# Floating Houses on Lake Norris **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642 "2011-08-30T16:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/1 "2011-08-30T16:24:34Z")
[Over here](http://www.yournewboat.com/floatinghomes.html) is a number of floating homes for sale on Lake Norris, Tennessee. It is a TVA lake so unremarkable it has no Wikipedia page. \*\*Why are there floating homes here? Why are there no floating homes elsewhere (save California)? \*\* ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/2 "2011-08-30T16:35:51Z")
Who says there are none elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/3 "2011-08-30T16:51:56Z")
Well, A very fast Google showed hits for floating houses for sale at Lake Norris and in California. I am humble enough to educated. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/4 "2011-08-30T17:05:54Z")
I can view floating homes right out my office window in La Crosse (Wisconsin, on the Mississippi). Though some are summer cabins. Some look to be 1/2 step up from homelessness. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/5 "2011-08-30T17:06:23Z")
The Seattle area has quite a few. ---
**Author:** ![Curious\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Curious\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curious_Mike)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/6 "2011-08-30T19:39:59Z")
Places that have floating houses must have access to a floating pumping station to evacuate the sewage holding tank that is necessarily part of the floating house. I suspect that the reason that not many places feature floating houses comes down to a kind of ‘Chicken or the egg’ situation. In order for there to be a business that will provide this floating sanitation service there must be enough customers for the business to be profitable. On the other hand not many people will go to the trouble of building a floating house without a ready means of sewage waste disposal. In the case of Norris lake, I am almost certain that one local marina built several floating houses that were used as rentals and also aquired the necessary equipment for sewage disposal of said rentals. This opened up that market for individually owned floating houses in the area since the service was available. Be aware that permits for such facilities may be impossible to obtain in certain jurisdictions. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/7 "2011-08-30T20:44:34Z")
[Portland](http://portlandfloatinghomeinfo.com/2009/03/24/season-is-here-for-buying-a-floating-home/) [Seattle](http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html) [Winona, MN](http://www.fotovisura.com/user/Monia/view/floating-winona-2) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/8 "2011-08-31T01:05:33Z")
> [@Curious\_Mike](#): > > Places that have floating houses must have access to a floating pumping station to evacuate the sewage holding tank that is necessarily part of the floating house. I suspect that the reason that not many places feature floating houses comes down to a kind of ‘Chicken or the egg’ situation. > > In order for there to be a business that will provide this floating sanitation service there must be enough customers for the business to be profitable. On the other hand not many people will go to the trouble of building a floating house without a ready means of sewage waste disposal. > > In the case of Norris lake, I am almost certain that one local marina built several floating houses that were used as rentals and also aquired the necessary equipment for sewage disposal of said rentals. This opened up that market for individually owned floating houses in the area since the service was available. > > Be aware that permits for such facilities may be impossible to obtain in certain jurisdictions. That assumes there is running water in the house - Many of the ones I’ve seen have had port-a-potties on the shore I reiterate the vacation cabin / half step above homelessness comment Brian ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/9 "2011-08-31T03:15:14Z")
> [@Curious\_Mike](#): > > In the case of Norris lake, I am almost certain that one local marina built several floating houses that were used as rentals and also aquired the necessary equipment for sewage disposal of said rentals. This opened up that market for individually owned floating houses in the area since the service was available. Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/10 "2011-08-31T03:19:07Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > [Portland](http://portlandfloatinghomeinfo.com/2009/03/24/season-is-here-for-buying-a-floating-home/) > [Seattle](http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm/page/51511/parent/38108/Seattle_Houseboats.html) > [Winona, MN](http://www.fotovisura.com/user/Monia/view/floating-winona-2) First time those three cities have been mentioned together. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/11 "2011-08-31T14:38:25Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I can view floating homes right out my office window in La Crosse (Wisconsin, on the Mississippi). Though some are summer cabins. Some look to be 1/2 step up from homelessness. > > Brian In Seattle most of them look pretty nice. Here’s a real estate agents list: [http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=results&cfid=9811922&cftoken=37882770](http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=results&cfid=9811922&cftoken=37882770) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/12 "2011-08-31T16:18:50Z")
Psst. It’s usually called Norris Lake. (Probably because it’s named after the dam that forms it, and while “Lake Norris” sounds OK, “Dam Norris” would be way too strange to use regularly, so they’re called “Norris Dam” and “Norris Lake”) ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/13 "2011-08-31T16:42:22Z")
There’s a “community” of [floating homes](http://brnwlsn.tripod.com/houseboats/) in Toronto. Houseboats are popular on the Erie Canal in Western NY, usually as [a summer rental](http://www.houseboating.org/ERIECANAL/overview.cfm). ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/14 "2011-08-31T16:45:44Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Houseboats are popular on the Erie Canal in Western NY, usually as [a summer rental](http://www.houseboating.org/ERIECANAL/overview.cfm). We just got back from our honeymoon in a rental on the Erie Canal. That is what put me in the current craze with all things boating. Great honeymoon! ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/15 "2011-08-31T18:45:50Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > In Seattle most of them look pretty nice. > > Here’s a real estate agents list: > [http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=results&cfid=9811922&cftoken=37882770](http://www.cooperjacobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=results&cfid=9811922&cftoken=37882770) **N9IWP** is probably looking across the river at the Winona ones I linked. The pictures match up pretty well with his description. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/16 "2011-08-31T19:15:43Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > **N9IWP** is probably looking across the river at the Winona ones I linked. The pictures match up pretty well with his description. Probably the difference is due to being near downtown vs more of a remote area. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/floating-houses-on-lake-norris/594642/17 "2011-08-31T23:26:30Z")
Actually, the ones I can see from the office are very near downtown La Crosse. There are some nicer ones, but many are similar to the Winona ones pictured (no surpise, since that is just up the river ~20-30 miles) Brian