” he said. “This is something to be preserved.”

One of SF’s rare floating homes hits the market for $1.7M

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